It is uncertain...

[Jayhawker Soule]

There is ton's of evidence for Christianity: the empty tomb, ...

To claim "ton's [sic] of evidence" is absurd. What you have is poorly written narrative fabricated half a decade after the purported event.

 

[Melody]

The actual existence of God. So, my question is: How can someone be so faithful and absolute about something that lacks evidence when the entire story seems so artificial.

I see the evidence of God in everything around me. I feel His presence when I pray. I've heard His voice....but generally the answers I get are much more subtle. You would probably call them coincidence. I don't believe in coincidences and certainly not as many as I have on a daily basis.

You asked "How can someone be so faithful and absolute about something that lacks evidence". I *have* the evidence and that is how I can be so faithful and absolute.

 

[BeautifulMind]

What is your evidence?

 

[Melody]

I guess the reason for me asking the question is because I am curious as to why we, as a society, let our "faith", a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny, allow us to be so judgmental, narrow-minded, and cruel.

Faith does not make us judgmental, narrow-minded and cruel. It is just an excuse used by those who already are that way. Some people choose a religion, perhaps subconsciously, because it already fits their nature and gives it free reign.

In my experience, most, if not all, of the religious believers that I have encountered have been lost, weak, or confused. It just seems that people find "faith" because they are people who need comfort from the real world or they need a guideline to live their own lives. [\quote]

There's a wonderful song, can't remember the name, but it talks about how, if we wait until everything is going good, we may never open our hearts to God. It is at our lowest moments when we cry out to Him....and He answers. It would make sense then that many that have a strong faith would also have had a strong reason to seek Him.

You might call this self-delusion but that's a lot of deluded people. Also, if they didn't have contact with Him on a regular basis, how long do you think this delusion would last? Eventually, they'd give it up because there would be no "feedback" to keep them going.

I don't mean to have my remarks offend anyone, they are just questions and experiences I want to share, but I do not see why religion should even exist. It seems all it does is cause war and segregation. In my opinion, it is definitely something that the world does not need.

I can't argue with you about religions causing war and segregation, but religions are not necessarily faith.

 

[Fascist Christ]

What is your evidence?

I am here. I know that I did not make myself, but my parents caused my existence. Likewise, their parents caused them, and so on. This goes on back to the parent of all. You might call it the Big Bang, others might call it God. I don't see why it matters.

 

[BeautifulMind]

I believe the very basis of religion is faith.

 

[BeautifulMind]

Fascist Christ, you don't see why it matters?

 

[Scuba Pete]

BM,

In as much as it does not change the facts, how we understand our existence matters little.

In as much as it affects our outlook, it matters greatly.

 

[Fascist Christ]

Fascist Christ, you don't see why it matters?

Correct. It doesn't matter what you believe, but how you get along with other people. You can believe in the Spaghetti Monster or the Invisible Pink Unicorn for all I care. It does me no harm. If you get guidance or even kicks out of that, all the better. I just have a problem when you start telling me that I am going to be tortured by His noodly appendages if I do not comply with this or that, or that I shall be impaled at the town square for not believing in the IPU.

 

[BeautifulMind]

But wouldn't you be concerned enough to actually let the person, who believes in Invisible Pink Unicorns and Spaghetti Monsters, that they are not real? Because it does wrong to their sense of reality? If you are ignorant enough to say you don't care about something that does no harm to you I would tell you to **** off because you are a careless person. I believe that a person should care about anything and everything no matter how it may seem.

 

[Fascist Christ]

But wouldn't you be concerned enough to actually let the person, who believes in Invisible Pink Unicorns and Spaghetti Monsters, that they are not real? Because it does wrong to their sense of reality? If you are ignorant enough to say you don't care about something that does no harm to you I would tell you to **** off because you are a careless person. I believe that a person should care about anything and everything no matter how it may seem.

