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Religion

Do you believe in a god?


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Harbornite

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This topic is often raised after an attack is carried out by a radical Muslim, Christian or Jew and yet it doesn't seem to have had its own thread on this forum. How many of you are religious and do you believe in a god?

Just to make it clear, you can discuss anything that's relevant to religion, whether it's to do with believing in a god (as referred to in the poll) or worshipping them or whatever.
 
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EM2

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I've voted No, because I'm generally what is considered to be a 'weak agnostic'. That is, the view that the existence or nonexistence of any deities is currently unknown but is not necessarily unknowable; therefore, one will withhold judgment until evidence, if any, becomes available. A weak agnostic would say, "I don't know whether any deities exist or not, but maybe one day, if there is evidence, we can find something out."

As there is no evidence, I currently do not believe in god(s).
 

Harbornite

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Is there also to be a poll "Do you believe in fairies?"?

I see what you getting at, just select the "no option" as that will include believing in fairies from now on.
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I've voted No, because I'm generally what is considered to be a 'weak agnostic'. That is, the view that the existence or nonexistence of any deities is currently unknown but is not necessarily unknowable; therefore, one will withhold judgment until evidence, if any, becomes available. A weak agnostic would say, "I don't know whether any deities exist or not, but maybe one day, if there is evidence, we can find something out."

As there is no evidence, I currently do not believe in god(s).

Fair enough, I have a similar view on the matter and despite being a catholic, I don't really have faith.
 

me123

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I am not religious, I do not believe in any deity. Until something has been demonstrated to actually exist, I see no point in worshiping it. Give me some evidence and I'll reappraise my view.

Furthermore, of the religions I've primarily been exposed to (mostly Abrahamic, given my cultural background), I don't particularly want to partake in all honesty. Quite a huge chunk of it is absolutely vile. Even if the god of the bible is real, I'm not convinced I'd want to worship them.
 

Harbornite

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I am not religious, I do not believe in any deity. Until something has been demonstrated to actually exist, I see no point in worshiping it. Give me some evidence and I'll reappraise my view.

Furthermore, of the religions I've primarily been exposed to (mostly Abrahamic, given my cultural background), I don't particularly want to partake in all honesty. Quite a huge chunk of it is absolutely vile. Even if the god of the bible is real, I'm not convinced I'd want to worship them.


Good points there, I don't like how people (mis)interpret the crap in the Koran and Bible etc to justify crimes. I'm not saying that religion should be banned and is inherently bad because some religious teachings are genuinely good, but I think it is an outdated concept, a throwback to an age when it was a tool used to control poor people and therefore is no longer relevant.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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Is there also to be a poll "Do you believe in fairies?"?

I think that fairies as we would recognise the term only dates back to the medieval Middle French time period.
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This topic is often raised after an attack is carried out by a radical Muslim, Christian or Jew and yet it doesn't seem to have had its own thread on this forum. How many of you are religious and do you believe in a god?

I am religious, I do believe in God as an entity and if you like, I will publish the Apostle's Creed (Catholic version) in full in a posting on this thread, as that states all of the belief.
 

DynamicSpirit

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I am not religious, I do not believe in any deity. Until something has been demonstrated to actually exist, I see no point in worshiping it. Give me some evidence and I'll reappraise my view.

The question was, "Do you believe in a God?" - it didn't say anything about any need to worship any God (if God exists). You seem to be confusing the two :). I think it's an important point because, while most traditional religions do involve some tradition of worshipping God, it's perfectly possible to believe a God exists without believing that there is any requirement to worship that God. I would suggest that some of the most liberal interpretations of Christianity would err somewhat towards that viewpoint, as would some variants of 'new age'-influenced beliefs. The book, How to be a Bad Christian (which incidentally I think is very good, and comes pretty close to my own beliefs) presents a theology that suggests that loving other people is far, far, more important than traditional worship.

Incidentally, looking at the poll results so far, I'm slightly surprised to see how much of a minority I appear to be in, believing in God.
 

