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If God Doesn't Exist, Why Believe In God?
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
doppelganger
Through the Looking Glass
There'd be tremendous benefit in others "believing" in God. Just ask agnostic Karl Rove.
Dream Angel
Well-Known Member
On the assumption that God doesnt exist, I would say yes as many people compare it to meditation. Its just relaxing, calms the mind, helps you think clearer and make better decisions and lead a (on the most part and in a perfect world
) happy life! I suppose its sort of like speaking to your conciousness. If you are confused about something ever spoken it allowed to yourself to make it clearer? (obviously with noone else looking! )
Guitar's Cry
Disciple of Pan
Viewing existence through a theistic paradigm provides great strength and hope for some people. It's one way to provide meaning to an otherwise mundane life.
Objectively, I doubt the existence of God (though I remain cautiously agnostic). But I maintain a personal belief because it works with my worldview. Imbuing the universe with a conscious will provides me with an answer to the feeling that there is greater meaning behind this phenomenon of life.
Objectively, I doubt the existence of God (though I remain cautiously agnostic). But I maintain a personal belief because it works with my worldview. Imbuing the universe with a conscious will provides me with an answer to the feeling that there is greater meaning behind this phenomenon of life.
There could be no instance in which a God that can be believed in does not exist, because if we have created even a concept of God then God exists as a concept.
Peace
Quran & Sunnah
Sorry I can't answer your question Phil, for my mind can't imagine even for a second the non-existence of an Eternal that EXISTS forever and without whom you and I wouldn't even be able to type these few words.
Peace
Nanda
Polyanna
Well, in my opinion, things would be exactly as they are right now.
I can't even imagine God not existing.
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
>If God doesn't exist, why believe in God?
IMHO the premise is defective, hence rendering the conclusion (and question) meaningless.
Peace,
Bruce
IMHO the premise is defective, hence rendering the conclusion (and question) meaningless.
Peace,
Bruce
PureX
Veteran Member
No. Willful dishonesty is unhealthy. If we willingly deny what we know to be true, we will in effect be embracing insanity. And sooner or later that decision will come back to do us harm.
cardero
Citizen Mod
If the possibility exists, the belief is valid.
The Seeker
Once upon a time....
Why not? What exactly would change for you if God didn't exist?
The Seeker
Once upon a time....
I believe this to be true and is why I believe that religion does have some value. Many people need to believe that when things are tough, God will make them better. The hope of entering heaven someday also gives people peace of mind. Suicide rates would probably rise if God was somehow proven not to exist.
Comprehend
Res Ipsa Loquitur
There would be if it had a net positive effect on society. I have no idea whether or not that would be true though.
Plato believed in the principle of the "noble lie" (and coined the term). Personally, I am a big fan of telling the truth.
If the truth was that God does not exist but nobody could prove either way, I would imagine there would be those who believe in God and those who don't just like there is now.
Comprehend
Res Ipsa Loquitur
you are assuming that the people would know God doesn't exist. It is entirely possible that in this scenario, God doesn't exist and nobody knows either way.
PureX
Veteran Member
I agree that if we did not know this to be so, then we could still choose to believe that God does exists, and this would not be a dishonest choice. But this is basically the scenario we are in now, so I assumed that this thread was referring to a scenario in which we did know.
Guitar's Cry
Disciple of Pan
I have to disagree with you, PureX.
I am insane and perfectly healthy!
Jk...
Anyway, I don't think it's willful dishonesty. By accepting a belief in God despite contrary knowlege, you are creating a symbol that benefits you in some way. For instance, I accept God as the Spirit of Life. God is symbolic of the meanings I glean from this life experience. Whether or not there is a true, honest-to-God God somewhere, I can still believe in this symbol.
Take a good fictional character, for instance. Superman is entirely made-up, and everyone knows that, but continues to be a rolemodel and hero. Why? He is a symbol of various traits that we do believe exists.
God can be the same thing.
PureX
Veteran Member
But these are two different questions. To believe in your idea of God is different than to believe in a God that is beyond and apart from your idea of 'Him'. I don't think the OP was asking about our idea of God, but about a God that would or would not exist apart from our ideas or even cognizance.
Also, if I were to "know" that an "objective God" did NOT exist, how could I honestly, then, "believe in" my idea of God? I'd have to become two different people. One that knows there is no "God" and the other that chooses to believe that there is a God, anyway.
Or, I could simply call something ELSE "God", like .... "positive energy", and then continue to believe in "God", but that would just be a semantic trick, I think.