Are You Religious

High Entropy said:
I couldn't disagree more, we are a successful species only because we're adaptable, we problem solve and being logical is the most efficient method to basic problem solving. The goal is to be more logical, not hang onto illogical things.
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I missed this.

You're so close. We are a successful species only because we're adaptable, we problem solve and being logical is the most efficient method to basic problem solving. And you're advocating that the goal should be to change that nature that made us successful until we're something else. I say that we shouldn't try to change anything and continue doing as we do. Mending and fixing. We're good at that. People are moving away from organised religion but there will always be that 'what if?' There will never be enough facts for some people, look at the new age religions - the flat earthers.

We're not going to change that so we may as well be who we are. Story tellers and believers of myths...but with a growing populace who are more inclined to believe the physical evidence. I'm as much of an Atheist as you are but I think the human race will travel down it's own sweet path and there's nothing much can be done about it.
 
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JonMc said:
Yes. We have spread from a couple of African tribes to global domination and if we survive ourselves that could become interplanetary. We might not have survived the test of time like sharks have but we've been successful enough to impact on the species even though we don't live in their space. Unless we problem solve and then we can live quite comfortably in their space.
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It’s obvious from your posting history that you are both intelligent and articulate. However often I think you can’t bring yourself to back down from an argument position when you know you are wrong.

However, If I’ve got that completely wrong (the posts are there for people to read) and you genuinely think we are a successful species then, wow, fair enough. Happy to agree to disagree.

I’ll bet everything I own that our species will not make it long enough to achieve inter-planetary settlements in any meaningful numbers to save our species. Mars isn’t suitable. It’s fantasy thinking to consider the perhaps suitable planets in other stars’ systems.
 
Kent_Mackem said:
I’ll bet everything I own that our species will not make it long enough to achieve inter-planetary settlements in any meaningful numbers to save our species.
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I'm still hoping that we can learn to live live with what we have and do it reasonably successfully. It might take near extinction to do this but we are tough and resourceful.
 
Generally I believe as a human we are better suited to or better settled if we have faith in something that guides us in life. This doesn’t necessarily need to be a god but when I have been around churches people seem a lot more at peace in the face of adversity.
 
Kent_Mackem said:
It’s obvious from your posting history that you are both intelligent and articulate. However often I think you can’t bring yourself to back down from an argument position when you know you are wrong.

However, If I’ve got that completely wrong (the posts are there for people to read) and you genuinely think we are a successful species then, wow, fair enough. Happy to agree to disagree.
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You don't think humans, as a species, have been successful? WTF? :lol:
 
What does it mean to be religious? To believe in God..is that it? What does even that mean because if someone were to say they believe in God, but then didn't live accordingly do they really believe at all...

To believe in God and live accordingly is a pretty high standard for anyone to say they manage. Hence, we are all sinners.

I'm not sure if I believe in God, but i think the construct of the bible stories and their meaning, the way in which to aspire to live, are mostly admirable and helpful ways to view the world. They serve that benefit to me , and I don't really stress at all about whether an actual conceptual God exists; what use...
 
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Went to church as a kid every Sunday till my teens kicked in (Parents took us), ever since, not been arsed with religion. Best I do is a few words with Buddha (Pagoda wherever I am) several times a year, just mentioning as was at the big sleeping Buddha pagoda outside HCMC yesterday for a few words.
 
daveydavey said:
What does it mean to be religious? To believe in God..is that it? What does even that mean because if someone were to say they believe in God, but then didn't live accordingly do they really believe at all...

To believe in God and live accordingly is a pretty high standard for anyone to say they manage. Hence, we are all sinners.

I'm not sure if I believe in God, but i think the construct of the bible stories and their meaning, the way in which to aspire to live, are mostly admirable and helpful ways to view the world. They serve that benefit to me , and I don't really stress at all about whether an actual conceptual God exists; what use...
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How can you not be sure whether or not you believe?

I get that you can’t be sure if any of these gods exist or not, but that is different.

Surely you either believe it or you don’t?

Or am I missing something?
 
Kent_Mackem said:
How can you not be sure whether or not you believe?

