Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

I stay religious because I think it’s true. A few points:

1. I do not the modern quasi-consensus that “science” is sufficient to explain the nature of reality. Scientists tend to be really smart, so much so that most of the population is incapable of joining their ranks and understanding the things that they understand. If human intelligence is a continuum (and it is) and if only some people are smart enough to understand the stuff that as a global community currently understand, wouldn’t it follow that there are some truths that lie beyond the aptitude of our best and brightest? Assuming to the contrary is an exercise in faith.

2. Much of religion feels absurd, but that is a side effect. The world it purports to explain is absurd. We wake up here and depart, never to return without any way of testing what (if anything) lies beyond.

3. Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep. Four of those things are exist beyond dispute.

4. Most of the world sensibly assumed that, just as most things are made by multiple people, so too were we made by multiple gods. Virtually the only countervailing hypothesis was Abrahamic monotheism. Call it luck if you will, but that other hypothesis branched out from one held by a loose confederation of tribes in the ancient near east into a millennia-enduring global religious force to be reckoned with.

I think Christianity is true, and I actually, really believe it.

Obviously people aren't "hardwired to seek out a divinity." Educated people don't. The vast majority of people who are religious were brainwashed at a young age- they didn't seek it out. And education significantly increases the chance that someone will drop their religion later in life.

Then why are you here? Why do you care so much? What is missing from your life that you have to come.to DCUM and call people uneducated?

The pp claimed that "Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep." That's obviously absurd.

I am unsure how it’s even false, much less absurd

Because educated societies and individuals certainly don't "seek out divinity."

Which societies in history existed without a belief in a “divinity”?

Look around at educated, western civilizations today.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not one educated, informed logical person thinks there was a global flood during human history or prior. In fact it is physically impossible to have happened.

The evidence of flood and flood legends is strong corroboration of the position that the bible is mere mythology, and not even original mythology at that.

If you believe there was a literal global flood, despite all the evidence to the contrary, then there is no purpose in discussing it because you are in denial of clear facts.

I find it hard to believe there is a whole page of a forum of adults devoted to the flood myth. I guess my participation makes me (almost) as bad! lol

If you notice -- many of the people posting here don't believe the flood myth at all.

Yeah, most of us are not from traditions that interpret the Bible literally. Which is why we don’t care when some atheist fixate on pointing out similarities between stories.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not one educated, informed logical person thinks there was a global flood during human history or prior. In fact it is physically impossible to have happened.

The evidence of flood and flood legends is strong corroboration of the position that the bible is mere mythology, and not even original mythology at that.

If you believe there was a literal global flood, despite all the evidence to the contrary, then there is no purpose in discussing it because you are in denial of clear facts.

I find it hard to believe there is a whole page of a forum of adults devoted to the flood myth. I guess my participation makes me (almost) as bad! lol

If you notice -- many of the people posting here don't believe the flood myth at all.

Yeah, most of us are not from traditions that interpret the Bible literally. Which is why we don’t care when some atheist fixate on pointing out similarities between stories.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

I stay religious because I think it’s true. A few points:

1. I do not the modern quasi-consensus that “science” is sufficient to explain the nature of reality. Scientists tend to be really smart, so much so that most of the population is incapable of joining their ranks and understanding the things that they understand. If human intelligence is a continuum (and it is) and if only some people are smart enough to understand the stuff that as a global community currently understand, wouldn’t it follow that there are some truths that lie beyond the aptitude of our best and brightest? Assuming to the contrary is an exercise in faith.

2. Much of religion feels absurd, but that is a side effect. The world it purports to explain is absurd. We wake up here and depart, never to return without any way of testing what (if anything) lies beyond.

3. Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep. Four of those things are exist beyond dispute.

4. Most of the world sensibly assumed that, just as most things are made by multiple people, so too were we made by multiple gods. Virtually the only countervailing hypothesis was Abrahamic monotheism. Call it luck if you will, but that other hypothesis branched out from one held by a loose confederation of tribes in the ancient near east into a millennia-enduring global religious force to be reckoned with.

I think Christianity is true, and I actually, really believe it.

Obviously people aren't "hardwired to seek out a divinity." Educated people don't. The vast majority of people who are religious were brainwashed at a young age- they didn't seek it out. And education significantly increases the chance that someone will drop their religion later in life.

Then why are you here? Why do you care so much? What is missing from your life that you have to come.to DCUM and call people uneducated?

The pp claimed that "Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep." That's obviously absurd.

I am unsure how it’s even false, much less absurd

Because educated societies and individuals certainly don't "seek out divinity."

