Do you believe in (a)God? If not, whats your reason?

Chris said:
Is it still thought to be "cool" to rip the piss out of Christianity?!? I'm sick of the elitist attitudes of people who claim to be "atheists".
Let people believe what they want to.
Theres no 100% proof that Jesus existed or not, and no 100% proof that evolution happened the way it did or didn't.

When you stare death in the face I doubt there's anyone who doesn't ask for some kind of "devine intervention". If you say you wouldn't your a liar.
Well, I've not been thouroughly introduced to Hinduism, Budism and other religions. I just know that very basics from school. Since most of us were probably Christian-brought up, it's just natural to refer to Christianity for examples.
If you have, then that's your experience, but can you say you've seen death's door and almost touched Heaven's golden gate? If not, then you can't say that we're liars either for you've yet to experience.

I don't rip it at all. I merely add my experience and refer to christianity.
 
Chris said:
Let people believe what they want to.
That would be nice wouldn't it? Tell that to my fathers side of the family. Without going into too many deatails most are in the mindset that if you aren't a baptised Roman Catholic then something is wrong with your morals. It's not that I don't like them, I do and we got along fine, that is until the subject of religion crops up then turns to the fact my mother is Methodist and I wasn't baptised. Naturally rather than going away the issue just snowballed and now there's a lot of bad blood between a lot of the older generations of that side of the family.

The only effect religion has had on my family is that it has drawn us apart. It's good that they are so close to each other but from my point of view it's like groups in a schoolyard and my family are the ones left out.

Almost everything in my life has been down to me other the people supporting me working hard for what we want. That's how things get done and I don't need the comfort blanket of thinking there is a supreme being judging my actions or watching over me. I'm in the firm belief that you only get one shot at life and you've got to make the most of it. Cheesy? Yeah probably but it's what I try to live by. I guess you could call that a religion in itself.
 
As it says in Kevin Smiths movie Dogma....... Ideas over Belief

Rufus: I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier
 
kupoartist said:
Not a believer. I'm open to the possibility, but considering that thousands of years of organised religions have largely been the basis for persecution of groups and the maintenance of hegemony, God's lack of intervention indicates either that he doesn't exist, or that he's one apathetic son of a bitch who couldn't care less that we're all fighting and dying amongst ourselves. And the respective deities of the world's religions have never been too hot on pulling the many areas of the earth all together. Why does each religion start off in a single area, rather than in several areas at once? How freaking lazy does Omnipresence make you?

That to me is why it's erroneous to say 'God is a crutch for the weak'. That's simply not true: it takes something quite impressive to believe that there's a lazy, malevolent being out there who needs to be worshiped in order that you can make it into his exclusive member's club. Perhaps it's stupidity, perhaps it's miraculous blind faith... it's not my place to judge

You know I am getting very tired of this same old argument. If God exists why does he let bad things happen? Why does he let bad things happen? Because he gave us free will to carve our own destinies. He has given us trials to overcome. Humanity is like a child, you CANNOT wrap it up in bubble wrap otherwise it will never learn. For example at some point in early life a child will learn not to touch hot things because they will burn. It’s the same with humanity, we learn from the disasters.

More over might I ask? How many of you have had bad stretches in your lives? Times when the world seemed a bad place that there was nobody for you. You eventually got out of it and came out of it a stronger person than you did before. Perhaps you learned who your real friends where or just strengthened your resolve. Bad times bring people together and allow us to grow and learn.

Let’s also remember the number of disasters that are the purpose of free will, i.e., the previously mentioned 911. God didn’t kill those people; God didn’t force those men to pilot those planes into anything. It was people killed and people who poisoned their minds with hate and all because of free will. Free will is something we have been given and as I previously mentioned it can be used for good or bad, it is the persons 'choice'

Every child is potentially the light of the world—and at the same time its darkness.

Either we want humanity to have free will, the ability to chart its own course and we will be hurt along the way or a collection of mindless drones following exactly the course set out for us by some invisible power. You can bask in free will and then denounce God for now intervening.


WTFDaveMustaine said:
Chris said:
Let people believe what they want to.
That would be nice wouldn't it? Tell that to my fathers side of the family. Without going into too many deatails most are in the mindset that if you aren't a baptised Roman Catholic then something is wrong with your morals. It's not that I don't like them, I do and we got along fine, that is until the subject of religion crops up then turns to the fact my mother is Methodist and I wasn't baptised. Naturally rather than going away the issue just snowballed and now there's a lot of bad blood between a lot of the older generations of that side of the family.

The only effect religion has had on my family is that it has drawn us apart. It's good that they are so close to each other but from my point of view it's like groups in a schoolyard and my family are the ones left out.

I don’t want to sound mean or cruel but religion is like every other group of people in the world. There are those who are assholes, dick and try to force their point of view on everyone else. Politics has the same dividing effect on families, then perhaps we abolish it? Let’s remember that many families have been brought together by religion as well. This is not a one way street.

Hell my brother was thrown out of his own home, was separated from his kids because of the poisonous words of his wife’s parents into her ears that he was 'satanic' for not being a catholic. I know where you are coming from however you cannot blame God or a faith / religion for what people do because that is what it is in the end. People and how they use their faith.
 
butch-cassidy said:
You know I am getting very tired of this same old argument.
Tired, or just 'hands over your ears, I can't accept another point of view' stubborn? If there's nothing in my argument that you haven't heard before, there's equally nothing in your response I haven't heard from a five year old who's trying to deny that Father Christmas is a combination of Mum, Dad, the Postman and Amazon dot com.

