How do people still belive in God?

Mr Benevolent

MagicMarker wrote: »

Dude, at least provide sources rather than let people assume these are your own words, which they are not.

Busted!

MagicMarker

mcmoustache wrote: »

To be fair to the guy, as much as I think that his beliefs are crazy, he's alway prepared to be challenged on those beliefs, he responds to questions and he never gets rude in his responses. You can't really fault him for being interested.

Agreed, Jakkass is sound really, no one's perfect! :pac:

Pittens

I_AmThe_Walrus wrote: »

I am not religious and I agree with you that religion is homophobic, bloodthirsty etc. I was asking a philosophical question.

Hmm there is little or no evidence that religion is more bloodthirsty than the alternative. in fact the evidence is the opposite. And medical science saw homosexuality as a deviancy for years. Racism is a child of the enlightenment ( at least in it's modern scientific forms). Humans are naturally tribal , of course, but Churches converted people - granting them souls as equal before God - it was the anti-religious and nationalists who went the other way.

The philosopher to read on this is John Grey.

( And typical pittens disclaimer: not a believer but definitely not a modern atheist).

bluecatmorgana

Ahem, I got to about page 8 and decided to say my own bit.

I was brought up Roman Catholic and attended Mass every Sunday until I was about 21. I was never taught anything, lets call it unhappy thoughts, by my parents. All they said about God was happy and beautiful. So maybe in your eyes they wouldnt be considered Catholic but they certainly practiced. I certainly tried to take what I believed was the good out of the Bible, I do not believe it is a divine book as it has some bad stuff written in it. BUt like all books there can be both bad and good parts.

I have always had a taste for witchcraft and angels. Now my spirituality is based on those two and more. I believe in God, I believe God is omnipresent and omnipotent. (this next bit is going to be very hard swallowing for some people)I believe God made us perfect and that he sees no reason to interfer in life on earth in such matters. When he looks at us he sees only the beauty and goodness because truely thats what we are. I believe that man has created pain and suffering and that they are human things not of a higher order. I believe in spirit guides,guardian angels, praying, the power of prayer and an after life.

Let me see, what else....well actually theres lot more. But I wont go on.

I dont expect people to agree but please be gentle, this isnt just a post its my beliefs.

If I had children I would explain my beliefs to them but I would tell them that spirituality is like a journey and that it is up to everyone to find their own.

I dont particularly believe in organised religion, I think some people just like coming together to pray.

I dont need to prove or disprove any of this, it all makes sense to me in a scientific way.

Raiser

Anyone on here want to discuss the intrinsic root that exists naturally within some proportion of all Humankind that causes People to become Spiritual?

- It seems to me that you either have it or you don't.

If you have it then as sure as night follows day you'll merrily adopt your LOCAL Religion and profess that you have found the one true God - Out of the 900 or so available in popular Religious Culture on a Global scale.

- You could nearly have the Billboard Top 100 Gods at this stage.....

bluecatmorgana

Where did I profess that I have found the one true God?
I know that Im off on my beliefs but that what works for me.

I said spirituality is like a journey, I dont believe theres a one size fits all, you have to discover what works for you.

I think there is lots of truths in many religions.

MagicMarker

bluecatmorgana wrote: »

Where did I profess that I have found the one true God?
I know that Im off on my beliefs but that what works for me.

I said spirituality is like a journey, I dont believe theres a one size fits all, you have to discover what works for you.

I think there is lots of truths in many religions.

Do you believe God wrote the Bible through man?

bluecatmorgana

No , I believe that some of it could be divinely inspired but probably not.

MagicMarker

bluecatmorgana wrote: »

No , I believe that some of it could be divinely inspired but probably not.

So, basically, the bible is fictional, yes?

bluecatmorgana

To be honest no one knows or can tell as they could have written about stuff that actually happened.

Millicent

Raiser wrote: »

Anyone on here want to discuss the intrinsic root that exists naturally within some proportion of all Humankind that causes People to become Spiritual?

- It seems to me that you either have it or you don't.

