What is God and does it exist?

[DBCowboy]

That's right we're asking the big questions.

Yes God exists and no I don't know the true nature of God.

[Bootless]

My faith takes a certain form, anyone else's faith will take on the form of the person...

I am the least of authorities about anything material... but my faith is mine.. I know it...
I may not be able to explain it... but to me .. it is real and tangible.. within myself.
I don't "need" to explain it... even though I'd like to... but that deficiency does not translate to doubt. 

Sorry about the sporadic responses and all... I've been having a rough time recently...but it will end.

I hope the rough times alleviate for you.

On the most basic level you don't owe me any explanation of your faith. Labelling and categorizing is a thing I try to do. Some people don't care for labels. I won't probe anymore.

[Ignorant]

If there was no separation between thought and truth... this would be entirely different conversation...
and a very large portion of out communities might just as well fall silent, for there might be precious little to bother talking about, relatively speaking.

What do you mean?
 

I wonder if we could even conceive of the idea of God at all...
the argument would be moot...
like arguing about whether Shakespeare would have liked Tetris.
(If you'll pardon the ham-handed metaphor.)

Well, the question wasn't about what that situation would be like for humans, it was whether or not god would still exist. So the argument is not moot, and the metaphor irrelevant. And you did finally answer the question! Thanks for that.
 

Of course, my faith does not "create" God.
This isn't tinker bell who asks you clap and believe so she can live.

So you say. And you say this based purely on your faith, which as you say is a very personal and subjective thing. So I hope you understand that, to an atheist, it sounds exactly like tinker bell.

[Ignorant]

Yes God exists and no I don't know the true nature of God.

So what is it that you say exists, then? You must be thinking of something when you say that (other than just the word "god" which indeed exists in the English language).

[DBCowboy]

So what is it that you say exists, then?  

God.

[quintessentone]

Yes God exists and no I don't know the true nature of God.

That's sort of where I am on this as well. I seriously asked/prayed God or whatever force for help one time and only one time in my life and I got it immediately. Every other time before that in church, I just prayed, or pretended to pray without heart, mind or soul due to a lack of understanding or proper teaching, therefore a void existed in my belief system, but no longer. As for the church and their teachings, they leave much to be desired, or did leave much to be desired - probably still do, but I'm not interested enough to find out.

[UltraBudgie]

usually what people seem to be talking about is two things, first an experience of higher power that extends beyond the limits of individual perception, and second an understanding of self and worldview that usefully reconciles that perception with ongoing life experience. in the spiritually stagnant those two are consistently one, whereas those walking the path may exhibit oscillations as the faith keeping them centred is more of an inner light.

[DBCowboy]

That's sort of where I am on this as well. I seriously asked/prayed God or whatever force for help one time and only one time in my life and I got it immediately. Every other time before that in church, I just prayed, or pretended to pray without heart, mind or soul due to a lack of understanding or proper teaching, therefore a void existed in my belief system, but no longer. As for the church and their teachings, they leave much to be desired, or did leave much to be desired - probably still do, but I'm not interested enough to find out.

There's a stark difference between God and religion, IMHO

[quintessentone]

There's a stark difference between God and religion, IMHO

I agree, religious congregation never gave me what I needed, that being heart, soul, mindfulness, compassion, empathy or love. Some of the meanest adult people I met as a child were in church. I once asked an older woman sitting beside me in church, why only girls and women needed to cover our heads, she angrily replied "Because you have to." That's me, always asking the big questions and getting no answers.

[UltraBudgie]

I once asked an older woman sitting beside me in church, why only girls and women needed to cover our heads

well there's your problem. you should have asked a man.