I know it is an old fashioned question,but hey,so important.Everything in this world is influenced by the idea that there is a God,ruling the universe,and punishing you if you don't behave.Wars start in name of God (muslim holly wars) and throughout history,people have always thought that if we had not a good behaviour we would be punished.
I am interested in your opinions! :)

I think we create God in our own image and that many people will be willing to play God for you if you want that. Jesus will show up if you believe in him at your death bedside if you expect that to be the case.  but if visions of the Christ are revealed to any individual, I do not believe this figure to be the same physical man who walked here but a higher being able to take on the characteristics of your belief system and desires of the soul, making transition easier. I believe in individuals in higher degrees of light than myself. I believe in the words that Jesus spoke that we will do the things that he was able to do and graduate the same way he did, but I don't believe in the early churches attempts to control and punish the masses through religion by admonishing punishment to those who do not get in line with those teachings. I see rather a hierarchy of light beings observing free will here on this planet, but I don't see a single God being. just fragments of God participating in the illusion that we are limited in order to gain earth experience. http://images.bravenet.com/common/images/smilies/earth.gif

Well stated, alysia.

Of course God exists - it`s just a matter of how different people view His existance. To me, God is not some omnipotent person looking down and watching us, He is the whole universe. We are all part of God, whether we like it or not, and are, therefore, linked to each other in a small way. Yes, all of us on earth are linked even though we may wish not to be.
I feel it is a shame that many religions have tried to monopolise theirs as being the "right and only one".

Some readers might like to pay a visit to www.hiddenmeanings.com to search around and find more interesting reading. Enjoy!

regards, roger  :)

p.s.  For those atheists who say, "Prove God exists", I would say, "Prove He doesn`t".

I believe God exists, and that God is perfect love and goodness and has infinite compassion for all beings.  I believe God is in the process of helping all souls to grow towards a higher spiritual development, into the Light of God.  I believe God sent Jesus to this earth to teach God's love and to assist people to grow towards the Light of forgiveness, mercy, compassion, peace, reconciliation, and goodness.  The Christian religion has been perverted over the centuries into a fire-and-brimstone judgmentalism that teaches a sadistic god who tortures some people in hell forever.  But the real Jesus is working to save and transform all souls in due time, whether in this life or the next.

For those who are interested in the philosophy and view of God I believe in, you may want to check out my website on Christian Universalism, http://www.seejesuschrist.net

Peace in Christ,
Freebird

i agree with roger and alysia

mainly that god is an omnipresent, sum total of all that is, the highs and the lows.  

"God" is also just a name.  You can use a capital "G" or lower case.   I prefer  "the all that is" or "Spirit".  

What you refer to as God is also difficult to conceive of as something separate with its own personality that sits on a mountain judging us.  he or she or it might get bored watching and want to participate!

which leads on to another thought:

perhaps you may want to think of god from a perspective of pure consciousness just floating around and then realising itself as floating around.  this introspection could give rise to dreams of "what can i imagine?" and then the desire to participate in those dreams at all levels and dimensions.  

therefore consciousness could become individual essences that may participate in those dreams.  essences then have the freedom to create many experiences/lives including on places like earth with its terribly under-estimated concept of free-will.

one of those lives (being so entrenched in this life) then starts wondering whether god exists.

I would say as a starter "At least you know that YOU exist!"  :P

wrote on Mar 16^th, 2005 at 5:38pm:

i agree with roger and alysia mainly that god is an omnipresent, sum total of all that is, the highs and the lows.   "God" is also just a name.  You can use a capital "G" or lower case.   I prefer  "the all that is" or "Spirit".   What you refer to as God is also difficult to conceive of as something separate with its own personality that sits on a mountain judging us.  he or she or it might get bored watching and want to participate! which leads on to another thought: perhaps you may want to think of god from a perspective of pure consciousness just floating around and then realising itself as floating around.  this introspection could give rise to dreams of "what can i imagine?" and then the desire to participate in those dreams at all levels and dimensions.   therefore consciousness could become individual essences that may participate in those dreams.  essences then have the freedom to create many experiences/lives including on places like earth with its terribly under-estimated concept of free-will. one of those lives (being so entrenched in this life) then starts wondering whether god exists. I would say as a starter "At least you know that YOU exist!"  :P

precisely my thoughts. lol. was going to thank you and end up thanking myself.
I also prefer to think of God as "all that is." have to admit picked it up from another author, or perhaps many authors.
All that is, includes the tangible earth, even the dirt where I grow things from. just floating around as nothing does indeed give rise to the imagination and self realization and it just keeps going from there.
what I forgot to say the first time, and the subject matter is endless...lol...so will shut up and let others say what they want...I wanted to get across the point in the book I wrote for myself first of all to self realize my self...that there is something out, no in us, that is taking care of us although to appearances this looks like an argueable point. Every single thing that happened, even the worst things, I was entirely supported when I asked for help of "all that is." many of us call this the higher self, that which is one with God, or all that is. http://images.bravenet.com/common/images/smilies/pray.gif love, alysia