Are religious people fearful of facing reality?

[Griffmstr]

God of the bible has been thoroughly disproved by science.

To say something like that shows your ignorance. There is still heated debate on the Big Bang Theory because it conflicts with Newtons laws. Such as, according to the Big Bang, the entire universe spontaneously expanded into the universe we know today, yet in Newtons laws (Which are fact, The Big Bang is just a theory) it clearly states: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Meaning nothing is spontaneous or happens with nothing acting upon it. So science says the Big Bang isn't true, or if it was... What started it?
There is no way to disprove the existence of a god, or multiple gods. Just as there is no way to prove it's existence.

Much like aliens. Many people believe in them, claim to have seen or interacted with them but there is no actual proof to show that they exist at all outside of people's imagination is there? People just believe.

[Titan2k10]

Well I dont know what kind of atheists you know, but the ones I know atleast are compassionate (as compassionate as you can be as a man) and dont insult without reason unlike the "believing" people I know.

Good job snipping out my entire quote. You really got me there. You must have also missed the fact that even though that has been my experience I didn't drop a broad sweeping generalization about all atheists.....some of my best friends are Atheists. Hell (haha see what I'm using here) my wife is borderline Atheist.

[Keilith]

Well I dont know what kind of atheists you know, but the ones I know atleast are compassionate (as compassionate as you can be as a man) and dont insult without reason unlike the "believing" people I know.

I have personally met more jerk Atheists then Jerk religious people. Frankly vocal Atheists are just as bad as religious nutters forcing their beliefs on others and love telling people how wrong they are. Not unlike the OP is doing.

[Deleted]

I find the psychological impact and causes of religion much more interesting than its truth/disproving.

I think you hit the nail on the head. It's really all about this.

[Damascus]

God of the bible has been thoroughly disproved by science.

Wait, what? Since when did this earth-shattering even happen?
Are you referring to evolutionary theory vs creationism? Just because evolution and dinosaurs have been scientifically proven, doesn't disprove the existence of a higher being. As I mentioned above, I'm agnostic. But taking the bible literally (as in, the world was literally created in seven days, rather than taking it as a metaphor, as much of the bible is written. Not to mention a vast majority of it was written years and years after the fact and compiled even more years'n'years later) is downright silly imho.

[Titan2k10]

Has someone disproved fairies? werewolves? unicorns? no because they can't. you cannot prove what does not exist, lack of proof is not proof.

I can never be 100% sure that fairies don't exist, but I know that it's highly improbable so I won't waste my time with it, and it's the same for god...

Its a choice man for fuck sake. Guess you are missing the point that if you chose to believe in fairies werewolves etc you could use my same argument against me which I would have no problem with. Damn peoplel

[Griffmstr]

Has someone disproved fairies? werewolves? unicorns? no because they can't. you cannot prove what does not exist, lack of proof is not proof.

I can never be 100% sure that fairies don't exist, but I know that it's highly improbable so I won't waste my time with it, and it's the same for god...

But yet people believe in aliens. Why is that so widely accepted and considered normal to believe in aliens but the belief in a god, which is just as improbable, is shunned or considered complete stupidity?

[Keilith]

Wait, what? Since when did this earth-shattering even happen?
Are you referring to evolutionary theory vs creationism? Just because evolution and dinosaurs have been scientifically proven, doesn't disprove the existence of a higher being. As I mentioned above, I'm agnostic. But taking the bible literally (as in, the world was literally created in seven days, rather than taking it as a metaphor, as much of the bible is written. Not to mention a vast majority of it was written years and years after the fact and compiled even more years'n'years later) is downright silly imho.

You have a point there and as most people who have studied theology as well as most educated religious people will tell you. The bible was written by man and by severel several different men with heavy culture relevence. They wrote what they understood at the time. Only nutjobs take it word for word. This is directly from a religious person.

[fizzbob]

Has someone disproved there is no God? No one has proved either way so I don't really understand the point of this topic. How do we know non religious people aren't facing reality?

go to the local children's hospital and talk to all those terminally ill kids. ask yourself, if you were an all powerful, good, entity, would you kill innocent kids?

what child murderer in society is seen as a good person? logic says there is no higher power. logic says that life is pretty much just chance. some people work hard and never achieve nothing. some people fall into success and others can have it all if they lift a finger, but won't lift a finger

logic says no, there is no god.

religion is just a coping mechanism. humans hate to say "i don't know". so they don't, they say god does know.

[Damascus]

Has someone disproved fairies? werewolves? unicorns? no because they can't. you cannot prove what does not exist, lack of proof is not proof.

I can never be 100% sure that fairies don't exist, but I know that it's highly improbable so I won't waste my time with it, and it's the same for god...

People also used to believe the world was flat and the earth was the center of the Universe... saying something doesn't exist because you don't have proof of it is a little small-minded.
The best way in all this is to acknowledge other people's beliefs and respect them. You going around and telling people what they believe is nonsense is the same as a born-again telling you you're going to hell for this'n'that.
Respect, man.

