Poll: What are your religious/theologic beliefs

[MJinZ]

i still have no idea what you are trying to get across to me

anyway

I voted atheist, and would have voted for that "don't fucking care" option as well if it existed. I don't have any issues with peoples faiths, organized religion is another story and is where the negative feelings at religion as a whole come from. I also have issue when people try and take a personal issue (faith/religion) and make public decisions based on it. the past 2000 or so years have demonstrated pretty well how bad that works

Hah, you'd get it if you watched SG-1.

 

[Kadarin]

when it comes to faith and personal religious beliefs, there is no such thing as "wrong". that's what is lost on all you nerds. you just. don't. get it. and you never will so i don't know why the fuck i even bother. it's the same annoying nerds in every damn religion threads that get my ire up every time. at least when i joined back in 2004, there was mainly only Gurck to deal with. now there's just hordes of you lemmings, and you all sound exactly the same.

Hey everyone, let's all play "I can't refute the argument, so let's attack the nerds making it!"

About the bolded part above, you see, there really is such a thing as "wrong". If your hard-held belief is based on nonsense, it's wrong. It's wrong no matter how many people believe it, and it's wrong no matter how much you respect others who also do.

The ancient Egyptians believed that the sun was a god. As it turns out, the sun happens to be a sphere of hydrogen in the process of slowly fusing into helium, and thus the ancient Egyptians were, you guessed it, wrong. You see, it's very easy to point to a religion that you don't personally believe in and see the ridiculousness of it. It's much harder to point to your own and do the same.

 

[MJinZ]

Hey everyone, let's all play "I can't refute the argument, so let's attack the nerds making it!"

About the bolded part above, you see, there really is such a thing as "wrong". If your hard-held belief is based on nonsense, it's wrong. It's wrong no matter how many people believe it, and it's wrong no matter how much you respect others who also do.

The ancient Egyptians believed that the sun was a god. As it turns out, the sun happens to be a sphere of hydrogen in the process of slowly fusing into helium, and thus the ancient Egyptians were, you guessed it, wrong. You see, it's very easy to point to a religion that you don't personally believe in and see the ridiculousness of it. It's much harder to point to your own and do the same.

Jaffa KREE! Ra will punish you!!

 

[MAKENITO]

I'm Catholic🙂

 

[totalnoob]

I don't see how one can be agnostic or deist without answering the infinite regress paradox. Can you guys do it please?😉 If you view the universe as so improbable and complex that it requires a designer, how do you explain the origin of an intelligent being that is capable of designing and fine-tuning universes? Isn't that INFINITELY more complex and improbable?

As far as we know, intelligence doesn't pop into existence uncaused. It only emerges late in the game after a long and painful process of evolution. The deeper we look into the fossil record, the simpler life becomes. Of all the terms that can be used to describe a supreme intelligence, "simple" is not one of them..so until someone comes up with a mechanism to describe the origin of such a creature, the idea of being agnostic or deist makes no sense.

Modern physics on the other hand has found several mechanisms to explain how something could theoretically arise from nothing. Natural symmetries emerge and balance each other out all the time in nature. On the grand scale of the cosmos they seem to cancel each other perfectly..giving the universe a net energy level of zero, which means no "push" from an outside force was required to get things going. ("Nothing" just had to divide itself). I know this sounds counterintuitive and absurd, but since when has the universe ever conformed to our "common sense"? 🙂

Recommended watching

and for anyone who wants a beautiful lesson on what happened AFTER the big bang, check out this amazing video. (click "watch in HD" for full 720P glory)

 

[konakona]

Pondering the unknowable is a waste of time other than for mental amusement. Existence after death? waste of time. There's only 1 way to find out, and nobody's coming back to tell the rest of us.

Nature of good and evil? Those are just words describing proper behavior, or lack thereof. There is no good or evil in the supernatural sense. "Evil" would probably be best described as a mental illness, where a particular person didn't connect the right neural pathways during development. A sociopath, or psychopath is a good example.

Morality and ethics? That's pretty clear cut. Most people should have learned that before starting school. It seems that a large part forget over time, or their parents sucked. That boils down to "don't be a dick". Remove your own wants and desires from the equation, and see what's left. If a dick is left, you're doing it wrong.

best post I have seen on the subject, I couldn't have said it better. My kudos to you, my sentiments exactly word for word.

 

[konakona]

A related topic of interest would be how many of those that are a part of organized religion have had a religious upbringing. To me it appears religion more often than not is a cultural code people identify themselves with, whether they realize this or not. Personally, I have not seen anyone around me who actually studied the Bible, Qur'an, or whichever religious text convert himself into one (those that did, actually steered toward the opposite direction) in my somewhat limited experience.

