Do You Believe in God?

[Sam]

Something else I thought about it, the first time I told my mom I didmn't like christianity and was going to become Buddhist (5th or 6th grade), I said "I do the thigns I do because I'm a good person and want to be able to feel good about myself, not so I can get the approval of someone I don't know who made some sort of guidelines I have ti follow.

And you know, I realized when I decided god wasn't real. It was when I found out santa wasn't real. It was also about the same time I was studying the greek gods in school, and my teacher was laughing about how stupid they all were, believing Zeus created lighting. It bothers me how wrong people are all the time and they don't even notice it.

And I just do not understand the purpose of Christianity. I believe Oprah got in a fight over this at one point, but what about people in third-world countries who have never even heard of Christianity? Do they have no chance of getting into heaven because they don't pray or go to church or complete the sacraments? How about Jews? they don't believe in Jesus, can they still get into heaven? there are SO MANY different religions in the world. Most of them do not agree on the same god. If there is one God, as in Catholicism, how can he allow such a thing? Why can't he miraculously spread his light down on them and show them the right way? 

Nothing adds up in Christianity. I mean, on the surface everything does. Priests and my hippie youth ministers can make up stuff to cover any question you've got. "God created everything. He gave us free will so we can do whatever we want but we still have to be good to get to heaven!" crap

And then you get into all the predetermined destiny crap. That's something Christians never seem to agree on. he gave us free will so we could live our lives however we want? Or does God create a plan for all of us?

Blah, I hate to admit it, but I do look down on people who are religious. I just do. And I'm sorry to whoever this insults, but it's true. It's not like I would ever get into arguments about religion unless someone else started them, because it's completely stupid, but I really think religious people, especially catholics (because those are the poeple I'm most familiar with) are juist plain ignorant. They  either believe in something because they want something to believe in (no matter how sincere it is), their family believes in it, or can't derive direction in their lives on their own. I don't need that, nor do I want it

wow that post was a lot longer than I thought it would be.

[Sam]

I don't know... the idea of a loving creator who rewards the moral sounds good to me.

"He stood there with his back to me for quite a  long time. His presence was grating and oppressive. I was just about to tell him to go, to leave me alone, when all of a sudden, turning toward me, he burst out, 'No, I reguse to belive you! I know at one time or another you've wished for another life.' I said of course I had, but it didn't mean any more than wishing to be rich, to be able to swim faster, or to have a more nicely shaped mouth. It was all the same."

The Stranger, Albert Camus

[Feynman]

And I just do not understand the purpose of Christianity. I believe Oprah got in a fight over this at one point, but what about people in third-world countries who have never even heard of Christianity? Do they have no chance of getting into heaven because they don't pray or go to church or complete the sacraments? How about Jews? they don't believe in Jesus, can they still get into heaven? there are SO MANY different religions in the world. Most of them do not agree on the same god. If there is one God, as in Catholicism, how can he allow such a thing? Why can't he miraculously spread his light down on them and show them the right way? 

Uh, the thing that keeps people going in the third world is religion.

[YPrrrr]

If he was truly as good as the Christian people make him out to be, why do you suppose all the bad things happening in the world are going on as we speak.
Don't give me the "It's a test from God" bullshit. Just don't. Over and over and over, further proof that God would take care of his people, but won't.

It's not a test from God, it's people that cause those terrible things. He gave people free will, the world can be as happy a place as humanity chooses to make it

[YPrrrr]

"He stood there with his back to me for quite a  long time. His presence was grating and oppressive. I was just about to tell him to go, to leave me alone, when all of a sudden, turning toward me, he burst out, 'No, I reguse to belive you! I know at one time or another you've wished for another life.' I said of course I had, but it didn't mean any more than wishing to be rich, to be able to swim faster, or to have a more nicely shaped mouth. It was all the same."

The Stranger, Albert Camus

Uh, ok

[Sam]

It's not a test from God, it's people that cause those terrible things. He gave people free will, the world can be as happy a place as humanity chooses to make it

I choose for the world to be happy and carefree therefore it is.

