Do you believe in God/a higher power?

[CuriousAboutWhatYouThink]

Not religion. I have no time for organised religion and the associated man made rules.

But do you believe in 'something'?

For context, my grandad was a CofE vicar but my parent rebelled against it and we were brought up broadly l in the religion (eg we celebrated main religious festivals like Easter and Christmas) but not as practising Christians and without a particular belief in God.

As an adult, I have friends of different faiths and none and it's something we have discussed from time to time. It's also something I used to discuss with my grandma who had a very strong belief in God but also believed the Bible until she became older when she still had a strong faith but admitted she thought the Bible was largely nonsense!

I suppose I've always felt that there is 'something' but I refer to it as the universe. I don't know, I always feel that there has been 'something' looking out for me.

That doesn't mean bad things have never happened because they have and religion/belief doesn't protect anyone from that. And it doesn't mean my life is anywhere near perfect because it's not. But the universe has always seemed to 'step in' when needed.

I don't know. I'm going through a tough time at the moment but I have a feeling everything will turn out to be OK because it always does.

I don't believe in a higher power who is looking out for me in particular or has a plan for any individuals. But I do think that there is a lot we don't currently see or understand.

You said god and Jesus. Does that mean you believe in a Hindu god and Jesus or a Greek god and Jesus?

I’m genuinely curious how you came to believe in one specific god and Jesus.

I do believe there are literally millions of people who would disagree that it’s the same god for everyone. But I’d love to know who you think that is.

No, not at all.

It’s not what I’m implying, it’s what you’re suggesting in your post.

And in terms of who is fighting over religion, people all over the world throughout history.

I believe in some sort of energy source that we all go back to once we die. It’s not religion it’s more physics for me tbh.

One theory of mine that I lean towards the most is that God as is a form of consciousness. This idea shows up in mystic and philosophical traditions and it actually feels quite compatible with science.

For me, God isn’t a supernatural miracle-worker but a sort of collective consciousness that we can tune into through meditation and human creativity, we act as channels of that consciousness in the world.

I think this view also helps bridge the gap between religion - seeing them all as different cultural expressions of our shared search for the divine, rather than competing belief systems.

Scientifically, we know energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it just transforms so I believe as we are energy, that we do not die we just transform.

Nope.
higher power garbage is human vanity, that we’re so uniquely amazing on an individual level that we can’t just cease to exist once we die.
Bullshxt.
We die. That’s it. Nothing else.

I believe in something but I don’t believe the bible,very religious people are unhinged,I don’t believe that is what “god” would have wanted.

100% NO.

Only when the plane starts shaking.

The idea that something created/designed everything makes no sense to me - why would anything with half a brain design periods? Or viruses? Or SIDS?

There is absolutely nothing in the world that suggests to me that there is a higher power. And in terms of the size of the universe, if the earth blew up it would be entirely inconsequential. We are just the teeny tiniest of specks in a teeny tiny solar system, our galaxy is one of billions. Human beings think they are way, way more important than they actually are.

I agree. I have no time for religion.

Well I’ve just told you clearly what I’m suggesting.

if you look in history in a bit more detail, those weren’t religious wars, they were political wars. Often politicians used religion to manipulate people who lacked understanding or strong faith.

biggest wars in history, Great War, ww1, ww2, were they religious or political?

all religions teach peace. All religions teach good morals, all religions teach looking after the poor/needy. The world has gone turmoil now because people have gone off religion, right now is the highest rates of atheism. People don’t care about eachother atleast for the Sake of God. People are not scared that one day they will meet God and they will be answerable for their actions, thus commit the most heinous crimes there are.

No, this life is the only life. But I am amazed by and love this planet, and take pleasure in being alive and sharing it with all the other beings alive on it too. What I believe is that all the other animals are individuals too, each has their own personality and character, and they deserve respect from humans. This is a less popular belief than that humans are special and that a place in heaven is waiting for them.

Yes, I do believe in God and I believe in life after death.

Completely agree with that.

It's actually quite ridiculous, isn't it. I'm agnostic though, hedging my bets (just in case) 😂

I think I agree.

We are just manifestations of that energy.

That’s as crazy as the God theory to me.

But what makes yours the right and true one? How could you possibly know that? Why do you think yours is better than any other? If you think yours is the only right and true one then obviously you think yours is the superior religion - otherwise it wouldn't be the right and true one would it?

Yes. Practising Christian and very happy to be so.

Yes, otherwise life is completely pointless.

If I did, it would be the Greek/Roman gods, infallible as humans, just extra cool, and very odd with their shagging of everyone and each other 🤣

But no, I genuinely cannot understand how people believe. If baffles me. But I'm happy for them.

Again, as an atheist: the whole point of faith is that it is a leap. It's a risk. If you could "prove" it in the traditional sense there's be no need for faith.

If there is, they don't seem to be paying attention to what's going on down here.

Unless they are the type who like to pour hot water onto ant's nests and watch what happens.