Thread: The God Delusion

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

i think people created God to give themselves a purpose.

Couldn't it be because they have an intrinsic feeling that it does exist ? like an inside consciousness ? like a monkey looking himself in the mirror ?

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Couldn't it be because they have an intrinsic feeling that it does exist ?

i don't think so, no.

muslims are born into it and cant reject it.

same is true of people from large swathes of the states.

they just accept it because it's what they were told to do by family/society.

nobody was born christian, muslim, hindu....... it is foisted upon them for the most part.

to not question their faith is irrational especially given the lack of evidence.

i see the bible as a latter day aesop's fables without the nice pictures.

good effort at instilling morality but horribly outdated and very dull.

^ you are trolling,

done with this thread

Originally Posted by Butterfly

^ you are trolling,

fuck of.

that's some of my best work you are pointing at.

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

that's some of my best work you are pointing at.

you are not even trying

almost 100, so close, yet too far

Originally Posted by Butterfly

you are not even trying

I am trying to get at the route of faith in this day and age.

I am asking questions and we have people of both sides on the thread.

what exactly would you have me do?

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

There is absolutely no difference between one having faith that there is no G_D one one who believes in him.

of course there is.

one is based on observation, science and reason, the other is based on blind faith and delusion.

one causes no harm, the other is responsible for every massacre, war for the past millenium.

Well that's not quite true...

There's also the opposite end of the religious spectrum to consider. It is often convincingly argued that organised religion has been fundamental in creating stable societies, strong work ethics and the like, which have helped us advance as a civilisation. Without organised religion we may well still be going around clubbing each over the head in small tribal societies.

Religion has played a fundamental part in our advancement as a species, and to demonise it (for want of a better word) is a mistake.

^
ok.

lets be honest though.

frankly it harms nobody if people want to believe in the assumption of Mary or the resurection of christ. It doesn't even bother me that muslims and a lot of christians alike have a very flakey view about world history that is off by several billion years.

what bothers me is the edicts passed down from the Imams that tell people to blow things and themselves up and to drown their raped daughter, it bothers me that catholics tell Africans not to use contraception and christians tell women what they can do with their unborn children.

it bothers me that blind faith can cause people to follow without reason.

Originally Posted by MeMock

Originally Posted by spiff

Ok then, show one scientist who (as a scientist) places the age of the earth close to what the bible claims.

About AiG: President Ken Ham

Dr. Monty White

Sigh, first link:
The only quote from the "Doctor of Divinity (1997) from Temple Baptist College in Cincinnati" on the page is "The devastating effect that evolutionary humanism has had on society, and even the church, makes it clear that everyone—including Christians—needs to return to the clear teachings of Scripture and Genesis and acknowledge Christ as our Creator and Savior. In fact, Genesis has the answer to many of the problems facing the compromising church and questioning world today."

The second link, from the same site, does not mention the age of the earth either. The closest it gets is "Monty is well known for his views on creation, having written numerous articles and pamphlets, as well as a number of books dealing with various aspects of creation and evolution, and science and the Bible."

You're taking the piss, MeMock, right?

The movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Required" will offer a clear perspective on much of what is wrong with the book "The God Delusion."

Originally Posted by DrivingForce

probably the same PCP laced ganja as those who believe man hasn't landed on the moon yet either.

oh dear.

you really need to get to grips with a serious argument and an all out troll.

Originally Posted by wandering

The movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Required"

does it prove the existance of God?

Atheism as practiced by Mao Tse Tung, Stalin/Lenin, Ne Win, and many others has caused far more murder and world suffering than any religious ideology.

Originally Posted by wandering

Atheism as practiced by Mao Tse Tung, Stalin/Lenin, Ne Win, and many others has caused far more murder and world suffering than any religious ideology.

did they kill in the name of the God they didn't believe in??

no...didn't think so, they killed in the name of political ideology and power.

nobody has ever killed in the name of 'not God'

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

Originally Posted by wandering

The movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Required"

does it prove the existance of God?

Neither Thiesm nor Athiesm can be definitively proved. This movie just exposes the prejudices.

If you personally have a hard time believing in God then put Him to the test to prove Himself to you personally. Only then will you understand what Religious people are on about. God isn't into being a show man nor obeying what people order Him to do. But if you are serious and explore your own spiritual side you might be shocked what has been lurking there.

Not much difference in Atheism, invented spirituality, or any other suggested political identity.

Originally Posted by wandering

Originally Posted by wandering Atheism as practiced by Mao Tse Tung, Stalin/Lenin, Ne Win, and many others has caused far more murder and world suffering than any religious ideology.

This seems to be quite a popular misconception.

Which criteria did you use to establish the degree or amount of murder and suffering of those mentioned in comparison to 'religious ideologies'? Or is it a matter of "faith" to believe in this claim?

Atheism is the new religion,

If you are a Christian, you probably don't believe in the existence of Allah, Vishnu or any of the myriad of other gods that people have followed throughout history. I don't believe in those gods either, so in this sense I'm not all that different to you. The only small difference is that I believe in one less God.

Richard Carrier, in Sense and Goodness Without God

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Atheism is the new religion,

excellent point butterfly.

so glad you popped back.

it is no such thing.

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

it is no such thing.

well you believe into something that doesn't exist, like the other religions

Originally Posted by Bugs

If it is not possible for something (everything) to come from nothing - then where did god come from?

you don't believe in the big bang ?

We as humans have certain perconceptions of things; everything needing to have a begining and an end, along with what seems like the need for everything to have a meaning are just a few of the things that keep us searching for solutions that may never be there - or may not fit with the concepts of what we accept as plausable right now.

Nicely put. To me that touches on one of the issues I have with religion as well, in my opinion there's a certain inherent arrogance to it in the notion that a God 'created mankind in his image and gave him dominion over the beasts'. Why that automatic assumption? The oceans aren't very conducive to human life so it's odd to suggest they are there for mankind. There are thousands of deadly elements and creatures in nature, were they made for mankind also?

And lets face it, if their is a God he/she is a singularly nasty and vindictive entity.