[Xargoth6634]

Isnt it smarter to build your character based on friendship with other people and that way develop your self-esteem and well being compared to "trusting" to "higher" power? I think in many cases religious people fear to face reality as it is and instead of building yourself based on what you see and feel, they build their self-esteem based on maybe fictional character.

Well you don't sound like a judgemental douchebag or anything.

[Deleted]

But yet people believe in aliens. Why is that so widely accepted and considered normal to believe in aliens

Well that might come from the fact that there is shitloads of stars in the universe, so there most propably also is some stars about equivalent to ours and planets distancing from star equivalent of our planet's distance from our star. But to believe them visiting us? That's a bit insane. If there was so intelligent civilization capable of interstellar travel they propably would not interfere with lesser beings than them. But lets not derail this topic.

[Holofernes]

i think its a mistake to say religous people are religious because they dont want to face reality. Its basically the opposite.
Religion traditionally exists because some things are happening , wich are hard to explain by thought or mind. Nowadays we can explain a lot more things than several thousand years ago, but still not everything. So reality (what is seen) actually is responsible for religion.

Every person, who may or may not be religious still happens to live in this reality. Ritus and ceremony help in dealing with all kind of problems, mourning, parties, celebrations. Without relegion, your mother /child / loved one would die and u would just let her body be in the place she died, and having the dogs and birds taking care of her, or throw her to the litter. Having a cemetery is cool stuff, and it has something to do with relegion..

Many truly religious people belong to those who have seen very bad things in their live, for example catastrophy helpers, ambulance drivers / medics, doctors in child cancer hospitals, people who have to deal with death and mourning on a every day basis. Religion, its ceremonies, and their belief and faith in god and his justice, or whatever u call it, is what allows them to carry on with their job, in the real world.

edit:
I am not refering to those who still support that god made the world in 7 days, like it is said in the bible. This is not a sign of religion, its more a sign of stubborness. Beeing religous doesnt mean u have to take the bible as fact book, but to accept the general ideas, values and concepts of living in a way that god likes.

[Deleted]

But yet people believe in aliens. Why is that so widely accepted and considered normal to believe in aliens but the belief in a god, which is just as improbable, is shunned or considered complete stupidity?

Aliens are not highly improbable, in fact we can be almost certain that they do exist somewhere, when there are billions and billions of planets in the universe then the chance for 1 of them to evolve life is high, just like our planet was lucky to have the right conditions for life, others can too.

obviously not aliens that will be visiting us any time soon, any alien race that has that kind of technology will be much more intelligent & advanced than us, we'd be to them like monkeys are to us.

that has nothing to do with religion, that's science.

[-Skye]

But yet people believe in aliens. Why is that so widely accepted and considered normal to believe in aliens but the belief in a god, which is just as improbable, is shunned or considered complete stupidity?

becuz sciene.


I personally don't believe, but do believe. (I don't know if their's a term for that). I lean more towards the fact that their was no god who started it all, but their is always something laying in the back of my head saying "but what if..". I think the idea of a god shouldn't be thrown to the side. Who knows, maybe we're all lab rats for another species right now and they control everything that happens with everything and make us think what we think.

[Valz.]

No, just stupid and weak.

[Damascus]

go to the local children's hospital and talk to all those terminally ill kids. ask yourself, if you were an all powerful, good, entity, would you kill innocent kids?

what child murderer in society is seen as a good person? logic says there is no higher power. logic says that life is pretty much just chance. some people work hard and never achieve nothing. some people fall into success and others can have it all if they lift a finger, but won't lift a finger

logic says no, there is no god.

religion is just a coping mechanism. humans hate to say "i don't know". so they don't, they say god does know.

This is operating under the assumption of a God defined by people and our definition of a "just perfect god." This argument used to say there is no god has been beaten to death and literally proves nothing except that, if there is a God, he/she/it is not as we perceive him/her/it to be.

[darklogrus]

To say something like that shows your ignorance. There is still heated debate on the Big Bang Theory because it conflicts with Newtons laws. Such as, according to the Big Bang, the entire universe spontaneously expanded into the universe we know today, yet in Newtons laws (Which are fact, The Big Bang is just a theory) it clearly states: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Meaning nothing is spontaneous or happens with nothing acting upon it. So science says the Big Bang isn't true, or if it was... What started it?
There is no way to disprove the existence of a god, or multiple gods. Just as there is no way to prove it's existence.


Much like aliens. Many people believe in them, claim to have seen or interacted with them but there is no actual proof to show that they exist at all outside of people's imagination is there? People just believe.

Science is always disproving science. Besides, weren't cultures already believing in their own form of a god long before they even heard of such a thing as science?

[Kasierith]

I think there are a massive number of reasons why people follow religion. The earliest religions were established to attempt to answer the unknowns, to explain the happenings in the universe, happenings beyond the natural knowledge of man. So really, the roots of religion are the search for knowledge, the quest for the unknown. And slapping a singular label on a couple billion people is neither accurate nor a cohesive way to attempt to understand society.

Regardless, I'm not sure if this is a good topic to discuss on these forums.

[Keilith]

Regardless, I'm not sure if this is a good topic to discuss on these forums.

Its not, Religious discussion is banned from this forum. Mods are either asleep or not paying attention.