How do people still belive in God?

epgc3fyqirnbsx

Einhard wrote: »

I'm an atheist. Last December my mother died. I carried her coffin and watched as it was lowered down into the grave. The thing which affected me most was knowing that that was it. I would never see her again. All I had were the memories which would fade in time. It still cuts me up inside.

My younger sister and most of my family believe in God. They were all in bits obviously, but they all fully believe that they weill see her again. Even more, they believe that she's with them every day. They talk to her when they're alone, and they believe she's listening. They think that she's watching over them.

I've never been a militant atheist, but I've always been confident in my beliefs, and liked a good arguement over the existence of God. I liked assailing them with my irrestistible logic, smug in the knowledge that I was right, disbelieving that they couldn't see that.

Now though, I quietly envy them. Not in an all consuming manner, mind. I've come to terms with my mother's death, and I live with her memory. But I live every day with the fact that I will never meet her again. I visit her grave and I stand there mutely. I don't speak to her because she's not there. I don't invoke her to aid me in what I'm doing. I don't feel comforted by her presence. And I look at my little sister, who is the opposite of me, and I wish I could believe. Immediately after the funeral I even tried to delude myself that I could believe in God, and more pertinently, believe in the afterlife, and my mother's place in it. I couldn't though. And I wish I could. I lose nothing by a vague belief in some vgue God. I gain nothing by disbelief. It used lend me a certain smug satisfaction, but not anymore.

The reason I say all this (apart from the fact that I'm somewhat drunk), is to illustrate the positive power of faith. When all is said and done, were I offered the chance to delude myself into belief, I'd like to think I'd turn it down. And I like a good debate over the existence of God. But I would never, ever try to convince my sister that her she is fooling herself, that there is no God, and that she'll never see her mother again. And I'd never scorn someone for believing in God. Faith, though I may not share it, helps people get on with their lives every single day. Some people wouldn't be able to go on without it. So who am I to mock them, to scorn them as living in the "stupid ages"? Who am I to tell people their hope is false, that the truth will set them free? I know that's false. My truth, my disbelief in God, is a burden for me. I'm prepared to shoulder that, and I'm prepared to argue the case for my lack of faith, but I'd never disdain genuine belief or those who believe. Too many atheists however have no such compulsions however. The sad irony is that they fail to see that they share this intolerance with the religious fundamentalists they abhor.

An excellent post and my beliefs entirely.
You can attack religion and nit pick on the bible, which is understandable, but that one belief that life isn't over when you die and that you can see you're loved ones again, and even talk to them when they are gone, cannot be a bad thing

gbee

Einhard wrote: »

I'm an atheist. Last December my mother died. I carried her coffin and watched as it was lowered down into the grave.

You've covered a lot here, I've a lot of people who are dead [physically] and I talk to them too. I believe they saved my life on more than one occasion ~ or I've developed an extra sixth scene, but I suddenly had an instinct and I remember the deceased, as if she is right in the room ~ but I never see them ~

They do hang around, after all you've been a miracle as big as creation itself, you don't tend to forget that.

vampire of kilmainham

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

You believe in the bible, and therefore believe in talking donkeys.

I think that's the logic they're using.

I have a talking donkey in the garden it goes eeeeee aaaawwwwww eeeee aaaaawwwww:D:D:D

epgc3fyqirnbsx

vampire of kilmainham wrote: »

I have a talking donkey in the garden it goes eeeeee aaaawwwwww eeeee aaaaawwwww:D:D:D

Heeeeee awwwwww
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeee awwwwwwwwwwwwww

Heeeeeeeeee awwwwwwwwwlways says that

Washington Irving

Funny how this thread titled 'How does God still believe in people" was locked, yet this one titled "How do people still believe in God", wasn't...

storm2811

gbee wrote: »

You've covered a lot here, I've a lot of people who are dead [physically] and I talk to them too. I believe they saved my life on more than one occasion ~ or I've developed an extra sixth scene, but I suddenly had an instinct and I remember the deceased, as if she is right in the room ~ but I never see them ~

They do hang around, after all you've been a miracle as big as creation itself, you don't tend to forget that.

I'm an atheist but I talk to my father and best friend a lot(they're both dead),I don't know why though but I don't see anything weird about it,I could be wrong,there could be an afterlife,who knows but just talking to them brightens my day a bit.

