Anonymous
07/10/2012 14:04
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Here we go again. Since the majority of people who study how the universe was created - ie cosmologists - do not believe in God, can we just accept that creation is not a gotcha question for atheists?
I've often heard this claim, that cosmologists do not believe in God, but have never seen any evidence to back it up. I would expect that a majority would not believe that the universe was created in six days less than 10,000 years ago and I would agree with them. I'm an engineer and believe that we understand only a tiny morsel of the cosmos but I also believe in God.
I'm interested in seeing evidence to back up this claim to. I'm pretty sure Stephen Hawking doesn't believe in God. But I've also read a few books by cosmologists who do believe in God. I've seen quotes from Einstein arguing both sides.
Anonymous
07/10/2012 14:01
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
Anonymous wrote:
Here we go again. Since the majority of people who study how the universe was created - ie cosmologists - do not believe in God, can we just accept that creation is not a gotcha question for atheists?
I've often heard this claim, that cosmologists do not believe in God, but have never seen any evidence to back it up. I would expect that a majority would not believe that the universe was created in six days less than 10,000 years ago and I would agree with them. I'm an engineer and believe that we understand only a tiny morsel of the cosmos but I also believe in God.
Anonymous
07/10/2012 13:57
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
Anonymous wrote:We are rational beings. If God existed and wanted us to know he existed, he would have given us some sort of evidence (and no, a 2000 y/o story book does not count).
Plus, I reject the idea of a God who is primarily concerned with whether people believe in him over whether or not people are moral and good.
For many believers, morality is the key issue, not just belief per se. Religion is all about helping your neighbor and even strangers, not sure how you missed this.
Another reason why you and the PP are talking past each other is that you differ on having faith (which is different from being rewarded for having faith/belief). Some people have faith in the 2000 book. But you don't have faith so you ridicule it as a story book. People are different, and that's OK (although I hope you can learn to drop the ridicule).
Anonymous
07/10/2012 13:52
Subject: Re:Why don't you believe in God?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It jut doesn't make any sense to me - te concept of a God that is.
I get that. Do you believe in an after life?
To quote someone else: Well, what was it like for you before you were born? It's pretty much like that.
Anonymous
07/10/2012 13:32
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
12:41 here again. Thanks to 13:00 for responding, but I have to say that I don't think it addresses my point. Like 13:09, I am not inclined to take a book written centuries ago by a bunch of anonymous ancients. My feelings of awe at the complexity and beauty I sometimes see around me make me somewhat able to understand the "There must be a Creator" argument, but for the life of me (or the soul of me if there is such a thing), I don't see how anyone thinks this implies that It is "good" or "omniscient", that it is aware of us humans on this little planet, or that it is even still around.
I think these are questions that are somewhat akin to the OP's, but this Bible thumping leaves me cold.
I think these are questions that are somewhat akin to the OP's, but this Bible thumping leaves me cold.
Anonymous
07/10/2012 13:09
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
We are rational beings. If God existed and wanted us to know he existed, he would have given us some sort of evidence (and no, a 2000 y/o story book does not count).
Plus, I reject the idea of a God who is primarily concerned with whether people believe in him over whether or not people are moral and good.
Plus, I reject the idea of a God who is primarily concerned with whether people believe in him over whether or not people are moral and good.
Anonymous
07/10/2012 13:08
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
Anonymous wrote:
For me, it always begins with morality.
Sure, I agree. But morality certainly does not imply religion. Much less believing in specific stories or myths.
Anonymous wrote:
And I'm not alone:
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/22/prominent-atheist-blogger-converts-to-catholicism/?iref=allsearch
So this lady changed her mind -- good for her, it's a free country. That doesn't say anything about the validity of religion.
Anonymous
07/10/2012 13:00
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
Anonymous wrote:I'm about a year late discovering this thread, and perhaps there are other similar ones I have missed. One reaction I have is that the fact that I missed it is proof that there is no God (that's tongue in cheek, of course).
In a more serious vein, I have gone back through most of the 60 pages to see what was said about the issue of the mixing of different issues in the word "God", such as creation and morality, which I don't see as connected.
What I would really like to hear from a believer is how you think that there can be any kind of communication, or how you can have any understanding of an entity whose relationship to us is not comparable to a dog's to its master, or even ant to a human being, but perhaps more like a bacterium to Einstein. I can't see how one who professes to accept the Majesty of God can be so lacking in humility as to think you can comprehend what that Entity "thinks", or even believe that a human word like "thinks" is relevant.
Hope I'm not too late to resurrect this thread (please pardon the pun).
But that is the greatest story ever told...except that it is true.
God created us in His image, with that most exceptional of attributes: free will. He didn't have to create us at all, and He most certainly did not need to give us the freedom to love Him or reject Him. But He did.
