Why do you believe in God?

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M*W: If you came to believe in god because you "were told," you really didn't need a god before that. I think it is pointless to need someone/something you didn't need before the time you "were told." As I see it, you believed what you "were told," so "down the road," you were programmed to expect your need for a god.

It is very normal to get to need something you just have known, though before it is told you have no idea at all.
Marketing works that way.
 
M*W: Okay, then, I thought you said you "heard god's voice." Then, please explain in detail how you "have seen god's voice throughout history." Please clarify how the sound of a voice can be visualized. Also, what evidence do you have that "one's own throughts are corrupt?"

You are wrong when you say "god speaks for all people." All people don't believe in a god. Seventy-five percent of the world's population don't believe in your god, so your god does not "speak for all people."

Can you provide documentation (extra-biblical evidence) where "god says stuff like 'beware of those who say there is no god, they will do no good." I take it that you are not familiar with ideologies and philosophies other than christianity.

Are you also aware that christianity is dying worldwide? Even christian congresses are concerned and have publically addressed the declining number of adherents.

Just to let you know, but no god anywhere, now or ever, speaks for me, not even when I was a christian (or thought I was). I look forward to your referenced reply.

Kendall :Lots of people do not know the meaning of the word god, but they know god. Some know the meaning and know god and pretend becouse they dont like the truth, they have little time

Beware of those who say wrong is good, kind is weak for they are the devils

God speaks for all people, not you! Voice is a human quality sorry, you get the picture!..........................
 
Wishful thinking and all that jazz.
Richard Dawkins put it well when he stated that he doesn't fear death because before he was conceived he'd been dead for billions of years, what's to be afraid of?

Unfortunately, many people just cannot let go of life when they have got a taste of it :eek:

Reminds me of a saying " life is like a thin silver ribbon between 2 great black voids" Very depressing eh? Even for Dawkins
 
Kendall: M*W: Okay, then, I thought you said you "heard god's voice." Then, please explain in detail how you "have seen god's voice throughout history." Please clarify how the sound of a voice can be visualized. Also, what evidence do you have that "one's own throughts are corrupt?"

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M*W: No, you have got me confused with someone who may give a christian damn. I have never heard "god's voice" even when I was a christian. And, I certainly don't expect to hear it now!

You are wrong when you say "god speaks for all people." All people don't believe in a god. Seventy-five percent of the world's population don't believe in your god, so your god does not "speak for all people."

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M*W: My belief is, of course, that there is no god who speaks for anyone. Again, you are mistaken.

Can you provide documentation (extra-biblical evidence) where "god says stuff like 'beware of those who say there is no god, they will do no good." I take it that you are not familiar with ideologies and philosophies other than christianity.

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M*W: No, I cannot provide such evidence. I do not believe that god exists.

Are you also aware that christianity is dying worldwide? Even christian congresses are concerned and have publically addressed the declining number of adherents.

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M*W: Yes, I am aware of such statistics. I truly believe that christianity is a thing of the past.

Kendall: Lots of people do not know the meaning of the word god, but they know god. Some know the meaning and know god and pretend becouse they dont like the truth, they have little time.

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M*W: Those who do not know the meaning of the word "god," do not know god.

God speaks for all people, not you! Voice is a human quality sorry, you get the picture...[/QUOTE]

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M*W: There is no god who speaks for me. I'm quite capable of expressing my thoughts by myself. I do not believe that there is any god who can speak for me.
 
Your what? e-d-u-c-t-a-i-o-n? LOL!!! I wouldn't put too much trust into that edumacashun of yours if I were you.

its not clear what is wrong with being educated how to perceive god

For instance would it be a fitting rebuttal to any piece of information presented that it can be refused simply because a person attributes their perception to it due to 'education'?

If that was the case we would have to delete over 97% of all posts on sciforums
:p
 
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are you asserting that the claims of atheism are not based on education?

Well take another look at your question, and then tell me what is supposedly atheistic claims are?

Theist are the one! who make claims. Atheist just ask for you to back them up with evidence.

And please non-of-this-non-sequirtus Bs of yours that one has to have certain epistemological methology to understand theism! BEEN there done that!

I probably have read more religious books than you have! ;)
 
Well take another look at your question, and then tell me what is supposedly atheistic claims are?
spidergoat asserted that to be educated how to perceive god indicates that such perceptionis obviously false - i thought that was strange to post on an intelligent forum since most posters attribute their knowledge to education.
And I thought it was stranger still , in the sense that it doesn't seem to establish your value system, when you drew up the figure of 97%
Theist are the one! who make claims. Atheist just ask for you to back them up with evidence.
and where is the question of evidence without education?

And please non-of-this-non-sequirtus Bs of yours that one has to have certain epistemological methology to understand theism! BEEN there done that!
strange - I have heard this from several atheists (usually the type that frequently resort to ad homs) for a reiteration of this brilliant argument, or even a reference link to it.

I cannot fathom why they establish there are no essential prerequisites for knowledge, particularly as it pertains to spiritual knowledge (they do however offer the common "The methodology/epistemology/knowledge acquiring process is BS becasue god doesn't exist" - the part in bold definitely requiring the atheist to leave the comfort zone of agnoticism to assert something knowledge based ..... and notably too far removed from the classic example of the high school drop out declaring that the electron doesn't exist because physicists and physics is BS

I probably have read more religious books than you have! ;)
in that reading did you ever encounter a passage that asserts quantifying the number of scriptures one has read as indicating anything of merit?

Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized person. Consequently, as the scriptures confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.

