Evidence of a Higher Power

[Final Call]

Before I start I want to tell you a little bit about myself. I was raised Orthodox. My family lived in a neighborhood of mostly Orthodox Jews when I was growing up. I was religious until I was about 14, when as part of my teenage rebellion I stopped being religious. When I was 17 I grew out of it and became religious again, but as time went on I started researching religion in general and Judaism in particular, and it seemed to me that there was very little proof of God's existence. Most of the arguments seem to be coming from a philosophical point of view, as opposed to a scientific point of view. It seems as though almost all of the scientific evidence points to there being no God, with very little evidence to the contrary. I've heard a lot of philosophical arguments about God, such as "How could this world come from nothing? Do you think this watch came from nothing?", and similar arguments, but they haven't convinced me. What I'm looking for is scientific proof (not complete proof, but something which indicates God's existence). Can anyone recommend some good books or websites?

 

[whereismynotecard]

There isn't any proof.

 

[whereismynotecard]

Welcome to the forums though.

 

[Storm]

I don't think there are any compelling arguments for or against God's existence. I certainly don't agree that "almost all of the scientific evidence points to there being no God." Even if you define God in the theisitc sense, I'm unaware of any scientific theory that actually contradicts such a being. Certain theologies, yes (ususaly bad ones to begin with), but not the basic premise.

What little, uncompelling evidence there is points to God existing, namely the widespread experiences of God. As I said, it's uncompelling, but it's all we got.

EDIT: I almost forgot - welcome! Great first post.

 

[Dunemeister]

You may want to read There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind by Anthony Flew (who is not responsible for the subtitle, by the way!). In it, he explains how a scientific perspective convinced him about the existence of God. He's still not sure about an afterlife or whatever. His new commitment is only to the existence of a God (a la deism). It's a useful study on the relationship between the scientific and philosophical aspects of the question.

 

[Final Call]

There isn't any proof.

I'm not looking for definite proof. Just something outside of what people have claimed to have experienced that indicates there is a God. It's not hard to fake a conversation with God, if you want evidence look at history- only one of those religions can possibly be correct, yet everyone has had a conversation in which God tells them they were right.

 

[whereismynotecard]

I'm not looking for definite proof. Just something outside of what people have claimed to have experienced that indicates there is a God. It's not hard to fake a conversation with God, if you want evidence look at history- only one of those religions can possibly be correct, yet everyone has had a conversation in which God tells them they were right.

Well, wouldn't it be just as logical to say that they are all wrong?? Seriously though, I'm not trying to tell you what to believe or that your wrong, but I don't believe in God, therefore I cannot imagine there being any proof of his/her existance.

 

[Final Call]

Well, wouldn't it be just as logical to say that they are all wrong?? Seriously though, I'm not trying to tell you what to believe or that your wrong, but I don't believe in God, therefore I cannot imagine there being any proof of his/her existance.

It is just as logical that they are all wrong. That's why I want to see scientific evidence, not just people saying they heard voices in their heads. When people try that nowadays we lock them up.

 

[Little Joe Gould]

In the words of Thomas Aquinas

"The uncaused cause, the immovable mover."

Think about this statement with the very concept of time in your mind and you might be able to understand what it means.

Anyway, me personally I believe in the Judaeo-Christian God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I also believe in the Messiah Jesus Christ. I've also found that the way in which God revealed Himself to the ancient Israelites to be good evidence in my opinion for the existence of God. In particular, there is the commandment involving graven images which in my opinion reveals a lot of about the nature of God and is also strange to think that the Ancient Israelites came up with this idea on their own considering that many cultures at that time period worshipped statues.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Can anyone recommend some good books or websites?

Start with Maimonides ...

 

[methylatedghosts]

I'm not looking for definite proof. Just something outside of what people have claimed to have experienced that indicates there is a God. It's not hard to fake a conversation with God, if you want evidence look at history- only one of those religions can possibly be correct, yet everyone has had a conversation in which God tells them they were right.

Maybe they all were right!! Maybe what they said was recorded wrong by other people though

As for all scientific thingymajig pointing to NO god... I'm not so sure about that. Science deals with observable facts. Theories are carefully calculated. Science describes to us, that which is observable. Not necessarily that which is the driving force behind.. well.. the universe. Science cannot say it wasn't god who flicked the switch to initiate the big bang. Science can't say it WAS either. God is a difficult thing to observe and get data about. Hence - science has a hard time providing proof of god's existence or non-existence.