Harbornite

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The question was, "Do you believe in a God?" - it didn't say anything about any need to worship any God (if God exists). You seem to be confusing the two :). I think it's an important point because, while most traditional religions do involve some tradition of worshipping God, it's perfectly possible to believe a God exists without believing that there is any requirement to worship that God. I would suggest that some of the most liberal interpretations of Christianity would err somewhat towards that viewpoint, as would some variants of 'new age'-influenced beliefs. The book, How to be a Bad Christian (which incidentally I think is very good, and comes pretty close to my own beliefs) presents a theology that suggests that loving other people is far, far, more important than traditional worship.

Incidentally, looking at the poll results so far, I'm slightly surprised to see how much of a minority I appear to be in, believing in God.

The purpose of the thread is to be a place for discussion on religion, belief etc in any way that people see fit. Therefore both yours and the post you are replying to is valid. I see no flaws in Me123's post.
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I think that fairies as we would recognise the term only dates back to the medieval Middle French time period.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I am religious, I do believe in God as an entity and if you like, I will publish the Apostle's Creed (Catholic version) in full in a posting on this thread, as that states all of the belief.


Don't want to sound stereotypical but the older generation tend to be more religious and believing in a god is more likely as a result. It would be nice if there was one and I try to keep an open mind, but there's no conclusive evidence, just speculation.
 
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DynamicSpirit

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The purpose of the thread is to be a place for discussion on religion, belief etc in any way that people see fit. Therefore both yours and the post you are replying to is valid. I see now flaws in Me123's posting.

Indeed. I wasn't trying to imply me123's post was not valid; rather, I was seeking to draw attention to a common misconception that many people seem to have - that believing in God necessarily means signing up to all the customs and traditions and doctrines of one of the traditional established religions (including such beliefs as the need to go to a church/mosque/synagogue/etc. and worship God). It doesn't. It seemed to me that Me123 was making roughly that logical mistake - by equating believing in God with believing there's a need to worship God, whereas the two are not the same.
 
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me123

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I've merely expanded on the thought. Until a deity is proven to exist, I see no reason to believe that it does.

Most religions require the unconditional worship of their deity/deities, and as such if it cannot be proven to my satisfaction that they exist it would seem foolish for me to worship them. (Of course, if you do believe in the God in question, it's not necessarily foolish for you to do so). I know not of any religion that requires merely the acceptance that their god exists - they require you to worship in some way. So, the concept of worship and adoration is not as far separated from the concept of existence as one would initially think.
 

Harbornite

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Indeed. I wasn't trying to imply me123's post was not valid; rather, I was seeking to draw attention to a common misconception that many people seem to have - that believing in God necessarily means signing up to all the customs and traditions and doctrines of one of the traditional established religions (including such beliefs as the need to go to a church/mosque/synagogue/etc. and worship God). It doesn't. It seemed to me that Me123 was making roughly that logical mistake - by equating believing in God with believing there's a need to worship God, whereas the two are not the same.

Which god do you believe in? Would this be a generic higher power or someone else?
 

Antman

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I don't believe in god, father Christmas or the tooth fairy and I just don't get religion at all, it just seems to cause nothing but trouble.

I appreciate others will have a different view and that's fair enough.
 

GrimsbyPacer

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The Universe (Multiverse?) and Time are just too vast for an all-powerful entity not to exist. Evidence of supernatural experiences is also huge, but is ignored by many simply because they would rather assume these don't actually happen often with no evidence to support their "counter-claim".

Religion is overwhelming a positive thing, it tells people to behave in a set way and establishes order, it makes people try to become better than what they are.
 
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Harbornite

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The Universe (Multiverse?) and Time are just too vast for an all-powerful entity not to exist.

Why is this?
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Religion is overwhelming a positive thing, it tells people to behave in a set way and establishes order, it makes people try to become better than what they are.


There's truth in this but you don't necessarily need religion to help people to become better.
 