I am sure there are some self-converts out there, but I would wager that the majority of believers have grown up surrounded by other believers and naturally came to accept religion as a obligatory part of their routine. In the end, the biggest role religeon plays these days is to bond people of different background of all sorts to give them a sense of unity, or sense of uniqueness to their identitiy contrasted by those that follow a different religeon IMO.

 

[MJinZ]

I don't see how one can be agnostic or deist without answering the infinite regress paradox. Can you guys do it please?😉 If you view the universe as so improbable and complex that it requires a designer, how do you explain the origin of an intelligent being that is capable of designing and fine-tuning universes? Isn't that INFINITELY more complex and improbable?

As far as we know, intelligence doesn't pop into existence uncaused. It only emerges late in the game after a long and painful process of evolution. The deeper we look into the fossil record, the simpler life becomes. Of all the terms that can be used to describe a supreme intelligence, "simple" is not one of them..so until someone comes up with a mechanism to describe the origin of such a creature, the idea of being agnostic or deist makes no sense.

Modern physics on the other hand has found several mechanisms to explain how something could theoretically arise from nothing. Natural symmetries emerge and balance each other out all the time in nature. On the grand scale of the cosmos they seem to cancel each other perfectly..giving the universe a net energy level of zero, which means no "push" from an outside force was required to get things going. ("Nothing" just had to divide itself). I know this sounds counterintuitive and absurd, but since when has the universe ever conformed to our "common sense"? 🙂

Recommended watching

and for anyone who wants a beautiful lesson on what happened AFTER the big bang, check out this amazing video. (click "watch in HD" for full 720P glory)

There are many ways...

1) What is a Universe exactly? Is it possible that all we perceive to be a Universe is simply a God's play box? Where he or she sets the rules, pulls the strings, and observes us play like we do with mice in a maze?

2) If humans can genetically engineer new species of life, then we are effectively creators or designers. Can you see how the fact we exist, regardless of the existence of our creators or lack thereof, does not negate the fact WE can become "Gods" ourselves?

What kind of discipline did you study in school? I'm afraid that unless you have majored in a physical science like many of us (Biochemistry and Chemistry here), you may not understand why Agnosticism is probably the closest reasonable conclusion a rational mind can settle upon.

To claim Atheism is to feign great intelligence and wisdom. Neither of which we humans truly possess (yet?). To claim a religion is to fall victim to the rest that which we are like fear, emotions, uncertainty, and yes - hope.

 

[totalnoob]

mjin, nothing you said addresses the main problem here..the impossibility of intelligence as a first cause. If we are in some being's "play box"(or matrix)..so what? This is not an explanation. It only raises a bigger question of where the alien/god came from, and where it got the materials for the play box. If we ever do develop life, we will not truly be the "first cause" because we ourselves developed through a long and arduous process. The "explanation" for artificial life can be rationally explained because we have a mechanism to explain the intelligence that came before it. This is not the case with a supernatural creator.

 

[moshquerade]

The real question to ask is: Are you a fool who believes in idiotic fairy tales Y/N?

So do pigs really fly?

 

[MJinZ]

mjin, nothing you said addresses the main problem here..the impossibility of intelligence as a first cause. If we are in some being's "play box"(or matrix)..so what? This is not an explanation. It only raises a bigger question of where the alien/god came from, and where it got the materials for the play box. If we ever do develop life, we will not truly be the "first cause" because we ourselves developed through a long and arduous process. The "explanation" for artificial life can be rationally explained because we have a mechanism to explain the intelligence that came before it. This is not the case with a supernatural creator.

Supernatural? That word is not part of the definition for Agnosticism.

Artificial life? What IF Earth life was... "artificial"? If we are artificial, does that make us inferior?

You are assuming much, limited by our current understanding of the universe. A designer does not need to be unnatural, supernatural, or even all powerful. We are certainly not. Simply consider scales greater than our normal comprehension.

If mice were to figure out the mechanisms of a complex maze, it may take them many years. Intelligent mice may figure it all out after thousands of years, and their Universe will be clear to them. However, they did not consider that their Universe was simply a maze. Created by imperfect and rather limited Humans.

 

[Nemesis 1]

You guys already know my ans.


I rather than give an ans . That is slamed. Would like to ask . How many here believe we have Auras.
Easter was fun this year for me. Strange thing happened and I was shooked my children have never done this . I assumed all kids do it .

I won't get in to how it came up not important .

you guys want to do something that will shock ya. We use to do it all the time great fun as kids.

