New here but feels like a debate

[SeekingBalance]

When I say I'm new I grew up very religious. Door-to-door religious and skeptical of what I was preaching but most of my time was spent either in school or in church with a slightly less amount of time dedicated to sleeping.

I know now that this religion you could all guess if I told you it wasn't Mormon but is based on older stories and somewhat related but similar to some chiropractic ideas except they don't accept blood transfusions.

Raising kids in this manner while not quite Jesus Camp level abuse and I won't speak for everyone I grew up with because they would disagree perhaps. I forgot the podcast I listened to recently but I think it was about Feynman and someone said kids ask religious questions which we don't have answers to so we choose to lie to them. Not because we are evil people that want to lie but we don't know and when we don't know we often get uncomfortable. So lets say your not religious but you might give some sperm and egg or birds and the bees but ultimately the kid is asking why am I here? You are answering HOW they got here but they want to know WHY. Its a hard question to answer but since I'm new I'll toss it out to you the reader. I hope all is well.

 

[Stevicus]

Welcome to Religious Forums! We do have some debate here, as well as just general discussion and some light-hearted sections, too.

 

[Mock Turtle]

When I say I'm new I grew up very religious. Door-to-door religious and skeptical of what I was preaching but most of my time was spent either in school or in church with a slightly less amount of time dedicated to sleeping.

I know now that this religion you could all guess if I told you it wasn't Mormon but is based on older stories and somewhat related but similar to some chiropractic ideas except they don't accept blood transfusions.

Raising kids in this manner while not quite Jesus Camp level abuse and I won't speak for everyone I grew up with because they would disagree perhaps. I forgot the podcast I listened to recently but I think it was about Feynman and someone said kids ask religious questions which we don't have answers to so we choose to lie to them. Not because we are evil people that want to lie but we don't know and when we don't know we often get uncomfortable. So lets say your not religious but you might give some sperm and egg or birds and the bees but ultimately the kid is asking why am I here? You are answering HOW they got here but they want to know WHY. Its a hard question to answer but since I'm new I'll toss it out to you the reader. I hope all is well.

Well, firstly welcome to RF. I consider myself relatively lucky as to where I was born - the UK and where it is/was then as prosperous as so many other countries and also relatively free as to what beliefs one might have - even if I had the default religion (Protestant Christianity) more or less imposed upon me at school. I seemed to have retained enough of the Why? questioning that small children so often display so as to question religious beliefs at quite an early age, and particularly when I discovered there were so many different and seemingly incompatible religious beliefs.

Over a number of subsequent years I came to the conclusion that all such beliefs were fabricated by humans. As to why we are here, I have no answers other than the scientific ones - that we evolved as did all other life on a particularly hospitable planet, although not always so. And, given that our intelligence seems to have separated us from so much of other life, I suspect that this is what has enabled us to be here today even discussing this. So perhaps we can answer that intelligence/knowledge is what drives any species that even pretends to progress and that we were one of the lucky ones to achieve this. But it has been a rocky road and we are still being dragged back by so many myths from the past - just listen to YEC believers here on RF.

Of course this might just be one view, but this perhaps is a better answer than having to believe any myth that then holds the promise of dividing us one against the other, and where such is totally unnecessary in reality. It seems a simple fact, that some will accept that they might have no answers to certain issues whereas others just frown and are annoyed at such negative thinking - and perhaps accepting things that in fact are just not true.

 

[an anarchist]

why am I here?

Its a hard question to answer but since I'm new I'll toss it out to you the reader.

It's a tough question. Not because I don't know the answer (I do), but because it isn't clear to anybody.

We are here to suffer.

We are here to overcome the condition of suffering.

 

[ChristineM]

@SeekingBalance

Welcome to RF

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Shalom and welcome.

 

[Nakosis]

When I say I'm new I grew up very religious. Door-to-door religious and skeptical of what I was preaching but most of my time was spent either in school or in church with a slightly less amount of time dedicated to sleeping.

I know now that this religion you could all guess if I told you it wasn't Mormon but is based on older stories and somewhat related but similar to some chiropractic ideas except they don't accept blood transfusions.

Raising kids in this manner while not quite Jesus Camp level abuse and I won't speak for everyone I grew up with because they would disagree perhaps. I forgot the podcast I listened to recently but I think it was about Feynman and someone said kids ask religious questions which we don't have answers to so we choose to lie to them. Not because we are evil people that want to lie but we don't know and when we don't know we often get uncomfortable. So lets say your not religious but you might give some sperm and egg or birds and the bees but ultimately the kid is asking why am I here? You are answering HOW they got here but they want to know WHY. Its a hard question to answer but since I'm new I'll toss it out to you the reader. I hope all is well.

