The Official Who Needs God Thread

[Zeno]

I don't.

Comments welcome.

Le Misanthrope

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't.

Comments welcome.

Le Misanthrope

[/ QUOTE ]

what if we are all God tho? How can you not need yourself?

or what if god needs you?

What if there is no God?

To many questions

[ClaytonN]

<--- Agnostic

[TimM]

[ QUOTE ]
<--- Agnostic

[/ QUOTE ]

[brassnuts]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't.

Comments welcome.

Le Misanthrope

[/ QUOTE ] what if we are all God tho? How can you not need yourself?

or what if god needs you?

What if there is no God?

To many questions

[/ QUOTE ]

What if death itself... died?

[ClaytonN]

[ QUOTE ]
What if death itself... died?

[/ QUOTE ]

Then Peter Griffin would be death, and you wouldn't want that, would you?

[A_C_Slater]

I am the Hawk headed Lord of Silence and of Strength.

With my Hawk's Head I peck at the eye's of Jesus as he hangs upon the cross.

I flap my Wings in the face of Muhammad and blind Him.

Bahlasti Ompehda!

I am alone.

There is no God where I Am.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

Here (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=politics)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v720/DynastyPoker/capt.jpg

[Lazymeatball]

Is this The official, who needs God?
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/OEP/first/regional/gallery/2003/mini-Referee%20Andrew%20T%203.JPG
Hey stripes, Zeno says get you ass to church!

[lastchance]

I am God. :P

[Zoltri]

Is it getting hot in this thread? /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[lapoker17]

Who cares?

The people who need him (it, whatever) and find some value in that, well, great.

The people who don't, well, great.

The people who worship Alizee, well, great.

Whatever works, man. Whatever works.

[pshreck]

Poker players by nature will be in a group that has very little to do with religion I would say. I could go off on a whole post why, but I'm sure most people understand why this is true.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
Poker players by nature will be in a group that has very little to do with religion I would say. I could go off on a whole post why, but I'm sure most people understand why this is true.

[/ QUOTE ]

because they are educated. The more educated the person, the less likely it is they believe in god.

[HDPM]

use the search function first - huge thread on it B4. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Sponger15SB]

If god exists you would have to be a pretty big retard not to follow him.

[Inthacup]

<---- Christian

[Reef]

[ QUOTE ]
<---- Christian

[/ QUOTE ]

[Rushmore]

[ QUOTE ]
Poker players by nature will be in a group that has very little to do with religion I would say. I could go off on a whole post why, but I'm sure most people understand why this is true.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just for the record, it's very simple to have nothing to do with religion, but PLENTY to do with God.

FWIW, I just equate nature with God, and go about my business. That way, i don't have to imagine some guy with a long white beard sitting on a big stone throne with a sceptor and stuff.

I just lay on the beach eating clams and drinking beer. That's my house of worship.

[pshreck]

I equate any belief in a God-like being as being a part of some sort of religion, even if it is just a 'personal' religion. You are right though, having ideas/beliefs about a God does not mean you have any connection to any mainstream religion. I would say I am in this area.

[bholdr]

<-----Atheist

[davelin]

[ QUOTE ]
<---- Christian

[/ QUOTE ]

[Slacker13]

I just lost a good friend to God. This guy was a blast to hang out and party with, funny as hell, everyone liked him and now all of a sudden he is a bible pumper. You can't even talk to him anymore, as a matter of fact i have basically stopped calling him, the only thing he wants to talk about is his next religous retreat yada yada yada. It's truly sad.

[Slacker13]

<----Agnostic

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
Poker players by nature will be in a group that has very little to do with religion I would say. I could go off on a whole post why, but I'm sure most people understand why this is true.

[/ QUOTE ]

Please do. If you could point to a passage in the Bible that says gambling is a sin, I would be impressed. Nobody has been able to do that yet. Just to let you know, the vast majority of theologians would disagree with you.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
<----Agnostic

[/ QUOTE ]

[ClaytonN]

I feel like there's gotta be some predominant being or way.

