Faith

[Amy]

Looking at the "Does God Exist?" thread, I noticed an overwhelming proportion of atheists, so I've created this thread to hear some opinions from people who do have faith


Which religion do you follow, and how important is your faith to you?

 

[Assassin]

Why do you believe in god so?

 

[Amy]

Why do you believe in god so?

Difficult question to answer, in fact I'm not sure I can. Belief is something that is really hard to explain. Overall I think religion can be a very life-affirming, comforting thing. Does it bother you?

 

[mspendl828]

Difficult question to answer, in fact I'm not sure I can. Belief is something that is really hard to explain. Overall I think religion can be a very life-affirming, comforting thing. Does it bother you?

I've never understood how some aethists get angry at people who believe in God or whatever, as is it has anything to do with them anyway. The fact that someone feels the need to ask someone else if they care if that have faith I find a sad reflection on the world these days.

Edit: Having said that, I've never understood how some who people who believe in one faith care if someone else has another faith, or none at all, either.

 

[Assassin]

Difficult question to answer, in fact I'm not sure I can. Belief is something that is really hard to explain. Overall I think religion can be a very life-affirming, comforting thing. Does it bother you?

No...I agree with all you said there. I think it's really great when you see people feeling confident because of their belief and I think religion can help people feel like they are part of a community and that's of course a good thing.

But I despise the people who use religion to try and propagate their backward views. Simple things like radical views on homosexuality etc. I find that sort of stuff madness and in a way quite depressing.. And I think if religion plays a more dominant role in how societies are run I believe the world would be regressing. So I just think it should be marginalised. Just look at Ireland and what religious dominace did. Same goes for strict Islamic countries. People are just living such limited and restricted lives for the most ludicrious of reasons.

 

[bagface]

that such a large percentage of people believe in something based on faith is harmful to humanity in that we should always be seeking out the factual, scientific proof no matter how we feel about it. i feel like we are delaying progress by tricking ourselves about religion. faith, by definition, has no factual or rational basis and shouldn't even be considered a rival to science.

 

[mspendl828]

that such a large percentage of people believe in something based on faith is harmful to humanity in that we should always be seeking out the factual, scientific proof no matter how we feel about it. i feel like we are delaying progress by tricking ourselves about religion. faith, by definition, has no factual or rational basis and shouldn't even be considered a rival to science.

That's all very well, but your arguement surely fails on the vast number of remarkable scientists etc who have held strong religious beliefs over the last 2000 or so years who made huge discoveries and break throughs.

Roger Bacon in the 13th century for example was a massive influence on what is now the standard 'scientific method'. Or take the example of Theodoric of Freiberg who was the first person to work out exactly what a rainbow was. Based on your above comment one would presume he would think "well God just makes colour appear" but he didn't. Galileo Galilei was a Christian and it didn't stop him from pissing off the establishment in the Church by what he was doing. Issac Newton is another note worth religious scientist who didn't just presume things happened because God made them but wanted to know why the apple fell from the tree etc. The Big Bang Theory was first developed by a Catholic priest - Georges Lemaître so he was another man with faith who wanted to know why and how things happened.

Almost every scientific discovery prior to the Napoleonic Wars would be attributed to a person of faith, and a hell of a lot of them afterwards as well. So unless you're suggesting that without religion we'd all be living on Mars and hanging and banging with aliens these days I would have to disagree with your post.

 

[bagface]

That's all very well, but your arguement surely fails on the vast number of remarkable scientists etc who have held strong religious beliefs over the last 2000 or so years who made huge discoveries and break throughs.

Roger Bacon in the 13th century for example was a massive influence on what is now the standard 'scientific method'. Or take the example of Theodoric of Freiberg who was the first person to work out exactly what a rainbow was. Based on your above comment one would presume he would think "well God just makes colour appear" but he didn't. Galileo Galilei was a Christian and it didn't stop him from pissing off the establishment in the Church by what he was doing. Issac Newton is another note worth religious scientist who didn't just presume things happened because God made them but wanted to know why the apple fell from the tree etc. The Big Bang Theory was first developed by a Catholic priest - Georges Lemaître so he was another man with faith who wanted to know why and how things happened.

Almost every scientific discovery prior to the Napoleonic Wars would be attributed to a person of faith, and a hell of a lot of them afterwards as well. So unless you're suggesting that without religion we'd all be living on Mars and hanging and banging with aliens these days I would have to disagree with your post.

you may have slightly misinterpreted what i was getting at. i'm saying that TODAY, GENERALLY, MOST of the people i ask to explain the basis for their religious beliefs say faith and can't back it up further. also, my point was not at all to say that religious people are incapable of scientific breakthroughs or accomplishments? i'm saying that there is no scientific backing for faith or most religious beliefs. by making progress i meant in terms of what is acceptable to be discussed in public and taught in schools.

