Are we better off with or without belief in "God"?

[Jeremiah]

I am not created to be godless. I am designed to be spiritual; I am like all humans, I am programmed to worship. It is what humans choose to worship that determines their attitude toward their own existence and that of others. Humans are free to worship whatever or whomever they wish. We all have choices, but choices have consequences. Every decision we make has an outcome, so our choices better be the right ones, especially where our spirituality is concerned.

If life has nothing to do with God, then this miserable excuse for an existence is all we can hope for....:sad: How pathetic! I am promised so much more than this. You who have convinced yourselves that there is no God, may wish to settle for this poor substitute for a life, but it's not my dream...it's more like a nightmare!!

If I am a created being and I am living a life that is so much less than what my heart feels it should be, then I believe that my expectations were implanted by my Creator and that life was meant to be completely different to what it is now. What kind of cruel joke would it be to implant an expectation of a better life and then not make it achievable?
The Bible gives me reason to hope that the life I dream of is not too far away. It tells me that God is making an estimation of hearts; that he is allowing us all to be caught in the act of being ourselves. What is our life telling him right now?
Only we can answer that.

Deeje

" I am programmed to worship."

I don't doubt it.

 

[Deeje]

" I am programmed to worship."

I don't doubt it.

Not believing in God doesn't make him go away.

Gods take many forms...we all worship something, even if it's our belly, our intellect or our ego.

All choices have consequences. We will all reap what we have sown. Trust me on that one. :yes:

Deeje

 

[Jeremiah]

Not believing in God doesn't make him go away.

Gods take many forms...we all worship something, even if it's our belly, our intellect or our ego.

All choices have consequences. We will all reap what we have sown. Trust me on that one. :yes:

Deeje

"Not believing in God doesn't make him go away."

If you want to talk about the actually of gods then feel free to start your own thread. I made it very clear in the OP that this is not about an actual, factual god. If you want to make a case that belief makes people happy then that is relevant but the rest is not.

"Gods take many forms...we all worship something, even if it's our belly, our intellect or our ego."

Even if so, as you pointed out, gods are not needed to fulfill the role.

 

[Deeje]

"Not believing in God doesn't make him go away."

If you want to talk about the actually of gods then feel free to start your own thread. I made it very clear in the OP that this is not about an actual, factual god. If you want to make a case that belief makes people happy then that is relevant but the rest is not.

"Gods take many forms...we all worship something, even if it's our belly, our intellect or our ego."

Even if so, as you pointed out, gods are not needed to fulfill the role.

My goodness, aren't you a ray of sunshine? was it something I said???

For someone who describes himself as a "faithless, godless heathen", can you tell me why you bother posting on a religious forum? Or is that designation a religion? Just curious....?

 

[CarlinKnew]

If life has nothing to do with God, then this miserable excuse for an existence is all we can hope for....:sad: How pathetic! I am promised so much more than this. You who have convinced yourselves that there is no God, may wish to settle for this poor substitute for a life, but it's not my dream...it's more like a nightmare!!

Just because a belief is comforting, doesn't mean it's true.

If I am a created being and I am living a life that is so much less than what my heart feels it should be, then I believe that my expectations were implanted by my Creator and that life was meant to be completely different to what it is now. What kind of cruel joke would it be to implant an expectation of a better life and then not make it achievable?

The overwhelming evidence for evolution by natural selection shows me that we are not created beings, but evolved beings. If this is the case, then the expectation for eternal life is merely an evolutionary flaw.

 

[OmarKhayyam]

For someone who describes himself as a "faithless, godless heathen", can you tell me why you bother posting on a religious forum? Or is that designation a religion? Just curious....?

May I call your attention to the title of this board:

Religious Topics
These Forums are for debate and discussion of religious topics only

Specifically the word "debate." If that word is unfamiliar to you please consult your favorite dictionary for the correct meaning.

That done (or if you already know) then please explain the purpose of your question.

 

[Deeje]

Just because a belief is comforting, doesn't mean it's true.
The overwhelming evidence for evolution by natural selection shows me that we are not created beings, but evolved beings. If this is the case, then the expectation for eternal life is merely an evolutionary flaw.

:sorry1: but I have to ask what "overwhelming evidence for evolution by natural selection" exists? Theory, speculation, educated guessing and a vivid imagination are not "overwhelming evidence" IMO. I cannot subscribe to the mindless theory of evolution. (Adaptation within a species is not organic evolution) I am gobsmacked that intelligent people can swallow this nonsense.

Science should not be a substitute for God, though it can be described as a religion. It actually takes more faith to believe in evolution than to believe in intelligent design.

Have you never asked yourself, 'how does a group of cells decide that it would be a good idea to make themselves into a giraffe or a hamster? How do they, in the stream of evolving decide that it would be a good idea to produce eyes, when they have never seen....ears, when that have never heard? Then add to that the kinds of eyes that had to evolve...fish eyes, birds eyes, human eyes, cat's eyes...and all the different kinds of ears as well. What about the other senses? Smell, touch and taste? (none of them simple) What about the human brain? (mind bogglingly complex)
How does one find exquisite design in all things (even a snowflake) without a designer? That is a bit like saying that someone put a brick on a vacant lot and went back 50, 000 years later and found a skyscraper!! Do you have a wristwatch? What if I told you it had no maker, it just evolved and I found it in the woods. If something as relatively simple as a wristwatch had to have a maker, then what about the universe? It's laws are so precise, they are like clockwork!
If you had all the individual pieces of something as simple as a mouse trap and shuffled them together for a thousand years, would they ever come together in the precise order needed to make them into a mouse trap??" :no:

How can you call believing in evolution intelligent? How is it backed up by anything other than imagination and intellectual musing? (Not to mention peer pressure. Anyone who disagrees is howled down by the scientific elite and made to feel stupid.)

