WHY do you believe?

[clara17]

Taught by parents?
Taught by friends?

Is there any REAL evidence to what you believe?

Because everything we see matches what scripture says perfectly.

 

[clara17]

Religion and different beliefs in an imaginary unevidenced super entity are important to us. These views lead to conflicts. Eradicating superstitious beliefs which have no evidence is more important to humanity.

are you sure? Whenever that happens, the people tend to start eating each other.

 

[Valjean]

Because everything we see matches what scripture says perfectly.

ROFL!

 

[Absolutely Frank]

Taught by parents?
Taught by friends?

Is there any REAL evidence to what you believe?

I choose to believe because it gives me pleasure. It's that simple and I don't find evidence necessary.

 

[Aupmanyav]

are you sure? Whenever that happens, the people tend to start eating each other.

are you sure? They are eating each other now. What difference did religion or God has made?

Tradition didn't contradict the bible and vice versa.

You do not have the same tradition or scriptures that your ancestors may have had. These keep on changing.
That is why they are not the truth. For truth, look for evidence and not scriptures.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Taught by parents?

Yes. I'm no longer on that path.

Taught by friends?

No.

Is there any REAL evidence to what you believe?

Yes. Thanks for asking.

 

[endlessvoid2018]

I used to believe in the biblical god, mostly because this is what I was taught. I wouldn't really say it was forced on me, though. Last year I decided I had had enough of the hypocrisy of religion however. Since then, I have been on a journey of my own discovery and truths.

I wouldn't really say I specifically fall into any particular label, others might. I have found myself at times to be bit Agnostic, atheist, Humanist, Apatheist, Pantheist, Deist, and Ietsist, all sort of at the same time. Some people have called me a "Seeker."

"Agnostic atheist," seems to be the position technically that describes my belief system now most accurately, or Agnostic AND atheist. For me, this is not a very positive claim however, and I have found that embracing the Humanist value system really shows more so what I believe in, even though they are technically two different things.

I might even be considered a "spiritual atheist," if there is such a thing.

 

[Valjean]

I choose to believe because it gives me pleasure. It's that simple and I don't find evidence necessary.

Excellent! You admit you don't actually care what is really true, but choose to believe in pleasant færie tales.

But why have you previously posted apologetics, defending your færie tales? Why have you questioned the epistemics of skeptics who questiond the færie tales?
You admit here that your faith is epistemically equivalent to Kipling's Just-so Stories, or Æsop's fables, so why bother defending, or even explaining it?

 

[clara17]

I used to believe in the biblical god, mostly because this is what I was taught. I wouldn't really say it was forced on me, though. Last year I decided I had had enough of the hypocrisy of religion however. Since then, I have been on a journey of my own discovery and truths.

I wouldn't really say I specifically fall into any particular label, others might. I have found myself at times to be bit Agnostic, atheist, Humanist, Apatheist, Pantheist, Deist, and Ietsist, all sort of at the same time. Some people have called me a "Seeker."

"Agnostic atheist," seems to be the position technically that describes my belief system now most accurately, or Agnostic AND atheist. For me, this is not a very positive claim however, and I have found that embracing the Humanist value system really shows more so what I believe in, even though they are technically two different things.

I might even be considered a "spiritual atheist," if there is such a thing.

if you believed in the God of the Bible, why would religion (which is a mess) change that belief, since God existed before all religions were made up

 

[clara17]

are you sure? They are eating each other now. What difference did religion or God has made?

All the difference. The idea of individual rights, property rights, these are from God's original commandments. You can't have anyone else's property. You can't harm another person. You can't even be jealous of them. And to go a step farther, you should treat them the way you want to be treated. The problems arise from not following these rules. Religion on the other hand usually involves breaking one or all of these rules.

 

[The Hammer]

Isn't creation explained by unconscious, unguided physics and chemistry?

Sort of.

 

[Valjean]

All the difference. The idea of individual rights, property rights, these are from God's original commandments. You can't have anyone else's property. You can't harm another person. You can't even be jealous of them. And to go a step farther, you should treat them the way you want to be treated. The problems arise from not following these rules. Religion on the other hand usually involves breaking one or all of these rules.