Get a group of people five or six preferrably . 1 of which ways 200 lbs or bigger and 2 female kids preferrably .

Have the 200 pounder set in chair with elbos at side and hands resting on legs.

Now everone else gather around setted person . Each person put 1 hand above setted persons head without touching hand . After everone has one hand above head put other hand above in same order as the first hand . After about 1 min. each person remove their hand in same order from top to bottom.

Now 2 of the people stand on both sides of setted person . with 2 fingers put under elbos and knees . The person setted must be rigid. Now the 2 people with 2 fingers(2 per hand) under the elbows and knees lift the sitted person becareful if in house not throw person setted into ceiling .

Easter we used my son and 6 people holding hands above head. and 2 12 year old girls doing the lifting. It was great fun me and wife laughed our asses off. The little girls couldn't believe they lifted my 220 pound son like he was a feather. My son is still walking around in disbelief . Try it its great fun .

Why the auras question . Well my grandson asked grandma why the color around the little girls changed to white. When they lifted my son. LOL !

http://www.videolife.tk/video/1yx6PaLTKTk/Auras-on-scifi-Network-s-Proof-Positive.html

 

[MJinZ]

You guys already know my ans.


I rather than give an ans . That is slamed. Would like to ask . How many here believe we have Auras.
Easter was fun this year for me. Strange thing happened and I was shooked my children have never done this . I assumed all kids do it .

I won't get in to how it came up not important .

you guys want to do something that will shock ya. We use to do it all the time great fun as kids.

Get a group of people five or six preferrably . 1 of which ways 200 lbs or bigger and 2 female kids preferrably .

Have the 200 pounder set in chair with elbos at side and hands resting on legs.

Now everone else gather around setted person . Each person put 1 hand above setted persons head without touching hand . After everone has one hand above head put other hand above in same order as the first hand . After about 1 min. each person remove their hand in same order from top to bottom.

Now 2 of the people stand on both sides of setted person . with 2 fingers put under elbos and knees . The person setted must be rigid. Now the 2 people with 2 fingers under the elbows and knees lift the sitted person becareful if in house not throw person setted into ceiling .

Easter we used my son and 6 people holding hands above head. and 2 12 year old girls doing the lifting. It was great fun me and wife laughed our asses off. The little girls couldn't believe they lifted my 220 pound son like he was a feather. My son is still walking around in disbelief . Try it its great fun .

Why the auras question . Well my grandson asked grandma why the color around the little girls changed to white. When they lifted my son. LOL !

http://www.videolife.tk/video/1yx6PaLTKTk/Auras-on-scifi-Network-s-Proof-Positive.html

WTF that was painful to read.

Yes we have Auras. That's how iPhones, touchscreens, and touchpads work.

 

[Train]

If you view the universe as so improbable and complex that it requires a designer...

You're forcing a premise down others' throats. I DON'T view the universe as improbable or overly complex. Therefore, the rest is moot. nice try though. You can't reason away faith, thats kind of an oxymoron.

Why can't you just accept that not everyone thinks like you?

I can look at an atheist's point of view, and perfectly understand where they are coming from. I'd be lying if I said I never thought about the reality of no such thing as a God. I pretty much spent my teens and 20's reasoning that theres no support for God, therefore he must not exist, right? Whatever brilliant arguments you can come up with, save it, I've already been through all of them and probably made several better ones of my own in favor of atheism. Like I already said, you can't reason it away. And the religious who fall for the reason trap and try to "explain" or "prove" God? ya, they are doing it wrong too.

Why does an anti-theist look at a theists viewpoint, fail to acheive an understanding, then assume the only logical explanation is that there is something WRONG with that person because they have a belief you can't grasp yourself?

 

[Nemesis 1]

It read like a recipe . whats your problem ???? @ MJinz

 

[MJinZ]

It read like a recipe . whats your problem ???? @ MJinz

"Setted" is my problem...

