Do We Need God?

[idiosyncrasy]

The Bible tells us that man has an inborn spiritual yearning. - Matthew 5 v 3.
But some people feel that they have no need for God because they find many puzzling issues in life incompatible with belief in a loving God.
Enter Further Question Details Here...

[naomi24]

I don't know who you mean by 'we', but I don't need 'god'.

[TheChair]

It really doesn't matter whether you need god or not. God does not exist.

[steg]

It really doesn't matter whether you need god or not. God does exist.

[janbee]

Well, I don't but many others, with very empty lives, will opt for a mythical being or spend most of their days on AB.

[LyndaB]

I don't know about anyone else, but I certainly need God in my life. Thank goodness I have him

[maggiebee]

Like LyndaB I certainly need God in my life. He guides me day by day and thank goodness I have him with me.

[Hypognosis]

The other day, I stumbled into a wiki page about the Lisbon earthquake of 1755,
which says this.

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Effect on society and philosophy Edit

The earthquake had wide-ranging effects on the lives of the populace and intelligentsia. The earthquake had struck on an important church holiday and had destroyed almost every important church in the city, causing anxiety and confusion amongst the citizens of a staunch and devout Roman Catholic city and country, which had been a major patron of the Church. Theologians focused and speculated on the religious cause and message, seeing the earthquake as a manifestation of divine judgment.[18] Most philosophers rejected that on the grounds that the Alfama, Lisbon's red-light district, suffered only minor damage.
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Only tangentially related to the topic at hand but, perhaps, I was 'guided' toward it?


In fact, I had been using a map-based phone app and was brushing up on Arabic letters via some place names which didn't seem to equate with the English name (Algiers and Casablanca). The Casablanca page mentioned this earthquake, which I'd never heard of (although the flooding around the Severn estuary has been mentioned, on Time Team, iirc).

So, I was guided by my own curiosity, not by mystical external forces. Maggie, you do not even appear to trust your own good judgement, which is what is getting you through each day.

[Hypognosis]

Forgot to paste in the link. Sorry!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake

[naomi24]

It strikes me that dependence upon God is akin to unnecessary dependence upon a drug. I have a friend who 20 years ago was finding it difficult to conduct a normal lifestyle and was prescribed anti-depressants. She’s still taking them because she tells herself that she can’t do without them, but the reality is that nothing has changed. She still can’t conduct a normal lifestyle.

[redvanman]

The world would be a better place with out all the believing nonsense

[sevenOP]

'empty lives...weak people ... akin to unnecessary dependence upon a drug."

Is this smugness defensive ?

[Old_Geezer]

Who knows ? Maybe we'll find out at some point.
Enter Further Answer Details Here...

[naomi24]

sevenOP, it's neither smug nor defensive. Just observations and opinions.

[Mamyalynne]

Some people need/want (a) God in their life daily,gives them comfort and stability.

Some people need/want (a) God in times of trouble to cry out to for help.

Some people need/want none of that and are happy to live their lives without recourse to (a) God.


I see no problem with that.

[mikey4444]

I haven't time to read all the replies to this thread, but I am going to answer your original question :::

NO !

[Baldric]

Some people do indeed need 'their' God,
it's an individual choice and not up to us to tell them they don't!

[vulcan42]

I would have thought the smugness lies with the religious people who seem to think they are so important that they have their own God to look after them. Their notion is a spiritual version of an insurance policy.

[bazwillrun]

just for the purposes of this thread lets say god exists (yeah ridiculous I know)..

"belief in a loving God. "

now that is funny...hes so loving he spends all day every day allowing and watching human suffering on an epic scale..thats all he loves...

somebody please explain to me why seemingly intelligent people believe in such utter garbage , lies and fairytales ?

stand by for the all the get-out excuses the religion apologists will trawl out...