But the Bible, which purports to represent God's original commandments and moral outlook, is full of examples, and even instructions, for exploiting, enslaving, or killing perfectly innocent other people, both male and female, adult and infant.
It seems to me that human rights, justice, and fairness are foreign concepts to most of the Bible.

 

[clara17]

But the Bible, which purports to represent God's original commandments and moral outlook, is full of examples, and even instructions, for exploiting, enslaving, or killing perfectly innocent other people, both male and female, adult and infant.
It seems to me that human rights, justice, and fairness are foreign concepts to most of the Bible.

I don't think so. You are presuming these were completely innocent people. In some cases, these instructions involved some of the worst people who have ever lived. And the Bible is not full of these examples, but there are a few, and they are in the Old Testament, when people had to pay the price for their own sin. In fact, the entire Bible is about justice. The word judgement is used hundreds of times, where a more accurate translation would have and should have been the word justice.

 

[Jimmy]

I believe so maybe children will believe.

 

[Valjean]

I don't think so. You are presuming these were completely innocent people. In some cases, these instructions involved some of the worst people who have ever lived. And the Bible is not full of these examples, but there are a few, and they are in the Old Testament, when people had to pay the price for their own sin. In fact, the entire Bible is about justice. The word judgement is used hundreds of times, where a more accurate translation would have and should have been the word justice.

Absolutely not. In many cases God Himself displays no concern for human rights or any concept of fairness. He commands various men to commit crimes more heinous than the Waffen SS, then commends their actions. He even scolds those who fail to exhibit sufficient cruelty.

There is no justice in slaughtering innocent women and children, dashing infants against rocks, or enslaving virgin girls. -- merely for occupying territory you covet. What sins are they paying for?

The God of the OT is a savage warlord, intent on leading His people to invade and conquer -- read: utterly destroy -- their neighbors, and once established, to exploit and prey upon them, not to mention applying severe, pitiless regulations to their own population.
Many of the moral precepts propounded in the Bible would be considered heinous by most reasonable people today, would they not?

 

[clara17]

Absolutely not. In many cases God Himself displays no concern for human rights or any concept of fairness. He commands various men to commit crimes more heinous than the Waffen SS, then commends their actions. He even scolds those who fail to exhibit sufficient cruelty.

There is no justice in slaughtering innocent women and children, dashing infants against rocks, or enslaving virgin girls. -- merely for occupying territory you covet. What sins are they paying for?

The God of the OT is a savage warlord, intent on leading His people to invade and conquer -- read: utterly destroy -- their neighbors, and once established, to exploit and prey upon them, not to mention applying severe, pitiless regulations to their own population.
Many of the moral precepts propounded in the Bible would be considered heinous by most reasonable people today, would they not?

Why focus on the Old Testament when we live in the New Testament?

 

[Valjean]

Why focus on the Old Testament when we live in the New Testament?

Because Jesus changed "not a jot or tittle" -- by His own admission. He never questioned the rampant cruelty, or the injustice displayed by His "loving, merciful God." He endorsed the whole 630 mitzvot. He exhorted slaves to obey their masters.

Is the God of the New testament a different God? Are we violating the 1st commandment? We certainly seem to be cherry-picking to beat the band.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Religion on the other hand usually involves breaking one or all of these rules.

Then do away with religions. Why make such an insidious thing exist?
There is no God, no soul, no day of judgment, no heaven, no hell, no deliverance, no everlasting life, no prophet, no son, no messenger, no manifestation, no mahdi, other than in religions. Religions have taken humanity on a wrong path.

 

[Valjean]

Then do away with religions. Why make such an insidious thing exist?
There is no God, no soul, no day of judgment, no heaven, no hell, no deliverance, no everlasting life, no prophet, no son, no messenger, no manifestation, no mahdi, other than in religions. Religions have taken humanity on a wrong path.

Were you friends with John Lennon when he was over there?

 

[Aupmanyav]

.. and they are in the Old Testament, when people had to pay the price for their own sin. In fact, the entire Bible is about justice.

Then why have Christians kept Old Testament as part of Bible? Bible is not about justice, it is about a person who thought (or whose followers think) that he was son of a God. See how he cursed the cities which did not accept him.