Do you believe in God?

[TexRex]

Oh jeez this one with their periodic popping in to talk about a thing being discussed after reading a single post and ignoring all context surrounding it.

 

[HenrySwanson]

Evil? In what way? I don't even want to know, but I'm curious. Unless they hurt children or abused certain people.

I'm curious about this question and not sure how to respond as you say you don't want to know about child abuse or abusing "certain people"?

I found that a book on critical thinking helped me in my interactions here and with the world in general, as well as going back into education.

 

[Chris30]

I'm curious about this question and not sure how to respond as you say you don't want to know about child abuse or abusing "certain people"?

I found that a book on critical thinking helped me in my interactions here and with the world in general, as well as going back into education.

That's why I don't post much here. I do know what abuse is. My grandma did it to us and my mom/grandpa by withholding money for us getting food and medical treatment. And when I was little, if I broke any rules my grandma whipped me with a belt. I was horrified back then. Yeah, TexRex I know you're talking about me, well don't other people pop in here too to discuss this matter and about God.

 

[Duke]

Have any atheists here prayed since becoming an atheist?

An Atheist’s Prayer | HDS News Archive

news-archive.hds.harvard.edu

"Is not prayer a study of truth? A venture of the soul into the unfound infinite? No one ever prayed heartily without learning something.”

Emerson wasn’t wrong.

I still don't pray on my own, my spiritual practices don't involve talking when no one but me is there to hear. But I no longer run from prayer. I am learning something. Can an atheist pray, and why would she want to? After today, let the answers to these questions be a little less clear, and let us remember how it can feel to pray the prayers of others with our whole hearts, to stop TRYING, for half a breath, to make a prayer fit neatly into our theology, and just let it come. To open ourselves up to some change, to pray heartily, and to learn something.

What does any of that even mean? That article made no sense to me whatsoever.

If you’re an atheist, why would you love religious community? Why wouldn’t it just be community?

And if you’re not praying to a supernatural entity, then isn’t it just… thinking?

No, I’ve never been moved to pray since deciding there was nothing to pray to. And nothing in that article made me see a point in trying.

 

[Meythia]

If you’re an atheist, why would you love religious community? Why wouldn’t it just be community?

One doesnt make the other necessary.
Even when I say I dont believe in any god entity existing, I know the majority of people doesnt share this believe and lives in religious communities of any kind. But of course this is up to everyones own decision.

And if you’re not praying to a supernatural entity, then isn’t it just… thinking?

I would be interested in knowing how people invented the believe in any supernatural entity.
There must have been some thought behind it (I hope).

But praying as an atheist doesnt make any sense to me, praying is communication with a supernatural being, otherwise (without the supernatural thing) it is thinking.

 

[Duke]

They seem to be using prayer as a way of organizing thoughts, and I get that. But making it a prayer to nothing seems weird.

And I really don’t get why they specifically love religious communities but aren’t religious.

 

[Exorcet]

I would be interested in knowing how people invented the believe in any supernatural entity.
There must have been some thought behind it (I hope).

It was probably an extension of the ability to detect intent, which would have come about from trying to avoid threats from other animals. Humans are probably best at modeling human thoughts and so are most likely to apply human characteristics to a perceived intelligently driven action. Back when religion was getting started and knowledge was very limited it would have been easy for people to see something they could not explain and imagine that someone was behind the action. Over time and through word of mouth that is prone to exaggeration, you get gods and religion.

EDIT

If you're asking on a more personal level, I'd say the above still applies just because so much of religion is tradition and appeal to emotion. People elevated above other myths because it has been around so long and in that time it has been shaped into something that is very good at getting into people's heads.

Honest thought is what leads away from religion in my mind.

 

[HenrySwanson]

That's why I don't post much here. I do know what abuse is. My grandma did it to us and my mom/grandpa by withholding money for us getting food and medical treatment. And when I was little, if I broke any rules my grandma whipped me with a belt. I was horrified back then.

