[TSEA]

Whenever I want something, I pray to God. If I get it, I praise him and acknowledge his presence. Whenever I don't, I conveniently say that "God does not exist"

[clevermax]

If you don't know for sure whether GOD exists or not, it is still good to be a believer until you are sure about the thing one day. Why I say so:

1) The day when you come to know that GOD truly exists, you can be happy about it, since you were a believer all the time!

2) The day when you come to know that GOD doesn't exist, you don't have anything to lose except the belief you had.

Just logical thinking that's all

[muni]

I firmly believe that God/religion is just a creation of man to ensure that the general public doesnt take things to their own hands and follow a set of rules which will help sustain society and the race.
Few things that helps the case is
1) All the different religions that exist and the way we approach the concept of god. He is not the same across all religions and the way things should be.Ex: The Books decribing the gods and religion and all those stories of magical things( Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Bible,Quran) are works of some Highly intelligent people ( they were intelligent for their times)
2) The fact that they originate from different places and they dont cover all places of the world makes the concept of god flawed.
3) The fact that we dont find life in the universe other than earth which is so many times bigger is proof enough that god doesnt have command on the universe.
4) If you travel places in the world, you know that things are not the way they are with god/religion and it becomes pretty evident that its just a matter of faith, convinience , a way to keep things intact.
5) Things that happen around us are so much messed up that its not god who is in control but man acting as "god".

God is an abstract word for something good or ideal which is beneficial to all. God is everywhere and thats what it is. It's just a word that we have created like all things around us by naming them.
In the name of god, lot of things have been covered under the carpet and abused to a point where I feel sometimes that the very purpose of the word God has lost relevance!
fate and destiny are two things that I believe in. Then again we do have partial/complete/no control on how things happen around us. There are a lot of variables around us which are doing that.

The way we are making progress, I feel the end is quite near and soon things will go out of control.

[esteem_lover]

We seek logical explanations for everything. Especially in this day and age, when we come across something we do not know, we immediately google (and mostly believe what comes up). Or if someone says something new, we ask for the source to be quoted.

But how does a romantic feel ? If he starts making mathematical and analytical drawings for anything that he loves, there will be no true love in this mad mad world. There are virtues like faith, hope and love, all of which no one can see, it is only felt and more importantly, felt only by someone who believes it exists.

You show your faith in a bank by putting all your money in it. You show your faith in a doctor by trusting him in times of illness, you do not question him or google his treatment ( I know we do that too, but we can't if we are not conscious. ).

You best prove your faith in a boat by getting aboard. In much the same way a believer demonstrates faith in God by trusting Him with his life.

[prasadee]

I love what Sir Richard Dawkins had to say. "We're all atheists about most of the Gods that humanity ever believed in, some of us just go one God further".
People who resonate with the above should checkout Nirmukta.com, promote science and free-thought.

[samy3660]

Yes i believe in God, and i am firm believer by choice.

"Somebody said here the rule of believer that,
If Something good happens, it is by God, and
If something bad happens, it is by devil."

This is not true, because all things happens with God permit,
without his consent or allowance nothing will happen, that is what it God is.
He is keeper of all the knowledge, so any good or bad happens with his choice. If its not the case than it wouldn't justify the meaning of God. The whole concept will be a fail.

I think i should tell you guys what i think God is,
God is one, he is self sufficient and doesn't need anyone, and there is nothing like him. And by saying this i don't mean to hurt anyones sentiments, OK. Its just what i believe.

[pypkmsrikanth]

Let me narrate two incidents.

My wife and myself were on our way to my aunt's house one evening around 6.30 PM. My wife was fiddling with a set of cell phones trying to change the SIM from one to the other. She was not able to change the SIM by the time we reached the place. I parked the car on the side of the road, walked towards the house my wife got out of the car walked a few steps and started searching for the SIM which she had dropped somewhere on the road.

Despite trying our level best we were not able to locate the SIM in the poorly lit road when a lady who stayed in the same apartment asked us what the issue was, on briefing her the details she adviced us to to pray to "Arai Kasu Amman" with a promise to offer the god Jaggery if we get the SIM back. Both of us had heard of this particular deity for the first time, I had lost hope and started walking towards my aunt's apartment. My wife decided to pray to "Arai Kasu Amman" and search for the SIM. Almost immediately she located the SIM on the road.

Second incident was at work. One of our distributors had couriered a cheque from Bangalore, a few days had passed the consignment had not reached us while the courier had already confirmed to the distributor that the packet has already been delivered. We checked with all our regular offices (My HO, factory etc.) no where the consignment was delivered. At my wits end I told my colleagues about "Arai Kasu Amman" and informed them we would be offering her jaggery during our weekly puja on Fridays if we get to about the cheque. Within a minute or so the distributor had mailed me the scanned copy of the courier POD which clearly had the seal of one of our group companies. A quick phone to that office confirmed the presence of the consignment.