My father and myself both try to learn all the major religions and their associated teachings.

For example, Christianity. I'm a bigger believer in the lessons Jesus taught than the fact he died on the cross for our sins and was ressurected.

I don't necessarily think it's wrong to think this way. Learning the values that are taught in religious dialects, to me anyways, are more important than debating the existance of a god, a virgin mary, a polytheistic universe, a savior, etc etc

[nongice626]

if god exists, we cant comprehend his existance. so whats the point. its like saying everyone is special. well if everyone is special, then no one is special. its unnessecary.

religon bores me to death. all of them. id rather just live my life and learn from my personal experiences.

[pshreck]

Theologians have commented on poker players and religion? I didn't say anything about gambling being considered a sin, I don't think gambling is really mentioned in most religious literature.

There were other threads on my statement, I won't pull the "Ill let other elaborate", but I don't feel like discussing/arguing, because it's just my opinion. I'd be willing to bet that most serious poker players don't have much room for religion or god in their life, and I'll leave it at that. Remember I never said anywhere that it is a sin or I think it's a sin.

EDIT:

The real reason I am not explaining, from what I realized, is that I am not expressive or intelligent enough to explain it in a way that will not offend most religious people.

[FrankLu99]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
<---- Christian

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

[bholdr]

I'm not sure that he was refering to the idea that gambling is against the scriptures, etc. I hate to put words in his mouth, but here i aggree with him, but for reasons completly other than you have assumed (but this IS all speculation):

playing poker is, more or less, an unproductive profession. players genrally are not contributing in a meaningful way to society (by helping the needy, spreading the gospels, etc, except for the 'i'm providing entertainment' rationalization), while most religious people tend to at least claim to value such contributions.

professional poker playing is such a cutthroat, cynical, dog-eat-dog vocation that there's little room for the christian 'turn the other cheek, all men are brothers, etc mentality.

Gambling IS a vice, for some people, the sins of avarice, sloth, etc are tied into it in the minds of non-gamblers.

***

But then again (i'll argue the other side, here, just because i am intrested to see where my ramblings are leading me...)

Doyle Brunson is a devout Christian, as are many of the pro players on this site. I don't think there's anything in his outlook/ behaviour that really is at odds with christianity.

and, of course, as any good player knows, poker isn't really 'gambling' in the strict sense (not like roulette, dlots, etc)

***

i dunno, it's an interesting issue. someone should do a poll to find out what percentage of this forum is religious (i'm assuming that we all play poker).

here's something else that's... interesting. did you notice that you assumed he was not only implying that gambling is incompatible with religion, but you assumed a specific religion, christianity? (i'm not saying that the latter isn't a fair assumption- it is, but it's still telling)

I'd like to hear your thoughts on these points, Wacki (i always enjoy your posts).

[bholdr]

[ QUOTE ]
The real reason I am not explaining, from what I realized, is that I am not expressive or intelligent enough to explain it in a way that will not offend most religious people.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm gonna save this and use it if you don't mind.

[craig r]

This is a pretty sweeping generalization. Do you think that all college professors (PhDs) don't believe in God? I am not saying all of them do or even half, but they are a pretty educated group.

Also, is there any reason to believe that poker players are "educated?" And even if you meant "educated" in a non traditional sense, why would you assume that poker players have this "education?"

craig

[pshreck]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The real reason I am not explaining, from what I realized, is that I am not expressive or intelligent enough to explain it in a way that will not offend most religious people.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm gonna save this and use it if you don't mind.

[/ QUOTE ]

Haha incase I make a ZeeJustin or PartygirlUK type post? Thank god, if it helps me never to post something like that.

To clarify though, I have some deep, deep thoughts on religion that just sit in my head, and I really am trying to figure out an intelligent way to express them. I can't yet.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
<---- Christian

[/ QUOTE ]
Catholic, even.

[David Steele]

Zeno,
Have you read The Case Against God (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/087975124X/002-3631405-9161600) by George Smith?

I am just going through it now and find it quite enjoyable.

