Do you believe in god?

[Unicorndreams24]

i have recently been thinking a lot about religion and wondering how many believe in god and also what made you come to the decision of believing?

Without meaning to be rude, there is probably a reason it never arrives!

If there's hard evidence, there's no faith. The opposite of faith isn't doubt, it's certainty. I don't have all the answers, and I'm happy with that. I can live with 'unknowing'.

Justin Webb telescope

No I don't believe in god. I've observed so much suffering close up, why on earth would a god allow that to happen?

The Alpha Course isn't even aimed at non-believers. It's there to help convince people who already believe in the Christian god and the veracity of the Bible that their beliefs are justified.

Yes but how did the swirling cloud dust and gas get there in the first place?

That depends on the definition of god you're thinking of. There's nothing inherent in the concept of a supernatural entity that requires that entity to be benevolent. Look at Zeus, for example.

Dunno. I've heard a lot of competing ideas but none that are so far convincing. How do you think it got there?

Exactly. There is a part of me which accepts that belief in anything unseen is all wishful thinking, in the end. Fear of death, a way to cope with grief, a crutch, whatever you want to call it. But I still keep hoping and believing somewhere. It helps me.

I don’t know. But I don’t mind not knowing things.

I don't know either but I don't think science has all the answers. If there was something in the beginning then how did something be there in first place. If there was nothing in the beginning then how did something happen out of nothing

I think you've just encapsulated one of the main reasons that religions continue to exist.

Personally I find it more disquieting to believe/trust in things that don't appear to make any sense, but I realise that's not a universal experience.

I do not know and believe that no-one knows. And I think that is fine. I simply embrace the not knowing as part of the human condition.

I avoid all religions, as they sow discord. My religion is kindness. It is very simple.

I don’t know. People cleverer than me will work it out one day.

The only people who have ever tried to tell me that science claims to have all the answers are religious people trying to make a straw-man argument. It's very strange.

What on earth is a Straw man argument? I don't understand your post

Science, evolution

The big difference between science and religion, is that science asks how, not why.

We know how planets and stars form, the mechanisms etc. It's the religious that ask why. And they ask why because ultimately it comes down to why did a god do all this when his ultimate target was to create us.

Well, that's for them to solve really. But the theologians try to put it on science. Many attack the science that can be used to show their books of religion are just wrong. But what they can't do is the science that shows their gods exist.

Interesting. Thanks for your post

I agree - I don’t need a religion to be a good person

@isyoureadyLet’s pretend that the swirling cloud dust was indeed ‘created’ by a god.

Who do you think created this god?

You’re just pushing the question further away!

I don't have the answer. I don't think anyone really knows

I’m genuinely curious why anyone would willingly and knowingly believe in something for which there is ZERO evidence, like Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy or any of the many man made Gods…. Are you afraid of the truth? Were you ‘brainwashed’ into believing? I’m genuinely interested to understand.

Exactly, we don’t have the answers. That’s ok! No need to make up gods to ‘explain’ our lack of knowledge

I have debated a lot of American fundie Young Earth Creationists online. And I have also debated a lot of flat earthers. And what they can never explain is why ? Why does NASA keep the flat earth a secret, and why can no evidence for any God be found.

There is an idea I came up with during these debates. The Andaman Islanders. The last near totally uncontacted tribe on earth. And I ask the fundies, have you considered that your God might be with them ? Because look at the evidence. They are uncontacted, does that not suggest a God is protecting them ? And God has not talked to anyone since Biblical times, so maybe he bailed us and went to live there ?

They don't like that, because that would mean their god is not on their side, that He did not specially make them, and that it means their God has a different chosen people.

The fact that they reject my idea says a lot about their motivation. I would have thought they would be delighted that me, as an atheist, was saying yes, their God might exist, but just not with them.

No. For one, I think an intelligent creator wouldn’t include the appendix in his greatest creation.

Unless he’s using it as an instant kill button in which case did he know we’d eventually outsmart it?

Seems unlikely to me.