How sure are you of your belief/non-belief in a god?

[billy_loes]

The problem is in the question as to how one might define a god as opposed to an afterlife. By which I mean we are all capable of concience, guilt, hope, love and a host of other good and horrible acts.

This is called free will and there you are given the possible act of faith.

The best arguement ever given against a 'god' is by Dr.Jonathon Miller. He of the eminent surgeon, broadcaster, comedian (tenuous) and opera director. Colloquially known as a regular smart arse.

It is worth seeing if you get the chance and was shown on the BBC I believe.

I believe in a/my god.

[Guest Ricardomeister]

I have seen none of the religions provide any compelling evidence that "God" exists but on the other hand I have not seen any atheist provide any compelling evidence that "God" does not exist. Therefore, the only sensible option to me is to stay an agnostic until someone can provide some evidence either way.

[Brumerican]

Which God are we talking about by the way?

[Mr_Dogg]

I have seen none of the religions provide any compelling evidence that "God" exists but on the other hand I have not seen any atheist provide any compelling evidence that "God" does not exist. Therefore, the only sensible option to me is to stay an agnostic until someone can provide some evidence either way.

Clive the chimp says hello.

Must. avoid. thread

[paddy]

Which God are we talking about by the way?

I deliberately used the phrase 'a god' in the title of the thread rather than 'God' and again in my post so it wasn't specific. It's any god you choose to believe in (I guess it doesn't matter which god we're talking about if someone doesn't believe in any).

[Voinjama]

2

I believe there is a being of some sort out there. They are the reason we are all here and they are the reason we know what to do. I also believe this topic will reach 30 pages.

[villadude]

I have not seen any atheist provide any compelling evidence that "God" does not exist.

Mass death, war, disease, famine, disabled people, worldwide disasters, small heath alliance, etc etc.

Those alone convince me that there's no all powerfull being up there that's looking out for us.

If there is, then he's got a weird sense of humour.

[Brumerican]

Which God are we talking about by the way?

I deliberately used the phrase 'a god' in the title of the thread rather than 'God' and again in my post so it wasn't specific. It's any god you choose to believe in (I guess it doesn't matter which god we're talking about if someone doesn't believe in any).

Well then there are 17 Gods I believe in , including Zeus, Thor, Apollo and Ganesh. There are roughly 23,657 Gods I do not presently believe in such as Yahweh, Allah, and Hades. I tend to believe in Gods that are awesome in movies or who carry tradesman tools.

[Tubby]

My interpretation is that I don't have a need to believe in a God, so I don't.

[Brumerican]

I have seen none of the religions provide any compelling evidence that "God" exists but on the other hand I have not seen any atheist provide any compelling evidence that "God" does not exist. Therefore, the only sensible option to me is to stay an agnostic until someone can provide some evidence either way.

I could claim that there is a giant blue tea pot balanced on the edge of a black hole hidden behind a star 60 billion light years away...No one can prove it does not exist yet I doubt many people are agnostic towards giant blue galactic tea pots ! The burden of proof lies with those making the assertion otherwise you could get away with making any fanciful claim.

[Stevo985]

I have seen none of the religions provide any compelling evidence that "God" exists but on the other hand I have not seen any atheist provide any compelling evidence that "God" does not exist. Therefore, the only sensible option to me is to stay an agnostic until someone can provide some evidence either way.

I could claim that there is a giant blue tea pot balanced on the edge of a black hole hidden behind a star 60 billion light years away...No one can prove it does not exist yet I doubt many people are agnostic towards giant blue galactic tea pots ! The burden of proof lies with those making the assertion otherwise you could get away with making any fanciful claim.

But no-one believes in that giant teapot. If there were millions and millions of people who did believe in that giant teapot, wouldn't you think "Hmmm, maybe there's something in that"

Not saying I'm atheist or religious, just that argument has always pissed me off because it's rubbish.

[rjw63]

Paddy has started this thread for a wind-up

[Brumerican]

I have seen none of the religions provide any compelling evidence that "God" exists but on the other hand I have not seen any atheist provide any compelling evidence that "God" does not exist. Therefore, the only sensible option to me is to stay an agnostic until someone can provide some evidence either way.

I could claim that there is a giant blue tea pot balanced on the edge of a black hole hidden behind a star 60 billion light years away...No one can prove it does not exist yet I doubt many people are agnostic towards giant blue galactic tea pots ! The burden of proof lies with those making the assertion otherwise you could get away with making any fanciful claim.