Almost always we have always got back lost things when we have prayed to this deity. For those who want to know more about "Arai Kasu Amman" 'Arai Kaasu Amman' - IndusLadies. Incidentally I googled more details about this deity after the first incident.

I have always firmly believed in God and would continue to believe in God though I might had my share of fights with him when things have not gone my way, but the belief has not changed.

[anku94]

Here's what I believe :-

Younger children are protected and shielded by their parents. Older people are not. They needed a parental figure and hence 'the concept of God' was created. A deterrent for those indulging in wrong-doing. Man is greedy. He is not ready to know that he's the most powerful being on earth, and if he can get away with all crime in his life, he's safe. There's no 'hell' to punish him when he dies.

I also believe stories about divine people have been exaggerated as they've passed from generation to generation. Which means, all great men whose existence can be proven, and have been known to do 'magical things', were just, as Dan Brown puts it, 'just men. No doubt great men, who inspired millions and awakened the masses, but just men.'

But I also believe this concept to be necessary, and I look forward to the day when a common man would work honestly to maintain the balance on earth, and not of fear of God or hell. Such a civilization would have achieved balance and maturity to prevent a collapse that is generally seen in highly developed civilizations.

[Judemayne]

For me religion/God/faith is personal and not to be thrust down people's throats!! Why do we take religion on to the streets, why do we have to blare with loudspeakers that we are religious and disturb a child studying for their exams. Is it right to give the impression that my religion is superior? Take our politicians -they visit religious places to ensure that that their "loot the public" days continue. This is a topic that should not be debated, nor discussed but each to their own without imposing on another.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth

Let me narrate two incidents.

Interesting. Both cases can very well be a coincidence that when you made the offer you got the lost items back. It does not prove anything but it can very well be a reason to light the lamp of faith in human minds.

We tend to remember and quote all incidents where prayers have been answered to our surprise; but we forget or do not like to think about or analyze situations where prayers have not been answered, which may be many times higher in number than the first case.

I believe that your offering had nothing to do with the fact that you got the items back shortly after that.

[MX6]

Interesting title for the thread.
The originator has asked whether we believe in the existance of god or not, and here we are discussing whether god exists or not!

Here's my take. As long as faith exists, god exists. I'm god. So are you. I don't think of god as a conjurer of cheap magic tricks. Who ever creates, maintains and destroys is god. Who ever ensures the sustenance of the universe and the continuum of life and matter is god.

Finally as it is quoted in the Rudram, Eeshanah Sarva Vidyanam, Ishawarah Sarva Bhutanam.
All knowledge emanates from him. All beings are all him or his.

When the final realisation comes, we don't search for god outside and rush to temples (yeah it comes from a guy who keeps searching for shiva lingas all around), rather, we look deep within.

And that Sabari mala's name has been taken up, let me move the significance of the pilgrimage from the Makara Jyothi which believers think to be divine to the actual philosophy behind the penance and pilgrimage of the devotees.

Tat Tvam Asi - Thou art that!

And for all detractors, please note that the existence of god was accepted and validated by none other than Chitti (Rajni) the Robot, in the movie Robot!

[sathyaprakash]

I am a guy who is searching for the GOD right from the age when i started asking questions nobody has still brought me before him can i file an FIR with the police stating he is missing? or announce an reward to who ever finds him? People buy rice which sells for 1 rupee for 1 KG after seeing it and tasting it in our PDS shops in TN but spend crores into GOD without even seeing or touching. I fail to understand the logic behind even well educated scientists getting into this trap who on the other hand explain the creation of Universe and Mankind, by the way I like to announce a reward of 1 crore to anybody who can bring his holliness the GOD as a guest to my house ( i assure you i will not ask for any gratitude from the GOD)

[MX6]

Originally Posted by sathyaprakash

by the way I like to announce a reward of 1 crore to anybody who can bring his holliness the GOD as a guest to my house ( i assure you i will not ask for any gratitude from the GOD)

Sorry to disappoint you. But most people when they find his holiness the GOD will ask him more than that 1 crore from god himself. They wouldn't require any rewards!

Come to think of it, finding god can be a very rewarding experience in itself!

[sathyaprakash]

I would be glad from a nation of 1 billion plus atleast one could succeed in this never ending game of myth in finding the god in millions of years to come

[MX6]

Originally Posted by sathyaprakash

I would be glad from a nation of 1 billion plus atleast one could succeed in this never ending game of myth in finding the god in millions of years to come

In that quest, I stand by you. In finding God. But there's an old adage in tamil that goes Kandavar Vindilar, Vindavar Kandilar. The one who has seen doesn't speak. One who speaks hasn't seen.

Not just the nation. Wish the whole universe, there's some being who realises godhood and shows it to rest!