Incredulity in the supernatural.

[Alekdar]

Hey hey, Atheist here, when i was young i believed in ESP powers and ghosts and stuff, but with the years i felt insufficient evidence (although very entertaining) was being provided, and kinda put it away, i still think there's things out there i cannot explain, but if i need to leap into supernatural phenomena to justify it... i don't care that much
So, i see you are quite religious, i don't know what religion, probably mostly Christian, or at least God believers. U have a book that's a collection of books, that has surely been edited time and time again, translated from ancient languages that nowadays we have a pretty good idea what they meant, but a lot of time has passed since.
Your deity is Infinitely powerful, knows all that has happened, happens, and will happen i assume Everything in this world is like it is, because this deity set it that way.
In your world view, what is our purpose? i assume we are fundamentally different from the rest of the animal kingdom? i do have my own responses but i'd really like to know yours
Cheers!

 

[danieldemol]

I believe we are a rather varied bunch at RF.
For example I believe in a God that does not intervene in the material realm. I don't have a revealed book and don't believe God intervenes in that way.
My God did not set the material universe in motion and does not have a purpose in mind for us.
Humans in my view are as different from other animals as other animals are different to each other, but I wouldn't describe them as fundamentally different.
I have no evidence for my beliefs in case that was your next question, but thought it might be of interest to you to know just how diverse we are.

 

[Alekdar]

I believe we are a rather varied bunch at RF.
For example I believe in a God that does not intervene in the material realm. I don't have a revealed book and don't believe God intervenes in that way.
My God did not set the material universe in motion and does not have a purpose in mind for us.
Humans in my view are as different from other animals as other animals are different to each other, but I wouldn't describe them as fundamentally different.
I have no evidence for my beliefs in case that was your next question, but thought it might be of interest to you to know just how diverse we are.

Nice to meet you Daniel
So where would this God fit? What function would it fulfill that cannot be acounted with natural phenomena?

I do not discard in the absolute that an intelligent agent set the universe in motion (even if i don't see the need for it), but that still exists, knows or cares for humans specifically, i really don't have reasons to believe it, but sure, if we keep doing science for a few thousands of years imagine our control over the laws of nature, nothing short of what godly could have felt for people who their most cutting edge technology were windmills for example (Although windmills are pretty cool )
Cheers!

 

[SalixIncendium]

I have no personal deities nor anything supernatural in my worldview. There are books, yes, not edited, but translated and commented upon by sages, but those don't speak to my beliefs. They merely validate my understandings based on my experiences.

That said, I don't see us as fundamentally different from the rest of animal kingdom. And from my perspective, the purpose living is to realize the nature of one's being and the nature of the reality one experiences.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Hey hey, Atheist here, ...

Shalom and welcome.

So, i see you are quite religious, i don't know what religion, probably mostly Christian, or at least God believers.

Many here are not.

Your deity is Infinitely powerful, knows all that has happened, happens, and will happen i assume Everything in this world is like it is, because this deity set it that way.

I suspect that most theists here would have issues with your assumptions concerning their God beliefs.

i assume we are fundamentally different from the rest of the animal kingdom?

I'm sorry, but I do not understand what you are asking.

I've been around RF for a while. Membership here is quite heterogenous. It might help to keep that in mind.

 

[Alekdar]

Shalom and welcome.


Many here are not.


I suspect that most theists here would have issues with your assumptions concerning their God beliefs.


I'm sorry, but I do not understand what you are asking.

I've been around RF for a while. Membership here is quite heterogenous. It might help to keep that in mind.

Surely there's a lot of different beliefs around, but since Christianity is the most popular, and Islam has quite the language/regional barrier, i directed my speech towards this first group.
I think the first words would add some context when i said:
"In your world view, what is our purpose? i assume we are fundamentally different from the rest of the animal kingdom?"
I think religion claims to have answer to the "Big Questions":
"Why are we here" "Where do we come from" that's what i was asking
The most popular religion today claims the existence of a Soul, something immortal that transcends human death, and also confers other properties, i clarify human since ¿apparently animals do not have souls? Again, not everyone believes that, but a significant portion does.
I'm naturally more attracted towards extraordinary claims, and the extraordinary evidence that should accompany them.
But of course i'm also interested if someone tells me they believe en god, but believe in science overall, in that case: what does God do in that regard?
Allow my then to simplify my question

What do you believe and why do you believe it?
Cheers!

