Why do you believe in god?

@Didymos Thomas,

Didymos Thomas wrote:

......Oh, and Christians worship the Son; Jews think he was a great teacher, but they do not worship him......

.....Also, I'm not sure the classification of "myth" is a bump down from anything. Sounds like an elevation. With myth, no matter what changes, the message is always valuable. Homer is like this. There was a time when people took the stories to be relatively factual historical accounts, but today, when we all know better, the book still has immense value to us. Talk about literary brilliance!

i knew Jews had a thing about the old testament but i didnt know they didnt worship jesus... its so hard to keep track of the minor differences that catholics, jews, christians, protestants, etc have Razz

thats 1 main reason i disagree with organized religion... cause i dont think a person who examines any one religion could possibly believe it exactly the way they believe it........ like.... with infant baptism... most lutherans believe that it should be done for any new member of a church, including an infant, but yet you could still be lutheran for the most part and disagree with that detail and think that baptism is only performed on the person able to say "Baptize me"

and youre right... people've been using "myth" as an insult word on the bible... but i feel silly for not realizing myth is a great compliment... i just assumed that myth means totally made up story, and most people like to believe the bible is totally factual. but its my feelings that whether real or not its message is the important thing, so of all people i shouldve already realized myth is a great word Razz

@sarathustrah,

Quote:

i knew Jews had a thing about the old testament but i didnt know they didnt worship jesus... its so hard to keep track of the minor differences that catholics, jews, christians, protestants, etc have

Yes, there is an overwhelming variety of religious views, but these views reflect upon the culture which gives birth to them. To understand the culture, you have to delve into the religion.

Quote:

thats 1 main reason i disagree with organized religion... cause i dont think a person who examines any one religion could possibly believe it exactly the way they believe it........ like.... with infant baptism... most lutherans believe that it should be done for any new member of a church, including an infant, but yet you could still be lutheran for the most part and disagree with that detail and think that baptism is only performed on the person able to say "Baptize me"

I'm also very critical of organized religion. There are redeeming qualities, to be sure, but for me, personally, I do better by studying all faith traditions. Who cares if the teaching is Taoist or Christian? Good teaching is good teaching.

Quote:

and youre right... people've been using "myth" as an insult word on the bible... but i feel silly for not realizing myth is a great compliment... i just assumed that myth means totally made up story, and most people like to believe the bible is totally factual. but its my feelings that whether real or not its message is the important thing, so of all people i shouldve already realized myth is a great word

Don't feel silly! Worst case scenario, you learned something. And learning is what life is all about Smile

@Didymos Thomas,

Didymos Thomas wrote:

learning is what life is all about

The point of philosophy right there in a nutshell.

@Didymos Thomas,

Didymos Thomas wrote:

All of mankind has spiritual needs. God is simply part of the language involved in some spiritual traditions.

Atheism, theism, whatever - these are not indicators of morality.

Yes people need spirituality, but is it moral and logical to use it as a way of venting our fear of death. You see humans are threatened by the now and the very idea of death. In fact they it is so powerful that they can't stand it. Somebody could die at any moment. Nobody knows exactly what will happen when they die. People just can't trust the nowness so instead they resort to a religion. Since nobody knows exactly what happens when they die why or even what gives us the right to use science and religion to vent our fear of death.

@Zacrates,

It doesn't matter what other people tell you to believe in its all up to do you believe in god or not.

@Hellomoto133,

Hellomoto133 wrote:

It doesn't matter what other people tell you to believe in its all up to do you believe in god or not.

On the conterary, amoung the abrhamic religons there is a difference

society accepting what you how and how you live your life (Judaism and Islam)

in what you believe in christianity

its important to observe to see how laws were created, and why certain conflicts arise

but the overwhelming answer to why people believe, depends on the sophistication of their mind. For some it is regional, others it is need some explanation, other need it to be accepted by the society

@SummyF,

Quote:

Yes people need spirituality, but is it moral and logical to use it as a way of venting our fear of death. You see humans are threatened by the now and the very idea of death. In fact they it is so powerful that they can't stand it. Somebody could die at any moment. Nobody knows exactly what will happen when they die. People just can't trust the nowness so instead they resort to a religion. Since nobody knows exactly what happens when they die why or even what gives us the right to use science and religion to vent our fear of death.

You assume that religion is the alternative to accepting the eminence of death, to accepting the idea that we might die at any given moment. But is this true? Or does religion, at least in some cases, use the fact that we might die at any moment in order to help people cope with death?

Quote:

On the conterary, amoung the abrhamic religons there is a difference

I do not think that sort of generalization holds up.

Quote:

but the overwhelming answer to why people believe, depends on the sophistication of their mind. For some it is regional, others it is need some explanation, other need it to be accepted by the society

Faith traditions exist for the same reason music exists - mankind has a particular need. Faith traditions fill our spiritual needs, music helps fulfill our aesthetic needs.

@Didymos Thomas,

Didymos Thomas wrote:

All of mankind has spiritual needs. God is simply part of the language involved in some spiritual traditions.

Atheism, theism, whatever - these are not indicators of morality.

Has anyone ever thought that the reason why we resort to spirituality or religion is because we fear death.

@MITech,

Quote:

Has anyone ever thought that the reason why we resort to spirituality or religion is because we fear death.