The belief is a personal choice, and I do not presume any authority over another's choice. Of course, I am not going to silence my opinions on the matter. When I say that it does no harm to me, I am considering everyone else as well. That is, it does no harm to anyone other than the believer. Then, if such a belief is harmful to the believer, than I would make sure the believer understands my position. If still, the believer continues to believe, I must step down - for there is nothing more that I can do. I find that it is far more beneficial to enable people with knowledge to make their own decisions rather than dictating to them the "right path." Atheists who do this are no better than the Theists who do the same. They are all pressing their personal opinions on others, in order to "save" them in some way. I will not reduce myself to be such an enemy to freedom.

Now, if the Spaghetti Monster believers decide that IPU believers must all die, I will of course object. This does not harm me, but it does harm others, and such an imposition warrants intervention.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Because it does wrong to their sense of reality?

No one has a lock on reality. EVERYONE has those little areas of non sequiturs, even though we might not be willing to admit or accept it. Given that, the issue is not so much that we might POSSIBLY have erroneous beliefs, but the magnitude of those errors. In lieu of that, I would suggest that the journey to enlightenment is far more important than your actual placement on the map of human reality!

 

[Melody]

What is your evidence?

The sun, moon and stars. The fact that on our one little planet, we have all the right things to allow life to exist where it does not anywhere else in our solar system. People, plants and animals and their interdependence. The seasons and so much more. That is my evidence that the Creator exists.

 

[Melody]

But wouldn't you be concerned enough to actually let the person, who believes in Invisible Pink Unicorns and Spaghetti Monsters, that they are not real? Because it does wrong to their sense of reality? If you are ignorant enough to say you don't care about something that does no harm to you I would tell you to **** off because you are a careless person. I believe that a person should care about anything and everything no matter how it may seem.

I think they had this general idea during the inquisition, didn't they? It was the "we know you're not thinking right and we're just gonna correct that....for your own good."

My sense of reality is just fine, thank you.

 

[Malus 12:9]

we have all the right things to allow life to exist where it does not anywhere else in our solar system.

How can you prove that there aren't the "right things" to allow life elsewhere in our solar system?

 

[Fascist Christ]

How can you prove that there aren't the "right things" to allow life elsewhere in our solar system?

No one said that the "evidence" had to be provable. If you have "evidence" that is a bloody knife, you can "believe" that a murder took place, but it would never hold up in a court of law.

 

[Merlin]

How can you prove that there aren't the "right things" to allow life elsewhere in our solar system?

It is certain that life 'as we know it' does not exist within our solar system. But as there are several million billion galaxies, it is highly unlikely we are alone.

 

[Malus 12:9]

No one said that the "evidence" had to be provable.

Very well, although I aint sure how that fit in with what you quoted me for..

 

[SoyLeche]

It is certain that life 'as we know it' does not exist within our solar system. But as there are several million billion galaxies, it is highly unlikely we are alone.

By 'as we know it' do you mean intelligent? There is still a tiny sliver of a chance that we may find some simple life forms, on Europa I believe. I doubt it's there, but it hasn't been shown that it isn't yet.

 

[may]

I guess the reason for me asking the question is because I am curious as to why we, as a society, let our "faith", a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny, allow us to be so judgmental, narrow-minded, and cruel.

In my experience, most, if not all, of the religious believers that I have encountered have been lost, weak, or confused. It just seems that people find "faith" because they are people who need comfort from the real world or they need a guideline to live their own lives.

I don't mean to have my remarks offend anyone, they are just questions and experiences I want to share, but I do not see why religion should even exist. It seems all it does is cause war and segregation. In my opinion, it is definitely something that the world does not need.

maybe you have not found the religion that Jesus taught , did Jesus tell his followers to go to war ? no he said they would have love amongst themselves , how can a true follower of christ kill his neighbour or brother or sister of a neigbouring country . yet so called christendom blessed the war and incouraged people to fight for their country , now that is wrong dont you think? Jesus said by their fruits you will recognize the true christians so religious leaders telling people to go to war is wrong... by the way , some times the true faith finds us, we do not go looking for it , and we are quite happy in our lives as i thought i was before learning about the bible, and as far as i was concerned i didnt need God in my life but how wrong i was . weather we are aware of it or not we do need God in our lives even those who have no problems as such .