Which societies in history existed without a belief in a “divinity”?

Look around at educated, western civilizations today.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

I stay religious because I think it’s true. A few points:

1. I do not the modern quasi-consensus that “science” is sufficient to explain the nature of reality. Scientists tend to be really smart, so much so that most of the population is incapable of joining their ranks and understanding the things that they understand. If human intelligence is a continuum (and it is) and if only some people are smart enough to understand the stuff that as a global community currently understand, wouldn’t it follow that there are some truths that lie beyond the aptitude of our best and brightest? Assuming to the contrary is an exercise in faith.

2. Much of religion feels absurd, but that is a side effect. The world it purports to explain is absurd. We wake up here and depart, never to return without any way of testing what (if anything) lies beyond.

3. Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep. Four of those things are exist beyond dispute.

4. Most of the world sensibly assumed that, just as most things are made by multiple people, so too were we made by multiple gods. Virtually the only countervailing hypothesis was Abrahamic monotheism. Call it luck if you will, but that other hypothesis branched out from one held by a loose confederation of tribes in the ancient near east into a millennia-enduring global religious force to be reckoned with.

I think Christianity is true, and I actually, really believe it.

Obviously people aren't "hardwired to seek out a divinity." Educated people don't. The vast majority of people who are religious were brainwashed at a young age- they didn't seek it out. And education significantly increases the chance that someone will drop their religion later in life.

Then why are you here? Why do you care so much? What is missing from your life that you have to come.to DCUM and call people uneducated?

The pp claimed that "Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep." That's obviously absurd.

I am unsure how it’s even false, much less absurd

Because educated societies and individuals certainly don't "seek out divinity."

Which societies in history existed without a belief in a “divinity”?

Look around at educated, western civilizations today.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

I stay religious because I think it’s true. A few points:

1. I do not the modern quasi-consensus that “science” is sufficient to explain the nature of reality. Scientists tend to be really smart, so much so that most of the population is incapable of joining their ranks and understanding the things that they understand. If human intelligence is a continuum (and it is) and if only some people are smart enough to understand the stuff that as a global community currently understand, wouldn’t it follow that there are some truths that lie beyond the aptitude of our best and brightest? Assuming to the contrary is an exercise in faith.

2. Much of religion feels absurd, but that is a side effect. The world it purports to explain is absurd. We wake up here and depart, never to return without any way of testing what (if anything) lies beyond.

3. Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep. Four of those things are exist beyond dispute.

4. Most of the world sensibly assumed that, just as most things are made by multiple people, so too were we made by multiple gods. Virtually the only countervailing hypothesis was Abrahamic monotheism. Call it luck if you will, but that other hypothesis branched out from one held by a loose confederation of tribes in the ancient near east into a millennia-enduring global religious force to be reckoned with.

I think Christianity is true, and I actually, really believe it.

Obviously people aren't "hardwired to seek out a divinity." Educated people don't. The vast majority of people who are religious were brainwashed at a young age- they didn't seek it out. And education significantly increases the chance that someone will drop their religion later in life.

Then why are you here? Why do you care so much? What is missing from your life that you have to come.to DCUM and call people uneducated?

The pp claimed that "Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep." That's obviously absurd.

I am unsure how it’s even false, much less absurd

Because educated societies and individuals certainly don't "seek out divinity."

Which societies in history existed without a belief in a “divinity”?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not one educated, informed logical person thinks there was a global flood during human history or prior. In fact it is physically impossible to have happened.

The evidence of flood and flood legends is strong corroboration of the position that the bible is mere mythology, and not even original mythology at that.

If you believe there was a literal global flood, despite all the evidence to the contrary, then there is no purpose in discussing it because you are in denial of clear facts.

I find it hard to believe there is a whole page of a forum of adults devoted to the flood myth. I guess my participation makes me (almost) as bad! lol

If you notice -- many of the people posting here don't believe the flood myth at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

For me personally: my religion is a system of values and beliefs about how to move through life that has yielded better outcomes for me than other things I’ve tried.

And I really tried other things, including a period of secularism/Humanism from age 15-20.

For me: the appeal is not about a fear of burning in hell, it’s about how to —at minimum— not harm myself, others, and the planet in the here and now. And hopefully do a lot of good. Because we could all use more good in the world.

I’ve figured out that religion doesn’t have to work for everyone to work for me. I’d still follow it even if it became the alternative lifestyle.

As for intelligence, I have multiple advanced degrees (including one in a science) and know many intelligent people who are religious, including those who were raised in largely secular societies and converted as adults.

