Seek meds.

*Losing

My faith is just I believe in God, I don't think he was that strict, so suck it. (Well, not suck it literally)

My ex's mother is an Evangelist, and my god was she a nightmare to visit. Constantly complaining about how if we're sleeping together, we're going to Hell, animals have no souls, the gays have no souls, blah blah blah... I even went to see her get Baptize and the woman behind me asked me if the church I was in was a great church. I simply smiled and said, "well it's beautiful," she responds, "Yes it is beautiful, because it is GOD'S church." Yeah okay.

First of all, I never believed that if you fuck someone before marriage, you're a sinner and you're going to Hell. No, I think God and Jesus has done some "hey hey" time as well, I mean hell Jesus had a prostitute with him for a bit.

With me and faith I just say, "I believe in a God, lemme believe what I believe in, you believe what you believe in, and be that." I just get defensive when someone forces me to apply to their religious beliefs when I don't want and have to.

I'm generally pretty pessimistic about the rest of the human race myself...but as a non-believer my whole life, I've also always seen Atheism as oddly kind of inspiring, like...there's something that gives me hope for the future about the idea that people would no longer NEED a magic man in the sky telling you right from wrong in order to know right from wrong, and I think the idea that this time on Earth is all we get so we should make the most of it instead of always looking forward to some sort of afterlife can be motivational...

Plus, I grew up watching a lot of Star Trek, which is very Pro-Secular Humanism, so I've always seen the idea of people giving up believing in superstition and mythology as a good thing, as a sign of society growing and advancing beyond the need for psychological crutches.

I don't begrudge anyone their faith, mind you. I'm not the kind of Atheist who's bitter and anti-Christianity because they had religion forced on them as a kid or have been mistreated for not believing or anything like that, and I understand it gives people some comfort to believe they know where they came from and where they're going as opposed to "life happened at random and has no purpose, and consciousness ends when you die"...but it just always sounded like fairy tales to me.

I believe in God, and even if I didn't, I'd still have more faith in him at this point than the majority of the human race. Even if I'm wrong and there's no afterlife or deities of some kind, it's still a win-win scenario in my book.

I believe in an afterlife. Kind of a cute one as well.

Death never really struck me as a scary thing until I was 10 when my grandmother passed away due to cancer. (She had breast cancer, managed to beat that, but it spread and headed to her lungs) Years later, my aunt died due to natural causes. My dog passed away and then grandfather passed a week later when I was in my junior year of high school...

As of right now, I imagine them all sitting at a table with my dog sleeping underneath them, playing a huge game of poker.

Kinda my take on an afterlife.

I'm Roman Catholic. I went to parochial school for 13 years, but I have a very liberal view of my faith. I never had strict nuns who preached your going to go hell for not going to church every Sunday or for having sex before marriage or the nonsense about gays.

I actually had one nun say "your never going going find your soulmate if you limit yourself to someone who hasn't been with more than 3 people". I think she may have miss-interpreted the question she was asked though.

Faith and politics are the two things I personally dis-like discussing with people. Everyone has their own belief and no amount of arguing or trying to convince someone otherwise is going to change that.

Personally if the God I believe in, is the kind that's going to send me hell for not going to church every Sunday or for following other archaic rules and non-sense that where thought up my other mortals, then it's not a God i want to believe in.

I'm with you on that last paragraph. My last 10 years have driven me into some of the most life questioning experiences I've ever had. A lot of those being negative, but balancing out in the end with the positive. I had lost my faith at one point, but I was never too super religious either.

I guess I just believe that God is greater than we can imagine, and in form is the universe itself. I can't go into too much detail but all of that Sunday going to church mumbo jumbo is not what I follow, although I follow good behavior and do good deeds in life. I try not to be a bad person and be as kind as to others to the point of no one trying to take advantage of that.

I used to think of it as a win-win situation untill I realized that it is hollow. While it may not apply to everyone, and definitely not to us, since, well, Eastern European religiosity is EXTREMELY different from the USA, but...

if someone resigns to a life of total worship he is essentially wasting his one shot at life. If he or she can find happiness in that, I am okay with that as long as he/she does not try to force it upon others.



Pascal's Wager is an easy way out. I do not or try to not do easy way stuff.



Why would I need meds? I am stressed, yes, that comes with my line of work. I am not hallucinating and I am not a pill popper who cannot face reality on it's own terms.

Considering the age we live in, it's more apparent that more people, especially in the Western countries, are becoming more non-religious. For me, I grew up in a semi-religious family, but I gradually transitioned into becoming non-religious a few years ago. This isn't to say that I disbelieve in the existence of the divine.

I believe that agnosticism in of itself makes the most sense, because ultimately, we do not truly know whether or not God exists. I suppose it can be said that I'm somewhat of a "weak theist" in the sense of believing in the possibility of there being a god but ultimately not knowing if such a being actually exists.