 

[SalixIncendium]

"Where do we come from" that's what i was asking

I didn't read "Where do we come from" anywhere in your OP, nor did I read that into your questions.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Hey hey, Atheist here, when i was young i believed in ESP powers and ghosts and stuff, but with the years i felt insufficient evidence (although very entertaining) was being provided, and kinda put it away, i still think there's things out there i cannot explain, but if i need to leap into supernatural phenomena to justify it... i don't care that much
So, i see you are quite religious, i don't know what religion, probably mostly Christian, or at least God believers. U have a book that's a collection of books, that has surely been edited time and time again, translated from ancient languages that nowadays we have a pretty good idea what they meant, but a lot of time has passed since.
Your deity is Infinitely powerful, knows all that has happened, happens, and will happen i assume Everything in this world is like it is, because this deity set it that way.
In your world view, what is our purpose? i assume we are fundamentally different from the rest of the animal kingdom? i do have my own responses but i'd really like to know yours
Cheers!

My worldview there is no actual purpose or meaning because its only based on perspective by which meaning applies to an individuals viewpoint and not the collective universe. There are dynamics and flow to all things however and is multifaceted and endless leading me to think we are actually in and an aspect of a continuum.

For me the natural universe with all its phenomena, is so freaky and bizarre as it is, that you really don't need or require the supernatural.

 

[Alekdar]

My worldview there is no actual purpose or meaning because its only based on perspective by which meaning applies to an individuals viewpoint and not the collective universe. There are dynamics and flow to all things however and is multifaceted and endless leading me to think we are actually in and an aspect of a continuum.

For me the natural universe with all its phenomena, is so freaky and bizarre as it is, that you really don't need or require the supernatural.

I pretty much agree with you word by word I don't feel we need religion anymore, the universe is way more fantastical, and we are much more free than they make us believe

 

[Alekdar]

I didn't read "Where do we come from" anywhere in your OP, nor did I read that into your questions.

Sorry i assumed you were familiar with the "big questions" religion claims to have an answer

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

What do you believe and why do you believe it?

Thanks.

I believe in focused questions not predicated on questionable generalization because such questions facilitate discussion.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I didn't read "Where do we come from" anywhere in your OP, nor did I read that into your questions.

Sorry i assumed you were familiar with the "big questions" religion claims to have an answer

FWIW, I come from Arizona.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I pretty much agree with you word by word I don't feel we need religion anymore, the universe is way more fantastical, and we are much more free than they make us believe

That's my take and it's also something you can see and look at, and touch in a manner of speaking, and still can't even scratch the surface.


Although what we do know is quite astounding and fascinating already.

I'd rather go that route and stay well in reality rather than make up all that crazy silly stuff about gods, and magic , and angels , and demons, flying around among any other fantastical and whimsical creature that a person can think up out of thin air in one's mind and imagination with nothing in the real world that can substantiate any of it.

 

[ChristineM]

Hey hey, Atheist here

Atheist replying, welcome to RF

In your world view, what is our purpose?

Is there a purpose? Maybe reproduction can be considered a purpose but the world would go either way.

i assume we are fundamentally different from the rest of the animal kingdom?

I don't.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Sorry i assumed you were familiar with the "big questions" religion claims to have an answer

Why would you make an assumption about a person you've only just met?

Anyway, I've answered your OP questions in post #4.

 

[Secret Chief]

Hey hey, Atheist here, when i was young i believed in ESP powers and ghosts and stuff, but with the years i felt insufficient evidence (although very entertaining) was being provided, and kinda put it away, i still think there's things out there i cannot explain, but if i need to leap into supernatural phenomena to justify it... i don't care that much
So, i see you are quite religious, i don't know what religion, probably mostly Christian, or at least God believers. U have a book that's a collection of books, that has surely been edited time and time again, translated from ancient languages that nowadays we have a pretty good idea what they meant, but a lot of time has passed since.
Your deity is Infinitely powerful, knows all that has happened, happens, and will happen i assume Everything in this world is like it is, because this deity set it that way.
In your world view, what is our purpose? i assume we are fundamentally different from the rest of the animal kingdom? i do have my own responses but i'd really like to know yours
Cheers!

