Do you believe in God, and if so, why?

My father is Catholic and my late mother was Jewish, I, however, am an Atheist, but that doesn't mean I believe in nothing. I just can't believe in an all knowing, all powerful, being that has control over every aspect of life. When people say, "everything happens for a reason", it really just sickens me. I truly believe that religion is the willful suspension of critical thinking. When I have this conversation with Witness's and Mormons that come to my door, alot of them tell me, they just can't accept that this life is it, that its all for nothing. I don't see it that way, we are already apart of something that is greater than ourselves. Individuals may die, but our race lives on, that means you live on, the people who you affect in your life live on, as well as their children.

Human beings are such amazing creatures. We are the only species that actively try to preserve other forms of life. The Dinosaurs would just eat anything they could, and would never help another species of animal. It pains me when my fellow Atheists give into self destruction and negativity. Most of them think humans are vile creatures, and have nothing but contempt towards their fellow man, but not me. I have faith in my fellow human beings, and hope that one day we will transcend what we thought were our limits. I have to believe in the good that is in all of us, because Humanity is the only hope for this world, this life, this Universe.

(I know some of my posts have been troll post, but this is my attempt to have a real discussion)

ok Master_Live, is that all you have to say on the topic? You could have just not posted.

Actually, I like to start with gif then follow it with my answer. If you only give me a minute I can get my answer in. So be patient.

I do not believe in god.

You also say: "I have to believe in the good that is in all of us, because Humanity is the only hope for this world, this life, this Universe.".

I also think humans aren't intrinsically good or bad.

Do you feel like the needs saving?

Do you feel like the Universe needs saving?

lol very well. I like your avatar picture. Great Pic of Obama. He looks like he is thinking hard.

The Universe is a Chaotic Void. We bring life to that void. And that is a good thing. IMO

I generally think religion is something you inherit with your upbringing and/or environment, though atheism I find typically comes from healthy skepticism.

I lack the belief in the existence of a god, I'm an atheist.

Some would argue that religion is what gives us our Moral fiber and ethics. I say non-sense to that. In a middle eastern country, when a women is being whipped or stoned to death, who is crying uncontrollably? It is the children, they haven't had their Humanity purged from them yet. During elections in Iran, who are the ones protesting and getting killed in streets for it? It is the teenagers, who are tired of their sister's, mother's, and girlfriends being oppressed. They haven't lost their souls yet, and know that what is happening is wrong.

The word soul, in my mind, means a persons conscious. A person who kills, rapes, or steels have lost their souls.

I believe in the Most High because of the supernatural phenomena I have experienced over the years.

Such as?

I believe in God because why not?

You believe in the most high? I do not understand. I have experienced no such phenomena. I did find my mother in a pool of blood when I was 16, and lost all of my inheritance keeping her alive, in hopes that she would recover. She did not. However, my mother dying and losing my inheritance had nothing to do with me being an atheist, it just reinforced what I already felt.

@Master_Live: They are contextually relevant occurrences which happened over the years.

Because why not? Well if that is your view, why not, believe in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny. I mean, why not? Why not believe the Moon is made of Cheese. Why not, right?

No.

Why? Life experience mostly. Specifically it comes down to a point in my life where I entered an altered state of consciousness and experienced what many would call "God" but saw merely the universe as it exists in the moment, nothing else. No divine being, no conscious nature, merely a void that lacked inherent existence. To call this "God" and apply that very personal, specific term to it seems unreasonable.

I am a collection of physical things that has no intrinsic value and am in a constant state of flux between the rise and fall of thoughts, feelings and even the very physical matter that makes up my "being" (cells constantly are born and die, there is no lasting permanence to any of my "body"). What "value" I gain from life comes from within "me" and is not granted from without.

My purpose is to exist in balance with myself, with others and with nature. The beauty of the moment is the greatest thing of all.There are many ways to get within the moment (i.e. all religious and non-religious philosophical/spiritual traditions have a way; most are misleading and overcomplicated), but when you start applying labels to it, or try to define it as something, it stops being the moment. It becomes some-thing.

I'd say my history with Buddhism and Eastern religious traditions led me to this, but I would be lying. And that's a story for another time.

Post a picture of your fedora.

tater tot?

I haven't a clue. But if I die and meet him, I made a promise to utter William Shatners line from Star Trek 5.

Do I believe in God? No, and the really short answer is because I can make a hell of a lot more sense out of what I see in the world without the presumption. To place God in context with my experience immediately brings everything out of focus and confuses. Does not equate.

you don't have a clue

I'm agnostic.

Other creatures don't eat anything they can. Some predatory animals do, but not all.

Who gives a *beep*? If there is a god he clearly doesn't give a *beep* about us.

