Ok in my classes we have a lot of religious discussions and I just cannot grasp the idea of how some one can believe in a religion. I mean there are thousands of religions out there and the majority of them say if you’re not in their religion then you’re to be damned. The odds that you have chosen the right one is like a blind man trying to choose his favorite color. I try to understand how you can believe what you have been taught your whole life or what you have read in a book. But I mean there are other books out there and other parents who've taught other things. Now some people say "Faith", but I have to wonder how you can believe in something so strongly as to devote your life to it without any proof. Is it the subconscious human desire to belong to a group, to feel safe under the protection of a higher power? Or is it possibly that they just want something to make them less afraid of the largest unknown, and possibly the most frightening thing a human can face, death. Please if some one out there is religious and devoted then explain to me how you can believe.

People will believe anything if it is the easiest route to comfort and absolution, no matter how bizarre and unfounded. Religion is a way of justifying things that cannot be justified and filling in the holes in our knowledge, that's all, and that's exactly why it isn't based on reason.

Yeah, I believe blindly in a god, but I'm not deeply religious or anything. I just feel (and I'm not sure why) that something created this place and made it so cool-looking. I really don't understand how or why everything exists, and I've decided I think about things way too much, so I doubt I'll be having any giant revelations any time soon, so for now I say God created us and doesn't fuck with us except for the rare occasion.

[This message has been edited by sellout_10 (edited 03-03-2005).]

After you are through questioning the things you question that go against God. Question the things on the other side that will prove God. How can you believe in Science, if that is the explanation you use for everything, when science has YET to disprove God. If anything it's helped prove his existance.

I don't believe in religion.

I believe in God.

quote:Originally posted by Rav:

People will believe anything if it is the easiest route to comfort and absolution, no matter how bizarre and unfounded. Religion is a way of justifying things that cannot be justified and filling in the holes in our knowledge, that's all, and that's exactly why it isn't based on reason.

Believing in God is anything but easy !

It creates more questions than it does answers...

It initiates more doubt in humanity than a high school killing spree...

It shakes the core of everything we know to be true, based on physical experience...

I am more guilt-ridden (based on a heightened sense of conviction for my transgressions), more confused, and more selfless than I have ever been in my whole life.

Now, before you turn that around to try and prove why believing in God is an act of futility, I need to point out why I say these things.

With answers come more questions.

With truth comes conviction.

While all of these things happen to me, I am filled with a peace and understanding that eluded my prior to my conversion to Christianity. However, I did not convert because I thought I would experience joy overflowing and wisdom.

I converted, because I felt Him.

I have questions, doubts, and fears...and in time, God always reveals His truths one by one to me.

I would like them to be revealed all at once, and preferrably RIGHT NOW, but that is not how God operates.

Anyway, it is enough to have the entire planet hating me to deter me from practicing Christianity...don't you think ?

Don't paint this pretty little picture of solace and comfort that supposedly exists within religion.

I can't think of too many religions that haven't experienced persecution, simply because of their belief.

How is that comforting ?

And can you even begin to make "reason" out of the metaphysical ?

Religion (God, Goddess, Ancestor, whatever) is a voice in your heart.

If you're called, it's very hard not to come.

If you're not called, it's very hard to understand.

There is no good explanation, and 'reason' doesn't come into it.

What it comes down to is it's a very private matter. Proselytizing is unlikely to convince anyone who isn't on that path in the first place.

I have nothing against atheists or agnostics. The young, fierce, ones tend to preach, but since they base their opinions on reason and logic, they don't usually get offensive about it. Convincing someone else doesn't get them any 'points', so they usually just shake their heads at my 'fantasy' and leave it at that. And there's nothing in it for me, either, since it's not my job to make converts, so I just enjoy the conversation too.

P.S. There is no 'damnation' for someone who doesn't follow my path. There is just whatever their path contains.

I am curently steering clear of all organised beleif systems. But I am pretty sure that there is some entity or entities that inspired them. There were alot of times when life and humanity where in very fragile states and it would be pretty amazing if it pulled through all these times without any outside help. There are probably alot of other Earths out there that crapped out for one reason or another we are either very lucky or very special.

Well for starters its their parents. Chances are good youll follow your parents religious views pretty closely, whichever religion they are. For example, my parents are athiests, and so am I. Although i would like to say that is not the reason, there is a chance it is. This example applies to people whos parents are a different religion from them oftentimes as well, because theyre friends, probably christians (i say this because most other religions dont prostheletize), got you interested in the faith.

Also, its easy to believe blindly. Everyone does it to some extent. Was world war 2 a good thing? yes id say it was without questioning it, and thats probably true. But my point is i blindly believe it.

So now you say "I felt a calling" well id say thats bs, but im willing to try and be objective if anyone reading this will. How was your life when you "felt" god? Chances are you were either unhappy, or felt you were missing something. You find out about religion, and realize it can make you feel better/fill the void in your life. Simple as that.

I dont mean to offend anyone, but if you take an objective look at it, you may find your faith to be wrong (talking to athiests and religios folk alike.)

quote:Originally posted by sellout_10:

Yeah, I believe blindly in a god, but I'm not deeply religious or anything. I just feel (and I'm not sure why) that something created this place and made it so cool-looking. I really don't understand how or why everything exists, and I've decided I think about things way too much, so I doubt I'll be having any giant revelations any time soon, so for now I say God created us and doesn't fuck with us except for the rare occasion.





not to pick on sellout, but this was the first pro-religion answer i saw and it brought me to another point: if you dont think about things its very easy to believe blindly. For the love of whatever god you believe in, please dont just stop thinking.

