How Do You See God?

[Meriweather]

So to find a god you have to love him first?

Not what I said. I said Christianity begins with love of God whereas Judaism begins with love of Law. Either way must be taught.

 

[Meriweather]

I'm not a person to simply believe because that's what I am told to do.

No one is, so your are not unique in that. Are you imagining the rest of us believe because we were told to do so?

 

[Blues Man]

No one is, so your are not unique in that. Are you imagining the rest of us believe because we were told to do so?

Most people adopt the religion of their parents.

 

[Meriweather]

In all my time spent studying various religions there was nothing I came across that sparked the belief that seems to be a prerequisite.

Studying is always a good start, but at some point what has been studied must be put into action--actively lived and tested. This is the path of many and why we believe. Books are great and quite helpful, but at some point we must put them down, stand up, and live.

 

[Blues Man]

Studying is always a good start, but at some point what has been studied must be put into action--actively lived and tested. This is the path of many and why we believe. Books are great and quite helpful, but at some point we must put them down, stand up, and live.

And the action of being a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim requires belief in their god.

I could not find anything that made me believe in a god and I wasn't going to pretend to.

 

[cnm]

Morals can be anything we want them to be.

Morals are community norms. Valid morals assist the survival/prosperity of the community. This is shown by the way different communities have different morals.

 

[Meriweather]

Most people adopt the religion of their parents.

So what? There are several other things I adopted from my parents--career and raising children for example, many of the recipes my parents enjoyed. We start with what our parents teach/do, and expand from there--or drop it entirely. When it comes to religion, I happened to expand in my own direction which was quite different from either of my parents. Yet the roots came from them.

 

[Blues Man]

So what? There are several other things I adopted from my parents--career and raising children for example, many of the recipes my parents enjoyed. We start with what our parents teach/do, and expand from there--or drop it entirely. When it comes to religion, I happened to expand in my own direction which was quite different from either of my parents. Yet the roots came from them.

It matters. You were conditioned to believe that there was a god. I wasn't.

 

[Meriweather]

And the action of being a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim requires belief in their god.

I could not find anything that made me believe in a god and I wasn't going to pretend to.

I can do a lot of math--up to a certain point, then it is beyond me, at least at the present time. That doesn't mean I drop math altogether. The same with religion. What does Christianity, Judaism, or Islam teach you about living your own life? Do you find any of the philosophies or rites helpful and enriching to your own life? If you haven't reached the point of belief, I doubt that affects how you live--how you live are the teachings being lived/followed.

 

[Meriweather]

It matters. You were conditioned to believe that there was a god. I wasn't.

Snort. I was "conditioned" to know some in my family believed and some did not. Some believed one way, others another. Therefore, I was motivated to investigate and reach my own decisions.

Let's not jump to conclusions about everyone else, or anyone else. Each of us have a unique story.

 

[ding]

Morals are community norms. Valid morals assist the survival/prosperity of the community. This is shown by the way different communities have different morals.

Wrong. Morals are standards which are based upon logic. Can you make logic be anything you want it to be? No.

 

[ding]

I have looked
I spent years of my life as a teenager and young adult searching for something and worshiping a god didn't do anything for me.

That said if there was an all powerful god looking out for us as you say, then if it wanted to make itself seen to everyone then there would be no choice in whether or not you see it.

But your god doesn't do that instead you are taking the words of people that lived over 2000 years ago as proof.

It's hearsay at best

Really? Describe what you were looking for? Tell me your perception of God.

 

[ding]

Where have I ever mentioned fairness?

I know there is no such thing.

Life isn't fair and it never has been.

So stop making up shit and telling me I said it.

Fairness under-girds every argument you have ever made. You can't get away from it because God put it in you.

Even your statement "stop making up shit and telling me I said it" implies you believe I have been unfair to you.

The funny thing about fairness is that you see unfairness done by others but you have a much harder time seeing when you are unfair to others. That's how much you value fairness. You can't stand to be seen as unfair. That's no more a coincidence than the universe popping into existence being hardwired to produce life and intelligence is a coincidence.

 

[Blues Man]

Snort. I was "conditioned" to know some in my family believed and some did not. Some believed one way, others another. Therefore, I was motivated to investigate and reach my own decisions.

Let's not jump to conclusions about everyone else, or anyone else. Each of us have a unique story.

I won't if you won't.

 

[Blues Man]

I can do a lot of math--up to a certain point, then it is beyond me, at least at the present time. That doesn't mean I drop math altogether. The same with religion. What does Christianity, Judaism, or Islam teach you about living your own life? Do you find any of the philosophies or rites helpful and enriching to your own life? If you haven't reached the point of belief, I doubt that affects how you live--how you live are the teachings being lived/followed.

I didn't stop looking. I did not want to be inauthentic in practicing a god based religion when I did not have the unconditional belief that there is indeed a god.

My spiritual practice does not include the worship of a god.

 

[buttercup]

It matters. You were conditioned to believe that there was a god. I wasn't.

That is a misconception among atheists. Sure, parents raise their kids a certain way (and btw that goes both ways, for believing parents as well as atheists) but everyone eventually gets to a point where they think about the beliefs they were raised with, and decide whether that is what they truly believe, or just something they went along with as a child. So at that point the person will either reject the beliefs they were raised with and go on a different path, or they might take some time away from it to experience "the world" and what it has to offer, and then eventually realize that their parents were right, and come back to to Christianity, but this time it's their faith, not merely the faith of their parents.

Also, many atheists seem to be unaware that there are tons of people in other parts of the world, in countries that are non-Christian, who end up converting to Christianity. For example in China, there is amazing revival going on in the underground churches there, and also in other non-Christian parts of the world. You obviously don't hear about that, unless you happen to be in certain circles where you would hear about it like if you were a missionary… But it happens, all the time. Believe it or not, even in places where missions is outlawed, like in certain Muslim countries, there are people who convert to Christianity despite the reality that they will be persecuted and sometimes even killed for their faith.

 

[Blues Man]

That is a misconception among atheists. Sure, parents raise their kids a certain way (and btw that goes both ways, for believing parents as well as atheists) but everyone eventually gets to a point where they think about the beliefs they were raised with, and decide whether that is what they truly believe, or just something they went along with as a child. So at that point the person will either reject the beliefs they were raised with and go on a different path, or they might take some time away from it to experience "the world" and what it has to offer, and then eventually realize that their parents were right, and come back to to Christianity, but this time it's their faith, not merely the faith of their parents.

Also, many atheists seem to be unaware that there are tons of people in other parts of the world, in countries that are non-Christian, who end up converting to Christianity. For example in China, there is amazing revival going on in the underground churches there, and also in other non-Christian parts of the world. You obviously don't hear about that, unless you happen to be in certain circles where you would hear about it like if you were a missionary… But it happens, all the time. Believe it or not, even in places where missions is outlawed, like in certain Muslim countries, there are people who convert to Christianity despite the reality that they will be persecuted and sometimes even killed for their faith.

I'm not an atheist

 

[Stann]

I remember once how I went to a Baptist church and I wound up being afraid of God because I thought that He was angry with me. Then I changed to a Methodist church and saw the loving side of God instead. Now, I'm obviously not saying that all Baptists are to be feared, because JohnDB is a Baptist and nothing like those people that I came across. My point is that God never actually changed, it's how we see Him ourselves that changes.

The Judgmental or Abrahamic Religions are particularly confusing with conflicting messages which embody hatred and ignorance and others of love and knowledge.

 

[Mr Natural]

Drop a tab of good acid and you’ll see God.

 

[Road Runner]

Drop a tab of good acid and you’ll see God.

Another comment that I shouldn't have found funny but did.