If you have it then as sure as night follows day you'll merrily adopt your LOCAL Religion and profess that you have found the one true God - Out of the 900 or so available in popular Religious Culture on a Global scale.

- You could nearly have the Billboard Top 100 Gods at this stage.....

Don't forget there are religions out there that don't profess that there's one true God. Some are a bit more inclusive of prophets and deities.

MagicMarker

bluecatmorgana wrote: »

To be honest no one knows or can tell as they could have written about stuff that actually happened.

Well, to be fair, you either believe it to be the word of God written through man as it claims to be, or you believe man wrote it independently from God and therefore lied?

“… from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:15-17).

bluecatmorgana

Well then yes I would say that someone lied who wrote that.
Its the equivalent of someone writing a book and saying "all my books are written by god and must therefore be taken as Word"

Millicent

MagicMarker wrote: »

Well, to be fair, you either believe it to be the word of God written through man as it claims to be, or you believe man wrote it independently from God and therefore lied?

The Bible has so many authors though that it's impossible to know who was genuinely a vessel and who was letting their experience and society influence it.

ETA: Not that I subscribe to it being the word of God. Just playing Devil's (lol) advocate.

Min

MagicMarker wrote: »

So, basically, the bible is fictional, yes?

Was the fire and brimstone destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, fictional?

Rockery Woman

Hear the one about the imsomniac agnostic dyslexic - he stayed up all night wondering if there was a Dog!!!:D:D:D

MagicMarker

bluecatmorgana wrote: »

Well then yes I would say that someone lied who wrote that.
Its the equivalent of someone writing a book and saying "all my books are written by god and must therefore be taken as Word"

Grand, so we've concluded that the bible is in fact fictional, not the word of God and therefore to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

So, why is it that you believe in a God which originates from a fictional book? If there was no bible then there would be no religion as we know it. If the Bible hadn't have been written we wouldn't be having this discussion and you wouldn't believe in a character that had not been invented.

coffee_cake

MagicMarker wrote: »

If there was no bible then there would be no religion as we know it.

What?

Millicent

MagicMarker wrote: »

Grand, so we've concluded that the bible is in fact fictional, not the word of God and therefore to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

So, why is it that you believe in a God which originates from a fictional book? If there was no bible then there would be no religion as we know it. If the Bible hadn't have been written we wouldn't be having this discussion and you wouldn't believe in a character that had not been invented.

Yes because there's only one religion in the world and all religious people take the Bible as their good book.

Min

MagicMarker wrote: »

Grand, so we've concluded that the bible is in fact fictional,

The History channel last night was using science to show how Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed with fire and brimstone.
One can argue about what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah but science backs up the bible in how it was destroyed.

ScissorPaperRock

Every thing is simply one.


Humans are a particular arrangement of the elements that exist within our atmosphere, as are plants, rocks, a slab of wood, a sheet of metal, the ocean.

Why can't people see this? What suggests that it must be more than this?

Nothing truly dies, the components that make things up will still exist in one form or another. Our consciousness may not last forever, but the components that make it up will, in a vast array of forms.

I posted more or less the same post before, and it wasn't really addressed, but I'd really be interested in any arguments against this logic.

Particularly from those who believe in a God.

Min

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

Every thing is simply one.


Humans are a particular arrangement of the elements that exist within our atmosphere, as are plants, rocks, a slab of wood, a sheet of metal, the ocean.

Why can't people see this? What suggests that it must be more than this?

Nothing truly dies, the components that make things up will still exist in one form or another. Our consciousness may not last forever, but the components that make it up will, in a vast array of forms.

I posted more or less the same post before, and it wasn't really addressed, but I'd really be interested in any arguments against this logic.

Particularly from those who believe in a God.

Sure it says that in Genesis about us coming from dust and how we will return to dust.

bluecatmorgana

MagicMarker wrote: »

Grand, so we've concluded that the bible is in fact fictional, not the word of God and therefore to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

So, why is it that you believe in a God which originates from a fictional book? If there was no bible then there would be no religion as we know it. If the Bible hadn't have been written we wouldn't be having this discussion and you wouldn't believe in a character that had not been invented.