How come all the evolutionary links are still missing? (and there would have to have been many of them) Can you have a chain without links?
Scientific fact: "all life has to come from pre-existing life."

You see, it doesn't stand up to even the simplest scrutiny.

Deeje

 

[Willamena]

Not talking about the actual, factual God but just the belief of.

Belief of what?

 

[Willamena]

"Do you think that humanity would be better off without art or music as well ... or good literature?"

A very good point. But religion/philosophy, or the path of, does not necessarily need gods.

And "Star Wars" doesn't need the Force, but it makes for a good story.

 

[Jeremiah]

And "Star Wars" doesn't need the Force, but it makes for a good story.

Are you saying that the atheistic spiritual path does not make for a good story?

 

[Willamena]

Are you saying that the atheistic spiritual path does not make for a good story?

At this point, I have no idea.

Is the "belief of..." of an "authentic spiritual path"?

Edit: Sorry, I should probably read the whole thread.
Edit: Okay, that was a waste of time.

What is "the authentic spiritual path", please?

 

[Jeremiah]

At this point, I have no idea.

Is the "belief of..." of an "authentic spiritual path"?

Edit: Sorry, I should probably read the whole thread.
Edit: Okay, that was a waste of time.

What is "the authentic spiritual path", please?

"What is "the authentic spiritual path", please?"

The spiritual path perhaps lies, not with the human nor the universe, but at the point were both meet.

My point was, that the "universe" does not need to take the form of a god to forge this path.

 

[Willamena]

Ah, I see; and sorry for misquoting you (my old eyes are not what they used to be). Yes, an atheistic path can make for a good story, and the story that includes us (as "the universe". "god" or "force") is essentially more engaging. Any form will do.

 

[Jeremiah]

Ah, I see; and sorry for misquoting you (my old eyes are not what they used to be). Yes, an atheistic path can make for a good story, and the story that includes us (as "the universe". "god" or "force") is essentially more engaging. Any form will do.

LOL, you had me thoroughly confused, Willamena.

 

[Alceste]

Having never believed in any gods (although I did try for a goddess once), I can't compare from personal experience which is "better" - belief or non-belief. I can say, though, that I am certainly much happier in my life than my friends who believe in the Abrahamic god. They're always getting themselves tied in knots about whether or not an unpredictable, violent, omnipotent, invisible mute approves of them. The stress of it! I can't imagine how anyone can possibly endure it.

However, Yahweh is just one of the many gods a person could potentially believe in. I honestly think we'd all be better off without belief in that particular god (Imagine a religious forum that isn't always being polluted by some fool blathering on about his "One True God" and how if you don't believe in it it's probably because it hates you, and you'll be sorry once you're dead and bla bla bla freakin' bla! Better yet, imagine the Jews and the Muslims having nothing to bicker about!)

The gods we believe in influence the people we become, and Yahweh is big on slaughtering, suppressing, indoctrinating or marginalizing people of other faiths. Therefore, belief in that God is dangerous and destructive.

We should all forget about Yahweh and believe in Guan Yin.

 

[Jeremiah]

Having never believed in any gods (although I did try for a goddess once), I can't compare from personal experience which is "better" - belief or non-belief. I can say, though, that I am certainly much happier in my life than my friends who believe in the Abrahamic god. They're always getting themselves tied in knots about whether or not an unpredictable, violent, omnipotent, invisible mute approves of them. The stress of it! I can't imagine how anyone can possibly endure it.

However, Yahweh is just one of the many gods a person could potentially believe in. I honestly think we'd all be better off without belief in that particular god (Imagine a religious forum that isn't always being polluted by some fool blathering on about his "One True God" and how if you don't believe in it it's probably because it hates you, and you'll be sorry once you're dead and bla bla bla freakin' bla! Better yet, imagine the Jews and the Muslims having nothing to bicker about!)

The gods we believe in influence the people we become, and Yahweh is big on slaughtering, suppressing, indoctrinating or marginalizing people of other faiths. Therefore, belief in that God is dangerous and destructive.

We should all forget about Yahweh and believe in Guan Yin.

"We should all forget about Yahweh and believe in Guan Yin."

I cast my vote for Dionysus.

 

[Alceste]

"We should all forget about Yahweh and believe in Guan Yin."

I cast my vote for Dionysus.

Ha! There's plenty of room for him too. It is a healthy thing to have both genders represented, after all.

 

[slave2six]

"We should all forget about Yahweh and believe in Guan Yin."

I cast my vote for Dionysus.

Can I believe in Yoda?

 

[Clover]

idc what anyone says, Star Wars without the Force would suck lol.

I disagree, we shouldn't forget any Gods that have existed or will exist in the human world. I love it, cause it's part of my joy, history. Without the Gods, our history would be very different I believe. Gods have inspired much in mankind, good and bad. I mean, if we had always believened a world without a God or Gods, our history would be different, and I'd have to read all them books about the History of the world, again, this time, I think they'd be less interesting. I find the Greek Mythologies very amazing, cause they have gods for nearly every part of their lives, and made stories that were great, same with the Bible.

btw: To all of you who worship a Goddess, or Goddess', I meant them when I said Gods, don't feel excluded.

 

[Caladan]

However, Yahweh is just one of the many gods a person could potentially believe in. I honestly think we'd all be better off without belief in that particular god (Imagine a religious forum that isn't always being polluted by some fool blathering on about his "One True God" and how if you don't believe in it it's probably because it hates you, and you'll be sorry once you're dead and bla bla bla freakin' bla! Better yet, imagine the Jews and the Muslims having nothing to bicker about!)

Its not common for Jews to debate about theological matters with Muslims, however Christians and Muslims are a different matter.