Dave!

gbee wrote: »

You've covered a lot here, I've a lot of people who are dead [physically] and I talk to them too. I believe they saved my life on more than one occasion ~ or I've developed an extra sixth scene, but I suddenly had an instinct and I remember the deceased, as if she is right in the room ~ but I never see them ~

They do hang around, after all you've been a miracle as big as creation itself, you don't tend to forget that.

storm2811 wrote: »

I'm an atheist but I talk to my father and best friend a lot(they're both dead),I don't know why though but I don't see anything weird about it,I could be wrong,there could be an afterlife,who knows but just talking to them brightens my day a bit.

It's one thing talking to the dead, but if you start to hear them talk back then you should be a little concerned.....

Saganist

Einhard wrote: »

I'm an atheist. Last December my mother died. I carried her coffin and watched as it was lowered down into the grave. The thing which affected me most was knowing that that was it. I would never see her again. All I had were the memories which would fade in time. It still cuts me up inside.

My younger sister and most of my family believe in God. They were all in bits obviously, but they all fully believe that they weill see her again. Even more, they believe that she's with them every day. They talk to her when they're alone, and they believe she's listening. They think that she's watching over them.

I've never been a militant atheist, but I've always been confident in my beliefs, and liked a good arguement over the existence of God. I liked assailing them with my irrestistible logic, smug in the knowledge that I was right, disbelieving that they couldn't see that.

Now though, I quietly envy them. Not in an all consuming manner, mind. I've come to terms with my mother's death, and I live with her memory. But I live every day with the fact that I will never meet her again. I visit her grave and I stand there mutely. I don't speak to her because she's not there. I don't invoke her to aid me in what I'm doing. I don't feel comforted by her presence. And I look at my little sister, who is the opposite of me, and I wish I could believe. Immediately after the funeral I even tried to delude myself that I could believe in God, and more pertinently, believe in the afterlife, and my mother's place in it. I couldn't though. And I wish I could. I lose nothing by a vague belief in some vgue God. I gain nothing by disbelief. It used lend me a certain smug satisfaction, but not anymore.

The reason I say all this (apart from the fact that I'm somewhat drunk), is to illustrate the positive power of faith. When all is said and done, were I offered the chance to delude myself into belief, I'd like to think I'd turn it down. And I like a good debate over the existence of God. But I would never, ever try to convince my sister that her she is fooling herself, that there is no God, and that she'll never see her mother again. And I'd never scorn someone for believing in God. Faith, though I may not share it, helps people get on with their lives every single day. Some people wouldn't be able to go on without it. So who am I to mock them, to scorn them as living in the "stupid ages"? Who am I to tell people their hope is false, that the truth will set them free? I know that's false. My truth, my disbelief in God, is a burden for me. I'm prepared to shoulder that, and I'm prepared to argue the case for my lack of faith, but I'd never disdain genuine belief or those who believe. Too many atheists however have no such compulsions however. The sad irony is that they fail to see that they share this intolerance with the religious fundamentalists they abhor.

Excellent post. And truly sorry for your loss.

Just a quick post on why you really don't have to feel the same as your believing sister.

Simply, why? Sure, we all die, it makes life soooo much more valuable thinking this is the one and only that we have. Live it to the MAX..

I'm a non believer and have lost friends & family along the way. I "feel" them at times, just the same as your believing sister has. That's Human nature. It's common. It's nothing to do with God. A song that reminds you of a time, a place you went to, a particular moment, a type of food. It's Normal !

I see your point on your sister seeing that she will see them again when she dies, but again, this is just a comfort mechanism. Lovely and comforting, but personally I prefer the TRUTH, no matter what way it comes out.

If people believe, as your sister does, as a comfort thing, then fine. No problem. Its when people start trying to justify the Bible as being accurate and true that I have a problem with.
Sorry for the rant, I'm slightly drunk.. :pac::pac:

storm2811

Dave! wrote: »

It's one thing talking to the dead, but if you start to hear them talk back then you should be a little concerned.....

Don't worry, they don't.:pac:

NoHornJan

Just wondering if this thread is representative of the whole population, or are the Christians afraid of being thrown to the lions?
I'm not overtly religious, but I definitely wouldn't be sacreligious, and I thought the debate was a little lobsided. There's more than one God you know, and as Dave Allen used to say " May YOUR God Go With You."

Money was my God ! I've no God now...

raah!

Saul-Goode9 wrote: »

Funny how this thread titled 'How does God still believe in people" was locked, yet this one titled "How do people still believe in God", wasn't...

