-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Describe what you believe
- Thread starter DavidFirth
- Start date
osgart
Nothing my eye, Something for sure
intelligence must pre exist for intelligence to form.
infinity makes for bad probability because it skews the amount of possibility inherent in our universe.
even using infinity for probability you would still need intelligence in order for life to arise because matter has not been proven to be more than just matter
and human life is too compositionally coherent and functionally specific to reasonably dismiss intelligent agency.
deities are too fantastical for them to be the intelligent agents.
since intelligence pre exists, it is probable it has always existed, and the works of Shakespeare could not have been mindlessly produced, and the human genome and consciousness is of surpassing intelligence to that.
there is no justice in the world but what humans create therefore their are no God's of any kind.
infinity makes for bad probability because it skews the amount of possibility inherent in our universe.
even using infinity for probability you would still need intelligence in order for life to arise because matter has not been proven to be more than just matter
and human life is too compositionally coherent and functionally specific to reasonably dismiss intelligent agency.
deities are too fantastical for them to be the intelligent agents.
since intelligence pre exists, it is probable it has always existed, and the works of Shakespeare could not have been mindlessly produced, and the human genome and consciousness is of surpassing intelligence to that.
there is no justice in the world but what humans create therefore their are no God's of any kind.
I guess there is a whole spirit world happening all around us, we can't even see it. The bible talks about demons able to enter into a person...those things.
No offense intended to any demons who've entered into other RF members..it's just a word, not meant to be derogatory in any way.
No offense intended to any demons who've entered into other RF members..it's just a word, not meant to be derogatory in any way.
Last edited:
Milton Platt
Well-Known Member
I do not believe sufficient evidence has been given to support the belief in any of the gods presented so far. In fact, most descriptions seem internally contradictory or fly in the face off what we already know about reality.
I do not take the position that there cannot be any god or gods.....but I am certain there are no gods with the same relative certainty I have that there are no pink unicorns or fire breathing dragons.
DavidFirth
Well-Known Member
What is Brahman?
DavidFirth
Well-Known Member
"Other" has been added to the poll and you may change your vote if you do it within the next 6 days.
A Vestigial Mote
Well-Known Member
I am an atheist - simply unable to believe that God/gods exist due to the overwhelming lack of evidence, lack of appearance and my complete lack of any sort of personal experience with God/gods. Also on the table are the wide, varied and inconsistent accounts of any who do believe. With these ideas (among many, many others) I consistently maintain an absolutely huge push from my intuition that informs me that God's non-existence is truth.
Jumi
Well-Known Member
I'm gnostic and have gnosis of god. I have no holy texts to look up to, though I appreciate that people from religions may experience mystical states of varying intensities that may approach gnosis, but often have to limit what they say if they want to stay in their respective religions. So they've had to speak in code. My beliefs in general come from experience, my culture, science and logic. If any of my beliefs becomes conclusively disproven I will abandon them.
DavidFirth
Well-Known Member
Ok, thanks.
Tumah
Veteran Member
FTFY
With respect to one's angle on the gods, I marked the first option although it's not how I approach the gods. For me, saying I "believe" in the gods is tantamount to saying that I "believe" in gravity (or something equally silly). Instead I would frame it like this:
I've observed that the process of deification is essentially an articulation of values. "God/deity" designates that which a person or culture considers worthy of worship; something that is deeply respected or perhaps admired. How a person or culture goes about assessing worth and deifying aspects of reality varies considerably - sometimes it is tales passed down by their ancestors, other times it is more of a personal exploration. In my case, it was mostly the second of these. I find awe and wonderment in all things - a perspective granted through many days wandering in the woods and studying the sciences - so I believe that all things are gods. In practice, though, there is a narrower subset of reality that I worship or deify on any regular basis.
I've observed that the process of deification is essentially an articulation of values. "God/deity" designates that which a person or culture considers worthy of worship; something that is deeply respected or perhaps admired. How a person or culture goes about assessing worth and deifying aspects of reality varies considerably - sometimes it is tales passed down by their ancestors, other times it is more of a personal exploration. In my case, it was mostly the second of these. I find awe and wonderment in all things - a perspective granted through many days wandering in the woods and studying the sciences - so I believe that all things are gods. In practice, though, there is a narrower subset of reality that I worship or deify on any regular basis.
For most theists, the thing being deified is presented as a real thing, literally existing, that non-believers don't accept literally exists.
Yes, the theist has made a value judgement about this thing, but there's also a difference in factual claims.
If the difference between typical theists and non-theists (as well as theists of different stripes) was only about values, we'd have atheists conceding that powerful, invisible creator-entities exist, only just refusing to worship them. You know as well as I do that this isn't the situation.
Just looking at the intricacies of just hearing and seeing, not to mentione the rest of the human makeup, I have decided I am DEFINITELY not a monkey's uncle and therefore believe in God. Because of the accuracy of Old Testament prophecies, I have narrowed it down to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Because of Jesus, I have decided to further pinpoint my belief system and became a Christian.
Last edited:
My beliefs have gone back and forth between monotheism and a type of polytheism known as unlimited polytheism for a while now (the latter being the result of, mainly, my “plurality quirk” 
), but I'm actually far more inclined towards the latter as it accords with my own experiences of reality, so to it, I’ve decided to give my full intellectual assent.
), but I'm actually far more inclined towards the latter as it accords with my own experiences of reality, so to it, I’ve decided to give my full intellectual assent.
Last edited:
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
As the High Priest of I Don't Knowism, I selected
"Maybe deities exist, maybe not". I tend to believe Something is "out there", but I just don't know what is or how it can be defined. Therefore, I tend to lean in the direction that science may tell us more about that "Something" than conventional theologies, which puts me pretty much on the same page as Spinoza and Einstein.
"Maybe deities exist, maybe not". I tend to believe Something is "out there", but I just don't know what is or how it can be defined. Therefore, I tend to lean in the direction that science may tell us more about that "Something" than conventional theologies, which puts me pretty much on the same page as Spinoza and Einstein.
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
Can we take a vote on this?
I voted "Other". I just don't hold beliefs about "deities" one way or the other. I'm agnostic about a deity and many deities. I'm unsure what people mean by the term.
But as far as metaphysics, I do conclude, on several different grounds, that consciousness is fundamental to the universe, if not primary. There.
But as far as metaphysics, I do conclude, on several different grounds, that consciousness is fundamental to the universe, if not primary. There.
Technically, a monkey could be identified as your--and everyone else's--uncle (or aunt...or grand-ancestor many millions of generations removed...), and you would therefore a monkey's nephew...
The reality is that you aren't a monkeys uncle. You are a monkey's ethically challenged younger brother.
Tom