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Faith can have more than one meaning. I have faith in many things: The sun will rise tomorrow. My job will be waiting for me. My car will start. I have faith that, in general, everything will be okay.
I place no faith in supernatural or paranormal claims.
No. I rarely question the existence of anything. Why would I? I accept that which exists. I don't, however, accept as true everything everyone says or writes. That would be naive. Furthermore, there are degrees of reasonability associated with accepting a claim. Though I've never seen the Grand Canyon, it is reasonable for me to accept its existence. The Loch Ness Monster, on the other hand, is not a reasonable claim.
Although quite interesting, cosmic philosopies do not affect my life at all. Therefore, being indifferent, it's quite easy for me to admit that "I don't know."
I love my mother. I would say that suffices as proof.
Thank you for your answer. But if you will indulge me just a little further...What is LOVE? We cannot see it, yet we know it is there. I've seen pictures of the Grand Canyon. In fact, I've seen pictures of what people claim to be the Loch Ness Monster. Please understand that I am not trying to start an argument, I am only trying to understand the logic behind atheism. How do you explain LOVE? I am a Christian, and as a Christian, I have FAITH in my God. For me, God is Love. The Holy Spirit is Love! The Holy Spirit lives inside of me. For me, to show you Love, is tgo show you the Holy Spirit. To show you, my God. As a believer, I am baffled by non-belief and am only trying to understand. Thank you for your kind response in advance.
Please understand that I am not trying to start an argument, I am only trying to understand the logic behind atheism. How do you explain LOVE?
Actually atheism is completely based on logic. I'm an atheist because rational thought leads me to the obvious conclusion that God is an invention of the human imagination. Man made God is his own image, not the other way around. Just because human beings have a variety of emotions that are very complex doesn't have any bearing on the existence of God. The love that one person might feel for another doesn't require a supernatural explanation and it doesn't make that emotion any less powerful or important because there isn't one.
Actually atheism is completely based on logic. I'm an atheist because rational thought leads me to the obvious conclusion that God is an invention of the human imagination. Man made God is his own image, not the other way around. Just because human beings have a variety of emotions that are very complex doesn't have any bearing on the existence of God. The love that one person might feel for another doesn't require a supernatural explanation and it doesn't make that emotion any less powerful or important because there isn't one.
ya know Montana I don't think you and I have ever had words
BUT you are saying........
God is basically our imaginary friend???
so why is it that so many believe in him
throughout different religions and different time frames
and different cultures
is it Mass Hysteria............????
Just Kinda wonderin'
ya know Montana I don't think you and I have ever had words
BUT you are saying........
God is basically our imaginary friend???
so why is it that so many believe in him
throughout different religions and different time frames
and different cultures
is it Mass Hysteria............????
Just Kinda wonderin'
If I may presume to answer in Montana's stead.
Yes, god is your imaginary friend, every bit as powerful and real as the imaginary playground friend many children have when they are 5.
Why many people believe in a god (not necessarily the christian one) is an interesting question. Maybe because they were brainwashed as a child into believing it. Maybe because the unknown is scary to them. Maybe because they are afraid of hell and damnation. Maybe because they never considered anything else. Maybe because there are strong societal pressures to believe in god.
I think stretch00 explained it pretty well. I've said on other posts that I think this belief is very common because of the power of the human imagination to fill in the gaps when people just can't understand something. Our ancestors invented gods to explain lightning and all sorts of other phenomenon that we do understand today. These primitive beliefs developed into the religions that we're all familiar with today over thousands of years and they've become very complex and taken on a life of their own. Nevertheless, they're not accurately describing how the universe works and their foundation beliefs are not based on reality.
I think stretch00 explained it pretty well. I've said on other posts that I think this belief is very common because of the power of the human imagination to fill in the gaps when people just can't understand something. Our ancestors invented gods to explain lightning and all sorts of other phenomenon that we do understand today. These primitive beliefs developed into the religions that we're all familiar with today over thousands of years and they've become very complex and taken on a life of their own. Nevertheless, they're not accurately describing how the universe works and their foundation beliefs are not based on reality.
yeah but don't you think a book that is basically at least 2000 yrs old and at the other end possibly 4500 yrs old is a little far in using the "imaginary friend" thingy
I mean it isn't like the jews of Moses time were debating over having 1 God or 15
They have always had this same belief since the beginning of their time
yeah but don't you think a book that is basically at least 2000 yrs old and at the other end possibly 4500 yrs old is a little far in using the "imaginary friend" thingy
yeah but don't you think a book that is basically at least 2000 yrs old and at the other end possibly 4500 yrs old is a little far in using the "imaginary friend" thingy
I mean it isn't like the jews of Moses time were debating over having 1 God or 15
They have always had this same belief since the beginning of their time
Ancient Egyptian society, complete with polytheistic beliefs, stood for more than three thousand recorded, documented years...and the beliefs in certain gods, especially the "biggies" (Ra, Isis, etc.).
Rome, complete with its own gods, extends back a bare minimum of nine thousand years but some historicians like to pull it back farther, apparently, to twelve centuries (I never knew THAT...oh the wonders of Google...you learn something new every day). I'll err on the side of conservativism (yes, I did just say that) and presume only nine centuries.
So, well. No. I mean unless time span would mean ancient Egyptian gods and Roman gods are valid, which I don't think any Christian would believe to be true. Not trying to get all over ya, dncn. But this happened to pop out at me. I'm not saying there is no valid basis whatsoever for ancient Jewish belief or anything like that. Just that length of public interest in a certain god or gods doesn't make them (the gods) more real.
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