You might also get a giggle if you compare the attitude of the OP of this post with that of the "what is god to you" thread, and note that the latter was banned.

moonpurple

in reply to OP

how does God still believe in us?:pac:

Raiser

Well the Paedophiles and Misogynists have to have some Mythical Figure to base their fund-raising around.

- I suppose they feel they may as well aim high and make out that he created the whole Show out of Paper Maché......

Ush1

Jakkass wrote: »

OK, but how come Augustine of Hippo and Origen of Jerusalem in the 4th century explored the possibility that the days of Creation may well have been longer than 24 hour days?

See, it's something like this that gets my back up. By all means have your faith but please don't tread on sciences toes.

A day is clearly a definition of how long our planet takes to completely rotate on its axis. Hours are immutable and are just a metric of measurement but a day can only still be the unit of time the earth takes to complete its rotation.

So if Gods "days" took longer, what ever they are, it wasn't days.

You claim to believe in science and religion but if you do believe this you clearly reject science or don't have the first clue about it.

Eircom_Sucks

i dont believe in god , i was born a catholic like most , but dont practice it

i think that alot of old people just want to believe in an afterlife because their at an end to their own life

most people u see in the churches are old

philologos

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

I'm bowing out of this discussion very shortly, but do you think he will look kindly on non-believers like Millicent and Slasher, who have shown themselves to be no threat whatsoever to Christian values?

Being honest with you, I think people need to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved from sin. It's a hope I have for all humanity really.

Ush1 wrote: »

A day is clearly a definition of how long our planet takes to completely rotate on its axis. Hours are immutable and are just a metric of measurement but a day can only still be the unit of time the earth takes to complete its rotation.

So if Gods "days" took longer, what ever they are, it wasn't days.

Please read my posts before grumbling about them :pac:

My point was (in the Genesis account) if the sun and the moon are absent until the fourth day of Creation, then it is possible that the "days" mentioned in Genesis (Hebrew word is yom) are actually not literal 24 hour days.

irelandrover

kjl wrote: »

I don't know why, but stupidity bothers me. I think it holds back mankind.

This is more of an attitude that is holding back mankind. Completely intolerant of other people's beliefs. What makes you 100% sure that there isn't a God? The fact that the science we know now contracdicts a book written in another language more than 2000 years ago.
You seem to have a very smug in the knowledge that you are right and anyone that doesnt agree with you is clearly stupid.
I'm not christian by the way and I am atheist but your attitude really annoys me. Comparing God to Santa is a ridiculous agrument.

orourkeda

kjl wrote: »

I have been wondering recently how does anyone think god exists. Like I can understand when we were back in the stupid ages before we knew what we know now, but how does anyone with an iq over 10 still believe nowadays?

I was on Grafton street last Saturday and there were a bunch of guys holding the "John 3:7" signs, I decided to question them. I made a lot of valid points to them which they completely ignored and feed me a bunch of circular reasoning to prove they were right.

Can anyone here who still believes explain your justification

Now seeing as you have have an IQ over 10 and have dissed everyone in the world that has faith in god you are now going to provide us with the absolutely definitive proof that god doesnt exist arent you?

prinz

I would reply but unfortunately my IQ of 9 limits my ability to form a coherent sentence.

God is a believe there I. Duhhhhhhhhhhhh.


The irony is atheists posters complaining religion holds mankind back, and then spend 99.9% of their time worrying about what other people believe instead of making the world a better place.

ciagr297

orourkeda wrote: »

you are now going to provide us with the absolutely definitive proof that god doesnt exist arent you?

exactly - where is your proof that god doesn't exist? and where is the proof that god does exist?

people should be allowed to believe in whatever they want (as long as it doesn't harm others) but alot of my issues with a certain class of "believers" is that they can't allow anyone who does not believe in the same thing to exist
live and let live is what i say

Ush1

Jakkass wrote: »

Being honest with you, I think people need to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved from sin. It's a hope I have for all humanity really.



Please read my posts before grumbling about them :pac:

My point was (in the Genesis account) if the sun and the moon are absent until the fourth day of Creation, then it is possible that the "days" mentioned in Genesis (Hebrew word is yom) are actually not literal 24 hour days.

I did read you posts.

Sun and moon is irrelevant. The term for day was around long before the bible and many cultures have it but it sun and moon aside, the term day is the unit of time it takes for the earth to rotate on its axis. If the length of time is any longer or shorter, it's not a day!

