I have  long thought that some of the best proof that God existence is how every culture worships God, regardless to what they call him or how segregated they may be God is always present.  Something inside of us knowns, Christians (among others) understand this as being from the soul.  Yet, it accrued to me the other day that while mankind seems to never need to be told that there is a God for one to believe that there is not a God they must be taught this belief.  Now it can be argued that religion teaches us about God and that is true but it seems to me that it only teaches about God not that there is a God; that part is assumed.  The Bible, Torah and Qur’an all share the first few books of the Bible and in them all the first line states “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Not God exists.  As far as I am aware, it was not until modern times that cultures have shared belief in no God.  When tribes are discovered they seem to always have some sort of deity.  Among the first man made artifacts are those of carvings believed to represent deatic figures.  And it cannot be argued that it is a matter of advancement or intellect as some (if not most) of the greatest minds throughout history were God fearing people Albert Einstein, king Solomon, Socrates, most of the founding fathers and signers of the U.S. constitution believed in God and many were priest and even Darwin himself became a Christian before he died.  Many people, myself included, will testify that before they became Christians they knew there was a God thou they had not found him yet, something inside them knew, a gut feeling if you would.  Therefore if I am correct by deduction reasoning it would stand to reason that God is by no means a creation of man but truly a world where God does not exist is the work of men.

bull crap!
??

Everyone is born an atheist. However, there are natural forces at work in this universe which we have yet to explain.
These natural forces are called 'supernatural' until we understand them, and are attributed to an entity like us but much more powerful.
This is how the belief in gods started.
It was mankind's earliest explanations for natural events we did not understand. As our knowledge and understanding of our world and universe increases, the gods we once believed in seem more and more illogical, implausable and irrational. For most religious people though this is countered by the even stronger need for certainty, emotional reassurance, tradition and purpose.
Ever wondered why children adopt the religions of their parents indoctrination. They are told to believe in it and discouraged from asking questions. Christian and muslim children are physcologically brainwashed into believing that if they question it, they will burn in hell forever when they die.
 
If you were born in china, you would probably be a buddhist and they dont believe in any god or gods. They dont deserve to burn in hell and are not going to.

There are some things which are beyond human understanding for now. In my opinion it is intellectually dishonest to claim to have to have all the answers to questions about our existance and purpose when we clearly dont. There are too many conflicting religions and beliefs in this world for them all to be right. Maybe they are all wrong. Maybe there is much more to our existance than god or gods. Its probably much much more complex and deeper than that and were are only scratching the surface.

In creation, the fishes came from water, they depends on the water to survive, trees came from the ground, they depend on the ground for survival, fruit came from the tree etc. Man came from God, He is dead without God. Theres vacuum in man that Only God can fill. Man is not bor atheist but man is naturaly religious, Put him in a jungle he will look for a God. There is no real atheist ,all these atheist shouting here and there are only looking for attention due to their frustrations and emptyness and disappontment , but deep down, they know there is a God they only try to deny it That is why in every culture they believe there is a God in heaven, religion is their way of searching for him. You dont teach a dog how to bark , there is something in every puppy, he knows he has to bark ,it is his calling.

You see blackcypha, mantraa knows how to properly pose an argument. Rational thought and beliefs posed rationally as that both parties may exchange their belief and learn from one another and no one gets irritated as all involved show respect for the other and their beliefs regardless to if they agree or not. It’s always hard to disagree with an argument such as that and in this case some of it I completely agree with while disagreeing with other parts.

I do not claim to have the answers to everything I only speak what I believe as you are doing mantraa and I appreciate that regardless to the fact that we disagree about the point at hand. We both agree that thought processes can be manipulated by our teachings what we differ on in that respect is which factor we see as the manipulator and which is the truth. But you can never make complete assumptions, and yes I know I did a similar thing in my post, but not all children born in a religion adopt said religion that would be like me saying everyone born to an atheist family will undoubtedly be an atheist. Generalizations are never wise for anyone about any group, groups of people are far too diverse as people are far too diverse, I trust we can agree on that.

