What Religion do you believe in?

[simply_angelic]

Originally Posted by augentier

I don't even believe in god as a being. Please, that is a ridiculous man-made myth originating from a time when people didn't understand the natural laws of the universe and science.

OK, so I agree with you on your first point of not believing in god as a being, but, as a scientist wannabe I have knit pick and point out the obvious here with the bolded section...WE STILL DONT KNOW OR UNDERSTAND ALL THE NATURAL LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE OR SCIENCE. Any scientist will tell you that the information you learn in their class is likely to change and that we are making new discoveries every day. Sorry...I had to do it. I'll let you get back to your religion convo now...

[TheJake]

I think that was her point exactly though Laura. It's amazing how much we don't know but what we do know is a hella of a lot more than they knew when they were thinking up options and the only logical thing they could think of was a super being.

[simply_angelic]

or the only logical thing we can think of is particles and atoms?how much better is that, really?

[augentier]

What I was specifically thinking of when I wrote that is how the most ancient peoples created religion and the concept of god/deities because they didn't understand how basic things work..like they believed the sun was a god because it supports life..but really it's just this huge star that we orbit.

I realize science is still conceptual and everything is a theory.. but what I was pointing out was that religion started because people did not know how to explain what was going on around them.

[joe7f]

I like the cosmological argument...

1. Every finite and contingent being has a cause.
2. Nothing finite and contingent can cause itself.
3. A causal chain cannot be of infinite length.
4. Therefore, a First Cause (or something that is not an effect) must exist.

Deists will sometimes call God "First Cause" for that reason.

--Joey

[Dig]

Very good read here.

I was baptised, raised and confirmed as an episcipalian. Somewhere early high school I parted ways. Since then I don't know what is out there and I have yet to hear of a good idea. I just believe in being good to one another. Athiest/Agnostic?

[Canadian Bacon]

Originally Posted by augentier

I realize science is still conceptual and everything is a theory.. but what I was pointing out was that religion started because people did not know how to explain what was going on around them.

I dunno, I would argue that religion and connection to something greater than yourself goes beyond an urge to understand the mechanics of the universe, but more about purpose and being.

The way I look at it is like this: an ant, with its limited capacities, cannot possibly understand the range of ability of a human. How can the ant believe that it knows all? The same with the human, we are born with our mortal limitations.... how can we possibly think that our senses, our ways of thinking (ie. science) hold the keys to the universe and existence? the very notion is ridiculous.

[joe7f]

Originally Posted by Canadian Bacon

how can we possibly think that our senses, our ways of thinking (ie. science) hold the keys to the universe and existence? the very notion is ridiculous.

Science is studying the physical world as it was created. If you believe in a Creator, then we are studying Its work. Our explanations have been getting increasingly nuanced as we understand it better.

I think it is like we have a solutions manual, we just don't know now to make sense of it.

--Joey

[Rhine]

I was raised int he Eastern Orthodox church, but currently have no preference.

[Canadian Bacon]

Originally Posted by joe7f

Science is studying the physical world as it was created. If you believe in a Creator, then we are studying Its work. Our explanations have been getting increasingly nuanced as we understand it better.

I think it is like we have a solutions manual, we just don't know now to make sense of it.

--Joey

I think we are getting better at piecing together puzzle pieces in terms of what we can see, hear and deduce, but there's got to be so much more to the universe than what we know, or can know.

I would argue that it is beyond human ability to really understand the workings of the universe.

[NoDirectionHome]

Originally Posted by Diorama

I fall somewhere between atheist and agnostic.

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[raoulduke]

Originally Posted by NoDirectionHome

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Atheist means you believe there is no God, Agnostic means you neither confirm or deny the existence of God.

Dio's in between.

[joe7f]

One atheist told me that agnostic technically means you can't prove or disprove that a God exists. Since he argued, if God presented Itself to him he would believe.

In the etymological sense of atheism, perhaps I could be classified as such even though I believe in a God. Theism suggests continued involvement. In God as the watchmaker style Deism, I think God's work began and ended at creation.