I didn't stop thinking because of that, I stopped thinking because I'd think about things that could happen, and then I'd be worried that they might happen and become too paranoid/obsessive to even talk to people. So, that's not to say I don't think, I've just started thinking less and doing more. I've decided I believe in god, and I've thought it all out and decided exactly what I believe in, but I'm too lazy/tired to post my beliefs. I correct myself: I haven't stopped thinking, I've come to certain realizations. Once I feel I know god exists, I can't argue. I spend enough time second-guessing myself, so maybe that's what I've stopped doing.

I believe, personally, that you manifest what you believe. (you get what you believe, and fuck you.)

I think that many believe because they have no good reason not to, just as I don't believe because I have no good reason to (I don't mean reasons like 'go to heaven' and 'added mental health', I mean like reasons why, and I don't think there are any good ones). I was at a camp one time, and my roommates were joking about strategies to sleep during church without being caught. I was tempted to ask them why they were even religious if they weren't going to take the stuff seriously. But I guess some people believe because they just do. It allows them to be manipulated by scams and institutions more easily, but if someone doesn't want to have to think critically about the universe, that's fine with me.

quote:Originally posted by Digital_Savior:

I don't believe in religion.

I believe in God.

That is among the dumbest responses there are to this question. Unfortunately this seems to be the favorite answer of bourn again christians. They distance themselves from the crimes of the older churches. But the thing is you HAVE to follow a religion in order to get to a god and more over for him to have christian values. If you read any holy book you are a part of that religion, if you ever go to a holy place you are a part of that religion, if you ever follow a messiah you are a part of that religion. Sorry to say but just because you don't like what someone has done it doesn't mean he isn't worshiping the same thing as you.

quote:Originally posted by sellout_10:

I didn't stop thinking because of that, I stopped thinking because I'd think about things that could happen, and then I'd be worried that they might happen and become too paranoid/obsessive to even talk to people. So, that's not to say I don't think, I've just started thinking less and doing more. I've decided I believe in god, and I've thought it all out and decided exactly what I believe in, but I'm too lazy/tired to post my beliefs. I correct myself: I haven't stopped thinking, I've come to certain realizations. Once I feel I know god exists, I can't argue. I spend enough time second-guessing myself, so maybe that's what I've stopped doing.

Reminds me of me a bit. Anyway as long as you stay open and dont fall into the trap of being too set in your beliefs.

quote:Originally posted by ChickenOfDoom:

if someone doesn't want to have to think critically about the universe, that's fine with me.

true, but at least you can try to get people to think. Then again some are hopeless.

Reguardless to what you say you don't believe, but do believe not all believers believe because of comfort. To me it's be better if we did die and remained.. dead cold and still. However, that isn't the case. It's human to think that every beginning must have an end. It's hard for some to accept that the very beginning will never end.

I really don't think that most adult christians are blind followers. Almost everyone with half a brain has questioned their faith and their system of beliefs. A lot of atheists are atheists because they questioned religion. A lot of catholics and christians also question their faith. They don't just follow blindly. They ask themselves if they think that the religion is right, if they think that religion is right for them. I think that children and adolescents are the only people who tend to be blind followers of religion(or they're atleast in the majority of all those who are blind followers).

Basically what I'm trying to say is that people who believe in religion often question their faith, it isn't just atheists and agnostics who question the validity of religion.

quote:Originally posted by HellzShellz:

After you are through questioning the things you question that go against God. Question the things on the other side that will prove God. How can you believe in Science, if that is the explanation you use for everything, when science has YET to disprove God. If anything it's helped prove his existance.



Uh how can science disprove something that never exsisted in the first place. And seriously if science said that there was no God and gave proof for it how many people would believe. People who believe in God are ignorant and people who defend God are idiots because you can't prove shit.

quote:Originally posted by Nazi:

Uh how can science disprove something that never exsisted in the first place. And seriously if science said that there was no God and gave proof for it how many people would believe. People who believe in God are ignorant and people who defend God are idiots because you can't prove shit.

Then you too are an idiot, because you defend atheism and you can not disprove God. How can you be so narrow-minded as to not admit or at the least consider possibilities? Science, again, has done alot to prove God. Read the bible before you dare say science doesn't help to prove his existence.

alright, not to brag, but i know enough about the bible and enough about science to understand both sides somewhat. Since there is no proof god exists, one side will say "theres no proof, he doesnt exist" and the other side will say "theres no proof of him not existing, he exists". Now, there are a lot of good arguements against the creationist theory, but thats not what we are talking.

if you think you can look at this objectively, head over to http://www.evilbible.com/Impossible.htm for a good logical reputation of the existence of god.

Of course you can always say, it doesnt have to make sense, its god. If you want to believe by blind faith, and your completely unwilling to think about it, then i cant convince you of anything. Have fun with your own ideas. But if you want to think about it, serriously consider those arguements.

The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the little remnant of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon. Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the four hundred women of Jabesh-gilead who were spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them. The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had left this gap in the tribes of Israel. So the Israelite leaders asked, "How can we find wives for the few who remain, since all the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead? There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel will not be lost forever. But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God's curse."

/\ The fucking jews for you. They fucked up 3x and there getting punished.