When it comes to asking questions, my religious upbringing prized wrestling with the tenets and didn’t punish doubt.

And it’s very pleasant to think that you’re going to live forever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

I stay religious because I think it’s true. A few points:

1. I do not the modern quasi-consensus that “science” is sufficient to explain the nature of reality. Scientists tend to be really smart, so much so that most of the population is incapable of joining their ranks and understanding the things that they understand. If human intelligence is a continuum (and it is) and if only some people are smart enough to understand the stuff that as a global community currently understand, wouldn’t it follow that there are some truths that lie beyond the aptitude of our best and brightest? Assuming to the contrary is an exercise in faith.

2. Much of religion feels absurd, but that is a side effect. The world it purports to explain is absurd. We wake up here and depart, never to return without any way of testing what (if anything) lies beyond.

3. Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep. Four of those things are exist beyond dispute.

4. Most of the world sensibly assumed that, just as most things are made by multiple people, so too were we made by multiple gods. Virtually the only countervailing hypothesis was Abrahamic monotheism. Call it luck if you will, but that other hypothesis branched out from one held by a loose confederation of tribes in the ancient near east into a millennia-enduring global religious force to be reckoned with.

I think Christianity is true, and I actually, really believe it.

Obviously people aren't "hardwired to seek out a divinity." Educated people don't. The vast majority of people who are religious were brainwashed at a young age- they didn't seek it out. And education significantly increases the chance that someone will drop their religion later in life.

Then why are you here? Why do you care so much? What is missing from your life that you have to come.to DCUM and call people uneducated?

The pp claimed that "Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep." That's obviously absurd.

I am unsure how it’s even false, much less absurd

Because educated societies and individuals certainly don't "seek out divinity."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

I stay religious because I think it’s true. A few points:

1. I do not the modern quasi-consensus that “science” is sufficient to explain the nature of reality. Scientists tend to be really smart, so much so that most of the population is incapable of joining their ranks and understanding the things that they understand. If human intelligence is a continuum (and it is) and if only some people are smart enough to understand the stuff that as a global community currently understand, wouldn’t it follow that there are some truths that lie beyond the aptitude of our best and brightest? Assuming to the contrary is an exercise in faith.

2. Much of religion feels absurd, but that is a side effect. The world it purports to explain is absurd. We wake up here and depart, never to return without any way of testing what (if anything) lies beyond.

3. Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep. Four of those things are exist beyond dispute.

4. Most of the world sensibly assumed that, just as most things are made by multiple people, so too were we made by multiple gods. Virtually the only countervailing hypothesis was Abrahamic monotheism. Call it luck if you will, but that other hypothesis branched out from one held by a loose confederation of tribes in the ancient near east into a millennia-enduring global religious force to be reckoned with.

I think Christianity is true, and I actually, really believe it.

Obviously people aren't "hardwired to seek out a divinity." Educated people don't. The vast majority of people who are religious were brainwashed at a young age- they didn't seek it out. And education significantly increases the chance that someone will drop their religion later in life.

Then why are you here? Why do you care so much? What is missing from your life that you have to come.to DCUM and call people uneducated?

The pp claimed that "Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep." That's obviously absurd.

I am unsure how it’s even false, much less absurd

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

For me personally: my religion is a system of values and beliefs about how to move through life that has yielded better outcomes for me than other things I’ve tried.

And I really tried other things, including a period of secularism/Humanism from age 15-20.

For me: the appeal is not about a fear of burning in hell, it’s about how to —at minimum— not harm myself, others, and the planet in the here and now. And hopefully do a lot of good. Because we could all use more good in the world.

I’ve figured out that religion doesn’t have to work for everyone to work for me. I’d still follow it even if it became the alternative lifestyle.

As for intelligence, I have multiple advanced degrees (including one in a science) and know many intelligent people who are religious, including those who were raised in largely secular societies and converted as adults.

When it comes to asking questions, my religious upbringing prized wrestling with the tenets and didn’t punish doubt.

And none of the principles that you go by have anything to do with religion. This is very much humanism.

Great. Is there a place that you go where adults get together regularly to talk about how to do these things better, be more in touch with their own humanity, and live better lives?

If there is, do you think anyone on the internet is going to take it from you with some little quip?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

I stay religious because I think it’s true. A few points:

1. I do not the modern quasi-consensus that “science” is sufficient to explain the nature of reality. Scientists tend to be really smart, so much so that most of the population is incapable of joining their ranks and understanding the things that they understand. If human intelligence is a continuum (and it is) and if only some people are smart enough to understand the stuff that as a global community currently understand, wouldn’t it follow that there are some truths that lie beyond the aptitude of our best and brightest? Assuming to the contrary is an exercise in faith.