Yes. Because my existence is proof of his existence. As for why I follow him well it's obvious. Because he is worthy of it.

It's interesting how two people with different backgrounds and persuasions can sometimes have the same perception. This is what I had said in a past post of mine:

"That's why I believe that reality or to use a better word "truth" can not be "seen" or "felt" or "understood." It only..."is." The moment you try to "define" it is the moment you alter it into something else."

It's quite interesting that you mention something called "the moment". I call it haqq which means "truth" and I too have been trying to become one with it. But it only happens for a short period of time... It's quite the pilgrimage. Or maybe... The destination?

I have seen video of Zebra's killing a baby giraffe, lions will eat to the point where they pass out, as do other predators. I think you have no clue. So please don't try and trap me into some kind of circular logic, where we both end up where we started.

I'm agnostic.

How do you figure that?

Again, I took the bait when I shouldn't have. Sorry TC, I won't do it again.

I'm still not getting your argument here.

Even within that post "look around you" the very act of being self aware, being giving senses to experience the world such as visual sight on a daily basis, is probably something you take for granted.

Arguably, being given a moral compass, able to comprehend what you perceive as "evil" as well as the ability tackle it, is a gift.

Perhaps god expects you to get off your ass and stop complaining? Since he has given you all these great tools you aren't bothering use, or be grateful in the slightest (god or not) for having.

Personally, I despise people who don't take into account the actual things they have going for them, who would rather roll around in misery. That is a waste of life.

People believe in all kinds oddities... Just different cans of worms to prod.

Edited. I should have not replied to him. That was my mistake and won't happen again.

Nope. I don't believe in fairy tales.

I don't believe and there are dozens of reasons why. Famine, war, disease, mistreatment of children, the tail bone, the appendix, the fact that the human female pelvis is imperfect for child birth.

I don't believe in ghosts, vampires, or Santa Claus. Why believe in something equally as implausible and impossible to prove?

I would say you are fairly easy to read. It's actually fairly common. In general people are more likely to opt towards negative thinking as opposed to positive thinking, to think positively, requires a stronger mind.

Yes.

It's made up, but it's not a gift, but an accident? Makes no sense. It appears you either ignored or do not understand what "perceive" implies. In general, i'm not sure what you are saying here, these sentences completely contradict each other.

Throughout the world, socaity has largely dealt with what they perceive as "evil" and consistently attempt to do so. Is it perfect? No. Of course not. But it largely works.

if you think no "good" exists, throw yourself out the window and don't bother phoning an ambulance, a service created specifically from good will. Since apparently these don't exist.

My friend, again, you seem to have difficulty comprehending the post. I've been told my grammar is terrible (because it is) perhaps that could be it. Re-read specifically "god or not". That would imply my personal view of you. Granted, I don't know much of you, but that is how you present yourself. A few posts back though, fairly clearly, "no idea" regarding the big man in the sky.

To dislike someone, is not "ridicule". To imply someone should be more grateful for what they do have, and learn some self reliance is not "ridicule". The fact that upsets you somehow, seems to imply some truth lies in what has been said.

In regards to self reliance, this would include people with mental and physical problems, within a specific context. Look at someone like Stephen Hawkings, the man should have technically been dead 20 years ago. Almost every muscle in his body has shut down. But he carries on, with help from his fellow man.

On the other hand, I've seen people with a broken leg not want to work for months because life is "hard".

Now, in regards to you, and my "high horse". if you do wish to roll around in misery, knock yourself out. What I do take issue with, is when you try to force your own negative opinion on other people. In an obnoxious manner, under the assumption you are right.

Opening posts with this doesn't really entitle you to imply anyone is on a high horse. (IMO). Which is incredibly humble.

That's kinda the problem I have with you in general. All this shite typed out that could be summed up with just spending 3 seconds typing in "entitlement".

@thegerg: I'm unsure whether to believe in God or not.

Zeus, Poseidon and Hades all have tea with me everyday after they are done slaughtering the land and raping all my sisters. At first I was like wtf but, we're homies now.

universe? you're aiming a little high there...

I have to believe you are just trolling. I almost feel bad I fell for it would have assumed I would know better then that by now. Nothing in this post post made sense, or even came close. But then again that was the point.

I don't think there is a God. And actually I've seen no shred of evidence that there is one. Also both of my parents are atheists.

I think that religion is a thing that was invented in order to help people deal with the cruelty and unfairness of life and with the finality of death. Death is probably a final thing and there is no evidence that we can come back from it.

Extreme suffering, unfairness and the finality of death are 3 things which should absolutely not have existed if there really is a God.

I wouldn't say death is final, no real way of knowing that.