There is no god

[OldKingCole]

Inspired by another thread … I was surprised by the level of atheism professed … as I always though I was in a tiny, tiny minority.
would be interested to see the MN response.

IABU - there is a god
IANBU - there is no god

‘Well according to the bible God blessed Adam and Eve. God is the originator of marriage as a concept.’

In the garden of Eden, with the snake? And Eve sprung from Adam’s rib, yeah?

Marriage as a concept predates Christianity, Judaism, Islam and all other major religions.

but I do understand that many Christians struggle with the concept of history and fact.

And the fact that marriage exists in non Christian societies?

If you believe that all God's are the same God then I can understand the concept that God is responsible for marriage

But if you mean the Christian/Jewish God only then that wouldn't be the case

Sounds like you’re discriminating against people with mental illness or other differences - and that reflects your own prejudices against vulnerable people.

If religion is the only place in society that is welcoming people who are treated as outcasts and offering some humane acceptance and a sanctuary, then that’s a credit to religion (not a problem). It gives vulnerable people a chance to get better and build resilience if they have some care and support in the community.

Who Was Mary Magdalene?

The Christian story shows it’s also those who would normally be treated as outcasts in society and helped by faith who can be counted on the most in faith’s own time of need.

‘From the New Testament, one can conclude that Mary of Magdala (her hometown, a village on the shore of the Sea of Galilee) was a leading figure among those attracted to Jesus. When the men in that company abandoned him at the hour of mortal danger, Mary of Magdala was one of the women who stayed with him, even to the Crucifixion. She was present at the tomb, the first person to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection and the first to preach the “Good News” of that miracle. These are among the few specific assertions made about Mary Magdalene in the Gospels.’

That didn’t answer my question. I want to check this claim out. Do you have a source other than yourself?

But the rules regarding sexual morality were largely practical in purpose. Firstly to ensure the Fathers identity and secondly (re homosexuality) to boost numbers of believers, by threatening death this would more than encourage gay people to get married and produce heirs. Organic growth amongst believers is the easiest way to grow a religion and make it more powerful. Same concept with abortion and contraception.

Religion is man made to explain and control, but that doesn’t mean a god doesn’t exist, but the god might not be what most think.

Neither are true. Your question isn’t very inclusive.

Every Ancient civilisation had marriage.
Egyptians, Chinese, Sumerian, Indus, Celts, Romans, Greeks, Toltec, Maya, Inca, Benin, etc

You can’t seriously be saying that no one married or had ever heard of marriage until they’d been converted to Judaism, Christianity or Islam?

I know maybe 3-4 people who believe in God (that I know of, obviously - but the vast majority of people I know well are atheists. Those I know less well might believe in a god, but don't e.g. go to church, etc).

Even those I know who still show the last bits of religion in their life - get married in church, have christenings, etc - don't believe. My sister's best friend did all that (church wedding, 3 christenings, etc) told her kids about their grandad 'in heaven', would tell someone she was praying for them via social media if they had bad news, etc etc, but she doesn't actually believe there's a god and just sees these things as what you do. I don't think there's anything wrong with that particularly (although I could see Christians being uncomfortable with it) - I think there are elements of Christianity that remain in people's lives as comfort or tradition but bear very little relation to actual belief in a god.

IANBU

I'm shocked that anyone believes in a god these days. Surely they were old superstitions that we should have moved away from in the 21st century!

Here is one of thousands of examples of proof. The code of Ur-Nammu dating to 2100 BC includes laws regarding marriage
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Ur-Nammu

ie.
”If a slave marries a slave, and that slave is set free, he does not leave the household.[1]”

”If a slave marries a native [i.e. free] person, he/she is to hand the firstborn son over to his owner.”

”If the wife of a man followed after another man and he slept with her, they shall slay that woman, but that male shall be set free”

“If a man divorces his first-time wife, he shall pay (her) one mina of silver.”

“If it is a (former) widow whom he divorces, he shall pay (her) half a mina of silver.”

“If the man had slept with the widow without there having been any marriage contract, he need not pay any silver”

more
”If a man accused the wife of a man of adultery, and the river ordeal proved her innocent, then the man who had accused her must pay one-third of a mina of silver. (11)”

”If a prospective son-in-law enters the house of his prospective father-in-law, but his father-in-law later gives his daughter to another man, the father-in-law shall return to the rejected son-in-law twofold the amount of bridal presents he had brought. (12)”

Here

Jeremy Vine was on the radio just before Christmas saying after the latest Census the uk is no longer a ‘Christian’ country, More and more people have no faith than ever before just look at all the religious buildings up for sale.

