Is there a god or not?

CHENNAI: Regardless of our own convictions, one must admit that conflict over religion has always existed and probably always will. The debate over the existence of a higher power has kept evolving as advancements in science and technology continue to blaze new paths into the cosmos. For some, the existence of god explains things that science cannot, blurring the lines between what is belief and what is concrete.Others see god as either a model or a judge to lead one toward a path to righteousness.Yet, others believe that righteousness comes from within and science holds the secrets to the universe. Despite that everyone has their own reasons for their religious beliefs (or lack there of), it is important to examine both sides of the debate. City Express has asked several Chennaiites to give their own reasons and opinions for believing, or not believing, in an ultimate power AtheistsKruthika Selvam To me God does not exist. They are just fi gments of imagination which you create when you are in trouble so that you can gain confi dence. It is kind of a boost up for you to make you feel there is someone or something to support you through the hard times Anuraag Lakshman There is no such thing as God; only chaos. And there are no miracles; only highly improbable events. Every single event in this universe is a result of chance and probability. Besides, God never created man; it is we who created him out of fear and ignorance Gowtham Venkatesh Every day I see so many people suffer. If there is a god up there, will not be so many sufferings in the world in the name of testing one’s faith or patience. Science is the reality.It is the real thing and has been successful in explaining most of the miracles Ajith Mahbubani Basically, it’s not something that made me turn into an Atheist. Belief comes from proof for every normal human being! About the stories of God, we just listen from what our elders have told us, not because of personal experiences Porkodi Amudan How good is a deed done in the fear of god rather than self-belief? I feel atheists are more disciplined, because if you do something wrong, a religious guy drops some money in the hundi and believes all his sins are washed away, but for an atheist his conscious will kill himTheistsMaya Parameswaran I believe in an omnipotent and omnipresent power who gave us this world to exist in. That power does not represent any religion or race to me. I give him whatever form I am comfortable with. That power is my god and I trust him before anyone else Jayashri Ramesh Existence of science cannot be denied but it can prove things only to a certain extent.There is a supernatural power that controls things beyond this limit and this is what we call god. Science is just a means through which we discover god Pooja Kumar I was brought up to be a typical Hindu who believed in god in its various form. As I grew up and started reading things, I understood that god was only a state that any one of us can achieve through meditation, love and respect.I strongly believe in the spirit and the force Vannia Vel It is a tough question. One main reason why I pray to god is because it’s the ultimate power. It is a power which keeps the world intact.With science and technology around us, we still cannot give reasons to the miracles that are happening today Karthik Sirasanagandla It might look foolish to believe in God in a world where everything has been explained by science. However, considering the vastness of the universe, about the creation of life and so many other surreal things, I can’t help but believe that there is some higher power at work