Do you believe in God?

[erin9mmm]

I don't intend to start an argument but just curious to know whether fellow Canuckers believe in Him or not?
And, why or why not?

So what is your answer?
Can't help but to feel like the subject of a school project when the O.P doesn't answer too! lol

[sweet sparrow]

^ Can't help but notice the amount of posts you have now! Creepy!

Ha ha ha!!! Quick, post again!

[Patty Smyth]

The explanation as to how "nothing" came from something can be proved now by science. Stephen Hawking has a new book.

Personally I take his word for it, his IQ is over 200, works for me.

Stephen Hawking says universe not created by God

• Physics, not creator, made Big Bang, new book claims
• Professor had previously referred to 'mind of God'

Poll: Is Hawking right?

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• Adam Gabbatt
  
• The Guardian, Thursday 2 September 2010
• Article history

Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why we exist, says Stephen Hawking. Photograph: Bruno Vincent/Getty Images

God did not create the universe, the man who is arguably Britain's most famous living scientist says in a forthcoming book.
In the new work, The Grand Design, Professor Stephen Hawking argues that the Big Bang, rather than occurring following the intervention of a divine being, was inevitable due to the law of gravity.
In his 1988 book, A Brief History of Time, Hawking had seemed to accept the role of God in the creation of the universe. But in the new text, co-written with American physicist Leonard Mlodinow, he said new theories showed a creator is "not necessary".
The Grand Design, an extract of which appears in the Times today, sets out to contest Sir Isaac Newton's belief that the universe must have been designed by God as it could not have been created out of chaos.
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing," he writes. "Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.
"It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."
In the forthcoming book, published on 9 September, Hawking says that M-theory, a form of string theory, will achieve this goal: "M-theory is the unified theory Einstein was hoping to find," he theorises.
"The fact that we human beings – who are ourselves mere collections of fundamental particles of nature – have been able to come this close to an understanding of the laws governing us and our universe is a great triumph."
Hawking says the first blow to Newton's belief that the universe could not have arisen from chaos was the observation in 1992 of a planet orbiting a star other than our Sun. "That makes the coincidences of our planetary conditions – the single sun, the lucky combination of Earth-sun distance and solar mass – far less remarkable, and far less compelling as evidence that the Earth was carefully designed just to please us human beings," he writes.
Hawking had previously appeared to accept the role of God in the creation of the universe. Writing in his bestseller A Brief History Of Time in 1988, he said: "If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason – for then we should know the mind of God."
Hawking resigned as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University last year after 30 years in the position.

[FallenPixels]

I am sure plenty of people with a high IQ believe in God too Patty lol

[nightlite]

Do I believe in God as a man with a long beard and a great white robe in a Zeus like drawn figure that magically created 2 individuals to populate the earth? No.

Do I believe in an afterlife and spirituality and possible an 'in-between' world and ghosts and angel type figures? Yes.

There's not enough room in this space for me to type out an essay of all the various opinions on I have on this subject. But I think you can't have science without faith. They both compliment each other. I just don't think that God exists in the prototype of the way the RC church teaches us. That doesn't mean I don't believe in a greater being than us little minions on this planet.

The best analogy I could give is the ending of the movie Men In Black (the scene with the marbles - or was it keychain?). That we may think we are the top of the food chain, but that's very naive.

[MortgageQueen]

The explanation as to how "nothing" came from something can be proved now by science. Stephen Hawking has a new book.

Personally I take his word for it, his IQ is over 200, works for me.

Stephen Hawking says universe not created by God

• Physics, not creator, made Big Bang, new book claims
• Professor had previously referred to 'mind of God'

Poll: Is Hawking right?

• 
  
  • Share 20528
  • reddit this

• Adam Gabbatt
• The Guardian, Thursday 2 September 2010
• Article history

Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why we exist, says Stephen Hawking. Photograph: Bruno Vincent/Getty Images

