How can rational people believe in any religion?

[Anonymous]

I'm an atheist and I believe OP (or whoever is arguing for "man. magic. sky" stuff) is an ignorant ahole who doesn't have enough basic knowledge to even engage in the conversation they are trying to have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an atheist and I believe OP (or whoever is arguing for "man. magic. sky" stuff) is an ignorant ahole who doesn't have enough basic knowledge to even engage in the conversation they are trying to have.

I agree with your assessment heartily.

And sadly- they seem angry at Christians/God based on their own wrong basic knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correction, according to pew most people think Trump IS an atheist.

"Not too or not at all religious" doesn't mean atheist. That actually describes most believers.

Anyway, Trump has said many times over the years that he believes in god and heaven.

The reason religions put belief above other attributes is that at least as of now, it isn't provable whether someone believes or not. So anyone can believe and feel righteous with no easy way to prove they aren't a believer and follower. Maybe technology will change that and soon we will be able to test people's beliefs neurologically. But for now, many people say they believe in God and then do exactly the opposite of what that God tells humans to do. It's low hanging fruit to believe something. You don't actually have to do anything.

Why would we use technology to “test” people’s brains regarding their beliefs?

It actually sounds sinister.

People are rightfully allowed to believe whatever they want, or not believe in anything. What would be the reason for testing their brain?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So a person is trivialized as "believing in a magic man in the sky" by a person whose raison d'etre on DCUM can be trivialized as ragging on religion and humblebragging on the superior brainpower of atheists.

Kewl.

It's rude to actually say that to a believer, but that is exactly what most non-believers think about believers. It just seems like a silly belief in 2026.

DP.

I can’t speak for all religious people, but I don’t care if you think my beliefs are silly. We have a right to believe or not believe, all of us in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correction, according to pew most people think Trump IS an atheist.

"Not too or not at all religious" doesn't mean atheist. That actually describes most believers.

Anyway, Trump has said many times over the years that he believes in god and heaven.

The reason religions put belief above other attributes is that at least as of now, it isn't provable whether someone believes or not. So anyone can believe and feel righteous with no easy way to prove they aren't a believer and follower. Maybe technology will change that and soon we will be able to test people's beliefs neurologically. But for now, many people say they believe in God and then do exactly the opposite of what that God tells humans to do. It's low hanging fruit to believe something. You don't actually have to do anything.

You can actually believe in god and still not do what god tells you to do.

Just like people believe that laws exist and still don’t follow them.

But in your analogy they dont think those laws are important right? So are you saying they dont think God's laws are important? They believe but dont really like what God says to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the balanced approach of PP and what the benefits are. In my mind, the benefits do not outweigh the manipulation and violence of religion that we have seen proven out time and again. Usually by people who are using the religion for their own purposes, unfortunately, and are not true followers.

Anything can be manipulated. Look at how democracy in the US is being manipulated and abused right now.

Don't disagree at all. But religion is one of the worst things to manipulate because it gives people hope, preys upon their fears and their sense of worth. Both can be true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correction, according to pew most people think Trump IS an atheist.

"Not too or not at all religious" doesn't mean atheist. That actually describes most believers.

Anyway, Trump has said many times over the years that he believes in god and heaven.

The reason religions put belief above other attributes is that at least as of now, it isn't provable whether someone believes or not. So anyone can believe and feel righteous with no easy way to prove they aren't a believer and follower. Maybe technology will change that and soon we will be able to test people's beliefs neurologically. But for now, many people say they believe in God and then do exactly the opposite of what that God tells humans to do. It's low hanging fruit to believe something. You don't actually have to do anything.

You can actually believe in god and still not do what god tells you to do.

Just like people believe that laws exist and still don’t follow them.

But in your analogy they dont think those laws are important right? So are you saying they dont think God's laws are important? They believe but dont really like what God says to do?

Do you think that all people who believe god exists do every single thing that they think that god wants them to do? 100%

If that were the case then why would anyone need “forgiveness”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the balanced approach of PP and what the benefits are. In my mind, the benefits do not outweigh the manipulation and violence of religion that we have seen proven out time and again. Usually by people who are using the religion for their own purposes, unfortunately, and are not true followers.

Anything can be manipulated. Look at how democracy in the US is being manipulated and abused right now.

