The question is "Do you believe in god?". How can that not be answered "yes" or "no"? Nobody is asking you "Is there a god?" Nobody is asking "Can you prove there is a god?" All anyone is asking is "Do you believe in god?". Yes or no.
No, you mean: "do you believe there's a God up in the sky who looks after us especially the guys in the temples". And yes, I believe I do believe, that what most people consider is "God", is something I not only am, but must necessarily be.
Qualify it? You mean expostulate, expound, why is it that I believe I must be God? Not "a god", as such, but what most people identify with, in whatever way they do, as that thing - which they will admit they can't really explain. But if you've been in the place, you know it's there, type of thing. The "place" is yourself.
No, I said the answer should be either "yes + [explanation]" or "no". When answering with the former it's important to start off with actually saying "yes", if you want to prevent confusion that is..
Oh come on, however confusing your concept of God may be, you know you believe in that God. So the answer should be "yes". Then you can add an explanation, clarifying perhaps what you mean by God.
god is conscoiusness. so i'm an atheist. but i'm also a theist. my concept of god is very complex... god can be almost anything. i have 2012 posts... i wonder if this is the end
I "know" no such thing. I know I'm breathing, though. I know I can see and hear, too. Whatever it is, there's no "belief requirement". You don't have to convince yourself in the morning that you can open your eyes, do you? You're asking a question that presumes an answer. You're asking me more or less: "do you believe you can see and hear?", but in your frame, you're asking "do you believe in a Judeao-Christian religious tradition?", or something like that.
Yes, but you did that before you asked it. Again you presume that it's either: "yes there is a God up there somewhere and I believe 'in' his existence", or it's: "no there is no such thing as the deity in the Judeao-Christian tradition". In fact, the "answer" is neither of those things.
There's the aspect of this that, in asking the question: "do you believe in" something, that isn't the same as being asked: "do you believe that" the thing exists. They aren't the same question at all. The second is a lot easier, like being asked: "do you believe the sky is blue?". The first is, yep, like being asked: "do you believe in the sky being blue?". It's asking if someone has faith, or expects that the sky, being blue, can be trusted to continue being blue, isn't it?
So you don't know whether or not you believe in God.. Ok, say that. Why are you being difficult about this ? It's really simple, you either do or don't believe in God. Or you don't know. Do you believe I am wearing socks ?
Vkothii, maybe you want to say that you cannot answer because there is no way we know we are talking about the same thing when we are using the word "god" Would you consider yourself an ignostic ?
Why do you think I'm being difficult about "this"? What exactly is "this"? If you know the answer, then why do you ask the question? What you appear to be saying is: "I fail to understand". Does that ring a bell of any sort? Yes, I think there must be something like the thing you think you're asking about. Absolutely.
Take a look at this thread. It should never have gone past a few posts. It did though, because you are being difficult about answering a question that can simply be answer with "yes", "no", or "I don't know". Seriously. Firstly, I didn't originally ask the question. And, secondly, you never answered it. So how am I supposed to know.. ? Yes, I fail to understand why you can't give a straight answer.. :shrug: Thank you. That's a YES.. lol You see, it isn't that difficult after all Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Simply answering the question and explaining it are two completely different things.
So, now you're happy that I've "answered" the question you have about my belief? Although if I also say that I don't believe I need to believe in the thing you think you asked me about, except in the same sense that I believe the sky is indeed blue, and the sun gives off light every time it's up in the sky, does that clear it up for you any more?
No, you seem to confuse the question with a question about a known fact. I had no preconceptions about your belief, or whether or not you in fact had a belief to begin with. Like I said, simply answering the question and explaining it are two completely different things.