LateThanNever

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I've voted No, because I'm generally what is considered to be a 'weak agnostic'. That is, the view that the existence or nonexistence of any deities is currently unknown but is not necessarily unknowable; therefore, one will withhold judgment until evidence, if any, becomes available. A weak agnostic would say, "I don't know whether any deities exist or not, but maybe one day, if there is evidence, we can find something out."

As there is no evidence, I currently do not believe in god(s).

Wow - My sentiments entirely!
 

DarloRich

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I don't believe in god or an afterlife or heaven or hell. I do believe very strongly that people should be free to follow a faith if they so wish and they should not be restrained from doing so or persecuted for that faith.

In enjoying that freedom they should accept my freedom to suggest they are simple minded, brainwashed fools barking at the moon.
 

Harbornite

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I don't believe in god or an afterlife or heaven or hell. I do believe very strongly that people should be free to follow a faith if they so wish and they should not be restrained from doing so or persecuted for that faith.

In enjoying that freedom they should accept my freedom to suggest they are simple minded, brainwashed fools barking at the moon.


Good points. Religion should be tolerated unless people use their idea of practising religion to justify terrorism.
 
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me123

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The Universe (Multiverse?) and Time are just too vast for an all-powerful entity not to exist.

This is essentially the "watchmaker argument". And it doesn't hold true. Simply, just because you cannot imagine that the universe does not have a creator, this does not mean that the universe does have a creator. The universe may have a creator, but there is no objective evidence that does.

Besides, you make the assumption that the universe is so complex that it must have a creator. But surely, if the creator created the universe then they must be more complex. So who or what created the creator? And, as the creator of the creator must be again even more complex, who or what created that? This argument goes on forever, and there's never a creator that does not in turn require creating.

Evidence of supernatural experiences is also huge, but is ignored by many simply because they would rather assume these don't actually happen often with no evidence to support their "counter-claim".

They are "ignored" because they cannot be proven. There is no objective evidence to support the supernatural in any way that I've ever seen, although if I was to provide examples I would need you to say which supernatural phenomena you believe that there is evidence for, and preferably demonstrate the evidence.

The James Randi Educational Foundation did (and I think still does) offer a one million dollar prize to anyone who can prove supernatural powers in objective scientific conditions. The prize has yet to be claimed.

Religion is overwhelming a positive thing, it tells people to behave in a set way and establishes order, it makes people try to become better than what they are.

I strongly refute this statement. Religion is not a force for good in the world, in fact it's hard to ignore the harm that has been caused by religion, and is still caused to this day. Daesh has to be most obvious example today, to go further back we can look at the actions of the Catholic Church in Africa to inhibit efforts to stop the spread of HIV, Christians shooting vulnerable women in Planned Parenthood clinics in the US, parents in the US who deny their children access to medical care in lieu of prayer, the persecution of homosexuals in Iran... I could go on, but there are a multitude of instances where religion has been used as the justification for harm.

Religious people are, of course, generally good people. That is a testament to the fact that people are generally good. Whilst there are positive effects to religion, I would argue that a lot of these exist independent of the religious aspect of their congregation. For example, religious people may serve the community by running a soup kitchen for homeless people, and I think all of us would agree that that is a good venture. However, this could exist independently of religion, requiring simply a group of like minded people.

As an independent and ambitious person, I do not require religion to make me a better person. I make myself a better person through my own actions, with a view to making my own life better and to making the world around me a better place. I do not require religion to become a better person, I need only to work hard to achieve this.

I think the main benefits of religion can be seen as essentially equivalent to the benefits of community.
 

GatwickDepress

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I considered myself agnostic or atheist at different points of my life, but reverted to Islam a few years ago.

The community and purpose that religion has given me has likely stopped me from performing the hemp fandango, morbid as it is to discuss such things.

I dislike being seen as moronic or lacking in morals for believing in a God. Regardless of the ills that have and are being performed under the guise of religion (ISIS, American fundamentalism), I work hard in my community to help everybody I can.