But no-one believes in that giant teapot. If there were millions and millions of people who did believe in that giant teapot, wouldn't you think "Hmmm, maybe there's something in that"

Not saying I'm atheist or religious, just that argument has always pissed me off because it's rubbish.

More rubbish than the argument that the majority = correct ?

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

I have seen none of the religions provide any compelling evidence that "God" exists but on the other hand I have not seen any atheist provide any compelling evidence that "God" does not exist. Therefore, the only sensible option to me is to stay an agnostic until someone can provide some evidence either way.

I could claim that there is a giant blue tea pot balanced on the edge of a black hole hidden behind a star 60 billion light years away...No one can prove it does not exist yet I doubt many people are agnostic towards giant blue galactic tea pots ! The burden of proof lies with those making the assertion otherwise you could get away with making any fanciful claim.

But no-one believes in that giant teapot. If there were millions and millions of people who did believe in that giant teapot, wouldn't you think "Hmmm, maybe there's something in that"

Not saying I'm atheist or religious, just that argument has always pissed me off because it's rubbish.

Yeah but people ages ago even thought if you kept walking one way, you'd fall of the earth. We're talking about religions starting way, way back, un-educated people, no technology when something said could to be fair, easily or forced to be believed.

[Brumerican]

OK forget a giant teapot. Imagine one of these fanciful claims.

A. The earth is flat

B. The earth is at the centre of the solar sytem

C. Our solar system is the centre of the universe.

All of these were claimed to be "knowledge" at some stage in the past. Many people "knew" these things to be true yet it seems that when the evidence (via physics ),was found, these fanciful claims were relegated to the trash bin of stupid ideas. Anyone can claim anything but without evidence to back up those claims then why should we treat those claims seriously ? The fact that many people believe something is true, doesn't mean that "there is something in it". Any claim is meaningless without evidence.

[Stevo985]

Yeh but I'm not saying religion is right.

All I'm saying is you can't blame people for thinking something might be true if millions of people believe it.

Brumerican, you've proven my point with your last post. The 3 things you've posted have been believed by a LOT of people at one time or another. So you can't blame someone for assuming theremight be something in the argument.

Again, I'm in no way saying there is a God. Just that you can't rubbish someone's opinion that they're not sure either way because of this teapot argument. If millions of people believed your teapot idea then there would be a lot of people agnostic to the idea.

[Stevo985]

I have seen none of the religions provide any compelling evidence that "God" exists but on the other hand I have not seen any atheist provide any compelling evidence that "God" does not exist. Therefore, the only sensible option to me is to stay an agnostic until someone can provide some evidence either way.

I could claim that there is a giant blue tea pot balanced on the edge of a black hole hidden behind a star 60 billion light years away...No one can prove it does not exist yet I doubt many people are agnostic towards giant blue galactic tea pots ! The burden of proof lies with those making the assertion otherwise you could get away with making any fanciful claim.

But no-one believes in that giant teapot. If there were millions and millions of people who did believe in that giant teapot, wouldn't you think "Hmmm, maybe there's something in that"

Not saying I'm atheist or religious, just that argument has always pissed me off because it's rubbish.

Yeah but people ages ago even thought if you kept walking one way, you'd fall of the earth. We're talking about religions starting way, way back, un-educated people, no technology when something said could to be fair, easily or forced to be believed.

That doesn't change what I'm saying though.

Forget religion. If someone tomorrow said "Ben, there is a massive dog in space about to eat the sun" I'd tell them to **** right off.

However, if they showed me that millions, or even billions of people believed that to be true, then I'd think "Shit, maybe they're right, as unlikely as it sounds"

I wouldn't be sure until I'd seen some evidence for myself. But if a massive chunk of the Earth's population believed it, could you blame me for thinking they MIGHT (I emphasise MIGHT) be right?

[starsailor9774]

People can believe what they want as long as they don't bug me with what they believe or try to make me accept that what they believe is a more legitimate thing than someone else.

I do believe in an afterlife though, i've been told things only i would know.

[MMFy]

I'm both 3 and 4. I'm absolutely certain there is no god, but as the scientific method requires, I will change my mind if someone finds evidence. I voted 4.

This.

One thing I believe strongly, is that if there is a god, science will be the only way to discover it.

[Stevo985]

People can believe what they want as long as they don't bug me with what they believe or try to make me accept that what they believe is a more legitimate thing than someone else.

This is pretty much my view. I think people have the right to believe what they believe.

I don't like Religion being pushed on me, but Atheists ridiculing people for what they believe annoys meas much, if not more.