How can rational people believe in any religion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have thought and thought about this. How can anyone believe religion is real? To me it is all superstition. I can understand why some people need it— it gives them community, structure, for some, morals and for others excuses to commit atrocities. But really, what separates idol worship from Jesus worship or monotheism? In my mind it is all a bunch of made up nonsense that is not grounded in reality. It’s crazy to think that highly intelligent people believe all this.

We aren’t meant to know everyone’s inner thoughts and workings. Thank God. I don’t care about what other people believe, as long as they obey the law. It’s not that deep to think, hmmm, not everyone thinks alike. That’s life.

[Anonymous]

Shouldn’t there only be one religion if religion is real?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t there only be one religion if religion is real?

Why would this be true?

If you mean "Shouldn't there only be one *true* religion?" Then yes. We agree. Like most religious people, I believe that mine is the only true one. Most religions make exclusive truth claims.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t there only be one religion if religion is real?

Why would this be true?

If you mean "Shouldn't there only be one *true* religion?" Then yes. We agree. Like most religious people, I believe that mine is the only true one. Most religions make exclusive truth claims.

You’d think that’d trigger some critical thinking…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t there only be one religion if religion is real?

I believe God presents himself to different people in different ways.

So there’s one God, but a multitude of religions and beliefs

[Anonymous]

Relational people think it’s all parables and lessons and traditions and community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t there only be one religion if religion is real?

Why would this be true?

If you mean "Shouldn't there only be one *true* religion?" Then yes. We agree. Like most religious people, I believe that mine is the only true one. Most religions make exclusive truth claims.

You’d think that’d trigger some critical thinking…

It certainly does. Some people say that if all these religions make exclusive truth claims, then they must all be false.

But that does not necessarily follow, although that is all the further that some care to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t there only be one religion if religion is real?

I believe God presents himself to different people in different ways.

So there’s one God, but a multitude of religions and beliefs

Why does God allow people to fight and kill each other over different religious beliefs, if it is all one God?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why DO atheists care so much what other people think.

They don't. But they have reason and logic and don't understand how others get benefit from fairy tales. I grew up Catholic. But I'm pretty confident Mary conceived Jesus the usual way. I'm pretty confident Jesus didn't use miracles to turn water into wine. And I'm pretty confident the body of Jesus didn't magically rise into someplace called heaven three days after he was crucified. None of it makes sense. But people wil say you have to have faith. Ok, but I could also have faith in the spaghetti monster. It doesn't make it real. I think Jesus was a good dude and there's a lot of wisdom there. But I can't make myself believe in the hocus pocus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why DO atheists care so much what other people think.

They don't. But they have reason and logic and don't understand how others get benefit from fairy tales. I grew up Catholic. But I'm pretty confident Mary conceived Jesus the usual way. I'm pretty confident Jesus didn't use miracles to turn water into wine. And I'm pretty confident the body of Jesus didn't magically rise into someplace called heaven three days after he was crucified. None of it makes sense. But people wil say you have to have faith. Ok, but I could also have faith in the spaghetti monster. It doesn't make it real. I think Jesus was a good dude and there's a lot of wisdom there. But I can't make myself believe in the hocus pocus.

This is a very good line indeed . The most probable etymology of hocus pocus is that it is a distortion of "Hoc est corpus meum" (This is my body) from the Latin Mass.

That being said, I went the opposite direction from you. I was a well convinced atheist of the "new atheist" sort, but sheer atheism does a terrible job of explaining reality. The occasional miracle is, frankly, much more believable. Which is why I am a Christian now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t there only be one religion if religion is real?

I believe God presents himself to different people in different ways.

So there’s one God, but a multitude of religions and beliefs

Why does God allow people to fight and kill each other over different religious beliefs, if it is all one God?

God created life, and with life comes free will and science. We are shitty co-creators. God didn’t chose wars and fighting, we did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Relational people think it’s all parables and lessons and traditions and community.

Yep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why DO atheists care so much what other people think.

They don't. But they have reason and logic and don't understand how others get benefit from fairy tales. I grew up Catholic. But I'm pretty confident Mary conceived Jesus the usual way. I'm pretty confident Jesus didn't use miracles to turn water into wine. And I'm pretty confident the body of Jesus didn't magically rise into someplace called heaven three days after he was crucified. None of it makes sense. But people wil say you have to have faith. Ok, but I could also have faith in the spaghetti monster. It doesn't make it real. I think Jesus was a good dude and there's a lot of wisdom there. But I can't make myself believe in the hocus pocus.

.

But you being “pretty confident” means nothing.

Your lack of self awareness is astounding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not about being rational. That's why it's called "faith."

Thought stopping cliche

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t there only be one religion if religion is real?

Why would this be true?

If you mean "Shouldn't there only be one *true* religion?" Then yes. We agree. Like most religious people, I believe that mine is the only true one. Most religions make exclusive truth claims.

You’d think that’d trigger some critical thinking…

+1