2. Much of religion feels absurd, but that is a side effect. The world it purports to explain is absurd. We wake up here and depart, never to return without any way of testing what (if anything) lies beyond.

3. Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep. Four of those things are exist beyond dispute.

4. Most of the world sensibly assumed that, just as most things are made by multiple people, so too were we made by multiple gods. Virtually the only countervailing hypothesis was Abrahamic monotheism. Call it luck if you will, but that other hypothesis branched out from one held by a loose confederation of tribes in the ancient near east into a millennia-enduring global religious force to be reckoned with.

I think Christianity is true, and I actually, really believe it.

Obviously people aren't "hardwired to seek out a divinity." Educated people don't. The vast majority of people who are religious were brainwashed at a young age- they didn't seek it out. And education significantly increases the chance that someone will drop their religion later in life.

Then why are you here? Why do you care so much? What is missing from your life that you have to come.to DCUM and call people uneducated?

The pp claimed that "Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep." That's obviously absurd.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

I stay religious because I think it’s true. A few points:

1. I do not the modern quasi-consensus that “science” is sufficient to explain the nature of reality. Scientists tend to be really smart, so much so that most of the population is incapable of joining their ranks and understanding the things that they understand. If human intelligence is a continuum (and it is) and if only some people are smart enough to understand the stuff that as a global community currently understand, wouldn’t it follow that there are some truths that lie beyond the aptitude of our best and brightest? Assuming to the contrary is an exercise in faith.

2. Much of religion feels absurd, but that is a side effect. The world it purports to explain is absurd. We wake up here and depart, never to return without any way of testing what (if anything) lies beyond.

3. Humans appear hardwired to seek out a divinity, food, water, sex, and sleep. Four of those things are exist beyond dispute.

4. Most of the world sensibly assumed that, just as most things are made by multiple people, so too were we made by multiple gods. Virtually the only countervailing hypothesis was Abrahamic monotheism. Call it luck if you will, but that other hypothesis branched out from one held by a loose confederation of tribes in the ancient near east into a millennia-enduring global religious force to be reckoned with.

I think Christianity is true, and I actually, really believe it.

Obviously people aren't "hardwired to seek out a divinity." Educated people don't. The vast majority of people who are religious were brainwashed at a young age- they didn't seek it out. And education significantly increases the chance that someone will drop their religion later in life.

Then why are you here? Why do you care so much? What is missing from your life that you have to come.to DCUM and call people uneducated?

Anonymous wrote:I don't think anyone actually believes. If they did, they would be afraid to do anything sinful. I think that shows that everyone has doubts about its truthfulness.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe because they like it. It feels good. Most everyone else they know does it.

Do they really believe? I doubt it. I can see why people believed it 2,000 years ago, but how can anyone these days possibly believe that long ago, a guy who was actually God, had a mother who was a virgin. He was later died by hanging on a cross, then came back to life and ultimately went up to the sky (heaven) to live with his father (God) and if you believe that, you’ll get to live forever just like him. If you don’t, then you’ll burn forever, instead.

It’s a story, obviously.

There’s a great new 15 min video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdgVM0WGKg on “Why intelligent people are leaving religion”. You can play it at high speed.

Here’s how it starts: “It’s becoming more common now. You meet people who followed every rule and custom and they tell you ‘I don’t really believe anymore.’ They’re not angry about it. They just tell you: ‘I just left.’ Many are well read and curious people. People who ask questions. People who listen carefully to the answers.”

For me personally: my religion is a system of values and beliefs about how to move through life that has yielded better outcomes for me than other things I’ve tried.

And I really tried other things, including a period of secularism/Humanism from age 15-20.

For me: the appeal is not about a fear of burning in hell, it’s about how to —at minimum— not harm myself, others, and the planet in the here and now. And hopefully do a lot of good. Because we could all use more good in the world.

I’ve figured out that religion doesn’t have to work for everyone to work for me. I’d still follow it even if it became the alternative lifestyle.

As for intelligence, I have multiple advanced degrees (including one in a science) and know many intelligent people who are religious, including those who were raised in largely secular societies and converted as adults.

When it comes to asking questions, my religious upbringing prized wrestling with the tenets and didn’t punish doubt.

And none of the principles that you go by have anything to do with religion. This is very much humanism.