Me, I figure I'm here by happenstance. I series of events in the universe that just happened. No higher purpose for my existence but I tell myself this is a good thing as I get to decide my purpose for myself.

If there is a God, I think that whatever purpose they have in mind they are keeping close to the vest. Unlikely we'd ever be able to know their true purpose without reading their mind. So why worry about it. You can of course make up stuff but you are more likely to be wrong and there is no way to verify that anyway.

 

[SeekingBalance]

Well, firstly welcome to RF. I consider myself relatively lucky as to where I was born - the UK and where it is/was then as prosperous as so many other countries and also relatively free as to what beliefs one might have - even if I had the default religion (Protestant Christianity) more or less imposed upon me at school. I seemed to have retained enough of the Why? questioning that small children so often display so as to question religious beliefs at quite an early age, and particularly when I discovered there were so many different and seemingly incompatible religious beliefs.

Over a number of subsequent years I came to the conclusion that all such beliefs were fabricated by humans. As to why we are here, I have no answers other than the scientific ones - that we evolved as did all other life on a particularly hospitable planet, although not always so. And, given that our intelligence seems to have separated us from so much of other life, I suspect that this is what has enabled us to be here today even discussing this. So perhaps we can answer that intelligence/knowledge is what drives any species that even pretends to progress and that we were one of the lucky ones to achieve this. But it has been a rocky road and we are still being dragged back by so many myths from the past - just listen to YEC believers here on RF.

Of course this might just be one view, but this perhaps is a better answer than having to believe any myth that then holds the promise of dividing us one against the other, and where such is totally unnecessary in reality. It seems a simple fact, that some will accept that they might have no answers to certain issues whereas others just frown and are annoyed at such negative thinking - and perhaps accepting things that in fact are just not true.

Hi there,

Thanks for your reply. Your idea of our intelligence sets us apart is very interesting. How intelligent are say dolphins or whales or even some other species?

When you say all beliefs are fabricated by humans I think everything is basically interpreted by our senses and then reconstructed for our interpretation so in some sense everything is being fabricated through our imperfect senses and built by our imperfect mind to represent our best bet at survival.

About the myth, yes, some people will just believe what they were raised with or rebel against it... it depends on a lot of factors and yes I agree they can hinder progress with outdated ideas but some outdated ideas and even my religious background hold a lot of sway over my character. Reading job as an atheist and as a devout Christian were different experiences at least for me.

I find your response a refreshing departure from what I would have expected so thank you. I hope all is well! (I am wondering about the YEC but don't want to ask too many questions just yet)

 

[SeekingBalance]

Shalom and welcome.

Hey super smart person,

I am not exactly new but I do remember you for a number of reasons and always feel graced with your response. I hope all is well and thanks for your welcome!

 

[SeekingBalance]

Me, I figure I'm here by happenstance. I series of events in the universe that just happened. No higher purpose for my existence but I tell myself this is a good thing as I get to decide my purpose for myself.

If there is a God, I think that whatever purpose they have in mind they are keeping close to the vest. Unlikely we'd ever be able to know their true purpose without reading their mind. So why worry about it. You can of course make up stuff but you are more likely to be wrong and there is no way to verify that anyway.

Hi Nakosis,

I think we are probably all here by happenstance. (I know I am, I don't even know who my dad is so that is pretty happenstance, hah)

That said how we got here is not as important in my opinion as what we do while we're here and now I'm thinking of Lewis who wrote the SBF going infinite but he was talking about a successful existence is some aspect and I'm just riffing so don't hold my feet to the fire but I think he said something like "Success should be thought of as a byproduct of what you already love doing. The goal of life is to move through it in a way that you don't miss what you love doing", and this is important I think, from how it was described to me, you don't walk away from what you love doing by mistake. (I can kind of rephrase that but I think most people will never get the opportunity to do what he suggests but also I think he is correct)

Ultimately I think he wants everyone to be alive enough to know when their dream life walks into the room and not miss it. Why do I keep quoting Lewis lately? He's just entirely too likable. In any event, Going Infinite was a great book and I read a few of his others but thanks.

As to your dilemma with purpose, I think it's normal. Everyone struggles with what to do or why they are here but the answer for you is not something I could tell you. I think we all have to decide on our own.

I hope all is well!

 

[SeekingBalance]

View attachment 89107
It's a tough question. Not because I don't know the answer (I do), but because it isn't clear to anybody.

We are here to suffer.

We are here to overcome the condition of suffering.

Hi!

Why do you think we are here to suffer? Is it like a Job biblical thing or like a hawkins there is no afterlife and so he is still alive and therefore existence is suffering? (Jordan Peterson style? Make your bed etc?)