D.

[AngryCola]

Most religions.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
<----Agnostic

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

[DBowling]

My friends and i had a saying that we used to replace "god damn." It was "fvck god." It worked very well for us.

[Clarkmeister]

Isn't believing in God sort of a freeroll?

[Hojglad]

[ QUOTE ]
Isn't believing in God sort of a freeroll?

[/ QUOTE ]
Indeed, risk of ruin = 0 (unless of course, you choose the wrong one, or two, or n as the case may be).

[lastchance]

Nope, not really.

I won't be able to elaborate very well, but I'll give it a stab.

In Christianity, the benefit of being a Christian is infinite (assumming it's true), as if you are not Christian, you go to hell, which is -infinity payoff. If you are Christian, you get +infinity payoff.

The problem with this is that there are many other religions that are the same, and these religions come into conflict with each other.

There may be a religion, let's call it LCism, (because I am God) which says everyone who is a Christian goes to a place infinity times worse than hell, and everyone who is not christian goes to a place infinity times better than heaven. And if all that's true 1 times out a googleplex, it is -EV.

As for my personal beliefs,

<--- God. (and no, you can't argue definitions)

[Emmitt2222]

I do
<--- so does he

[ChoicestHops]

[ QUOTE ]

<---- Christian


[/ QUOTE ]

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
Isn't believing in God sort of a freeroll?

[/ QUOTE ]
No:

"Even the Demons believe."
-Jesus

[BusterStacks]

[ QUOTE ]
The more educated the person, the less likely it is they believe in god.

[/ QUOTE ]

[mack848]

In the UK, anyway:

The older you are, the more likely it is you believe in God.

The older you are, the more likely it is that you were taught in school that religion was fact.

Is indoctrination too strong a word?

[Jack of Arcades]

[ QUOTE ]
Isn't believing in God sort of a freeroll?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is commonly called Pascal's Wager (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal-wager/). Problem is, believing in God isn't a binary proposition.

Myself, I'm an Apatheist (http://www.wunderland.com/WTS/Ginohn/cetera/apatheism.html).

[fsuplayer]

[ QUOTE ]
<--- Agnostic

[/ QUOTE ]

[ddollevoet]

[ QUOTE ]
<-----Atheist

[/ QUOTE ]

[Shajen]

<<<---------Christian

[Number4]

[ QUOTE ]
<<<---------Christian

[/ QUOTE ]

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't. Comments welcome.
Le Misanthrope

[/ QUOTE ]

Take it toi the psychology forum with the rest of the religious zealots and heretics.

[MEbenhoe]

I fall into the category of people who believe in god, but don't believe in the idea of organized religion. Its more of a personal thing.

[aquifex harse]

The Pope

[Zeno]

'Take it to the Psychology Forum.....'

We already discussed the issue there. I reserve the right to pollute the OOT Forum with drivel, just like everyone else.

-Zeno

[Zeno]

[ QUOTE ]
Have you read The Case Against God by George Smith?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have read excerpts from this book in an 'Anthology Text' about Rationalism.

I may get around to reading the whole book one day. Probably on my Death Bed. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

-Zeno

[Zeno]

[ QUOTE ]
Isn't believing in God sort of a freeroll?

[/ QUOTE ]

In my opinion, No. For some, it is sort of a bankroll and in more than just a metaphysical sense. Again, IMO.

-Zeno

[Pope John Paul II]

Me.

...and soon, from the looks of things.

[Zygote]

Most people do need god. This is because believing in god provides emotional satisfaction.

On the other hand, people who are concious of the fact that god is just medicine for the emotions, experience mental paralysis. These people obviously can't simply choose to be ignorantly bliss like their peers and, therefore, their emotions will remain unsatisifed, even if they desired differently. Hence, considering they don't have the ability to satisfy their emotions, unlike the ignorant, they no longer need god.

To sum up, no intellectual thinkers will ever need god because an intellectual's belief in god will only have a negative impact on his/her thinking and lack any positive benefits to his/her emotions.