Do you believe in God?

[Sol Invictus]

Heh, someone had to start the thread. Anyhow, here goes:

I don't believe in a personal god. I don't believe in the Bible or in religion, though I do believe they have their merits as well as their flaws, there's no denying that, especially when taken too fundamentally.

I believe in a supreme architect of the universe, a designer. I don't believe he (Assuming you can even anthropomorphize God, which I refuse to. But for the sake of literation, let's just refer to God as a 'he'.) creates us by hand one individual at a time.

Rather, I think of the architect as the entity that set the universe into motion, with a grand design, or perhaps simply as a grand experiment, similar to Will Wright's upcoming 'Spore'. Despite the influences that were made, evolution was set, and natural selection came into play.

I don't believe in 'creationism'. I believe in 'evolution', but I also believe evolution follows certain rules, such as the rule of Phi, the Golden Rule that dictates that everything in nature, alive or dead, follows certain formations, so it's not purely random.

What do you think?

[Elwro]

Usually, my faith in God hasn't been very strong, and I'd have problems if I had to state clearly whether I believe or not. But I have the need to pray every evening.

[Narcism]

I do not believe in a God or supreme being. I'm a scientific, and in science, when you claim something exists (quarks, ups, downs, neutrons, etc.), you start off by proving it. And so far, I've yet to see someone prove God exists.

As a sidenote, proof doesn't consist of: Well where did the world come from? Obviously a supreme being.

[Sol Invictus]

My belief in a supreme creator (rather than a supreme being) merely stems from the existence of dynamic patterns in nature, and irrational numbers, like phi, pi, and the square root of 2. Philosophers have theorized that the numbers are evidence of a design, perhaps a 'signature' of the supreme creator's work, much like a keystone is evidence of an architect even in a massive jumble of bricks.

Of course, it's merely a correlation and there's no causality, as there's no actual evidence. I'm still really 'on the fence' when it comes to this. Regardless, I don't believe in a 'personal god' and I don't pray. My view is similar to the ones held by Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin (who were the atheists of their time), in that the universe had a grand design, but they didn't believe in religion, salvation, sin, or a god you could pray to. It's called deism these days.

[Elwro]

I sometimes wonder about the level by which mathematics is influenced by the structure of the human brain. For example, could a completely different form of life develop the notion "similar" to our rational numbers, but no notion "similar" to our irrational numbers? Of course the mere idea of human-nonhuman translatability begs many questions...

[Sol Invictus]

Pythagoras went mad trying to solve the square root of 2 because he did not believe in the existence of irrational numbers. He believed that he could explain the universe through logical numbers. He killed the student who brought him the problem, and went mad trying to figure it out after. Heh.

[StormLord]

to answer the thread title: No.

[Scapes]

Simplistically short answer:

No.
-- Scaper-X

[Rellek]

I don't care... It could, but then it couldn't, doesn't really make a difference in my life.

[Nightsorrow]

No. Fully fledged Ateist here...

Seems to me that Religion is a source of a lot of the wierd stuff that's going on, so I try and keep myself far away from it.

[brandnewyork]

I dont practice any religion. Im a Science Man 8)

[Naked_Lunch]

My views are kind in line with yours Sol, there's no denying the patterns we see in evolution and such. But to me, an invisible superman floating in the sky who loves us more than mere words can convey but yet gave us free will and will send our ass to hell if we don't praise him is a mite silly.

All this and I went to a Catholic high school. :lol:

[LizardWhoSkiis]

To me, there is no God(s as the case may be), no heaven or hell, no prophets or messiahs. It doesn't make a difference to me if someone loves me up there, or if someone is going to come destroy the planet. The way I see it, I'm here, I'm going to do something with it, and then I'm going to die-whether by the slow decay of age over my last 50 years, or being shredded by demons created from the twisted souls of the fallen in a cataclismic war. Either way chances are good I'm not making it out of this alive, so I'm more concerned about what goes on while I'm around anyways. Despite my more apathetic nature on the matter, based on a more indepth look of my belief structure I do consider myself athiest, and not a sub-form.

Now, does that mean I don't use catch phrases such as 'go to hell' (or 'go to heaven' since I wouldn't want to spend any more of my life with directed person, much less the rest of eternity :wink: ). Of course not, I use them all the time, because 1) they are catch phrases, not coined lines of the church suitable only to those with holy authority, 2) they are understood, and 3) if it works, it works.

For others who have a belief in the higher powers, you don't preach to me, I won't preach to you. If I do argue religion, it's more for the sake of a decent (or at least one can hope) discussion, which I do enjoy.

[Krazy Kaution]

I think we're one big fuckin video game like the Sims for some uber advanced kid somewhere and the universe is the expansion pack waiting to be released lol (reminds me of a dream i had where i died cuz the diamond above my head as a sims character fell and split me open lol). Man the expansion pack is gonna own! lol

[StandardAI]

I'm a secular humanitarian (Atheist)

A conviction that dogmas, ideologies and traditions, whether religious, political or social, must be weighed and tested by each individual and not simply accepted on faith.

[mEtaLL1x]

I don't belive in god, nor follow any religiousity.
However, I do respect different worldviews and religions.

I value humans with personal world-view, philosophical ideals, that do not cross with mine, and that are not extremalistic.

[Nicolai]

Of course not.

[Toko]

i belive that humans needs to belive in something.
it is a need like eat.
some has it, and some does not.
i do not, but one day i migth belive..

[Yangstuh]

the whole idea of god is a caveman idea... it was concieved during a period when we didn't understand jack shit about anything.

I think its pathetic that we as humans cling to such empty and hella old beliefs.

Of course, we still don't undestand everything, but we are a lot farther then we were thousands of years ago.