Sorry if this is disjointed, I'm still a little ditzy from anaesthetic.
 

DynamicSpirit

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I strongly refute this statement. Religion is not a force for good in the world, in fact it's hard to ignore the harm that has been caused by religion, and is still caused to this day. Daesh has to be most obvious example today, to go further back we can look at the actions of the Catholic Church in Africa to inhibit efforts to stop the spread of HIV, Christians shooting vulnerable women in Planned Parenthood clinics in the US, parents in the US who deny their children access to medical care in lieu of prayer, the persecution of homosexuals in Iran... I could go on, but there are a multitude of instances where religion has been used as the justification for harm.

Religious people are, of course, generally good people. That is a testament to the fact that people are generally good. Whilst there are positive effects to religion, I would argue that a lot of these exist independent of the religious aspect of their congregation. For example, religious people may serve the community by running a soup kitchen for homeless people, and I think all of us would agree that that is a good venture. However, this could exist independently of religion, requiring simply a group of like minded people.

Many, many terrible things have been done by people claiming to act in the name of their religion. Just as many, many, good and noble things have been done by people claiming to act in the name of their religion. It seems a tad inconsistent to blame the bad things on the religion but then to claim the good things are nothing to do with the religion but would have happened anyway.
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Which god do you believe in? Would this be a generic higher power or someone else?

Jeremy Corbyn of course. :lol:

More seriously, I would describe myself as on the liberal fringes of Christianity, which means I (very roughly) believe in a God of Love as described in the - shall we say, nicer bits of the Bible - but I tend to strip out most of the accompanying theology.
 

Shaw S Hunter

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The Universe (Multiverse?) and Time are just too vast for an all-powerful entity not to exist.

Surprisingly enough this view is expressed by many astrophysicists. And is of course a somewhat unscientific opinion. Maybe it's their way of coping with thinking so regularly about concepts like infinity and aeons of time.

It's certainly clear that religion has been used as an excuse for an incredible range of atrocities throughout history. My own view is that people are best off finding and listening to their conscience. Very few people are naturally evil.
 

DarloRich

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This thread being one of discussion on religion, I thought that I would bring up the matter of the British monarchy and ask if it is likely that the monarch holding the title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England will ever change?

Anyone with views on this matter?

It wont change until we become a republic. Which I think will happen eventually but not any time soon.
 

me123

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Many, many terrible things have been done by people claiming to act in the name of their religion. Just as many, many, good and noble things have been done by people claiming to act in the name of their religion. It seems a tad inconsistent to blame the bad things on the religion but then to claim the good things are nothing to do with the religion but would have happened anyway.

Religion is responsible for lots of the worlds problems, although I hasten to add not all atrocities are committed in the name of religion - to take one current big example, North Korea is not a religious state.

Religion does, of course, do good things. Church groups do valuable work in their community. Religious charities around the world do fantastic work. The religious community can provide a valuable support network for fellow believers in times of crisis. All of this is good and is to be welcomed. But I've yet to see any good thing done by a religious group that cannot and has not been done by non-religious groups. Religion does not hold a monopoly on community service and charity. And any community can provide a support network. Of course, I whole-heartedly welcome positive engagement from religious groups in the community as a whole - religious groups do good things, and I support them in their endeavours. But religion (as a whole) has not contributed anything unique. People would still do, and indeed are doing these good things without religious affiliation.
 

telstarbox

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For those who ticked the 'god' option, were any of you brought up non-religious and then subsequently found faith? I ask because most of the Christians I knew at school were brought up in churchgoing families and so I'd assumed their beliefs were 'inherited' rather than 'acquired'.

My personal view is that there is no god, and belief in a god is 'wrong' but in a scientific rather than moral sense. Religions have been around as long as humanity and it would be unrealistic to expect this to change any time soon.

Organised religion is to an extent a human construct - there have always been priests and clerics telling people the 'rules' of the faith.
 
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