You spoke about China and while I understand your meaning I would like to point out that after communism took hold the sate tries to discourage any religion, yet it is one of the fastest growing arias of Christian growth in the world. In Buddhism they still believe in an eternal soul and an eventual heaven like state (nirvana as I’m sure you know).

Another point you make is that not all religions can be right. Here too we agree, it is my position that Christianity is right. If I didn’t believe that I most assuredly wouldn’t be one. I am curious, as you said you believe that life has a deeper meaning than a world made by a God, what do you believe is more important? I am truly interested for as I see it if we were a cosmic accident than wouldn’t we have no meaning at all? There by making life only as important as one chooses to make it.

Joagbaje:

In creation, the fishes came from water, they depends on the water to survive, trees came from the ground, they depend on the ground for survival, fruit came from the tree etc.

Yes, but fishes do not worship water because they don't need to, they merely live in it; trees do not worship the ground because they don't need to, but they merely live on it; fruits do not worship the trees because they don't need to, but they merely grows from it. . .

Joagbaje:

Man came from God, He is dead without God.

And God comes from man.Without man God exists not.They both need each other to exist.

Joagbaje:

Theres vacuum in man that Only God can fill.

The same can be said for God.Without man, God's life is also empty.What is God without "his" creation?His life would have a humongous hole in it, hence his act of creation to fill that hole.

Joagbaje:

Man is not bor atheist but man is naturaly religious, Put him in a jungle he will look for a God.

Nonsense,sir.Speak for yourself only.Even you were not born religious.You acquired that state of being from your surrounding stimuli.

So you see, the relationship between the creator and the created(man, for example) is very tightly woven together, very symbiotic.One depends on the other for existence and identity.So enough with the god shakara.

In creation, the fishes came from water, they depends on the water to survive, trees came from the ground, they depend on the ground for survival, fruit came from the tree etc.

Have you ever seen anything being created?

Man came from God, He is dead without God.

False God came from man without man god is dead. . . .All the gods rely on men to do everything for them and all the gods are exactly like the men that created them. . .Your evidence to show that there is a god that exists on its own independent of human culture, stories, mythology and societal acceptance is what?

Theres vacuum in man that Only God can fill.

What is this vaccum any evidence for these assertion? The lie you guys keep telling yourselves so that you can keepo holding unto your delusions is ridiculous. . . .

Man is not born atheist but man is naturaly religious, Put him in a jungle he will look for a God.

Religin is always a cultural thing. . . .No man was born with the knowledge of any god at all that is why parent that are religious make sure that they indoctrinate their kids from child hood. . . .all men are born with out the belief or knowlwdge of any god. . .you always follow the religiuon and god of your parents. . . .

There is no real atheist ,all these atheist shouting here and there are only looking for attention due to their frustrations and emptyness and disappontment ,

Yet another ridiculous conclusion that relies on your own presumptions. There is no evidence to support the notion that this 'god' character of yours exists, let alone that appeals to it have any effect whatsoever.I know how nice these ridiculous conclusion makes you guys feel. . . .Well, after being a believer at one time, it would appear that believing Gods exist can make a person "feel good". So Gods may be "useful" psychologically for some like a placebo. but to try to point the finger at atheists, to denigrate and demean them for reasons of your own by making up ridiculous conclusions about non-believers that do not subscribe to your own delusions helps to silence your own deep-seated doubts? (See, I can presume things about you too). By the way your evidence to show that atheist are empty, frustrated and disapointed is what?. . . . .I laugh in Hausa. . . .

but deep down, they know there is a God they only try to deny

Another lie. . . .No evidence to show that this god chracter of your exists any where. . . .