Don't disagree at all. But religion is one of the worst things to manipulate because it gives people hope, preys upon their fears and their sense of worth. Both can be true.

Why is giving people hope negative?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correction, according to pew most people think Trump IS an atheist.

"Not too or not at all religious" doesn't mean atheist. That actually describes most believers.

Anyway, Trump has said many times over the years that he believes in god and heaven.

The reason religions put belief above other attributes is that at least as of now, it isn't provable whether someone believes or not. So anyone can believe and feel righteous with no easy way to prove they aren't a believer and follower. Maybe technology will change that and soon we will be able to test people's beliefs neurologically. But for now, many people say they believe in God and then do exactly the opposite of what that God tells humans to do. It's low hanging fruit to believe something. You don't actually have to do anything.

You can actually believe in god and still not do what god tells you to do.

Just like people believe that laws exist and still don’t follow them.

But in your analogy they dont think those laws are important right? So are you saying they dont think God's laws are important? They believe but dont really like what God says to do?

Do you think that all people who believe god exists do every single thing that they think that god wants them to do? 100%

If that were the case then why would anyone need “forgiveness”?

Do you think people who believe in God are perfect or supposed to be perfect?

We are all sinners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even just using Christianity, it doesn't make sense that God first appeared to the Jews many thousands of years after people existed and only to this one tribe of people, but then he brought a son down to earth but somehow didn't convince the jews despite this fulfilling his original plan they should have been on board with. And then somehow also influenced the Muslim world and the Muslims and Christians for most of the time after Jesus hated jews. And then his new religion splintered into hundreds of churches.. Its all so ridiculous. These religions are just myths from the time period and culture they came from. They have no flow from one century to the next.

At least get your facts straight before you call anything ridiculous. Jesus didn't hate Jews--he was a Jew and always saw himself as a Jew. Islam sees Jesus as a prophet and views itself as representing his true message (Christians disagree). So a fair amount of continuity. And Judaism and Islam have also split into many sects each.

Whatever your background, we get that you hate Christianity specifically, lol. You look sort of ridiculous yourself.

But he would have been successful with the Jews if it was actually God's plan to send his son to save them. Like Moses. It makes no sense that God sent his only son as a Jew and most of that race and religion didn't follow him. As the other commenter said, you missed the point.

You missed the point.

God condemned an entire generation of Jews to die in the desert outside Israel with Moses, as punishment for lack of faith. That's Jewish scripture.

The Jews you are speaking about were worshipping a false god and sacrificing other Jewish people to the false god.

God didn’t strike these people down and kill them; he let them live out their natural lives and only allowed the Jewish people to enter the promised land after all that had been involved in human sacrifice had died.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even just using Christianity, it doesn't make sense that God first appeared to the Jews many thousands of years after people existed and only to this one tribe of people, but then he brought a son down to earth but somehow didn't convince the jews despite this fulfilling his original plan they should have been on board with. And then somehow also influenced the Muslim world and the Muslims and Christians for most of the time after Jesus hated jews. And then his new religion splintered into hundreds of churches.. Its all so ridiculous. These religions are just myths from the time period and culture they came from. They have no flow from one century to the next.

At least get your facts straight before you call anything ridiculous. Jesus didn't hate Jews--he was a Jew and always saw himself as a Jew. Islam sees Jesus as a prophet and views itself as representing his true message (Christians disagree). So a fair amount of continuity. And Judaism and Islam have also split into many sects each.

Whatever your background, we get that you hate Christianity specifically, lol. You look sort of ridiculous yourself.

But he would have been successful with the Jews if it was actually God's plan to send his son to save them. Like Moses. It makes no sense that God sent his only son as a Jew and most of that race and religion didn't follow him. As the other commenter said, you missed the point.

You missed the point.

God condemned an entire generation of Jews to die in the desert outside Israel with Moses, as punishment for lack of faith. That's Jewish scripture.

The Jews you are speaking about were worshipping a false god and sacrificing other Jewish people to the false god.

God didn’t strike these people down and kill them; he let them live out their natural lives and only allowed the Jewish people to enter the promised land after all that had been involved in human sacrifice had died.

Incorrect and also not responsive to the point. Roman Jews also lived out their natural life.