Sure, it's a very popular position. I think the flaw is that fear of death is only one portion of the reason why man turns to spirituality and religion. Other causes can be finding value in religious ceremony, or perhaps someone is having trouble understanding how their newborn child can be so beautiful.

But let us take an individual who turns to religion for X reason. Let's say X reason is the fear of death. I do not see this being a problem, or illogical in any way. Religion and spiritual traditions tend to focus energy on facing death. We all have to face death, and if the faith tradition offers a healthy way to face death then turning to the faith tradition was logical - the faith tradition was the proper tool.

Everyone is different. Not everyone needs religion, or some sort of mystic spirituality in order to cope with death. But for some, the practices and rites of religion/spirituality are extremely useful. Nothing wrong with each human being unique, and so there is nothing wrong with some of these unique individuals turning to spirituality.

@Zacrates,

And you would know most Athiests, as well as their family history, AND the reason they are Atheists?
Way to generalize.

@AtheistDeity,

Quote:

And you would know most Athiests, as well as their family history, AND the reason they are Atheists?
Way to generalize.

Which comment(s) are you referring to? The author may want to respond.

@Didymos Thomas,

Only the commenter above me.

@AtheistDeity,

Well, looking back at the post, which turns out to be my own, I do not see a single word about atheists. The closest I come to discussing atheists is this line:
"Not everyone needs religion, or some sort of mystic spirituality in order to cope with death."

To the point, this line does not make any sort of generalization about atheists. Not everyone needs religion/spirituality. This claim has nothing to do with me knowing atheists, with the family history of some atheist, nor the particular reason they are atheist. This claim only suggests that atheism, as well as theism, has causes, and, when sufficiently present, these causes are such that an individual may have no use for religion/spirituality.

@Didymos Thomas,

My comment may have been misplaced then.. I'm rather sure you weren't the person I was directing it twards.

@astrotheological,

Hi astrotheological:)

All of humanity is mythologically compelled. I think the point of modern concern is, is this mythology relevant to our knowledge and times, is it capable of leading us into the future. The mystery of being and being in the world, it is this mystery which conjuries up the gods, the mystery is real, the gods are of the human imagination-- do not look without but within.

Web resources on consciousness, philosophy, and such

@astrotheological,

If we need religion to keep us hopeful for an afterlife than we are blinded. Faith is just not wanting to believe in truth. We believe in god because faith is blinding us from the truth.

If we were for example a pig or some sort of animal, would we still believe in god?

If we were an extremely intelligent race, would we still believe in god?

@MITech,

MITech wrote:

If we need religion to keep us hopeful for an afterlife than we are blinded. Faith is just not wanting to believe in truth. We believe in god because faith is blinding us from the truth.

If we were for example a pig or some sort of animal, would we still believe in god?

If we were an extremely intelligent race, would we still believe in god?

MITech,

I think that the myths and delusions of humanity are a response to the chilling reality of the human condition. Nietzsche realized that these pretensions could easily be swept away by the sceptic, but he also realised I think, that some people literally could not function but for having these delusions. They are a necessity for some, perhaps they are a necessity to all man kind, we have never lived without them, collectively that is.

@MITech,

MITech wrote:

If we need religion to keep us hopeful for an afterlife than we are blinded. Faith is just not wanting to believe in truth. We believe in god because faith is blinding us from the truth.

If we were for example a pig or some sort of animal, would we still believe in god?

If we were an extremely intelligent race, would we still believe in god?

Let those that are blind be guided by those that are not...

(faith is just a form of trust)

@No0ne,

No0ne wrote:

Let those that are blind be guided by those that are not...

(faith is just a form of trust)

Noone,

Where did you find that defination? I would say faith is wishful thinking, and in the presence of knowledge it would be redundant.

@boagie,

I can see where faith would be a form of trust. Trusting that your pastor or preacher is right and thus doing what he says, which is to have faith in not only the man who is telling you to have faith but to have faith in God. Faith in God is determined by which God you are being led to have faith in.

Why do we believe in God? Because our ancestors tell us to. Not only do our ancestors, but our families, our history, the scriptures, our wifes, our children... nearly everyone around us. All of which are led to their truth through the doctrines of another man - with his or her own perception of which God ye must have faith in.

From a birds-eye-view, the system of faith in a multitude of Gods is nothing more than mythology handed down throughout the centuries. If there were no God at all, man would create a false fear to lead his fellow man.

Why?... Because we believe we should!
Why?... because it would let others down if we didn't!
Why?... Because others around us do!
Why?... Because if we believe and have faith in a God, we can take the blame off of ourselves and place it in the hands of the almighty, (please pray for me. ) and live how we want to live knowing that when we die, we go to heaven... all the while not knowing that heaven lies within the heart and soul of man.
Why?... Because we are blind and the blind cannot see.

Faith in a God is simply faith in what another man has led you to believe by either his writings, his teachings or his ability to lead the masses. Faith can move mountains but it's NOT the mountains that must be moved.

I see faith as separation from divine self and divine inspiration and of course, separation from God which is divinely expressed in every man, nature and all of creation.

This is nothing more than my personal opinion.

Philosophy Forum

Why do you believe in god?

Quick Links

My Account

able2know