That is why in every culture they believe there is a God in heaven,

This is a LIE there are so many cultures that do not believe that there is any god in heaven. . . .There are so many cultures that believe in reincarnation. . . .When will you stop lying to yourself? Christians and Moslems are the only one that are deluded enough to assume that there is a heaven. . . .Most other cultures do not believe in that concept at all. . . .

religion is their way of searching for him. You dont teach a dog how to bark , there is something in every puppy, he knows he has to bark ,it is his calling.

And why does god have to be a he? There are so many religion that worship female deities. . . . .So people are now searching for god eh?. . . . .Keep on keeping on in your bubble of delusion. . . . .

In d Beginnin was Man.
Man Created God in His own Image,

Premise 1 - We are living intelligent beings that do not know how or why we got here -

Premise 2 - We also see around us a vast universe that we know we did not create -

Conclusion - Whatever the ultimate cause or rationale for existence is: it is something that -

1. Has existed before us

2. Is more compound than we are

3. Is powerful - given the size of the universe alone.

Even uneducated minds can perceive this - thus men throughout the ages have called this cause God.

There is nothing wrong with deference to that which is beyond you; which is what the worship of God is.

Deep Sight:

Even uneducated minds can perceive this - thus men throughout the ages have called this cause God.

There is nothing wrong with deference to that which is beyond you; which is what the worship of God is.

Nothing wrong with it as long as that act of worship neither promotes nor perpetuates devolution or stagnation of the evolutionary flux of the human consciousness, which, to my mind, is what the act of worship today is doing.
When the act of reverence to the first cause is now being turned into a tool for promoting and perpetuating ignorance, spiritual and intellectual stagnation, CONTROL/MANIPULATION, and strifes through dubious creations of false dichotomies amidst conscious, sentient beings like us humans, that is where i draw the line.
Perhaps we need to redefine what that act of reverence is or should be, how we should incorporate it into our lives, and what role it should play.

What is the point of the reverence? Reverence of a mystery? why?

Now, that's a whole new topic on to itself.Why do we need to worship a mystery rather than investigate it.Revere and or investigate.There were, and still are, people who do both.I can only say that we are genetically hardwired that way.

Krayola:

What is the point of the reverence?Reverence to a mystery? why?

Why is it that so often when people of two differing beliefs come together to disuse their beliefs the diction deludes into a fight or at best a heated argument?

Look guys you don’t believe in God and I do, I do not think you are stupid for that, while still believing myself to be right. Can that be said of your position? Could there be a way that someone can have a belief in God and not be simple minded or pathetic in your eyes? I would like to continue a conversation on this but I think there is a leave of respect that should be shown by all who participate. That is at least my opinion.

Mazaje, I believe you are mistaken when you said “you always follow the religiuon and god of your parents. . . .” that not true. Though yes it is often true a generation like that cannot be made. Many who are Christian are converts from other beliefs, and within the different sects of Christianity people often change denominations. In years past this would have been unthinkable but shows that it is not a pre-given that if you are a Christian your children will be Christian or even believe in God at all, just as it would not be predetermined that an atheist would have a child that would never believe in God. Now in youths I can understand how you would make that assumption but often people change their mind about beliefs as they grow older. So I do not think that assumption is accurate.

Also Christian and Muslims are by no means the only religions that believe in heaven. Judaism does along with many Hindus, Shinto do not but they do believe in an afterlife as do Buddhists. The old religions of Europe believed in heaven, the Egyptians, the American Indians, Africa, Mexico had many who did as well, and almost all of them in fact so you are wrong on this point.

As for God being a He to Christians it is more just old Jewish terminology mixed with the fact that Jesus was a man. God is said to be the Father because God rules over all things and to relate this in a way the people understood it best He referred to Himself as the Father. Just as Jesus is not truly the son of God (He is God) as he is likened to a son, he obeys the will of the father but still holds authority as a son did in those days. Jesus is God, along with the Hold Spirit they are all one. Now this is such an abstract thought that to explain it to man He broke it down in way of a family as families are something everyone understands and the Jews were and still are very family oriented people. There is no offence in it.