Humanity is not one being.  People have clashing ideas on ideal lives. What good is free will when there are always other willing to cut down whatever choices you decide to make?

[YPrrrr]

Humanity is not one being.  People have clashing ideas on ideal lives. What good is free will when there are always other willing to cut down whatever choices you decide to make?

Well, obviously, that's why I chose to use the word humanity, because it applies to more than one person.

[Sam]

Well, obviously, that's why I chose to use the word humanity, because it applies to more than one person.

It's still not humanity who brings the world up and down, it's  individuals.

Each person is so extremely different with different idealizations and morals and such that categorizing them all into 'humanity' in a situation like this just doesn't make much sense.

Uh, ok

the point is sure, it'd be cool if there was an all-powerul dude who could control everything and make sure we're all taken care of after death, but that doesn't make it true. You didn't really answer how you believe in god, just why.

[YPrrrr]

It's still not humanity who brings the world up and down, it's  individuals.

Each person is so extremely different with different idealizations and morals and such that categorizing them all into 'humanity' in a situation like this just doesn't make much sense..

How doesn't it make sense? It takes every person, therefore humanity, to make the world a better place. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch, as it were.

the point is sure, it'd be cool if there was an all-powerul dude who could control everything and make sure we're all taken care of after death, but that doesn't make it true. You didn't really answer how you believe in god, just why.

Um, how does the answer "I just do" suit you?

[Det in F♯ Major]

I choose for the world to be happy and carefree therefore it is.

Humanity is not one being.  People have clashing ideas on ideal lives. What good is free will when there are always other willing to cut down whatever choices you decide to make?

"Be the change you seek in your world" -Mahatma Gandhi.

[Sam]

How doesn't it make sense? It takes every person, therefore humanity, to make the world a better place. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch, as it were.

Um, how does the answer "I just do" suit you?

As to the first question, it's really not that I'm disagreeing with you, I'm just looking at it in a different direction.

And yeah, "I just do"  is really the only acceptable answer to a question like that. It wasn't my question to begin with though, someone else asked it.

[YPrrrr]

As to the first question, it's really not that I'm disagreeing with you, I'm just looking at it in a different direction.

And yeah, "I just do"  is really the only acceptable answer to a question like that. It wasn't my question to begin with though, someone else asked it.

Ok

Yeah, I don't really know any other way to answer it either

[Terran SCV]

Ok, I know this is straying from the main topic that you guys (and gals  ) are talking about, but I want to include my opinion on Atheists who use some stupid, stupid reasons to prove that God doesn't exist.

I'm an Atheist, and I'm not trying to be rude towards other Atheists.

Okay, here goes -

One time I was stuck between a heated argument at church (when I actually used to go,  ) with a newbie who was Atheist and a rather devout Christian teen. After a while, I could see that the Theist was winning, because the Atheist was starting to stutter and use some pretty bad examples. For example, this is one of his arguments (and one I see a lot in interweb discussions) -

Atheist - "Yeah well if God is supposed to make everyone happy (bad argument right there), then why does he create wars? Plagues? Destroy good people's homes and settlements?"

Theist - "Because He is equal and fair to all - He is unbiased to everyone, and will reward or punish someone according to his or her actions."

Atheist - "If he's unbiased, then why does he let child molesters get away with their crimes? Or even murders? What about people who are bad their entire lives? I've heard of someone who was a hard criminal and he won a lot of money in a lottery? How about that? How about kindhearted people who care only for others and think of others? Why do they face the most horrible endings? That leads me to the Holocaust. Why did God let the Holocaust happen?"

At this point I just wanted to shout, "STFU, freakin' read the Bible before arguing, ever heard of background information? You would've shut up minutes ago if you had read the Book of Job, or the other various verses scattered throughout the Bible that deal with loss, death, or God's views on people/ideas."

...boy, that was quite a rant. 

[l a c e y]

why was there an atheist at church??

[YPrrrr]

why was there an atheist at church??

because they don't want to anger their parents or something like that