 

[Raymond J Marks]

.....and there was me thinking this was a thread about George Michael

http://youtube.com/watch?v=viPWb3ieH6o

 

[mspendl828]

you may have slightly misinterpreted what i was getting at. i'm saying that TODAY, GENERALLY, MOST of the people i ask to explain the basis for their religious beliefs say faith and can't back it up further. also, my point was not at all to say that religious people are incapable of scientific breakthroughs or accomplishments? i'm saying that there is no scientific backing for faith or most religious beliefs. by making progress i meant in terms of what is acceptable to be discussed in public and taught in schools.

But that is exactly what faith is! If your argument for not having faith is that there is no scientific proof, what proof do you have there is no God or whatever?

And what is it that you feel is not acceptable to be discussed in public and taught in school that you feel would be if not for religion?

 

[chica]

I've never understood how some aethists get angry at people who believe in God or whatever, as is it has anything to do with them anyway.

It does, because

But I despise the people who use religion to try and propagate their backward views. Simple things like radical views on homosexuality etc. I find that sort of stuff madness and in a way quite depressing.. And I think if religion plays a more dominant role in how societies are run I believe the world would be regressing. So I just think it should be marginalised. Just look at Ireland and what religious dominace did. Same goes for strict Islamic countries. People are just living such limited and restricted lives for the most ludicrious of reasons.

 

[TheNightingale]

Looking at the "Does God Exist?" thread, I noticed an overwhelming proportion of atheists, so I've created this thread to hear some opinions from people who do have faith


Which religion do you follow, and how important is your faith to you?

Since this is what this thread is about...

I am what you might call a born again Christian or non-denominational Christian. Meaning I try to stick to the purity of God's Word without warping it to suit my preconcieved notions...and it is everything to me.

And before people start hating, I'm not trying to force anyone to my way of thinking nor do I hate homosexuals, Jews or science.

Love>Hate

 

[Hellie]

I may become a Budhist one day.Theyare animal loving people.

 

[Amy]

No...I agree with all you said there. I think it's really great when you see people feeling confident because of their belief and I think religion can help people feel like they are part of a community and that's of course a good thing.

But I despise the people who use religion to try and propagate their backward views. Simple things like radical views on homosexuality etc. I find that sort of stuff madness and in a way quite depressing.. And I think if religion plays a more dominant role in how societies are run I believe the world would be regressing. So I just think it should be marginalised. Just look at Ireland and what religious dominace did. Same goes for strict Islamic countries. People are just living such limited and restricted lives for the most ludicrious of reasons.

With respect, I'm not propagating anything. People of all faiths are welcome to reply to this thread, and I created it because I thought it would be interesting to find out about religions other than my own, eg. Islam, Judaism, etc etc. The problem with religion is that of course, some people will take it too far, missing the point of what it is all about. My faith is important to me, but there are some aspects of the Bible I find offensive and so I choose not to endorse (one example of this is, as you said, having homosexuals killed and adulterers, and so on. I imagine similar unpleasantness is in many holy books.

I'm not sure religion should have a smaller role in society, but it should definitely have a more separate one. Religion is a sentimental thing I think, and people who have faith make decisions with their heart more than their head.

 

[Codreanu]

Why do you believe in god so?

If I'm not mistaken, Amy created this thread for believers to discuss their faith, not atheist debate or boorish humanist sermonizing. Can't you do this on one of the 84,282 other threads given over to bashing religion? This is getting old.

 

[Amy]

If I'm not mistaken, Amy created this thread for believers to discuss their faith, not atheist debate or boorish humanist sermonizing. Can't you do this on one of the 84,282 other threads given over to bashing religion? This is getting old.

Thanks Codreanu .



I am aware that religion of all forms gets bashed a lot for being illogical and harmful, I wanted to give somewhat of a more positive perspective.

 

[chica]

With respect, I'm not propagating anything.

I don't think Assassin was referring to you (I know I wasn't ) There are different kinds of believers, and I don't see why anyone would have anything against those who live and let live.

 

[Emotional Guide Dog]

Is it just me that interprets 'God created the Earth in six days' as the theory of evolution explained in a nifty sentence?

 

[Cassius]

 

[Assassin]

With respect, I'm not propagating anything. People of all faiths are welcome to reply to this thread, and I created it because I thought it would be interesting to find out about religions other than my own, eg. Islam, Judaism, etc etc. The problem with religion is that of course, some people will take it too far, missing the point of what it is all about. My faith is important to me, but there are some aspects of the Bible I find offensive and so I choose not to endorse (one example of this is, as you said, having homosexuals killed and adulterers, and so on. I imagine similar unpleasantness is in many holy books.

Oh I know you're not propagating anything...but there are some characters who are and I fear that some will begin to believe them because they may be vulnerable people.