And if he didn't mean a day, why is it said it took 7 days?

philologos

Ush1 wrote: »

And if he didn't mean a day, why is it said it took 7 days?

Why do you think I mentioned the Hebrew term used in the passage?

Grumble away!

orourkeda

ciagr297 wrote: »

exactly - where is your proof that god doesn't exist? and where is the proof that god does exist?

people should be allowed to believe in whatever they want (as long as it doesn't harm others) but alot of my issues with a certain class of "believers" is that they can't allow anyone who does not believe in the same thing to exist
live and let live is what i say

Nobody has proof that god exists or doesnt exist.

Nobody can pretend to know for sure and should avoid making sweeping generalisations against someone or group who holds the opposing opinion like the ones the op has made.

krudler

Ush1 wrote: »

I did read you posts.

Sun and moon is irrelevant. The term for day was around long before the bible and many cultures have it but it sun and moon aside, the term day is the unit of time it takes for the earth to rotate on its axis. If the length of time is any longer or shorter, it's not a day!

And if he didn't mean a day, why is it said it took 7 days?

Becuase they people that wrote the bible thought it would be a good idea to whack some chinese whispers, allegorys, fairytales and general nonsense into a book that has so many inconsitencies, contradictions and other hilariousness so that the human race would ever be divided over the meanings of little phrases, turning religion into a worldwide dick waving contest : "my chapter of the presbo-luther-anglican-catholics is the right religion whereas you bunch of luther-anglic-protestant-church of latter day Jeebus crowd are clearly wrong :pac: then sit back and watch the chuckles ensue.

anyway, all other questions can be answered by this man

orourkeda

prinz wrote: »

I would reply but unfortunately my IQ of 9 limits my ability to form a coherent sentence.

God is a believe there I. Duhhhhhhhhhhhh.


The irony is atheists posters complaining religion holds mankind back, and then spend 99.9% of their time worrying about what other people believe instead of making the world a better place.

A lot of them tend to be quite critical of and condescending towards anyone who holds any kind of religious belief.

thebigbiffo

one of my fav (paraphrased) quotes

little johnny prayed and prayed for a new bike, when one didnt arrive he realised god didn't work that way, so he stole one and prayed for forgiveness.

i seriously think that quote sums up the problem with trying to believe in - at least - the christian religion

orourkeda

thebigbiffo wrote: »

one of my fav (paraphrased) quotes

little johnny prayed and prayed for a new bike, when one didnt arrive he realised god didn't work that way, so he stole one and prayed for forgiveness.

i seriously think that quote sums up the problem with trying to believe in - at least - the christian religion

The problem isnt necessarily with the religion though. Isnt it as much a problem that it's practitioners sometimes break their religions rules to suit their own ends.

Everyone likes to cherrypick the nice parts and display a tendency to shirk some of the religious responsibilities that they may have.

coffee_cake

prinz wrote: »

The irony is atheists posters complaining religion holds mankind back, and then spend 99.9% of their time worrying about what other people believe instead of making the world a better place.

Nothing wrong with atheists worrying about what other people believe when it's ingrained into our education system, when it's ingrained into families so much that a couple of posters in A&A were thrown out of the house after "coming out", when it's so worked into *everything*.
I have no patience for people insulting intelligence but I imagine there are many atheists who would be happy to live and let live if their theist friends would do the same.

Ush1

Jakkass wrote: »

Why do you think I mentioned the Hebrew term used in the passage?

Grumble away!

I'm not grumbling, you either believe he created the universe in 7 rotations of the earths axis or the terms used are completely irrelevant as they have no objectivity and can seemingly mean anything you want it to.

orourkeda

krudler wrote: »

Becuase they people that wrote the bible thought it would be a good idea to whack some chinese whispers, allegorys, fairytales and general nonsense into a book that has so many inconsitencies, contradictions and other hilariousness so that the human race would ever be divided over the meanings of little phrases, turning religion into a worldwide dick waving contest : "my chapter of the presbo-luther-anglican-catholics is the right religion whereas you bunch of luther-anglic-protestant-church of latter day Jeebus crowd are clearly wrong :pac: then sit back and watch the chuckles ensue.

anyway, all other questions can be answered by this man

This man doesnt answer all other questions.

He performs a stand up routine in which he offers his opinion on religion.

You may agree with what he has to say but to say he knows better than people who believe in god is unwise.