I never mentioned Christianity or Jews. If you read what I wrote, according to the Bible, God was the originator of marriage. The first couple is Adam and Eve. Was either of those two named a Christian or a Jew? No.
Again another poster converging/confusing organized religion with GOD.

Sounds like you’re discriminating against people with mental illness or other differences - and that reflects your own prejudices against vulnerable people.

Saying that " pthe problem with religion, it attracts the mentally ill, vulnerable and down right crazies to their cause." does not in any way imply discrimination against anyone by non religious people.

If religion is the only place in society that is welcoming people who are treated as outcasts and offering some humane acceptance and a sanctuary...
It isn't.

Yet more distortions, displaying either a lack of comprehension/logic, or willingness to be deceptive.

There are religious weddings and non religious - both legally sanctioned but one has nothing to do with religion or God. Thank goodness for some progress

I'm not sure I believe their is One Being which oversees everything on earth but do think that as people in general have started questioning everything that used to be taken for granted (not necessarily a bad thing before anyone jumps on me) there is a lot more discontentment around. If you ignore the controlling aspect of it, religion used to give a lot of people hope that something better was available but now this hope has been disproved or is not believed in any more.

I was brought up C of E, weekly attendance at church, found the rituals comforting in their sameness. When I was in my early 30s two friends died (my age) leaving young children whilst at the same time my grandma in her 90s who didn't contribute anything to life was still alive. I got very angry at a 'god' who could let this happen and lost faith.

Recently my partner died and I found going to church comforting. Its difficult to say why - it wasn't the words or hymns or vicar but I came out of the short service feeling more soothed and calmer than when I went in. Maybe it was just being in a calm place with other people also being calm and quiet.

. If you read what I wrote, according to the Bible, God was the originator of marriage. The first couple is Adam and Eve.

According to that bit of the Bible, "Eve" was formed from adam's rib, which is incontrovertibly a myth not fact. We can reasonably discount genesis as an authoritative source of any information on the origins of marriage.

Being Sikh, it may talk about a god but I don't believe it. I do however like the values sikhism as a 'religion' teaches e.. men and women are equal so I will follow it to a certain extent.

I just think when we die, our energy goes back out into the world.

@PrincessConstance if people conflate religion and its excesses with God (and I agree this is likely) then how do we know what a hypothetical God wants and feels? The Bible is a man made construct, redacted and edited mostly by men for the purpose of controlling society (and especially women). So where does that leave people?

Me, I prefer my laws and morals to be based in what benefits human society as a whole and takes into account the range of human conditions in a way that is inclusive. That means equality for all unless it does harm - homosexual people marrying does no harm. Consensual sex does no harm. Where matters are not clear cut, legislate for least harm. Review often as society changes. Keep your gods out of my life as much as possible.

Not convinced about that. The Bible has genesis as an origin myth. Adam and Eve are not married in Eden, or ever if you read the passages themselves. Eve is more portrayed as Adams property than a wife. There is no wedding, no mention of marriage at all.

The Old Testament relates the origin of Judaism as a covenant between Abraham and Jeohovah whereby the tribes of Israel came under the protection of Jehovah and in return sacrificed to and worshipped him as the one true God. Abraham founded Judaism, converting from the local polytheistic religion at the time which was the Ancient Sumerian religion as he lived in Ur.

He also had wives, concubines and female slaves…as in the concept of marriage predates Judaism and the writing of the Bible. The sacrament of marriage is a given in the Bible, there’s no story of divine inspiration from God to create marriage.

You seem to be mightly angry about a concept that doesn't exist. (GOD).

“. . . .We are familiar with the statement in the Psalms; “The fool has said in his
heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). In order for the fool to say “God,” he
had to have a concept of God in his mind. To start out to deny God is a kind of
implication that God exists.”2 This Truth about man, points to the
Ontological approach.

• “. . . .We are familiar with the statement in the Psalms; “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). In order for the fool to say “God,” he had to have a concept of God in his mind. To start out to deny God is a kind of implication that God exists.”2 This Truth about man, points to the Ontological approach.*

Ah, right... so shall we talk about dragons and unicorns now?