God - do you believe?

[Ser Pink of Floyd]

I joke that I'm only religous during a (football) Cup Final.

I class myself as Irreligious, I accept that people have their god(s) and that they choose to live their lives to whatever their teachings are, but its not for me and I wont be going round telling people that their way is wrong/their is no God as people acting like that can be complete twats.

[Jamie's left hand]

There's nothing that says you have to figure it out. I think there are some things we humans will never know or be able to figure out. At least while we're here on earth. Maybe one day, after we've passed on, God will see fit to enlighten us. :)

I believe in both creation and evolution. I definitely believe in evolution. But, everything had to come from somewhere. That was God.

There's nothing that says you have to figure it out. I think there are some things we humans will never know or be able to figure out. At least while we're here on earth. Maybe one day, after we've passed on, God will see fit to enlighten us. :)

I believe in both creation and evolution. I definitely believe in evolution. But, everything had to come from somewhere. That was God.

That's just the way our minds work. We see patterns when there aren't any and when we can't find an answer we make one up - 'god'

It is entirely possible the infinite universes and galaxies and solar systems there are have always been there or are cyclical. If any case the existence of a supernatural being is as likely as the existence of the flying teapot

If you want to go down the way of how everything came to be why look at ancient theories over science backed up by beliefs?

[TheMysteriousOne]

That's just the way our minds work. We see patterns when there aren't any and when we can't find an answer we make one up - 'god'

It is entirely possible the infinite universes and galaxies and solar systems there are have always been there or are cyclical. If any case the existence of a supernatural being is as likely as the existence of the flying teapot

If you want to go down the way of how everything came to be why look at ancient theories over science backed up by beliefs?

Science doesn't disprove the existence of God

[Jamie's left hand]

I believe in God, though I have questioned God's existence, even hardcore-Christians have at one point. But I barely ever question God's existence, I only question whether he cares about what goes on in the world. I think there's one God, I'm a Catholic but I'm not as 'Catholic' as I should be because I just don't believe in many of the doctrines. I do, however believe that people can find God or Jesus in a myriad of religions and faith, even Atheists and Agnostics. Just because you don't believe in God or the Judeo-Christian God, doesn't mean you can't be a good person or go to heaven. I do believe that many parts of the Bible are metaphoric, especially parts of the Old Testaments, and I really dislike Christians who are false and judgemental. I know many Atheists who are better people than some Christians. As long as you're happy with your life and you are a good person, no matter your race, gender or sexual orientation, or religion, etc., we should all treat each other equally and in my belief, be able to go to Heaven.

Alright believe in god... But heaven? Who told you about Heaven, how did he know about it? I always though we decayed like every other evolved species and plant.

[Sci-2]

Science doesn't disprove the existence of God

Of course, it also doesn't say why holy text B is real or why there can't be multiple gods.

I mean, Paladine beating Takhisis by investing in Huma's humble goodness is so much more uplifting than God sending your non-believer friends to an infinite, unending concentration camp.

[Larry of the Lawn]

Of course, it also doesn't say why holy text B is real or why there can't be multiple gods.

I mean, Paladine beating Takhisis by investing in Huma's humble goodness is so much more uplifting than God sending your non-believer friends to an infinite, unending concentration camp.

I kind of want there to be hells because someone put up a link to a quiz to find out what level of hell you'd go to, and I got Maleborge, the 8th level, and it sounded pretty cool. In a masochistic, eternal suffering kind of way.

[Ser Greguh]

Science doesn't disprove the existence of God

No, nothing could. Lack of a belief does not imply proof of a negative. It is logically impossible to prove a negative.

However the more that science does explain, the less relevant religious explanations seem. Gods were once used to explain earthquakes, diseases, storms, stars, and the diversity of life. Today we have plate tectonics, germ theory, meteorology, astronomy, and evolution, and the religious explanations for those phenomena appear foolish. And yet the religious still cling to the idea that the same general explanation (a god did it) that was once used to explain these phenomena and that was utterly discredited is nonetheless a valid explanation for the mysteries that exist today.

[Jamie's left hand]

I guess that is where having faith comes in.

Faith - an irrational confidence in something based on no evidence - no questioning

And this is supposed to be good - i would cross the road and not look side side but walk across with faith that god will take me safely across.

But of course if i do get hit 'everything happens for a reason' and it was part of god's plan.

[TerraPrime]

About the contraception issue, it doesn't cause AIDS, The Church teaches abstinence. I'm not saying that people shouldn't have sex because they have STIs, but in the old days before condoms, that would've been a practical solution

Are you aware the the RCC deliberate spreads false information about the effectiveness of condoms in preventing HIV infections? Don't believe me? Google it.

Also, the Church is against birth control, because they value human life and believe that it starts at conception. If you're going to have sex, think about the consequences. This is why the Church is also against abortion, because abortion is basically killing unborn babies. (not saying that this is always right i.e, being raped and not wanting to keep the baby, but it somewhat makes sense).

I don't think you understand what contraceptives do - they prevent pregnancy from taking place, not terminating a pregnancy. The RCC is against both, but for different reasons.

They oppose contraceptives like hormonal pills for women and condoms for men because they believe that sex should only take place between married couples and God intends for married couples to procreate. Therefore, using contraceptivess between husband and wife is a defilement of God's plan for humans.

They oppose abortion because they believe that life begins at fertilization.