[Anonymous]

If you want be happy, irrationality is rational because it makes you happy. Your rationality makes you miserable, which seems irrational.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correction, according to pew most people think Trump IS an atheist.

"Not too or not at all religious" doesn't mean atheist. That actually describes most believers.

Anyway, Trump has said many times over the years that he believes in god and heaven.

The reason religions put belief above other attributes is that at least as of now, it isn't provable whether someone believes or not. So anyone can believe and feel righteous with no easy way to prove they aren't a believer and follower. Maybe technology will change that and soon we will be able to test people's beliefs neurologically. But for now, many people say they believe in God and then do exactly the opposite of what that God tells humans to do. It's low hanging fruit to believe something. You don't actually have to do anything.

You can actually believe in god and still not do what god tells you to do.

Just like people believe that laws exist and still don’t follow them.

But in your analogy they dont think those laws are important right? So are you saying they dont think God's laws are important? They believe but dont really like what God says to do?

Do you think that all people who believe god exists do every single thing that they think that god wants them to do? 100%

If that were the case then why would anyone need “forgiveness”?

Do you think people who believe in God are perfect or supposed to be perfect?

We are all sinners.

Sinning actually doesnt make sense related to a god. Related to humans it makes sense because we have the capacity to hurt others. If God wanted us all to go to heaven and not sin 0we wouldn't need forgiveness or sin. Humans are just evolved mammals that invented religion and government to keep their societies in check. That makes way more sense than God wanting us to go to heaven and making us in his image but us having a hard time becoming like him. It also matches up with the history of humans who invented religion once societies were formed.
People don't follow laws of the world because either they think they are stupid and people who made them stupid or they are not thinking about good choices and being pulled by animal instincts or are being threatened or enticed by other people. Otherwise they typically follow them. The same is true for religious laws. God has nothing to do with it. They are all just laws made up by other men that people follow or don't based on their needs and wants.

[Anonymous]

It’s irrational to deny intelligent design. The human body alone is incredibly intelligent along with plant life even ants.

Every creature has its own self regulating system that doesn’t seem like it occurred via chance but supernatural design

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correction, according to pew most people think Trump IS an atheist.

"Not too or not at all religious" doesn't mean atheist. That actually describes most believers.

Anyway, Trump has said many times over the years that he believes in god and heaven.

The reason religions put belief above other attributes is that at least as of now, it isn't provable whether someone believes or not. So anyone can believe and feel righteous with no easy way to prove they aren't a believer and follower. Maybe technology will change that and soon we will be able to test people's beliefs neurologically. But for now, many people say they believe in God and then do exactly the opposite of what that God tells humans to do. It's low hanging fruit to believe something. You don't actually have to do anything.

You can actually believe in god and still not do what god tells you to do.

Just like people believe that laws exist and still don’t follow them.

But in your analogy they dont think those laws are important right? So are you saying they dont think God's laws are important? They believe but dont really like what God says to do?

Do you think that all people who believe god exists do every single thing that they think that god wants them to do? 100%

If that were the case then why would anyone need “forgiveness”?

Do you think people who believe in God are perfect or supposed to be perfect?

We are all sinners.

Sinning actually doesnt make sense related to a god. Related to humans it makes sense because we have the capacity to hurt others. If God wanted us all to go to heaven and not sin 0we wouldn't need forgiveness or sin. Humans are just evolved mammals that invented religion and government to keep their societies in check. That makes way more sense than God wanting us to go to heaven and making us in his image but us having a hard time becoming like him. It also matches up with the history of humans who invented religion once societies were formed.
People don't follow laws of the world because either they think they are stupid and people who made them stupid or they are not thinking about good choices and being pulled by animal instincts or are being threatened or enticed by other people. Otherwise they typically follow them. The same is true for religious laws. God has nothing to do with it. They are all just laws made up by other men that people follow or don't based on their needs and wants.

You are expressing your opinion. I am quoting the Bible. The quote is important because we are discussing Christianity and the beliefs of people who are Christians.

Whatever opinions you have about religion are your own personal thoughts and not facts.

For a group of people who demand facts and evidence and studies and hard data, you certainly aren’t shy about posting paragraph after paragraph of your own personal thoughts and expecting everyone to take it as fact,

Such a contradiction.