I don't hold it against the religious for having their beliefs as long as they aren't extremists who are just full for hatred. On the other side, I don't hold it against atheists for their disbelief in religions and deities. Although I'm somewhere "on the fence", I feel like I can take certain things from some religions and apply them in useful ways without being a part of any of those religions and being caught up in their dogmas and doctrines.

I too am generally pessimistic about humanity, especially as the times change. However, I do not want to give up on believing in the good of at least some people as well as believing in kindness, generosity, etc.

I don't think I've ever actually been to church in my life despite the fact my parents are both religious, though I could attribute it to the fact that we're dirt poor and have to work to make a living. Even funnier, my brother was baptized and he's an atheist, although he does say grace when we get together for holiday meals. Then again, my brother and his friends are all weirdos.

I'll never quite understand why there are those that need to force religion down everyone's throat. The only time I had to do anything religious was CCD and that took up my Monday nights. There are a lot of people that I've come across where they get real nasty if you ignore their sayings about why you need to choose their faith. And to be honest, I really can't see how people who do that are really happy. They always remind me of Mrs. White in Carrie, the 1970's version, thank you. Piper Laurie... ooh, shivers down my spine.

I'm glad there are people here that states that they accept other religious beliefs and can be nice enough about it. I wish this could apply to a lot of other people that I know.

There isn't one virtue that cannot be created through secular morality. Well, except religious virtues like grace, I guess. But even the religion is hazy on what exactly it is.

I do not know if there is a god, or any kind of deity, as there has been no proof that can be presented, recreated and falsified. I used to, especially some of my own achievements.

Then it hit me how stupid is that God would particularly single me out and help me with my state exams.

I've had it with christianity, the whole of it is a mess and it isn't particularly moral to begin with. And it's not like there is a big push for religion here, hell, most of the people here are atheists or non-practicing christians.

However, it can be dangerous.

Two things.

1. Thanks for above correction.

2. Self-reaffirmation. If I want to be a dick/truthful faith is nothing more than accepting statements as facts despite the lack of observable evidence. The people usually adhering to this mentality reaffirm their own correctness by repetition. Sort of self-assurement.

The ones that go apeshit are the ones to watch out. These people genuinely cannot comprehend how you can reject their claims as they literally (been) conditioned themselves into being tools.

One philosophy degree later, and I'm still a conservative Catholic. I read countless works on epistemology, and the purely secular theories either operated on vast presuppositions or accomplished so little that they couldn't be put into practice. Also, the cosmological argument (even though it's not the strongest argument for God's existence IMO) has held up incredibly well over time (though with many revisions; if you're taught this argument in class, take heed of whose version you're reading about). It's clean, intuitive, and doesn't require too many premises.

Does my religion make me happy? I don't think there's discernible answer to that question, but it's all good. The only reason to believe anything is because you think it's true. I have beer for happiness.

I believe, as a Christian. My life's purpose, is to preach and spread God's holy word and witness to as many as I can. I don't force it or force what I believe on anyone. God never promises anything to anyone, as in, money, fame, wives, kids or anything. If I get any of that along the way Then I am blessed. I am blessed either way though. Cause. I know if I am doing what God needs me to do here, and I am living my life for him( which is in no way, a waste) then, my reward is with him, when he comes back. And nothing here, can ever come close, to what God offers you in return.

I'm an agnostic. Which is basically me being too lazy to make up my mind. But really, I've always said that there isn't a way to know for sure whether or not there is a god. So if someone believes there is a god, I understand that, and if someone believes there isn't, I understand their views as well. Then again, I don't really talk about religion all that often sooo.....yep.

I'm pretty much have an Agnostic view on things.

My belief regarding the possible existence of a deity is actually more scientific than religious. In case anyone asks, no, I'm not going to explain it.

When it comes to humanity, I think it was doomed the moment men decided they were superior to women. I think had women been the rulers of nations over the millennia, we would have been in much condition.

Nevertheless, I know there are still good people out there, so I'm just going to cherish them for as long as I can.

wat

I myself have always been agnostic as far back as I can remember. I've been to a variety of religious functions and honestly, the positive stuff pertaining to the here and now within most religions are what resonates with me.

I like the charitable aspects, the community aspects, but I dislike and am distrustful of most religion's emphasis on conversion and how antiquated some parts can be on social issues.

I also have a very hard time swallowing the more magical/mystical facets. Some say these stories are exaggerations; stories for the masses to learn the message etc.

In the end, it's hard for me to avoid feeling like religion was used a long time ago to create order in society while helping the masses understand the mysterious world around them. Plus it's a way to look at the end without being scared of what comes next.

