God on trial

[tigerlily11]

I watched this last night on BBC2.
I'm a recent christian really but I have to say that listening to what was said in this play last night really made me think about God in general and how he is viewed by different faiths.
Did any one else see it and if so what did you make of the arguments for and against him.
I cam in a little late I have to admit but it had me in tears listening to what was said and thinking of the position of the men in it.
Wether it was real or not it certainly made me think.

[tigerlily11]

Yep I found the same things. I kept thinking every man had a good and valid point to make about why we believe in God or not. I think the situation helped put this across.
It was so sad yet some of the men kept thier faith. How brave was that considering they would be facing death at any moment.
I would have found it impossible.
I haven't been raised in any faith, and have only recently found it and I found myself questioning it at every turn especially since all faiths tell us God is an all forgiving and loving being. Then you watch something like this and the questions come flooding with no good answers.
It leaves me asking What is God and why will he not at least tell us what is the point? Yes we are his creations but surely we deserve answers?
I think those men and women at that time certainly did.

[tigerlily11]

I was looking all my life really. I could never find what I was looking for. I went a lot of places to look.
I am baptist but lapsed because of certain things that happened over the past 8 years or so.
Dispite the fact I have had very hard times I held on to my belief and made it through but with a lot of damage. I don't attend church but I have debated on many occasions with people as to why I think there is a God.
But after most of last night thinking after watching that play I am unsure as to the nature of him/her/it.
It added to the thoughts I have had for a long while as to what, why and how we have developed our relationship with God.
I had a very deep experiance when I came to know God. it was an unusual event and even now its hard to explain it and I'm sorry I can't give you more but I have spent a long time now trying to come to some sort of peace and understanding but only end up asking more questions.
God on Trial just left me with more questions as to the real nature of God.

[keyplus90]

Tigerlily - what was or is your concept about God?

[naomi24]

I didn't see it - and I'm sorry I missed it - but it's on BBC1 on Monday at 01.25, so worth recording.

Just out of interest, what questions did it leave you with, tigerlily?

[JockSporran]

Wish I'd seen it.

[Theland1]

I suspect, Tiger, that your faith was supported by your personal experiences, and vice versa, and that both conformed to your understanding of the scriptures, so in effect, a three dimensional trinity of evidence that defies the human demands for scientific proof.

...... or maybe you disagree?

[Mothman]

Hi tigerlily1
I didn't see the programme you're referring to, which is a shame. As a devout athiest I wonder what experience / position could make a clear-thinking, intelligent individual believe in any form of 'god'? In terms of arguments for and against him (and why is it a 'he' by the way?) it seems that the only one is 'prove it'.

[tigerlily11]

I'm constantly asking questions. It is something I have only recently started doing. I questioned the bible on many occasions. I am not into trying to make others believe, I prefered more to just pass on my experiances and what I felt was true and then it's up to the individual to decide. You can't and shouldn't push some one into it.
I'm am not to scientifically minded nor am I any kind of theologion, but I came to believe in God because I experianced some thing that made it all slip into place and make sense.Sorry Theland you probably do mean some but I can't grasp what that is, like I said I'm not a great reader of the scriptures and wether that is right or wrong it makes no difference to me. I am aware of a higher power but I am finding myself questioning what exactly it is (wether it be a he/she or it).
To understand where I'm at you would have had to see the play. The arguments were hard and often blunt but both made sense as Mani said.

Mothman there is in my experiance not a person on this planet who is clear thinking and so intelligent as to dismiss everything they come across with out proof of for or against, especially in this field.
I cannot prove to you he does not exist just as you cannot prove he does not.
I am just wondering what it is. It is something between me and myself and I would not attempt to tell you your wrong because thats between you and yourself.
I just wondered if any one else had seen this play and I was interested to hear their thoughts on it.

I cannot give you a concept of God as I cannot form one myself right now Key. You, I know have your own. Those who have a faith have many different concepts of him and whos to say which one is right. Maybe we are all wrong.
I have been led to believe he is the all loving father and if so then as one of his children I find myself asking more and more 'Why do you let this happen'.
And to be honest I think I and every

[naomi24]

tigerlily, I can fully understand people experiencing spirituality, because I think spirituality is an element of nature, but if you read the bible, and got to know the history of the being that we commonly called 'God', you would realise that he was not the all-loving father as others lead you to believe he was. The bible records his actions graphically - and he was a vindictive and cruel monster. It's all there if you want to find out for yourself. There may be a great and loving spirit in the sky - as you say, we can't prove it or disprove it - but the God of the bible, or of the Koran, it is not.

Theland's Trinity, incidentally (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost) was fabricated by man, along with the rest of the doctrine of the Christian church

I'm not trying to sway you - simply to enlighten you, since you don't seem to have investigated the subject in any depth.

I'll record the programme early on Monday morning, and I'll let you know my thoughts. x

[tigerlily11]

It was neither the bible or the church that brought me to believe in a higher being just one simple moment of clarity.
I have read the bible but not all of it. I did the Alpha course and as interesting as it was it only served to take me some where I'm not sure was the right direction, and I have since decided that the church as it stands is not s good representation of God.
I learned some time ago that the church and what humans call religion has nothing to do with god. It is just an assortments of interpretations and thoughts on it.
Investigating in any depth, as you say Niomi, doesn't make much difference either. To try and Enlighten is attempting to sway someones thoughts on a subject.
I find the word enlighten rather a religious word.
I merely asked for peoples thoughts on the play and remarked on the effect it had on me.
The one thing I have noticed, and this is not saying that any one is better than any one else, is that athiests can be as bad with their way of seeing faith as religions can be in its view of unbelievers.
Both I might add insist that they are right and everyone else is wrong and both are rather high and might in their convictions.
But that is not the point on this thread. I don't claim to be knowledgable in the subject of the bible but that does not mean I wish to be talked down to because I have not read it all or that I have a belief. I find my belief a very personal thing and this play is an on going thing in the prossess of finding an understanding of what for the want of a better word we call God.
I came to except a long time ago that we as humans are what we are warts and all and if we were made in his image then good grief whats sort of a being is he.
I have yet to find out and I realise this could be a life long quest.
Thank you all for taking the time in answering this thread.

[naomi24]

Tigerlily. It was never my intention to 'talk down' to you, or to sway you. Since you said you hadn't read the bible, and had many questions, I was simply trying to help you by telling you that what the church teaches isn't what's written. However, you clearly know that, so please accept my apologies.

[tigerlily11]

Apology excepted Niomi.
I didn't say I had not read the bible but that I had not read all of it. I have read a lot of the new thestment and some of the Old but I found most of it heavy going.
The play God on Trial dealt mostly with this area.