Poll: Do you believe in G-D?

[IsraeliGovtAreKapos]

Please explain the answer you voted for.

[Irish Zionist]

We can feel Him calling us.

[Ben m]

i am not sure beacuse i didn't seen any scientific proof yet.but on the other hand i didn't seen any proof that he don't exist either.

[muman613]

I believe with complete faith that Hashem is the master of the Universe and all forces are subservient to him alone.

[muman613]

13 Principles of Faith by Rambam:

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/332555/jewish/The-13-Principles.htm

1. Belief in the existence of the Creator, who is perfect in every manner of existence and is the Primary Cause of all that exists.

2. The belief in G-d's absolute and unparalleled unity.

3. The belief in G-d's non-corporeality, nor that He will be affected by any physical occurrences, such as movement, or rest, or dwelling.

4. The belief in G-d's eternity.

5. The imperative to worship G-d exclusively and no foreign false gods.

6. The belief that G-d communicates with man through prophecy.

7. The belief in the primacy of the prophecy of Moses our teacher.

8. The belief in the divine origin of the Torah.

9. The belief in the immutability of the Torah.

10. The belief in G-d's omniscience and providence.

11. The belief in divine reward and retribution.

12. The belief in the arrival of the Messiah and the messianic era.

13. The belief in the resurrection of the dead.


I have no problem with any of these principles.

[IsraeliGovtAreKapos]

I believe with complete faith that Hashem is the master of the Universe and all forces are subservient to him alone.

"יסוד היסודות ועמוד החכמות, לידע שיש שם מצוי ראשון והוא ממציא כל נמצא" - the Rambam, Halachot Yesodei Torah, Sefer Ha'Mada

דע את ה' אלוקיך

[muman613]

I believe with complete faith that Hashem is the master of the Universe and all forces are subservient to him alone.

"יסוד היסודות ועמוד החכמות, לידע שיש שם מצוי ראשון והוא ממציא כל נמצא" - the Rambam, Halachot Yesodei Torah, Sefer Ha'Mada

דע את ה' אלוקיך

Ein Od Milvado.
אין עוד

[TruthSpreader]

Yes.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Yes, history has a purpose, man has a purpose, and first and foremost, I am a Jew, and a Jew believes in God like his forefathers Avraham Yitzhak and Yaakov did.   Otherwise I am nothing, and the world is nothing. 

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

I voted yes because the universe and life could not have sprung into existence out of nothing, and there are phenomena that go on in the world with no physical explanation.  Also, the history of the Jewish people proves the existence of G-d because of the Torah prophecies of the Jews being scattered throughout the earth but never dying out and ultimately returning to their land.  This is an anomaly of history.  Great nations get conquered and assimilated, but they don't get scattered all over the globe while preserved at the same time and ultimately return to their ancient land and revive their old language.  Also the hatred of the Jewish people, since it is always so illogical, proves to me that there is a supernatural element to it and G-d uses evil people as pawns to prove Himself right and bring about the fulfillment of the Divine plan.

Great points.

[ProJewGreekChristian]

Something doesn't come from nothing.

[Dr. Dan]

Hells Yeh!...I mean Heaven's yeh!


This world and this universe and every living and non living atom is so perfectly made that it's too good to be true to be just random.  Everything fits and works perfect scientifically.

And when it comes down to social justice especially for the Jewish people, that biblical happens were predicted properly, and in today's time, that Holocaust Jews defeated huge armies of angry Arab Muslim Nazis in the War for Independence, nothing seems to be more perfect than the existence of Gd not just for the creation of the universe, but for the Jewish people and through us the rest of the human world.

So for sure, Gd exists...Otherwise, this world would make no sense and it would be a backward way of thinking that no real "living" Gd exists.

[christians4jews]

There has to be a god. Just some of the animals are so well designed...the wood pecker, giraffe etc when you analyse how their bodies work, its just incredible...

[mord]

Yes nd many top scientists do read this then Google his name                 http://www.geraldschroeder.com/About.aspx

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

As simple as can be, I just do.  I always have.  I have not always been religious, and at earlier times in my life there are points where I had wanted to be agnostic, but there is no point in my life where I could deny the fact God exists or shake the feeling that I believe in Him which rests deep inside me [I never succeeded in being agnostic].  Now that I am older I rejoice in that fact, and I rejoice in Torah to celebrate my belief.

[Maccabee01]

I absolutely do believe in G_D. He is there. He has always been there. He has been there for me so many times.

[rebel_conservative]

I could not vote, I do firmly believe in a Creator, I am sure of that, but I don't have "complete knowledge."  I am a rationalist.  I don't know whether G-D is active in the world, nor even how to properly conceptualise "G-D"

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

I could not vote, I do firmly believe in a Creator, I am sure of that, but I don't have "complete knowledge."  I am a rationalist.  I don't know whether G-D is active in the world, nor even how to properly conceptualise "G-D"

I thought he meant "complete knowledge" that God does in fact exist.   I would have to change my vote if he means something else by that.   

The Rambam explains that we actually cannot "conceptualize" God.  Humans are not capable of doing so.   We can only know God's oneness by observing things in the world and seeing what God is not, thereby what His oneness does not refer to.   This concept is called "Negative theology."

[muman613]

Belief in Hashem is one of the six CONSTANT mitzvot:

http://www.aish.com/sp/f/48971891.html

6 Constant - #1 - Know There is a God
by Rabbi Noah Weinberg

Cultivate the greatest possible relationship with the greatest possible benefits.

A "life goal" is one that brings you to a heightened state of being. For example, a businessman's goal is to be rich. Trading stocks or investing in real estate is the means to help accomplish that goal.

A similar formula applies to Judaism. The goal of Judaism is to cultivate the greatest possible relationship with God.