So of course our understanding of God is going to be limited. Even beginning to contemplate Him is going to blow our minds. But He wrote His Word on our hearts, and our knowledge of Him is a combination of faith and reason, revelation and logic.
For me, it always begins with morality. And I'm not alone:
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/22/prominent-atheist-blogger-converts-to-catholicism/?iref=allsearch
Anonymous
07/10/2012 12:41
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
I'm about a year late discovering this thread, and perhaps there are other similar ones I have missed. One reaction I have is that the fact that I missed it is proof that there is no God (that's tongue in cheek, of course).
In a more serious vein, I have gone back through most of the 60 pages to see what was said about the issue of the mixing of different issues in the word "God", such as creation and morality, which I don't see as connected.
What I would really like to hear from a believer is how you think that there can be any kind of communication, or how you can have any understanding of an entity whose relationship to us is not comparable to a dog's to its master, or even ant to a human being, but perhaps more like a bacterium to Einstein. I can't see how one who professes to accept the Majesty of God can be so lacking in humility as to think you can comprehend what that Entity "thinks", or even believe that a human word like "thinks" is relevant.
Hope I'm not too late to resurrect this thread (please pardon the pun).
In a more serious vein, I have gone back through most of the 60 pages to see what was said about the issue of the mixing of different issues in the word "God", such as creation and morality, which I don't see as connected.
What I would really like to hear from a believer is how you think that there can be any kind of communication, or how you can have any understanding of an entity whose relationship to us is not comparable to a dog's to its master, or even ant to a human being, but perhaps more like a bacterium to Einstein. I can't see how one who professes to accept the Majesty of God can be so lacking in humility as to think you can comprehend what that Entity "thinks", or even believe that a human word like "thinks" is relevant.
Hope I'm not too late to resurrect this thread (please pardon the pun).
Anonymous
04/09/2012 12:12
Subject: Re:Why don't you believe in God?
I'm coming back intp the post after a couple of months...to PP, no I don't believe in an afterlife. I also don't believe in God. I'm not sure how the universe was created but in my heart I know it wasn't created by a God I don't believe in.
For what's it's worth I'm a very happy, well-adjusted person and have done well in life. I'm also highly morale. I feel the need to say that because my sense is that many people have very negative feelings about atheists/non-believers. For some reason, the burden of proof is on the atheists, which I find fascinating.
For what's it's worth I'm a very happy, well-adjusted person and have done well in life. I'm also highly morale. I feel the need to say that because my sense is that many people have very negative feelings about atheists/non-believers. For some reason, the burden of proof is on the atheists, which I find fascinating.
Anonymous
04/09/2012 09:02
Subject: Re:Why don't you believe in God?
Anonymous wrote:It jut doesn't make any sense to me - te concept of a God that is.
I get that. Do you believe in an after life?
Anonymous
04/08/2012 21:21
Subject: Re:Why don't you believe in God?
It jut doesn't make any sense to me - te concept of a God that is.
Anonymous
04/08/2012 19:34
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
Curious? What's your take on fluid dynamics? Let me guess. God knows, but science hasn't figured it out yet?
As for creation, how about the theory that the universe has always existed. Who created God anyway?
As for creation, how about the theory that the universe has always existed. Who created God anyway?
Anonymous
04/08/2012 19:34
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:PPs who say there is no evidence God exists, and that they believe in science rather than God:
What if science IS the evidence God exists? What kind of evidence would you prefer?
"What if?" is a hypothesis, not proof.
Agreed. PP's idea is a sloppy ball of mush. Frankly, the reason people believe in God is that (in 99% of cases) their parents believed in God. We internalize what our parents tell us. That's why indoctrination of children is such a desperate project for most religions.
I don't believe in God because a) outside of folks who were indoctrinated at an early age, it's not the "default" position; so b) it just doesn't come up much. There's zero evidence for it, and there's zero evidence that "god's" existence has any intersection with our own, so why should I care?
Curious - what is your take on how the universe was created.
Here we go again. Since the majority of people who study how the universe was created - ie cosmologists - do not believe in God, can we just accept that creation is not a gotcha question for atheists?
Anonymous
04/08/2012 19:14
Subject: Why don't you believe in God?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:PPs who say there is no evidence God exists, and that they believe in science rather than God:
What if science IS the evidence God exists? What kind of evidence would you prefer?
"What if?" is a hypothesis, not proof.
Agreed. PP's idea is a sloppy ball of mush. Frankly, the reason people believe in God is that (in 99% of cases) their parents believed in God. We internalize what our parents tell us. That's why indoctrination of children is such a desperate project for most religions.
I don't believe in God because a) outside of folks who were indoctrinated at an early age, it's not the "default" position; so b) it just doesn't come up much. There's zero evidence for it, and there's zero evidence that "god's" existence has any intersection with our own, so why should I care?
Curious - what is your take on how the universe was created.