Anyway, that's enough from me - welcome to the forums!

 

[Little Joe Gould]

"The Language of God" by Francis S. Collins is a pretty good book that is scientifically-base and provides evidence for God.

 

[Final Call]

Thank you everyone for the replies.

 

[Mister_T]

God: The Evidence by Patrick Glynn is a good read. It could be considered "Scientifically based" by some.

 

[Alex_G]

Before I start I want to tell you a little bit about myself. I was raised Orthodox. My family lived in a neighborhood of mostly Orthodox Jews when I was growing up. I was religious until I was about 14, when as part of my teenage rebellion I stopped being religious. When I was 17 I grew out of it and became religious again, but as time went on I started researching religion in general and Judaism in particular, and it seemed to me that there was very little proof of God's existence. Most of the arguments seem to be coming from a philosophical point of view, as opposed to a scientific point of view. It seems as though almost all of the scientific evidence points to there being no God, with very little evidence to the contrary. I've heard a lot of philosophical arguments about God, such as "How could this world come from nothing? Do you think this watch came from nothing?", and similar arguments, but they haven't convinced me. What I'm looking for is scientific proof (not complete proof, but something which indicates God's existence). Can anyone recommend some good books or websites?

For me as far as the bible, i look at what sort of things it claims to have happened and i match it up with what i know, for example, he created man and the beasts of the field, but the fact we have dna and reproduce suggests we didnt arrive in a puff of smoke. its all about what you think is probable, and i think religious interpretations are anything but

 

[Random]

Before I start I want to tell you a little bit about myself. I was raised Orthodox. My family lived in a neighborhood of mostly Orthodox Jews when I was growing up. I was religious until I was about 14, when as part of my teenage rebellion I stopped being religious. When I was 17 I grew out of it and became religious again, but as time went on I started researching religion in general and Judaism in particular, and it seemed to me that there was very little proof of God's existence. Most of the arguments seem to be coming from a philosophical point of view, as opposed to a scientific point of view. It seems as though almost all of the scientific evidence points to there being no God, with very little evidence to the contrary. I've heard a lot of philosophical arguments about God, such as "How could this world come from nothing? Do you think this watch came from nothing?", and similar arguments, but they haven't convinced me. What I'm looking for is scientific proof (not complete proof, but something which indicates God's existence). Can anyone recommend some good books or websites?

Ask an Orthodox rabbi what he knows about the Holy Name, tetragrammaton.

If you're looking for proof of God under a rock, you'll only find a worm. What I mean is, looking for proof of that via scientific means first, without direct understanding, is pointless.

Yahweh. Check it out, Old Testament.

 

[Jeremy Mason]

One scientific concept that provides some evidence of a higher power is entropy.

Entropy

Life requires organization on many levels and therefor is contradictory to entropy.

 

[Charity]

Welcome to the forum........Hope you find what your looking for.....

 

[Rolling_Stone]

Before I start I want to tell you a little bit about myself. I was raised Orthodox. My family lived in a neighborhood of mostly Orthodox Jews when I was growing up. I was religious until I was about 14, when as part of my teenage rebellion I stopped being religious. When I was 17 I grew out of it and became religious again, but as time went on I started researching religion in general and Judaism in particular, and it seemed to me that there was very little proof of God's existence. Most of the arguments seem to be coming from a philosophical point of view, as opposed to a scientific point of view. It seems as though almost all of the scientific evidence points to there being no God, with very little evidence to the contrary. I've heard a lot of philosophical arguments about God, such as "How could this world come from nothing? Do you think this watch came from nothing?", and similar arguments, but they haven't convinced me. What I'm looking for is scientific proof (not complete proof, but something which indicates God's existence). Can anyone recommend some good books or websites?

Just ask yourself this question: Knowing that:

1. Every effect requires a cause equal to or greater than the effect and
2. Consciousness and intelligence are greater than but not separate from matter-energy

what must be in order for what is to be as it is?

 

[maro]

Can anyone recommend some good books or websites?

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