Interesting topic Jason,

--Joey

[joe7f]

One other thing, for believers in God(s) do you believe He/She/It/They has/have a sense of humor? I am torn. On one hand, you have to think that God being all knowing would be able to understand what we find funny but on the other hand the root of what is funny is what is unexpected and if God is all knowing, then there nothing God doesn't already know and therefore nothing unexpected.

Kind of like hearing jokes over and over again.

--Joey

[MeTurk]

Originally Posted by Canadian Bacon

I dunno, I would argue that religion and connection to something greater than yourself goes beyond an urge to understand the mechanics of the universe, but more about purpose and being.

The way I look at it is like this: an ant, with its limited capacities, cannot possibly understand the range of ability of a human. How can the ant believe that it knows all? The same with the human, we are born with our mortal limitations.... how can we possibly think that our senses, our ways of thinking (ie. science) hold the keys to the universe and existence? the very notion is ridiculous.

You're comparing chalk and cheese there though. It's like saying a hammer isn't as useful as a computer.

It's a fair assumption to make. If we're so much more intelligent than an ant then surely it stands to reason that that scale could continue up past us. But how much intelligence or knowledge do you need? The human animal is no more intelligent than it was 70,000 years ago we're the same animal we just know more.

Even if their is a God and he created the universe, why does that make him better? Our scientists reckon they know how to create a mini universe and seed it with the makings of life. If we did that and life evolved in there would that give us the right to dictate how they should live, would it be ok for us to have some grand plan for them irregardless of what they want and scare them into living the way we see fit? Or should we treat them as equals, just different.

The God we came up with all those years ago was based on the limited knowledge we had then, I don't see why we can't update what we think God is.

[mish99]

Originally Posted by joe7f

One other thing, for believers in God(s) do you believe He/She/It/They has/have a sense of humor? I am torn. On one hand, you have to think that God being all knowing would be able to understand what we find funny but on the other hand the root of what is funny is what is unexpected and if God is all knowing, then there nothing God doesn't already know and therefore nothing unexpected.

Kind of like hearing jokes over and over again.

--Joey

Um...I would say I do believe God has a sense of humour. Maybe He's just laughing at us!!

[pinknic38]

anthropologically speaking, I learned 3 explanations that we has humans have for the existence of religion...

1. psychological - religion helps us cope with the hard stuff in life, gives us hope, etc

2. intellectual - religion serves as an explanation of the unknown, when there are no such thing as "coincidences", helps enculturate children

3. sociological - religion serves as sort of a social control - provides basis of "laws" and social structure, creating norms, etc - rewards/punishments

each though knid of has their own things that are true and not so true, in my opinion, and I think for a lot of people, those aren't really explanations so much as the result of having religion in the first place. also I think there's more of a combination of 2 or 3 in the instance of some people.

I dunno... just food for thought.

[juliagulia]

Once, my sister and I were on a bind and she said (jokingly) "Lord, shine your light on me." It was a cloudy day and in that second, a sliver of sunlight shot through the clouds and hit the corner we were standing on.

So, if there is a god, he/she/it might show his/her/its humour through those odd coincidences. He/She/It wouldn't have to lack knowledge in order to think something like that is funny.

[SGRHewitt]

Originally Posted by juliagulia

Once, my sister and I were on a bind and she said (jokingly) "Lord, shine your light on me." It was a cloudy day and in that second, a sliver of sunlight shot through the clouds and hit the corner we were standing on.

So, if there is a god, he/she/it might show his/her/its humour through those odd coincidences. He/She/It wouldn't have to lack knowledge in order to think something like that is funny.

In similar fashion. I was walking to class, had my iPod on random. It was the middle of March, weather was still relatively cool and gloomy. A song came up, Blackalicious - Make You Feel That Way. One of those songs that makes me instantly happy in a heartbeat. Simultaneously the clouds opened up, the weather seemed to raise from 50 degrees to 60 out of nowhere. I ultimately skipped class and just sat outside for awhile. It was amazing.

[Vanvan]

I was raised a Catholic and became a free thinker.
After loads of trials..
Now, I am a Christian Baptist.

Peace! :D