- Mahābhārata, Vana-pārva (313.117).
 
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M*W: Are your sister and dad just atheist-like or are they true atheists?

Don't know what a true athiest is but they say that they're atheist and always tell me there is no afterlife, no God, no heaven , hell, etc...however I still independantly seek the actual truth...unlike most atheists who just accept whatever science says...no independant mind at all...no questioning anything....
 
Don't know what a true athiest is but they say that they're atheist and always tell me there is no afterlife, no God, no heaven , hell, etc...however I still independantly seek the actual truth...unlike most atheists who just accept whatever science says...no independant mind at all...no questioning anything....

Don't know what a true Christian is but they say that they're Christians and always tell me there is an afterlife, a God, a heaven, hell, etc...however I still independantly seeked the actual truth...unlike most theists who just accept whatever religion creed they follow..no independant mind at all...no questioning anything...
 
Don't know what a true Christian is but they say that they're Christians and always tell me there is an afterlife, a God, a heaven, hell, etc...however I still independantly seeked the actual truth...unlike most theists who just accept whatever religion creed they follow..no independant mind at all...no questioning anything...

with or without a theistic foundation for one's knowledge, there is no question of avoiding the basic requirements for inductive knowledge (faith) - in either case this doesn't prohibit 'free thinking' - just like you can encounter narow minded theists, you can encounter fat cat academics who are attached to their accredited positions of empiricism .... and just like you can encounter philosophically inclined theists, you can also encounter persons striving to uncover the permanant amongst the transient in academic circles - on the whole though, the former tends to be in higher numbers than the later
 
with or without a theistic foundation for one's knowledge, there is no question of avoiding the basic requirements for inductive knowledge (faith)

FAITH is nothing more then the acceptance of utterances rhetorical, non-sequirtus BS of some one else!

in either case this doesn't prohibit 'free thinking'

Free thinking with belief in religious dogma is an oxymoron!

you can encounter fat cat academics who are attached to their accredited positions of empiricism .... and just like you can encounter philosophically inclined theists, you can also encounter persons striving to uncover the permanant amongst the transient in academic circles - on the whole though, the former tends to be in higher numbers than the later

Appealing to argument by consensus again aren't you Lg.

Perhaps you really need a lesson on logical fallacies, you comit them often enough! Red Herring, argumentum ad populum, appeal to authorative figures, i.e. popular idealogies, Argumentum ad Ignorantiam.
 
its not clear what is wrong with being educated how to perceive god

For instance would it be a fitting rebuttal to any piece of information presented that it can be refused simply because a person attributes their perception to it due to 'education'?
you completely missed it, spider was being sarcastic, because the map stated, it was his education, the lead him to god. well now read the maps post and note the spelling of education.
the Map said:
Why do I believe in God?
Because of:

1) My Eductaion.

2) It makes sense.
and then take a better look at spiders reply, and again note the spelling of education, and the extremely funny spelling of education by spider.
spidergoat said:

Your what? e-d-u-c-t-a-i-o-n? LOL!!! I wouldn't put too much trust into that edumacashun of yours if I were you.
 
Godless
with or without a theistic foundation for one's knowledge, there is no question of avoiding the basic requirements for inductive knowledge (faith)

FAITH is nothing more then the acceptance of utterances rhetorical, non-sequirtus BS of some one else!
whatever it may or may not be, there is no question of coming to the platform of direct perception, either in science or theism, without it

in either case this doesn't prohibit 'free thinking'

Free thinking with belief in religious dogma is an oxymoron!
there are also taboo subjects in science that encroach upon their dogmas - like you are free to think that life came from matter but you are not free to think that life came from consciousness

you can encounter fat cat academics who are attached to their accredited positions of empiricism .... and just like you can encounter philosophically inclined theists, you can also encounter persons striving to uncover the permanant amongst the transient in academic circles - on the whole though, the former tends to be in higher numbers than the later

Appealing to argument by consensus again aren't you Lg.

Perhaps you really need a lesson on logical fallacies, you comit them often enough! Red Herring, argumentum ad populum, appeal to authorative figures, i.e. popular idealogies, Argumentum ad Ignorantiam.
perhaps I was a bit unclear - I was meaning that the tendency to find intellectually lazy persons (in science, theism, or any field of knowledge) is higher than the occurences of sincere enquirers of knowledge in the same fields - thus the former is victorious over the latter in terms of numbers - the reason should be obvious
 
whatever it may or may not be, there is no question of coming to the platform of direct perception, either in science or theism, without it

WTF? I perceive every day with out invoking faith! I don't live by merely having faith in someone's fantasy!

Science does not dwell on faith, but experimentation. When you throw a rock up in the air, do you know! for certain it will come down, or I suppose you have faith that it does! I don't by the laws of gravity I know the damn rock will fall down! No faith there! only emperical evidence that gravity is doing it's job!

there are also taboo subjects in science that encroach upon their dogmas - like you are free to think that life came from matter but you are not free to think that life came from consciousness

You are free to think whatever the hell you want! it's were the evidence leads is what makes it emperical or pseudoscience! So far no "supernatural consciousness" has been evident!

perhaps I was a bit unclear -

Non-seqirtus usually is!


I was meaning that the tendency to find intellectually lazy persons (in science, theism, or any field of knowledge) is higher than the occurences of sincere enquirers of knowledge in the same fields

Glad you noticed theist in the scientific community! They already have all the answers! "god did it" as for secularists, they are not out to prove, disprove god, their quest is emperical objective observations!
 
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