I get that you can’t be sure if any of these gods exist or not, but that is different.

Surely you either believe it or you don’t?

Or am I missing something?
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I understand your confusion but push back against the need for certainty ; you ask me how I cannot be sure whether I believe...well that question seems to be predicated on a notion people carry strong convictions either way; and i just don't ...I think it's OK to not know fully and to be trying to figure it out.

What would you like to know if i believe or do not (your third line) ? And why do you think it is reasonable /necessary to have a definitive answer to that & your other questions ?

Do you know definitively yourself, and have no time for question on your believes?

I am in the US CT zone, so will be back with the debate and discussion in about 12-18 hours if it is still alive!
 
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daveydavey said:
I understand your confusion but push back against the need for certainty ; you ask me how I cannot be sure whether I believe...well that question seems to be predicated on a notion people carry strong convictions either way; and i just don't ...I think it's OK to not know fully and to be trying to figure it out.

What would you like to know if i believe or do not (your third line) ? And why do you think it is reasonable /necessary to have a definitive answer to that & your other questions ?

Do you know definitively yourself, and have no time for question on your believes?

I am in the US CT zone, so will be back with the debate and discussion in about 12-18 hours if it is still alive!
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I’m just interested in the standpoint and no worries about time zone. I’m in Bosch getting the early flight back so up at crack of dawn.

I just think that as individuals we surely know whether we choose to believe something or not. It’s an easy binary answer.

Whether or not the gods actually exist is different. No evidence to suggest they do but obviously nobody can prove they don’t.

I just assumed the default position, that we are all born into, was to at we don’t believe unless convinced otherwise. But it is an easy Y/N question to answer as individuals.
 
dangermows said:
This is very likely and what I'd bet on. What I like though is no one actually knows. And what I like about that is it gets militant atheists absolutely seething :lol:
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It's the failure in logic that gets us "seething". (Or rather "bemused".)

There's absolutely no logical reason to believe that your consciousness somehow continues in a different form after you die. Just like there's absolutely no logical reason to believe in fairies, leprechauns, mermaids or a flying teapot in between the Earth and Mars.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

There isn't even any moderately believable evidence, let alone extraordinary evidence that there's any kind of life after death.
 
daveydavey said:
What does it mean to be religious? To believe in God..is that it? What does even that mean because if someone were to say they believe in God, but then didn't live accordingly do they really believe at all...

To believe in God and live accordingly is a pretty high standard for anyone to say they manage. Hence, we are all sinners.

I'm not sure if I believe in God, but i think the construct of the bible stories and their meaning, the way in which to aspire to live, are mostly admirable and helpful ways to view the world. They serve that benefit to me , and I don't really stress at all about whether an actual conceptual God exists; what use...
Click to expand...
They could believe in a creator but not in any religion or its teachings.
 
I was brought up as a Catholic and have spent many hours in church but don't attend now. I don't believe what the various regions try to tell us but do believe there is something else beyond this life we are experiencing on earth. Haven't a clue what it is and I don't think anyone else does but that's just my belief based on a few personal paranormal experiences that I have encountered which I'm not going to discuss as it will be a never ending message exchange with some posters.
 
JonMc said:
I missed this.

You're so close. We are a successful species only because we're adaptable, we problem solve and being logical is the most efficient method to basic problem solving. And you're advocating that the goal should be to change that nature that made us successful until we're something else. I say that we shouldn't try to change anything and continue doing as we do. Mending and fixing. We're good at that. People are moving away from organised religion but there will always be that 'what if?' There will never be enough facts for some people, look at the new age religions - the flat earthers.

We're not going to change that so we may as well be who we are. Story tellers and believers of myths...but with a growing populace who are more inclined to believe the physical evidence. I'm as much of an Atheist as you are but I think the human race will travel down it's own sweet path and there's nothing much can be done about it.
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We have been changing, we will continue to change, that is a certainty, we're constantly changing, it's evolution and we won't sit still and continue to fix and mend.

We will change, we are changing and I'd like us to move down this path, not that path, we can shape our future so I think your statements are just factually incorrect, they're more like wishes or personal desires than reality.
 

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