How can I know that there is a God?

[McCulloch]

I've been debating many issues here for some time now, but the single most important one, in my opinion is this. There are those who claim that they know that God exists. How does one come to that knowledge? Do they really know that God exists or do they simply suppose or assume that God exists?

If your answer is that I cannot know, then you are as much of an agnostic as I am. If you answer is that some holy book says so, then you have only pushed the question onto that book. I also have what I think is the second most important question.

How can I know that there is a God?

[jamesearl]

The devolution began with the removal of traditional morality in the Weimar Republic and Austria into the indulgent philosophy which produced the Vienna Sezzessionists (Climpt and Scheille) the 'Cabaret' (Liza Minelli) lifestyle and anarchic Dadaism. The Romantic movement similarly focussed on reviving values of the noble savage at war with uncaring gods. The latter was key in forming the Nazi agenda as Richard Wagner and Friedrich Neitsche popularised the belief in the super-man.
Hitler was most cunning as he used gay photographers to promote the arian (a corruption of linguistic discoveries of the Arian peoples into a racial concept) ideal while at the same time he took control of all teaching and religion in the country that might challenge his agenda.

A process with which the Catholic hierarchy was more than complicit

Only later did he adopt the guise of a moral crusade to justify his ethnic cleansing, by which time a generation had grown up without many stories which would have influenced their moral choices.

A campaign which managed to overcome the 'innate' morality of society.

The only resistance within Germany during the war came from Jehova's Witnesses and other evangelical branches of the church (Dietrich Bohoeffer's Confessing Church for example) who rejected the new teaching.

Indeed - and payed dearly for their resistance

The teenage phase of society is how I see it. In it's teenage years a culture is in the process of internalising it's stories, converting them into icons or seeds containing a compressed, wider wisdom.

Around 'fourteen' or so the ability to think about thinking arises which in some can further evolve into aperspecival pluralism.

I do not see it as a war. To see it as such necessitates the existence of intrinsic evil. Something I do not hold..

and yet you are conscious of the daily struggle to maintain poise in the face of human non-contemplative humans.

Equanimity aint easy



Thanks for the time you have put into this...though we are no closer to answering the OP.

How can it be known that there is a god?

It cannot - it can only ever be a matter of belief...or not.

Well bernee, how can you know there is NO god?

Suck on that one. 1 - 0 to the Theist. Jesus we are on our way, wiiiiii,

[bernee51]

Well bernee, how can you know there is NO god?

Do you see any need reason or evidence of say Odin.? If not, in the same way I see no need reason or evidence for any god.

Added to that a creator god who is eternal, unchanging and all powerful not only does not exist but cannot exist. It is a logical impossibility.

Suck on that one. 1 - 0 to the Theist.

So say you.

Jesus we are on our way, wiiiiii,

I understand and accept your enthusism for your Jesus belief. I also understand the infectious nature of such belief.

I am happy for you if it brings meaning an purpose to your life.