Not that the age old excuse of 'free will' has absolutely anything to do with each God's utter apathy for 9/10th of the world's surface and about 95% of human life that ever existed. And the ones actually born into each respective god's domain don't deserve one little sign that such a god exists every now and then? I feel sorry for us all if he does exist. A giant douche doesn't have balls that you can kick.
 
Religion is always the one thing that can get me stuck into a long rant.

I havn't read over the majority of the posts on this thread,as the same thing seems to be said over and over (not just on here,but in general) Though i thought i may as well post my thoughts (which i know is completely contradicting what i just said :wink: )

For me,im not in the slightest bit religious.I dont believe in a God or a higher being etc.And sure,i believe that you should respect what other choose to believe in.

Though my mind always comes back to the fact that a lot of things wrong with this world seem to stem from religion (maybe religious intolarence is a better choice of word,but none the less religion)

Obviously i may feel completely different if i was a part of a religious family,but im not.

Im dont know,this sort of thing is hard to discuss if you hope to make what you feel make sense to other people.

Im just one of those people who felt lighting a candle every assemeblyand saying a prayer in infants was pointless and silly.(which will bring me onto another point of forcing religion onto young children,but i wont go there heh)

And my feelings havnt hanged since then.
 
I can’t believe I’m commenting here either, as I think the subjects of religion and politics are generally best avoided. But nothing could ever convince me there is a God. There is no part of it that makes any sense to me whatsoever. Like, what form is God meant to be in? A gas? How does he fill his time? etc, etc. Anyway I’ll buy the idea of aliens long before a God.
 
harkins said:
I can’t believe I’m commenting here either, as I think the subjects of religion and politics are generally best avoided. But nothing could ever convince me there is a God. There is no part of it that makes any sense to me whatsoever. Like, what form is God meant to be in? A gas? How does he fill his time? etc, etc. Anyway I’ll buy the idea of aliens long before a God.

Thats funny you mention that actually,because the idea of aliens to me has always been 'sure' when God hasn't,and im sure never will be.
 
Yeah and the thing is I reckon if aliens ever did show up or even just make contact, it would have a greater effect on this planet than belief in God ever has. And I imagine it would pose more tricky questions for worshipers. Anyway that’s my last comment on it as I’m not overly fussed and I really don’t want to upset or offend anyone. If anyone wants to discuss aliens though?!
 
harkins said:
Yeah and the thing is I reckon if aliens ever did show up or even just make contact, it would have a greater effect on this planet than belief in God ever has. And I imagine it would pose more tricky questions for worshipers. Anyway that’s my last comment on it as I’m not overly fussed and I really don’t want to upset or offend anyone. If anyone wants to discuss aliens though?!

That'd definitly turn a few heads
 
kupoartist said:
Tired, or just 'hands over your ears, I can't accept another point of view' stubborn? If there's nothing in my argument that you haven't heard before, there's equally nothing in your response I haven't heard from a five year old who's trying to deny that Father Christmas is a combination of Mum, Dad, the Postman and Amazon dot com.

If I was sitting hands over my ears I wouldn’t have even replied, I offered a reason why God does nothing. Weather people believe that reason or not is up to them. I can easily accept another view point; I do so every day and do not try to force my personal beliefs onto others. Perhaps it is you who is stubbornly not listening to other people when you disregard my to the position to that of a five year old. :roll:

Thank you and good night. I shant be posting here again. I will not take part in a discussion if it meaning being personally insulted for expressing a belief.
 
Congratulations, you're a true twenty first century martyr. :roll:
butch-cassidy said:
I do so every day and do not try to force my personal beliefs onto others.
But why don't you, when God himself is apparently far too lazy to do it for you?
Lupus Inu said:
Crap, it's Kupoartist, this thread is gonna get thrashed. =X
You're gonna get thrashed boy!
 
This thread has gone from one extreme to another, from contemplating Gods existance to the whole "Alienswtf?" theme.
Crap, it's Kupoartist, this thread is gonna get thrashed. =X
 
There are some interesting arguments in this thread so I hope it doesn't get locked (though the way it's going right now that's probably how it's gonna end up).
butch-cassidy said:
I don’t want to sound mean or cruel but religion is like every other group of people in the world. There are those who are assholes, dick and try to force their point of view on everyone else. Politics has the same dividing effect on families, then perhaps we abolish it? Let’s remember that many families have been brought together by religion as well. This is not a one way street.
I never said that we should abolish religion. What I pretty much meant was that all I want is a little respect shown to my family but it's not going to happen unless they alter their perception of their faith. It's nice that they all bond as a family but we are part of that family as well I would just like to be included in their lives without being force fed their ideas of religion at every turn.

Just because I think that we should get on with life rather than concerning ourselves with the existance of a greater being shouldn't make a blind bit of difference. I don't walk into their homes and mouth off about that sort of thing, in fact I try every which way to avoid it.

I think i'm gonna leave it at that and let everybody else rip at each other now. :p
 
pomtry said:
I think this topic is starting to piss people off :shock:

One of my mates is a real God Squader, and everytime we go out drinking there is some sort of religious argument, we just accept it as the norm and laugh our way through it
 
Kupoartist said:
And the ones actually born into each respective god's domain don't deserve one little sign that such a god exists every now and then?
But where would be the fun in that? Micromanagement is usually a pain in the proverbial for all concerned...

TRASHBAT said:
There was always going to be clash of opinions with a thread like this.
Yup, not the first time a religion thread has been made in general chat. They always end poorly though.
 
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