And you understand Christians can commit the most horrific abuse, correct?

And that Christianity can promote abuse?

Yeah, TexRex I know you're talking about me, well don't other people pop in here too to discuss this matter and about God.

They do....but to contribute meaningfully it's best to get a little background instead of just taking a random post and rushing to comment. There's no time limit to post.

 

[Duke]

This is the cognitive disconnect that I feel is endemic to the very concept of religion. I saw this ad for a local church:

Join Pastor Doug for a mind-blowing, 15-part study series and get clear, trustworthy, logical answers to your most pressing questions about prophecy and the Bible. You’ll not only receive life-changing insight into what the future will bring next, but you’ll also gain the practical tools you need to thrive in these challenging times!

Some of this is standard religious boilerplate language; challenging times, future will bring, etc.

But how do logical and practical even enter the chat? Trustworthy is in the eye of the truster, I suppose, but if an answer about a supernatural spirit is clear, it's either completely fabricated or just plain wrong.

 

[Danoff]

This is the cognitive disconnect that I feel is endemic to the very concept of religion. I saw this ad for a local church:

Some of this is standard religious boilerplate language; challenging times, future will bring, etc.

But how do logical and practical even enter the chat? Trustworthy is in the eye of the truster, I suppose, but if an answer about a supernatural spirit is clear, it's either completely fabricated or just plain wrong.

Clear, logical, trustworthy... I guess he's going to say it's all made up.

 

[UKMikey]

 

[TexRex]

This is the cognitive disconnect that I feel is endemic to the very concept of religion. I saw this ad for a local church:

Some of this is standard religious boilerplate language; challenging times, future will bring, etc.

But how do logical and practical even enter the chat? Trustworthy is in the eye of the truster, I suppose, but if an answer about a supernatural spirit is clear, it's either completely fabricated or just plain wrong.

Remove "prophecy" and "Bible" and it's no different from any number of podcastbros. "Don't listen to them. They're lying to you. Only I will tell you the truth." Scripture isn't necessary for this to work. I'd lay odds that the fact that it works is why scripture exists.

 

[Duke]

Remove "prophecy" and "Bible" and it's no different from any number of podcastbros. "Don't listen to them. They're lying to you. Only I will tell you the truth." Scripture isn't necessary for this to work. I'd lay odds that the fact that it works is why scripture exists.

Agreed. I kind of feel that willingness to suspend disbelief and reason that way makes one susceptible to religion, and religion breeds the type who take advantage of that.

It’s no coincidence that the Trump Cult overlaps heavily with very Christian followers.

 

[HenrySwanson]

There needs to be a mass walkout and rejection of these churches until they change.

There won't be, however. And I'm doubtful there will be much change either.

 

[HenrySwanson]

Going down a rabbit hole, I found out about Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire, and glanced over the transcript of an interview:

Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire & Francis Collins | Live from Faith & Science 2024 - BioLogos

Francis Collins and Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire share some key moments from behind the scenes of the COVID pandemic and vaccine development.

biologos.org

Which led me to look up Francis Collins:

Is there a God and does he care about me? The Testimony of BioLogos Founder Francis Collins - BioLogos

biologos.org

So for me, faith and science always—from the time of my conversion—seemed incredibly complementary. Synergistic. They were two ways of knowing, but knowing different things and asking different questions. Science asking how, faith answering why. We are reading both of the books God gave us.

In between, I wondered about Edward Jenner's religious views because he's sometimes considered (depending on how you look at it) the person who saved the most lives so searched his wiki:

Neither fanatic nor lax, Jenner was a Christian who in his personal correspondence showed himself quite spiritual.  Some days before his death, he stated to a friend: "I am not surprised that men are not grateful to me; but I wonder that they are not grateful to God for the good which He has made me the instrument of conveying to my fellow creatures"

But then I think, "well, why would the diseases be there in the first place", and hit a dead end....