God did not create the universe, the man who is arguably Britain's most famous living scientist says in a forthcoming book.
In the new work, The Grand Design, Professor Stephen Hawking argues that the Big Bang, rather than occurring following the intervention of a divine being, was inevitable due to the law of gravity.
In his 1988 book, A Brief History of Time, Hawking had seemed to accept the role of God in the creation of the universe. But in the new text, co-written with American physicist Leonard Mlodinow, he said new theories showed a creator is "not necessary".
The Grand Design, an extract of which appears in the Times today, sets out to contest Sir Isaac Newton's belief that the universe must have been designed by God as it could not have been created out of chaos.
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing," he writes. "Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.
"It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."
In the forthcoming book, published on 9 September, Hawking says that M-theory, a form of string theory, will achieve this goal: "M-theory is the unified theory Einstein was hoping to find," he theorises.
"The fact that we human beings – who are ourselves mere collections of fundamental particles of nature – have been able to come this close to an understanding of the laws governing us and our universe is a great triumph."
Hawking says the first blow to Newton's belief that the universe could not have arisen from chaos was the observation in 1992 of a planet orbiting a star other than our Sun. "That makes the coincidences of our planetary conditions – the single sun, the lucky combination of Earth-sun distance and solar mass – far less remarkable, and far less compelling as evidence that the Earth was carefully designed just to please us human beings," he writes.
Hawking had previously appeared to accept the role of God in the creation of the universe. Writing in his bestseller A Brief History Of Time in 1988, he said: "If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason – for then we should know the mind of God."
Hawking resigned as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University last year after 30 years in the position.

QUOTE

"Personally I take his word for it, his IQ is over 200, works for me."
I personally take God's word over it. His IQ is waaaaay over 200.. lol just kidding around Patty.

Just a couple things. . . I haven't read the book, but from your excerpt above it says, "Stephen Hawking argues that the Big Bang. . .was inevitable due to the law of gravity " If he's "arguing". . .it seems to me he hasn't "proven" it. The problem I have is that the scientific majority (not all) have claimed evolution to be FACT for decades. . .even teaching it in school. . .but they are only just now getting around to actually attempting to prove it.

Another thing that confuses me is the title of this book - " The Grand DESIGN" - To "design" as described in Merrium Webster dictionary.
1 : to create, fashion, execute, or construct according to plan : devise, contrive
2 a: to conceive and plan out in the mind <he designed the perfect crime> b: to have as a purpose : intend <she designed to excel in her studies>
c: to devise for a specific function or end <a book designed primarily as a college textbook>

I certainly agree with the word GRAND but him using the word DESIGN is a bit of an oxymoron since that would require an independent source of intelligence. . . . . . . . ???

The next quote: In the forthcoming book, published on 9 September, Hawking says that M-theory, a form of string theory, will achieve this goal: "M-theory is the unified theory Einstein was hoping to find," he theorises.
I count the word "Theory" in that one sentence alone 4 times! There have been uncountable attempts to proveevolution and yet I don't believe we've heard of one "complete" success.

I think Stephen Hawking is an absolute brilliant man. ..don't get me wrong. I have a lot of respect for his obvious brilliance. Nor do I diminish your belief Patty. Just presenting the other side of the argument as it were. . . .but I'm sure we could go on for hours and days.

[Lynn49]

...and!..and! Just WHO designed physics?!! Eh?? Eh??? hehehe...

Just like a sticker my hubby had many years ago: "What in the world isn't chemistry?"
Maybe not...but it just reminded me of it....

[Patty Smyth]

Wow nice to be mocked for my beliefs. People just don't want to hear it when atheists bring forward their beliefs do they. Very typical.

[MortgageQueen]

Wow nice to be mocked for my beliefs. People just don't want to hear it when atheists bring forward their beliefs do they. Very typical.

I absolutely am not mocking your beliefs Patty and if I came across that way, please accept my apologies from the bottom of my heart!

[anisa]

The one question I have is what was there before the Big Bang? remember, it is simply a theory.

In science we are taught that everything comes from something.

there are many people with high IQ's that believe in a creator, and many ppl with low IQ's who don't. it can go either way. I think the level of one's potential for intelligence isn't a factor.

[FallenPixels]

Its not about mocking beliefs, you are well aware I have no problems with atheists and have never pushed my beliefs on you, but if someone with an IQ of 200 told me I could jump off Niagara Falls and be just fine, I wouldn't believe that either.

If its something people believe in, that is fine, but don't believe in it just because of an IQ level was all I was saying

[Patty Smyth]

Funny how no one else's posts were quoted and questioned. I did not question anyone's post nor quote them even if I disagree with them.

Why were mine questioned quoted and then tried to be disproved?

[DH666]

Sally was right!

[Sally888]

Sally was right!

*Picks self up from the floor*

Can I get this in writing?

[sheetsofemptycanvas]

Well, I can see this thread being closed at some point in the near future so I'll throw in my two cents...

Do I believe in God... yes-ish. I believe that there is a higher power, absolutely! But I prefer to refer to that power as "spirit." I believe in fate and destiny but I also believe that we have control over our lives to an extent. I believe that someone put us here and that we all have a "purpose"

Ugh, I have such a hard time explaining things like this lol.