There is a theory that sounds better than god acually.. its the idea that aliens somehow altered our ape-like ancestors to change into what we are now. Anyways... its just a theory based off of wild speculations. I.. for now.. just believe that the universe is just what it is.. no super cosmic creater of some type.

Claiming to be an atheist is funny, because its a belief where you don't believe in other people's beliefs. Kind of contradictive.

[Toko]

yangsta, you mean that we are a exeriment of some alien race out in space and they come back every now and then to see how we are?

[Scapes]

Claiming to be an atheist is funny, because its a belief where you don't believe in other people's beliefs. Kind of contradictive.
Wrong. Other people don't factor into the definition of "atheist". It's a personal disbelief in deities.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=atheist

Unlike some Christians and Mormons, we don't go advertising nor conscripting others. Disbelief is a belief.

As for the "alien pet project" theory, certainly not new. Wouldn't be surprised, honestly. However, I'm of the mindset that all life was a giant fluke. An accident that went horribly right from our point of view. Some people couldn't come to grips with the concept that life has no greater purpose nor intention to its creation and invented stories, crutches.

However, this is merely my take on the matter.
-- Scaper-X

[mEtaLL1x]

Disbelief is a belief.
Pure symantics.
Atheism may be a religion only if someone preaches for it. It is a belief-system, tho, but damn almost EVERYTHING is a belief-system.
You believe that you are healthy. You may actually be not healthy, or this state might change in time (eventually all people get sick and die, anyway, you can't die naturally and being healthy at the same time).
"The earth is revolving". That is a belief, but it is proven true.
"There is god" that is a belieft, but it has not been proven true practically or scientifically (theoretically).

[Pernicious]

the whole idea of god is a caveman idea... it was concieved during a period when we didn't understand jack shit about anything.
I never really thought of it that way. That is a very good point. At the time that people conceived that idea everybody thought the world was flat. They also thought that a supreme being lived in heavens above the sky, but now we know that there is just space up there.

[brandnewyork]

I dont believe in any religion or practice any religion, but I do think there has to be SOMEthing, i dont know what though.

[Mariena]

Heh, someone had to start the thread. Anyhow, here goes:

I don't believe in a personal god. I don't believe in the Bible or in religion, though I do believe they have their merits as well as their flaws, there's no denying that, especially when taken too fundamentally.

I believe in a supreme architect of the universe, a designer. I don't believe he (Assuming you can even anthropomorphize God, which I refuse to. But for the sake of literation, let's just refer to God as a 'he'.) creates us by hand one individual at a time.

Rather, I think of the architect as the entity that set the universe into motion, with a grand design, or perhaps simply as a grand experiment, similar to Will Wright's upcoming 'Spore'. Despite the influences that were made, evolution was set, and natural selection came into play.

I don't believe in 'creationism'. I believe in 'evolution', but I also believe evolution follows certain rules, such as the rule of Phi, the Golden Rule that dictates that everything in nature, alive or dead, follows certain formations, so it's not purely random.

What do you think?

I think this sums up exactly what I think as well. Though, I don't really believe in a 'the architect as the entity that set the universe into motion', I believe in 'nature'. I can't really explain that.. ask some questions and I'll try to answer them as best as I'm able :o

[Garm]

Believe equals hope (most gods are "good" gods nowadays) and hope is something the ppl need.
So, wo/mankind believes in lots of stuff.

I believe, that it is hope, that keeps this world go round.
And I believe, that it is up to me to create my future.

no Gods, No devils, No satan, no Buddha....

Purely Me.

Call me egocentric, I call myself down to earth.

[Scapes]

I should make mention that I believe in personal spirit.

Spiritualism != religion; spiritualism = philosophy.
-- Scaper-X

[Aziere]

I wonder what my idealism is called. I believe that nothing is real except me. The world, the people... all illusions created by me.

[Pernicious]

I wonder what my idealism is called. I believe that nothing is real except me. The world, the people... all illusions created by me.If that is what you believe then what do you believe yourself to be?

[Scapes]

I wonder what my idealism is called.
On a base level, solipsism (http://www.answers.com/solipsism&r=67).

Egoism/egocentrism to boot.
-- Scaper-X

[Aziere]

Solipsism is pretty spot on. Good call my underling :P

[Zealot]

Simple answer.

No.

[oneeyered]

There is alot of history the world refuses to teach us ( our children) or should I say rather, religious zealots. I have been on both sides of the fence and today I really don't know. I consider myself more neutral than anything else. The greatest library in exsistence to known man was burnt to the ground several times by radical religious sects. I have very little faith in man as we are like a cockroach on this planet and we destroy or corrupt almost everything we lay hand to.
The universe, the world, the body of humans for that matter are so intricatley woven that i refuse to believe in evolution. If that were the case why have we stopped evolving? I beleive in a greater existence or exsitences for that matter but I need facts, hard facts and proof. I can no longer wander around like some babbling "SHEEPIL" waiting to be led by a individual or group of individuals who are more clueless than myself and full of hypocricy and deceit.
To answer the question in all honesty I DO NOT KNOW!

[Sol Invictus]

Solipsism is amusing. I wonder what happens to a solipsist's mind when something happens to him that him didn't expect. How'd he reason with that?

[Garm]

The Solipist prolly would say that it is his own fault ;)

[Aziere]

Personally, I don't believe in coincidences. If something bad happens, it happens for a reason.

[Garm]

Personally, I don't believe in coincidences. If something bad happens, it happens for a reason.

what if something good happens? :twisted:

[Aziere]

Then I'm too happy to think about it. No, seriously it stays the same. It's all for a reason. But also. Everything good has a bad side to it. You just gotta look closer to see it.

[Garm]

well this whole reason thing doesn't suit me.
IF there is a reason for something good or bad happening its IMO my own effort.