The 613 mitzvot are separate constructs which teach us about the reality of God's existence and how to live with that awareness.

Most of the 613 mitzvot in the Torah require the performance of a certain action - like giving charity, or eating matzah on Passover. These are the means to the end.

The "goal mitzvot" are the Six Constant Mitzvot. Rather than requiring the performance of a certain action, these mitzvot are a state of being, of living with the reality of God's existence.

The Six Constant Mitzvot are:

    * Know there is a God.
    * Don't believe in other gods.
    * God is one.
    * Love God.
    * Fear God.
    * Don't be misled by your heart and eyes.

Every moment of awareness is another occasion to actualize these goals. None of the other mitzvot has that same constant opportunity, and that's why the Six Constant Mitzvot are our priority. All the other mitzvot only build and bolster these goals.

INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

The first of the Ten Commandments declares: "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt" (Exodus 20:2).

This is the mitzvah to "Know there is a God."

The logic underlying this commandment seems difficult to understand. Someone who already observe God's commandments obviously believes in His existence -- so what need is there for a new command to do so? And if someone doesn't know that God exists, why should he listen to this command?!

So exactly who is this mitzvah for?

The answer is that we should not believe in God "on faith" alone. Investigate the evidence. Get knowledge. Research. Study. Analyze. It is a fundamental principle of Judaism: You have to know, not just believe.

EMOTIONAL TRUST

"You shall know this day, and understand it in your heart, that the Almighty is God" (Deut. 4:39, the "Aleynu" prayer).

But there's more. It is not enough to intellectually know that God is in charge of everything. You must also know it in your heart. This emotional knowledge is much more profound, because it affects how a person actually conducts his life.

    It is not enough to intellectually know that God is in charge of everything; you must also know it in your heart.

The circus performer is willing to walk the tightrope because he is confident there's a net below to catch him. Similarly, a child will jump down off a ledge into his father's arms, completely confident that his father will catch him.

The whole point of life is to strengthen your awareness of God. How do you know if you're really aware of God? Through trust. If you are, then you are willing to walk the tightrope, so to speak, or jump into your father's arms.

STEPS TO TRUST IN GOD

Rebbeinu Bechaya, in his 12th century book of self-improvement, "Duties of the Heart" (Chovos Halevavos), describes four key steps to build trust in God:

Step one is to realize that the Almighty loves you with unbounded love. The closest thing we can compare this to is the love a parent has for a child. The Almighty is our Father in Heaven. His love for us exceeds all of the love in this world. Awareness of God is to live with this realization.

Deep down we know that God loves us. Anyone in trouble prays to God. This is true even of people who have ignored Him all their lives. As the saying goes, "there's no atheist in a foxhole." Even if you've done everything wrong, when you need your Father, He's there.

STEP TWO -- DIRECT LINE

The U.S. Defense Department spends millions of dollars each year to send broadcast signals to distant stars, on the chance there's life out there. It may take 2,000 years for the signals to get there, but they're still listening 'round the clock.

If they ever get an answer -- even just a "hello" -- the whole world would be flabbergasted.

Have you ever had a prayer answered? Four out of five people will say "yes." The Creator of this universe has privately communicated with you. It's mind-boggling.

Most people whose prayer was answered didn't even know in which direction to send the signal! They simply said, "God, please help..." Five billion human beings, a whole galaxy of planets and stars -- and God answered this individual!

The mitzvah of belief in God means living with the reality that you're not alone. God's awareness and attention to every detail is constant. He picks up signals when you ask.

STEP THREE - HE DOES IT ALL

If your parent gives you a dollar, you're actually diminishing his net worth -- even if he's a multi-millionaire. But if the Almighty gives you a billion dollars, it does not diminish His net worth. God has all the power. He created this universe from nothing. He can make you a genius. He can heal your child. He can do anything.

Think about how many miracles God made for you to breathe your first lungful of air. A fetus doesn't use lungs; it takes oxygen from the mother's blood. When a child is born, the baby has to breathe on its own and the whole biological system changes. A heart valve closes, the lungs inflate -- and it all has to fall into place at exactly at the right time.

    Think about how much God has given you since you were born into this world -- He is leading you every step of the way.

Think about how much God has given you since you were born into this world. He is leading you every step of the way.

Everything God does for you is a gift. And whatever you want from God is nothing compared to what He's already given you. If you're asking for a billion dollars, it's nothing compared to a pair of eyes that He gave you for free.

God sustains the universe every second -- every creature, every blade of grass. God makes your heart pump. He provides your food. He created the sun with heat and light. There is nothing that can stop God. Your parents, teachers and boss are the delivery people. Every single thing you have is sent from God.

Knowing this gives you confidence to trust that God will continue to give you everything you need.

STEP FOUR -- BEST OF EVERYTHING

God doesn't need anything from you. He doesn't need you to eat kosher food, or to observe Shabbat.

God only wants to give. Everything in the world is for our benefit.

So if God doesn't grant your desire, you have to ask yourself why. Why hasn't God given you 100 million dollars?

Maybe it's not good for you. Maybe you'd become arrogant, greedy, excessive. Maybe you'd hire others to accomplish your goals, and you'd miss out on making the effort to try.

God knows what's good for us. Trust in God means understanding that when He doesn't give you something, it's a message. He's trying to wake you up, to get you to reevaluate your goals.

Good parents do this with their children, too. A child wants five cookies; you give him one. Or you take him to the doctor to get a shot: The child is crying, "Why are you doing this to me?" But you know it's for his own good.

Anytime something bad happens, you have to ask yourself, "Why?" Understand that God knows what He's doing. He's trying to raise us up. He knows what's good for us and He wants us to have the best of everything.

...

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

Muman, that was good.