How can God not exist?

[YoYoPapaya]

I guess it's kinda hard to imagine in very religious nations like the United States and most African countries. Where i live it makes perfect sense though

Denmark is officially a christian nation, but hardly anyone is like a hardcore believer and most are de facto atheists/agnostics imo.
I think it is partly because everyone have free access to education from grammar school to university. So the conutry has a high AVERAGE level of education.

There's also that study by the Japanese American evolutionary psychologist that says that there is a correlation between low iq and high degree of religiousity. That might play a role as to why it's hard for an American (i assume you are American amirite?) to imagine as well, as most of the red states in the US has a relatively low average IQ.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Signal,

Seriously, I want to know why you think that question is irrelevant.

1. It has nothing to do with the thread.
2. It will become a distraction.

I suggest you start an appropriate thread.

You just call that source God. Oh. I'm stumped. One cannot just call things this or that!

What? You don't have any objection to calling it ''source''?

jan.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Signal,

You are saying that the Bible is not the Word of God?

No.
Why?

Or perhaps it is a generalization from an actual occurence with an actual person; as in threatening someone with "Charles Manson is going to get you if you don't behave".

Yes.

But Hindus, too, often have a nasty supremacy trip against Westerners and others.

There is a lot of domestic violence in Hindu families and violence against women that is supposedly justified with the Vedic culture ("the husband is superior and always right, therefore, he can hold his wife's face to a hot stowe plate and she must accept this as just and right and godly"). Dowry deaths. Acid throwing.

Why asociate that with 'religion'?

The gross and subtle abuse that occurs in Western communities that have adopted Eastern religions.

Erm, define "religion".
Not ''sectarianism.

jan

 

[Jan Ardena]

That's deism and it's not a religion.

I wasn't talking about religion, or any one thing for that matter.

jan.

 

[Jan Ardena]

This!

Also, I think religion will eventually disappear. All this Atheism, agnosticism, neo atheism and others are just symptoms that this change is happening. Slowly but steadily as we become increasingly more aware of our surroundings. Please don't flame me

God-centered religion will (almost all) disappear, and will be replaced by self-centered religion, but religion will not, nor, can not disappear. It is part of humanity.

jan.

 

[Dywyddyr]

God-centered religion will (almost all) disappear, and will be replaced by self-centered religion

Do buy yourself a reliable dictionary. You might make fewer errors that way.

but religion will not, nor, can not disappear.

Supposition.

It is part of humanity.

Then why the rise in atheism?

 

[spidergoat]

I wasn't talking about religion, or any one thing for that matter.

jan.

My point is that there is still a long way to go from deism to saying you or someone knows the mind of God.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Dywyddyr,

Do buy yourself a reliable dictionary. You might make fewer errors that way.

Explain?

Supposition.

Maybe.

Then why the rise in atheism?

you mean the athiest religion?

jan.

 

[glaucon]

you mean the athiest religion?

jan.

I second Dywyddyr's recommendation concerning a dictionary.

 

[spidergoat]

Atheism isn't a religion, nor is it based on faith.

 

[Enmos]

He's just trolling.

 

[Dywyddyr]

Explain?

Because religion, as defined, is a belief in god.

Maybe.

Definitely.

you mean the athiest religion?

There is no "atheist religion". This is another error of yours.

 

[Jan Ardena]

He's just trolling.

No I'm not.

6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.

jan.

 

[Enmos]

No I'm not.

6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.

jan.

Yeah, so what do atheists believe in then?

 

[Dywyddyr]

No I'm not.
6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.

Yes, and if you actually understood English you'd realise that that particular definition is effectively a colloquialism i.e. not a literal usage.
And you're also ignoring the fact that atheism also covers non-belief: how can one "devotedly follow" a non-belief? Or believe in a non-belief?

 

[spidergoat]

No I'm not.

6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.

jan.

Not a precise definition in the context of this discussion, that's more of a general usage term. Religion is believing in a god or gods or supernatural thing that is involved in some way in our personal lives.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Yeah, so what do atheists believe in then?

Naturalism.

Philosophy .
a. the view of the world that takes account only of natural elements and forces, excluding the supernatural or spiritual.
b. the belief that all phenomena are covered by laws of science and that all teleological explanations are therefore without value.

jan.

 

[Enmos]

Naturalism.

Philosophy .
a. the view of the world that takes account only of natural elements and forces, excluding the supernatural or spiritual.
b. the belief that all phenomena are covered by laws of science and that all teleological explanations are therefore without value.

jan.

Those would be naturalists.
No doubt a lot of atheists are also naturalists though.

 

[YoYoPapaya]

Is naturalism a religion?

 

[Dywyddyr]

Naturalism.

And after claiming it's a religion you give us a philosophical definition.
Fail again.