Does God Exist?

To be fair, shy of fundamentalists, most religious leaders will tell you that taking the Bible's stories at their face value is akin to missing the forest for the trees.

That said, in regards to the original question...
Well, as several people have already said...that's really for them (the one who first started this thread, I mean) to decide.

Everyone's gonna have a different answer, cause, even when people are in agreement on the matter, their reasons will likely be different.

My take?
...This could wax some weird philosophic for a moment, so some of you may wanna go and get something to drink before reading.
OK...that said.
Is there a God? I'd say so, yes.
Is this the traditional sense of God as a benevolent guardian being that's supposed to protect our every move? Not so much.

The way I see it...first and foremost, is the fact we're never gonna fully be able to comprehend the total nature of the universe. It's simply too vast and we're far too little to take it all in. Hell, in the grand scheme, the collective influence of the human race hasn't amounted to an atom, much less a grain of sand.
To this end, I honestly think we were never intended to be able to process everything. In looking at the idea of the line between genius and insanity (and usually the fact that a fair number of the insane tend to be considered to be geniuses before they go into left field) it almost seems like insanity is simply taking in more than a human being is meant to process. The system kind of breaks (...or, perhaps it's a sign they've gained some piece of understanding beyond the comprehension of the rest of us...a bit Lovecraftian, but...)
ANYWAYS...where does God factor into this?
Basically, the way I see it, the universe as we know it is all set on a system of cosmic balances. Some of it's the classic concepts...good, evil (as they're perceived), order, chaos...the universe runs on the idea of these being kept in balance.
and that's what God comes into the picture for. God isn't a being per se (although I can see why people would prefer to personify it...makes it more of an approachable concept) rather...for lack of a better term for it, God's kind of like an OS for the universe. A force put in place to keep everything balanced out (cheezy as the line is - 'God's in His heaven, all is right in the world.')

This also addresses the idea of 'Why doesn't God intervene?' on two levels.
First...let's face it...we're a miniscule part in the grand scheme...to suggest this part of it get special attention for what amount to not even a blip on the radar in the universe...especially when we don't even know what else could be out there entirely...is kind of naive.
Also...again...the universe runs on balances...admittedly, sometimes the scale tends to tip towards 'suck' as it were...but at the same time, God just can't be counted on to keep leaning things towards good, just cause we'd want it to be that way.

...again, this is just my take on it. I realize it prob. sounds kind of strange...and likely a bit hippieish (...ironic, since I've NEVER seen eye-to-eye with those guys)
But...just offering another take on things.

...damn you Bergman...I hadn't even thought about this question too much recently until watching your movie... ...and I mean that damn you in a good way, may you rest in peace.

"Try as they might, human beings just can't be gods."
--Kai Shiden, Mobile Suit Gundam III

The world was NOT created in seven days.

[deleted]

NO.

ummm yes there is ask a person who had died and come back as i did when i was seven, you do not end once dead all i can say is where you go after is not a very pleasant place unless you like constant darkness in limbo and no memory of anything and it gets worse when you come back you will feel like nothing is real about life.

Of course your intelligence will always tell you that God doesn't exist. But, if you look to the Bible and know every little bit of story about Adam and Eve, go on and so forth, that is no less than an actual fact, and it plays a huge part in the whole mythology of the Bible. Now, before I get any deeper, let me state that I'm not trying to sound preachy in any of this, just simply stating what I think. And I advise those if they were to bare with me.

I for one, believe in the mythology of the Bible, not necessarily in the way it is written. However, I'll say from right off that I haven't read the entire Bible, but I assure that I've read quite enough to know just about all the important elements. (someday, I will get around to reading the entire thing. Until then, anyone here who has read the Bible fully or more then I have, can correct me) Anyway, as I was saying. When Adam and Eve gained intelligence, we lost knowledge and the vision of God. Before then, we could actually see him, touch him and listen to his voice. But now, we can't see him, or touch him. This also can prove the fact that there is a spiritual world, which can be around us, but we just cannot see it. I will not go into too much detail with the telling of the Bible - you just have to read it for yourself. Besides, I might get bashed or chewed at. Either way it probably doesn't matter, I don't feel like going through too much of it.

I believe that when I look at every given person, I see Adam and Eve's children. (although, I will quickly note that I do not 100% believe that their names were significantly Adam and Eve, perhaps they didn't have names, or even a language) But I do believe that everyone I look at in the world is my brother, sister, cousin - or bottom line: family. And I believe it to be very true, whether the mythology of the Bible is true or not, and even if I were to be an unbeliever, I think it would at least be a interesting and engaging read! I mean, I also believe that the Bible is, well probably the greatest story ever told! And sometimes I wonder if half the Atheists out there has ever even read more than 5 pages of the Bible. (lol, but I wouldn't quite say that includes me. I believe I've read at least 50 of the important pages of the Bible... and I've went to church just about every Sunday for a couple of years. As a reasonable person I believe I have become, I'm trying to be as honest as I can)

Anyhow, my whole point is that I believe the Bible itself can very well be "so called" intelligence, but maybe a different or in-depth kind. For one, it's not evidential. And if you were truly intelligent, you would know that not every giving thing in this world is "evidential" or maybe in other words; "something that always leaves a trail". For me, the intelligence that we know, blinds us for what and who we truly are, see and do.

Meanwhile, those are my couple sense and I hope you all had a share of it. I could be half wrong, but I tried.

Side note: I'm not 100% Christian, but I'd say I'm about 75%-80%. But I still have questions built up in my mind about it and expect to look for the answers to later in life, but lets just say that I pretty much have the important questions already answered. Like stated before by somebody else - "no matter what, enjoy your life while you can." And I've been pretty busy at that, and yes, more busy than to read the Bible, entirely. If God truly exists and truly loves me like I love him, if he understands me and I understand him, he'll let me live my life until I'm at least 60 - so then I can promise that I will have the Bible read entirely or majorly. Oh, and I also have a belief (from reading the Bible) that you don't have to go to Church every Sunday or read the Bible entirely in order to go to Heaven - you would be a fool to think that's what it's all about. Well, I believe it's not. But you still have to learn about it nontheless. I think it's all about being God's friend overall, really. You just have to ask God for his forgiveness and savior. Not to sound preachy, but you may ask, "savior from what? Sins? What sin???" Well, perhaps everything you've committed that is listed in the Ten Commandments, which I would think are very reasonable and unwanted sins to begin with, Christian or non-Christian, is it not?

Whether the Bible is reality or just a fantasy story, it's a very good story! Might as well give it a read or two.

I have my arms raised, my chin up, my heart filled, and my mind opened. Call me a lunatic, it'll be very logical of you.

[deleted]

I´m not an atheist (though I was for a long time) and not an agnostic. I´m not religious too.

But for the sake of this discussion, Stephen Hawkings, the greatest phisicist of our time, (he actually ocupies Newton´s chair in the University of Cambridge) once said that God is the smallest part of second before the Big Bang, because everything that happened after that can be explained by science.

where here Hawkins says that there is no God and he is an atheist http://www.cnet.com/news/stephen-hawking-makes-it-clear-there-is-no-god/