They oppose in vitro fertility measures because they believe that it infringes on God's plan for whether couples should get children, and it also creates unused fertilized eggs (i.e. human life) that then need to be destroyed, i.e., abortion.

[Jamie's left hand]

The question is phrased wrong, should be "a god or gods". Putting "God" assumes that Atheism is another religion competing with the various versions of the Yahwe cult, when actually it is the rejection of all forms of religion equally.

Alternately, it could be interpreted as privileging the Yahweh cults as rational alternatives to Atheism, while other religions are less intrinsically rational. There is no reason at all to consider, say, Catholicism or Islam as being more rational than Mithraism or Aztec Polytheism, so this attitude is intrinsically flawed.

I said 'god' because i didn't think to find many Muslim or Hindu posters - reading ASOIAF could be against their religion.

Even though you should believe in the Lord Of Light as much as you do a 'real' god - both are written down so must be true

[mitsukaikira]

No, I do not and cannot see any compelling evidence to change my mind.

That being said, I don't think religion itself is to blame for the atrocities pinned to it; rather it's how the humans involved interpret said religion.

[Jamie's left hand]

Not sure why the OP equates religion with belief in God. For whatever it is worth, I'm religious but very much a strong atheist as well.

I must have got something wrong

Religion - The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, or God.

Why are you 'religious'?

[TheMysteriousOne]

Alright believe in god... But heaven? Who told you about Heaven, how did he know about it? I always though we decayed like every other evolved species and plant.

Well, I believe in 'Heaven' because that's what has been taught to me. I don't believe in Heaven, in the traditional way, though. I believe our bodies decay of course, but I do believe in 'souls'.

[Ser Greguh]

The RCC is against both, but for different reasons.

Arguably. Both serve the greater goal of dictating and micromanaging sexual activity and in particular of restricting female sexual freedom, which have been consistent themes throughout the entire history of the RCC. "Life begins at conception" is believed by many, with good reason, I think, to be a position of convenience postulated only because of how well it serves that goal.

Additionally, as I'm sure you're aware, many forms of contraceptives do not prevent the fertilization of an egg but merely the implantation of that zygote in the womb, which by some extreme definitions is considered a form of abortion.

[Sci-2]

Faith - an irrational confidence in something based on no evidence - no questioning

And this is supposed to be good - i would cross the road and not look side side but walk across with faith that god will take me safely across.

Though I'm not a believer, these two things are hardly equivalent.

I actually dislike the term faith, because it muddies the idea of knowing when it comes to God.

God's presence turns on incommunicable knowledge, science turns on communicable knowledge.

eta: Hindus can read ASOIAF by the way. :-)

[TheMysteriousOne]

Are you aware the the RCC deliberate spreads false information about the effectiveness of condoms in preventing HIV infections? Don't believe me? Google it.

I don't think you understand what contraceptives do - they prevent pregnancy from taking place, not terminating a pregnancy. The RCC is against both, but for different reasons.

They oppose contraceptives like hormonal pills for women and condoms for men because they believe that sex should only take place between married couples and God intends for married couples to procreate. Therefore, using contraceptivess between husband and wife is a defilement of God's plan for humans.

They oppose abortion because they believe that life begins at fertilization.

They oppose in vitro fertility measures because they believe that it infringes on God's plan for whether couples should get children, and it also creates unused fertilized eggs (i.e. human life) that then need to be destroyed, i.e., abortion.

I'm sorry, I said that wrongly. I understand that contraceptives are prevent pregnancies. I meant to say that the Church believes that birth control is wrong, because they believe that sex should happen between two married individuals, who are a man and a woman. (I'm not saying this is right, I don't believe this but many Catholics do.

I agree that many Catholics are very radical int heir beliefs, which is why I stated that I don't believe in many of the doctrines.

[Jamie's left hand]

About the contraception issue, it doesn't cause AIDS, The Church teaches abstinence. I'm not saying that people shouldn't have sex because they have STIs, but in the old days before condoms, that would've been a practical solution

Also, the Church is against birth control, because they value human life and believe that it starts at conception. If you're going to have sex, think about the consequences. This is why the Church is also against abortion, because abortion is basically killing unborn babies. (not saying that this is always right i.e, being raped and not wanting to keep the baby, but it somewhat makes sense).

I was just saying what the Pope said a while back

Bet they are also against condoms which is why he said it - there's no killing unborn babies in that?

[The Anti-Targ]

Yes and no.

[polishgenius]

How hard have you looked? How genuinely have you tried?

It does not seem that hard to find a religion better than Catholicism, to be honest. Episcopalian, for instance, is quite similar but a healthy decrease in sexism and anti-gay-ism. Need a more social-justice oriented one? Try Quakerism.

Like, seriously, there's a near-infinite number of alternates, within Christianity, let alone venturing outside of it.

I could have looked harder but, being pretty obvious, Quakerism and Episcopalianism (well, the Anglican Church, over here), are both things I've looked at. My big problem with the latter is the Queen- in generaI think a centralised leadership is important and when it centers on the Queen, however symbolic the connection is now, it doesn't sit right with me.

What I'd most like is for the Catholic church to change. I see signs of it, especially knowing the Catholics of my generation. If our mindset keeps up, and carries through on a wider scale, it's going to be difficult for leadership positions to remain as they are in the next few decades.

[polishgenius]

I said 'god' because i didn't think to find many Muslim or Hindu posters - reading ASOIAF could be against their religion

:laugh:

You know fuck all about religions, don't you?