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Archbishop of Canterbury: "Is there a God?"


Still Waters

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The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has disclosed that he questions whether God exists.

Britain's most senior churchman, who is effectively the leader of almost 80 million Anglicans worldwide, admitted that there are moments when he asks himself "Is there a God?" and "Where is God?

http://www.telegraph...nce-of-God.html

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So the arch Bishop is a little bit like every other Christian on the planet. Gotcha :innocent::D

Edited by Paranoid Android
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nothing wrong with questioning, and you have to admire his bravery for making his feelings public.....

.

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Asked how to persuade those who do not see religion as relevant in modern world, he admitted that Christians did not have the answers to common questions such as why a good God would permit suffering.

"We know about Jesus, we cant explain all the questions in the world, we cant explain about suffering, we can’t explain loads of things but we know about Jesus"

"We can talk about Jesus ~ I always do that because most of the other questions I cant answer."

Door to door christians have the answer to all these questions and more. Maybe its time for they paid the Archbishop a visit?

Edited by taniwha
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The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has disclosed that he questions whether God exists.

Britain's most senior churchman, who is effectively the leader of almost 80 million Anglicans worldwide, admitted that there are moments when he asks himself "Is there a God?" and "Where is God?

http://www.telegraph...nce-of-God.html

No believer would be surprised by this.

peace

Mark

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The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has disclosed that he questions whether God exists.

Britain's most senior churchman, who is effectively the leader of almost 80 million Anglicans worldwide, admitted that there are moments when he asks himself "Is there a God?" and "Where is God?

http://www.telegraph...nce-of-God.html

He needs sacking for that.

You would expect him to have been taught the theological and philosophical arguments for spirituality. If he doesn't know them then what use is he as the leader of a faith?

Edited by RabidMongoose
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He needs sacking for that.

You would expect him to have been taught the theological and philosophical arguments for spirituality. If he doesn't know them then what use is he as the leader of a faith?

Why should be be sacked for admitting something that every Christian on the planet, myself included, feel from time to time? Edited by Paranoid Android
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Why should be be sacked for admitting something that every Christian on the planet, myself included, feel from time to time?

Because it doesnt inspire confidence in others.

The head of the church should be someone that knows the philosophical arguments for God and has had spiritual experiences. Someone with a near death experience is more knowledgable than him and thats bad.

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Because it doesnt inspire confidence in others.

The head of the church should be someone that knows the philosophical arguments for God and has had spiritual experiences. Someone with a near death experience is more knowledgable than him and thats bad.

I disagree, the head of the church should be someone who represents the people. They should also know the philosophical arguments for God but that doesn't mean that they always accept them. I know many of the philosophical arguments, I often post with them as a base for my views. It doesn't mean I never have doubts, though. Doubt is a great tool, it's helped me grow many a time, and I think a Church leader should acknowledge their failings, to let the plebs know that they aren't alone, that what they experience doesn't mean they aren't devout.
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Sorry Paranoid but JVG hits it on the head.

I'm not a sceptic, but I've had the same doubts he's expressing. I for one find it a comfort that even the most senior Church officials go through the same problems I do, it helps me understand that I'm not alone.
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I'm not a sceptic, but I've had the same doubts he's expressing. I for one find it a comfort that even the most senior Church officials go through the same problems I do, it helps me understand that I'm not alone.

Either you believe or you don't, what side of the fence are you on or are you just trying to play it safe??? A true leader can not waffle on this and needs to have a true vision. When they have doubts then where is your faith???

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Either you believe or you don't, what side of the fence are you on or are you just trying to play it safe??? A true leader can not waffle on this and needs to have a true vision. When they have doubts then where is your faith???

Having doubts does not make you a sceptic, and no believer always 100% of the time believes with unshakeable faith, there are always times when you sit and think "what if". Every believer on the planet goes through this and I applauds this guy for publicly saying so - the number of believers in the exact same position who hear him are suddenly thinking "wow, I'm not alone" and getting comfort from his words.
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I agree with PA. People that don't occasionally have trials of faith become Megalomaniacs and end up causing more trouble then good within the Church.

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Having doubts does not make you a sceptic, and no believer always 100% of the time believes with unshakeable faith, there are always times when you sit and think "what if". Every believer on the planet goes through this and I applauds this guy for publicly saying so - the number of believers in the exact same position who hear him are suddenly thinking "wow, I'm not alone" and getting comfort from his words.

I think you are more concerned with having someone on your side and not being alone. Faith I feel is pretty much black or white either you believe or not there is not a lot of middle ground. This is just my opinion. It would be extremely difficult for me to follow a leader of a church with such doubts.

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I think you are more concerned with having someone on your side and not being alone. Faith I feel is pretty much black or white either you believe or not there is not a lot of middle ground. This is just my opinion. It would be extremely difficult for me to follow a leader of a church with such doubts.

Do you follow a leader of any religious organisation? I don't know your religious beliefs to say for sure. But as I said, no believer, no matter how devout, every now and then has doubts.
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Do you follow a leader of any religious organisation? I don't know your religious beliefs to say for sure. But as I said, no believer, no matter how devout, every now and then has doubts.

I think we will have to agree to disagree on this subject you have your views and I have mine and never will two be one...

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I apply the idea that there may be no God to all my experiences, it ends up failing. It is an important tool, testing the idea of whether there is a God and when there is a crisis of faith, it rears it's head, but like I said in the end it fails to explain my personal experiences.

What I think is more important, if not vital, is whether God is what has been described by religion and the holy books. It seems to me my main issue is whether I can know that God is what others say he is, including the bible or whether he is something I need to investigate and understand with a completely clean slate and come to my own understanding about. I don't like the idea that I may be informed by the teachings of men who are fallible by nature and thereby missing real insights because of preconceived ideas that have been brought to me through books and religions, I question this all the time.

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I think you are more concerned with having someone on your side and not being alone. Faith I feel is pretty much black or white either you believe or not there is not a lot of middle ground. This is just my opinion. It would be extremely difficult for me to follow a leader of a church with such doubts.

That faith has to be black or white, is kind of like saying everyone in the US has to be a Republican or a Democrat. Or even better, everyone in the US has to be black or white. There is grey to everything in this life, and faith is one of those things.

It is said that some people have "great faith" and others are "of little faith". It is a spectrum....

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He needs sacking for that.

You would expect him to have been taught the theological and philosophical arguments for spirituality. If he doesn't know them then what use is he as the leader of a faith?

The church of England is, and has been for a long time, in large part a social doctrine church ie it believes that the preaching of Christ has the greatest relevance in the lives of ordinary people, and in constructing a society which is just and equal. Spirituality, in this context, is about love, compassion, caring, and helping others, and in seeking legislation which supports social justice and equality. This does not mean that ideas of an after life, or heaven and hell and a real god are discarded, but that, in practical terms, Christianity should be about making a difference here on earth, and this is more of a practical priority than debating if god/heaven or hell actually exist, which are theological and unresolvable questions of faith.

Edited by Mr Walker
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