You're kind of pitching this at Abrahamics I think but anyhoo. For me "supernatural" does not exist. There is a universe, it is "natural" and if humans cannot yet explain something that's all it is, nothing "supernatural" about the current ignorance of the human race. I can't explain Donald Trump, but that doesn't make him supernatural. I hope.

 

[Quintessence]

In your world view, what is our purpose?

That humans assume they have a "purpose" is most curious. Make up whatever fancy pants overly-intellectualized abstracted "purpose" you want to in your head if you want, but things fundamentally just are as they are. The "purpose" of all things is to be what they are, though that's an odd way to talk about the being of things since something cannot be anything other than what it is. I suppose the problem humans is many of them demand things to be something other than what they are (e.g., they "ought" to be something else) and inevitably get upset with the universe when it fails to conform to these demands... thus making themselves miserable instead of simply being.

I assume we are fundamentally different from the rest of the animal kingdom?

I don't assume that at all. I've studied way, way too much life science for such a perspective to be tenable for me. Also, my religion is non-anthropocentric if not anti-anthropocentric.

P.S. I am not any flavor of Abrahamic and therefore do not align with the assumptions of the opening post in just about every way.

 

[danieldemol]

Nice to meet you Daniel

Likewise

So where would this God fit? What function would it fulfill that cannot be acounted with natural phenomena?

I believe it's only function is to provide life to the spirits of all who desire it for as long as they desire it after their physical bodies pass away.

 

[osgart]

There's always a logical jump between inner experience and what that reveals, and pinning it down to brain function. Consciousness can be taken away, but the subject of experiences is permanent. Intellect strongly appears to be non arbitrary in its becoming. Identity of self is what animals are, and that doesn't fit into a physical explanation. The human form is specifically put together to operate as it does. I know evolution is fact, but that doesn't address the special functions of living animals. It is a philosophy that says all functions are arbitrary. That's one hell of a lottery coincidence to think that functional forms of living creatures can be the sole product of environmental conditions. Anything supernatural if discovered would simply be considered natural.

This reality is but a passing form from a deeper reality. The deeper reality is what life is; the product of pure intelligence.

 

[Isabella Lecour]

i still think there's things out there i cannot explain

Hello. There is plenty of stuff out there I cannot explain either. That's because I'm ignorant about it. I fail to have a sense that anything is unknowable by someone.

So, i see you are quite religious

Hmm. Not really sure what you mean. But if I was to make assumptions about a site with a name like this one, that is one conclusion I'd avoid. At best I could assume that folks here are interested in discussing religion.

U have a book that's a collection of books

Yes, I have plenty of anthologies. Few are dealing with religious subjects. My personal religious practices cannot be found in the pages of a book.

Your deity is Infinitely powerful, knows all that has happened, happens, and will happen i assume Everything in this world is like it is, because this deity set it that way.

I find that to be an odd assumption.

In your world view, what is our purpose?

Our purpose? Some great over arching, all encompassing collectively shared purpose? Worm food. That is the only thing I know of that all of humanity, all of life, will face and that is death. I hesitate to call such a purpose but eh, maybe it is.

i assume we are fundamentally different from the rest of the animal kingdom?

Okay. I'm not with you on that assumption. I've seen cows cry when their babies are taken away. I've watched a dog mourn the loss of their best friend and master. I've seen mother birds fight to the death to protect their brood. I've heard the forest talk and warn each other of danger. I've listened to the fields as they wake up and greet the morning sun. I've had my hair stand on end in the middle of the night to the call of the coyote. I've seen compassion and care, anger and lust, greed, envy and competition. I've even seen them march off to war. I've seen them play tricks on each other. Even prank each other for the fun of it. I've seen them play.

I see the same foundations between me and them. I see the same motivations and desires. I see the same trials. I see the same pain. They are my brothers and sisters in this living world.