 

[SparkyJJO]

I'm the worst there is 😛 Christian, Protestant, Reformed. Hold the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, cover to cover. Many things that a lot of Christians today let slide I do not - letting such things slide is basically saying, "that part of the Bible doesn't apply to me" which is wrong. Yes, I'm calling you fellow Christians out on this 😉 not being mean about it, but trying to get you to stop and think about it for a moment 🙂

 

[Nemesis 1]

Just add the a . Spelling nazi. and remove a T

 

[SlitheryDee]

I'm the worst there is 😛 Christian, Protestant, Reformed. Hold the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, cover to cover. Many things that a lot of Christians today let slide I do not - letting such things slide is basically saying, "that part of the Bible doesn't apply to me" which is wrong. Yes, I'm calling you fellow Christians out on this 😉 not being mean about it, but trying to get you to stop and think about it for a moment 🙂

I agree with you in principle. I think it has to be all or nothing. You can't arbitrarily decide which parts to throw away and which to keep. There is no honest measure by which you can do that. At the same time, I think that taking everything in the bible literally is batshit insane. Are you sure you've read the WHOLE thing? There's some real unflattering stuff about your God in there, not to mention the other internal consistency problems, etc. Just sayin'

 

[Nemesis 1]

The Bible is full of holes. The Romans didn't write their trueths very well. It was ROME that decided what went into Bible and what didn't . Hell (hail)Ceasar god of gods.

Is that a golden calf I see and a Rams horn I hear?

 

[Train]

I agree with you in principle. I think it has to be all or nothing. You can't arbitrarily decide which parts to throw away and which to keep. There is no honest measure by which you can do that. At the same time, I think that taking everything in the bible literally is batshit insane. Are you sure you've read the WHOLE thing? There's some real unflattering stuff about your God in there, not to mention the other internal consistency problems, etc. Just sayin'

Even taking it literally can lead you in so many directions. Ever talk to a Jehovas Witness? They dont think Christmas should be "celebrated" because it is a birthday (they dont celebrate birthdays at all) thier reasoning being that the only mention of a birthday celebration in the bible is King Herrod's, who was basically a playboy. Therefore, birthdays are bad. I probably wouldnt have come to the same conclusion myself, but I respect thier reasoning, I'm not going to call them stupid or anything. Theres plenty of other examples between all the Christian sects, even within Judaism, rabbis can vary thier interpretations, Islam is the same way, several diverging sects.

 

[totalnoob]

Supernatural? That word is not part of the definition for Agnosticism.

Artificial life? What IF Earth life was... "artificial"? If we are artificial, does that make us inferior?

You are assuming much, limited by our current understanding of the universe. A designer does not need to be unnatural, supernatural, or even all powerful.

If the designer exists outside the universe (since he created it), that means he exists outside the natural order and is not bound by the laws of nature. The laws of physics say that matter cannot be created or destroyed. By definition any being capable of bringing matter into existence would be supernatural.

Why does an anti-theist look at a theists viewpoint, fail to acheive an understanding, then assume the only logical explanation is that there is something WRONG with that person because they have a belief you can't grasp yourself?

There is something wrong with anyone who makes assertions without knowledge or justification for those assertions. And when it comes to theists (who not only claim knowledge of the unknowable..but also believe things written in an ancient book that CONTRADICT the known)..people who literally believe that magic occurs and the natural order can suspended by uttering words in their head, I think a strong case could be made that they are suffering a form of mental illness..sorry bro.

 

[totalnoob]

I'm the worst there is 😛 Christian, Protestant, Reformed. Hold the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, cover to cover.

I'm very sorry.

 

[destrekor]

You guys already know my ans.


I rather than give an ans . That is slamed. Would like to ask . How many here believe we have Auras.
Easter was fun this year for me. Strange thing happened and I was shooked my children have never done this . I assumed all kids do it .

I won't get in to how it came up not important .

you guys want to do something that will shock ya. We use to do it all the time great fun as kids.

Get a group of people five or six preferrably . 1 of which ways 200 lbs or bigger and 2 female kids preferrably .

Have the 200 pounder set in chair with elbos at side and hands resting on legs.

Now everone else gather around setted person . Each person put 1 hand above setted persons head without touching hand . After everone has one hand above head put other hand above in same order as the first hand . After about 1 min. each person remove their hand in same order from top to bottom.

Now 2 of the people stand on both sides of setted person . with 2 fingers put under elbos and knees . The person setted must be rigid. Now the 2 people with 2 fingers(2 per hand) under the elbows and knees lift the sitted person becareful if in house not throw person setted into ceiling .

Easter we used my son and 6 people holding hands above head. and 2 12 year old girls doing the lifting. It was great fun me and wife laughed our asses off. The little girls couldn't believe they lifted my 220 pound son like he was a feather. My son is still walking around in disbelief . Try it its great fun .

Why the auras question . Well my grandson asked grandma why the color around the little girls changed to white. When they lifted my son. LOL !

http://www.videolife.tk/video/1yx6PaLTKTk/Auras-on-scifi-Network-s-Proof-Positive.html

something... isn't right with you brainmatter. yes?

 

[MAKENITO]

something... isn't right with you brainmatter. yes?

I think his name is Nemesis 1