But I dont believe in the God in the Bible.
As far as I know I didnt say I did either

bluecatmorgana

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

Every thing is simply one.


Humans are a particular arrangement of the elements that exist within our atmosphere, as are plants, rocks, a slab of wood, a sheet of metal, the ocean.

Why can't people see this? What suggests that it must be more than this?

Nothing truly dies, the components that make things up will still exist in one form or another. Our consciousness may not last forever, but the components that make it up will, in a vast array of forms.

I posted more or less the same post before, and it wasn't really addressed, but I'd really be interested in any arguments against this logic.

Particularly from those who believe in a God.

But your logic holds through, everything you said is true.
At least I think it does.

VinnyTGM

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

Every thing is simply one.


Humans are a particular arrangement of the elements that exist within our atmosphere, as are plants, rocks, a slab of wood, a sheet of metal, the ocean.

Why can't people see this? What suggests that it must be more than this?

Nothing truly dies, the components that make things up will still exist in one form or another. Our consciousness may not last forever, but the components that make it up will, in a vast array of forms.

I posted more or less the same post before, and it wasn't really addressed, but I'd really be interested in any arguments against this logic.

Particularly from those who believe in a God.

Correct, that sums it up really.

MagicMarker

bluewolf wrote: »

What?

Millicent wrote: »

Yes because there's only one religion in the world and all religious people take the Bible as their good book.

Sorry, I'm not referring to every religion, but those relating directly to the Bible, Christianity, Judaism, Mormonism, even Jehovas Witness and in part Islam. Who knows what effect this would have had on other religions and their notoriety throughout history though?

The world would be a very different place now, that's for sure.

caseyann

http://www.theology.edu/faq01.htm

Have a little read

If you believe you believe if you dont you dont,To question why people still believe is personal reasons,and if you dont believe why would you ask or care.It doesn't effect you or anyone else who doesn't believe.I dont push what i believe on you and nor do i care if you believe or not.
As i have said over and over again,i lost faith and i regained it on my own.I never agreed with church i never followed what priests told me.And god for me is personal.
What i dont understand,is if people dont believe in it why you always asking so many questions.Is there somewhere you still have this feeling or perhaps you are worried you are wrong.And hope someone can prove it or disprove it indefinitely.
Truth of the matter is you wont know till that day whenever it comes or you may not know.
Why people have to mock peoples beliefs and something they care about and love is beyond me.
I dont mock your disbelief ,but i will mock how people feel they think they know for sure and they dont,and how they can calls someone elses faith or belief rubbish and fairytale.Nice attitude.
No matter what anyone says on here about any of the science and stuff,still so many things in world we dont know or understand.But so easily can discredit something just because science cant prove it is beyond stupid.And your minds are closed.Imagine if scientists decided they couldn't discover anymore,and had the attitude of it is impossible.

ScissorPaperRock

Min wrote: »

Sure it says that in Genesis about us coming from dust and how we will return to dust.

But the point I'm making is that, everything comes from the same place. (With the exception of objects from outside our atmosphere)

Nothing makes us any different to say, a plant, or a cloud, except that we're a different arrangement of available elements.

It's the idea that humans are in some sense "special" that I see no need for.

bluecatmorgana

MagicMarker wrote: »

Sorry, I'm not referring to every religion, but those relating directly to the Bible, Christianity, Judaism, Mormonism, even Jehovas Witness and in part Islam. Who knows what effect this would have had on other religions and their notoriety throughout history though?

The world would be a very different place now, that's for sure.

True but I think Islam and Muslim are pretty strong in the world on their own

bluecatmorgana

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

But the point I'm making is that, everything comes from the same place. (With the exception of objects from outside our atmosphere)

Nothing makes us any different to say, a plant, or a cloud, except that we're a different arrangement of available elements.

It's the idea that humans are in some sense "special" that I see no need for.

But everything is special because it is us and we are it