I have a bunch of friends that have become more religious as time goes by and when I ask, it's usually as simple as "I was lonely" or "I'd rather believe in this than the alternative." I dunno, I guess I just can't force myself to believe in something when my brain doesn't register what others use as evidence as, well, evidence.

The only thing keeping me from being full on atheist is the small sliver of hope and the knowledge that I don't know what'll happen at the end.

Of course, if we're talking about losing faith in the human race, well yes, absolutely, but that's another rant for another time.

He's not the one believing in invisible people.



Pascal's Wager.



No, it isn't. Even if we were to use it. How do you know which god is the real one? Thousands of gods in human history, some not even invented yet. Simple game theory. The only way to win is not to play.



A lot of faiths emphasize prosyletizing. Also, they may truly be afraid of people going to Hell. And too afraid of their god to reject it for the situation it created.



Your first sentence is correct. Grace is merely accepting defeat and praise without being a sore loser/winner.



The Cosmlogical Argument is one of the worst arguments for a god. You have an issue of infinite regress. "Who made god? Who made god's god? Who made god's god's god?" ad infintum. There's also the internal contradiction. If The first statement is everything has a cause, you can't well turn around and say that god doesn't. Which leads to infinite regress. And that doesn't even address the fact that there's nothing to support that the first cause was god-like. If it was before time and space, it could have been equally likely a hamster farting, Kaneda merging with Akira, or me doodling on a sketchpad.

No, the cosmological argument was never a good one. And while it may get hit with a new coat of wax from time to time, and Christians love trotting it out, it never holds water.

And if your religion isn't making you happy, why do you have it? I don't like paying taxes, but I like roads. Roads make me happy. Roads are funded by taxes. So I pay taxes because indirectly, taxes make me happy. I'm not saying you shouldn't have religion, or that you should. It's not my place. But if you are in an abusive relationship, you should explore your options.



Matthew 6:5-8

5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

The entire thesis of the cosmological argument is that the causal chain cannot go back infinitely. Hence the necessity of a first cause. When you remove God from the picture, you haven't fixed the problem; you've merely made it infinitely more complicated.


The Principle of Sufficient Reason doesn't work like that. All EVENTS have to have causes. God is not an event that happened. There was no transition from the non-existence of God into the existence of God. And given that God is timeless in essence, he doesn't require a beginning anyway. There's no dodging that premise either: EVERYONE is bound to the existence of timeless agents no matter what you believe in (that's demonstrated below).
BTW, there are also no causes attributed to the logical axioms. However, they exist.


There's about 4 or 5 agreed-upon essential qualities of God. In order for the hamster you mentioned above to even be a CONTENDER for universal agency, it would have to have at least 3 of the essential qualities of God. Let's go down the list.

If Time/Space was indeed created, then the agent which created time/space must itself be transcendent of time and space. That's just logically true. We'll call this the first quality.

If the hamster is responsible for creating space/time, then it has to be able to do so without any outside materials or elements (since outside materials/elements do not exist yet). Given that the gap between existence and non-existence is infinite, the hamster would have to have infinite power and not a hair less. This is the second quality.

The third quality is personhood. It's essential because even if the hamster was transcendent of space/time and also able to create it, the hamster would never do so. Static entities tend to not do shit.

So here's what you're really saying: "If it was before time and space, [the cause of space/time] could have been equally likely a hamster farting who also has almost all the same qualities as the accepted definition of God." This is not a meaningful criticism.


Because it's true. It's the only reason to believe in anything.

Sure, it's difficult more often than not. Moral ideals are also difficult. I'm not going to stop striving for them.

It's funny, they say going to college will alter your beliefs - politically, religiously, personally, dietary, etc. I suppose you could say that happened to me, sort of, as college reaffirmed my beliefs. You could say it's altered my faith, in that I'm approaching my Catholicism in a more mystical light, but really my faith in what I believe was tested, and I think strengthened by college.

I'm not especially religious but I do have faith in what we're here for. I may not have a whole lot of concern over what's beyond this world but I think that the things religions preach regarding how we live in this one are worthwhile. I guess you could say I have the utmost faith in mankind and our ultimate purpose. These two men have so elegantly put into words the reason why.

You're asserting that God is this and that but you haven't demonstrated. You assert that everything has a cause, but god doesn't because then that breaks the argument. You have to demonstrate qualities that exist outside of causal reality. You make argument about, but not argument for.

The arguments for a hamster having or not having godlike abilities is equally asserted. Maybe it's a transdimensional space hamster who eats dead galaxies and craps new galaxies. It's all conjecture.

Even granting that there has to be a first cause, you still have a gap between creator and personal god. If the argument is that it is before spacetime existed, then it is before cause and effect existed. So any arguments about a first cause break down there. With an infinity before and behind it, even the hamster will eventually create a universe on pure chance. It doesn't need infinite power when it has infinite time.