I don't know that we are here for that. If I imagine myself being born in 200 BC, 200 AD, 1800s, 1900s, 2000s.... I think my geographical location matters a lot but there is a lot to consider. Did kings suffer as much as the peasants that grew their crops?

If you need to talk feel free to message me. I hope all is well!

 

[SeekingBalance]

Welcome to Religious Forums! We do have some debate here, as well as just general discussion and some light-hearted sections, too.

Thank you and nice to meet you. I hope all is well!

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Hey super smart person,

Sadly, you have me confused with somebody else.

I am not exactly new but I do remember you for a number of reasons and always feel graced with your response. I hope all is well and thanks for your welcome!

Do you remember me from early days at RF or earlier days at the Internet Infidels Discussion Board? In any event, thanks for the kind words.

 

[SeekingBalance]

Sadly, you have me confused with somebody else.

Press X to doubt.

Do you remember me from early days at RF or earlier days at the Internet Infidels Discussion Board? In any event, thanks for the kind words.

Not that long ago. Just from RF. Kind words might seem like that but sometimes they are true as well. I think you qualify for both.

 

[Nimos]

You are answering HOW they got here but they want to know WHY. Its a hard question to answer but since I'm new I'll toss it out to you the reader.

Welcome to RF

I don't think it is a difficult question to answer. The problem is humans lack of ability to admit that they don't know when it is a question that they believe they ought to have an answer to.

If I asked you a hard question like "Why is the Universe expanding at an accelerated rate?", we don't know the answer to this question, there are some theories etc. But let's say I wanted you to give me the correct answer.

Then you have no issue saying "I don't know". But for some reason, people think that the question of "Why are we here?" should be easily answered, because if it isn't things start to get a bit frustrating, why are we here? why are rocks here? why is anything here? where did it come from?

Until we get passed the human arrogance of thinking we know or need to have answers to questions, that might not have one, we either make up stuff or find them difficult. When the obvious answer should be the same as with the first question, "We don't know, but hopefully, we might figure it out someday."

It is kind of sad that we are living in a world where parents have to make up stuff trying to satisfy children's curiosity, what they should rather do is ask the child why they think we are here? and then challenge them to think about whatever they answer, in a friendly way obvious. But let them learn to think about these things rather than filling their head with nonsense. And let them hold their own idea of this, whether it is God or not, let them explore it and don't ruin their ideas, but this requires that the parents themselves are able to question their own ideas, which I think is probably the biggest problem.

 

[☆Dreamwind☆]

Hello and welcome

 

[dybmh]

since I'm new I'll toss it out to you the reader.

Welcome.

why am I here?

In my faith community, we believe that yourself and all of it, all of reality, exists for the purpose of creating a suitable dwelling place for God here in the material realm.

 

[SeekingBalance]

Welcome to RF

I don't think it is a difficult question to answer. The problem is humans lack of ability to admit that they don't know when it is a question that they believe they ought to have an answer to.

If I asked you a hard question like "Why is the Universe expanding at an accelerated rate?", we don't know the answer to this question, there are some theories etc. But let's say I wanted you to give me the correct answer.

Then you have no issue saying "I don't know". But for some reason, people think that the question of "Why are we here?" should be easily answered, because if it isn't things start to get a bit frustrating, why are we here? why are rocks here? why is anything here? where did it come from?

Until we get passed the human arrogance of thinking we know or need to have answers to questions, that might not have one, we either make up stuff or find them difficult. When the obvious answer should be the same as with the first question, "We don't know, but hopefully, we might figure it out someday."

It is kind of sad that we are living in a world where parents have to make up stuff trying to satisfy children's curiosity, what they should rather do is ask the child why they think we are here? and then challenge them to think about whatever they answer, in a friendly way obvious. But let them learn to think about these things rather than filling their head with nonsense. And let them hold their own idea of this, whether it is God or not, let them explore it and don't ruin their ideas, but this requires that the parents themselves are able to question their own ideas, which I think is probably the biggest problem.

Hi Nimos,

I agree with you and listened to a podcast recently that talked about some of this: The Gray Area

It was the episode about "the denial of death".

I'm on the fence about pushing the question of existence we can't answer down to our kids but it's a very ender's game type of scenario perhaps.

I hope all is well.

 

[SeekingBalance]

Welcome.



In my faith community, yourself and all of it, all of reality, exists for the purpose of creating a suitable dwelling place for God here in the material realm.

Hi dybmf,

That is an interesting take. I was watching some UFO videos and presumably pseudoscience videos recently and I think it was Lazar who said there is top-secret info saying that religion in general is just a story to protect the container. (And I think humans were the containers but even Lazar didn't hazard a guess as to what humans might be containers of)

I hope all is well!

 

[SeekingBalance]

Hello and welcome

Thank you, and nice to meet you.