Why do/don't you believe in a higher power? (Any HP)

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

I don't, never have, and have never seen anything that is even close to making me think there are any gods.

[Sapientia Et Bellum]

Honestly though, if we live in a truly infinite universe then nothing is truly falsifiable.... everything is based on faith.... for example, we can say here on earth that physics work in a certain way but it takes faith for us to say that physics truly works that way everywhere.... Really we have to have faith that the universe is finite just for science to hold any meaning on a universal scale

[Greater Germany]

Nature or the universe seems to me to be the only thing which can justifiably be called God, since everything originates inside of it, and everything forms a co-dependent relationship with other natural objects.

This kinda fits for me.

I don't really believe in the classic Abrahamic "guy with a beard and robe that looks like a human and makes petty-seeming decisions" sort of god. But the universe, and the unknown within it, that we try to learn more about and draw our origins from, feel like a god of the natural which gives us inspiration and motivation.
Something something the first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you, etc.

[Western Vale Confederacy]

Nature or the universe seems to me to be the only thing which can justifiably be called God, since everything originates inside of it, and everything forms a co-dependent relationship with other natural objects.

This kinda fits for me.

I don't really believe in the classic Abrahamic "guy with a beard and robe that looks like a human and makes petty-seeming decisions" sort of god. But the universe, and the unknown within it, that we try to learn more about and draw our origins from, feel like a god of the natural which gives us inspiration and motivation.
Something something the first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you, etc.

This.

To me, God isn't some Sky Daddy with a beard and a genocide fetish...

He is everything, yet nothing. He is our every action.

[New Excalibus]

The only true god is our lord and savior the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Kidding, kidding.

I don't believe in god because his existence is both unable to be proved false and unable to be proved true.
Plus, apparently god was on the German side in WWII, and that seems a bit wrong to me.

[Sapientia Et Bellum]

The only true god is our lord and savior the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Kidding, kidding.

I don't believe in god because his existence is both unable to be proved false and unable to be proved true.
Plus, apparently god was on the German side in WWII, and that seems a bit wrong to me.

God was on everyones side lol

[Nuclear Wastelands]

I believe in God. I tend to go by Reason, but Religion is my Grey Area. Here's Why I'm Religious:

I believe that Religion teaches basic Morality. I'm not saying Atheists Can't be moral, I know quite a few Atheists who uphold morals high.

Religion has helped me through rough times where being an Atheist is more of a hindrance.

I believe that there's no clear way to tell if there is a deity or not. I'm trying to avoid a "God of the Gaps" Fallacy.

[Sapientia Et Bellum]

Do we have a general theology thread? like not specifically for just muslims or christians or what have you but just for the debate and discussion of theology as a whole? I fso could someone hit me up with a link?

[Alvecia]

To be blunt, it’s....well....silly.
Like believing in Father Christmas or the Easter Bunny.
I’m sure that religion can help provide some people with a sense of community and purpose, but I can find those things without having to rely on the imaginary.

[Tasuirin]

Religion has helped me through rough times where being an Atheist is more of a hindrance.

I would be quite interested in hearing in what ways you think being an atheist can be a hindrance.

[The New California Republic]

Do we have a general theology thread? like not specifically for just muslims or christians or what have you but just for the debate and discussion of theology as a whole? I fso could someone hit me up with a link?

No. There is a Christian Discussion Thread, Islamic Discussion Thread, and Jewish Discussion Thread.

[Alvecia]

Religion has helped me through rough times where being an Atheist is more of a hindrance.

I would be quite interested in hearing in what ways you think being an atheist can be a hindrance.

Depending on where you live it can be very socially exclusionary, potentially even deadly, to be openly atheistic

[Heloin]

I don't know what the hell is going on.

[Tasuirin]

I would be quite interested in hearing in what ways you think being an atheist can be a hindrance.

Depending on where you live it can be very socially exclusionary, potentially even deadly, to be openly atheistic

I mean, yeah, there's the social aspect, but my assumption was that NW was referring to examples other than that. I may be wrong, I just want to see what they have to say.

[Sindhia]

I do believe in God. My religion Hinduism tells me that everything that aids in your progress is God.(That solely accounts to the 2 million gods in Hinduism)

[Tillania]

All the stories that I've heard so far run into a serious lack of evidence when they aren't contradictory or nonsensical to begin with.
I could understand Deism, but I don't see the point.

Maybe the lack of evidence is evidence in and of itself.

"No, that's just what they want you to think!"
Frankly, I don't think making it sound like a conspiracy theory is doing your religion any favours.

[The New California Republic]

My religion Hinduism tells me that everything that aids in your progress is God.

So ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA is God?

[Randsidia]

Honestly though, if we live in a truly infinite universe then nothing is truly falsifiable.... everything is based on faith.... for example, we can say here on earth that physics work in a certain way but it takes faith for us to say that physics truly works that way everywhere.... Really we have to have faith that the universe is finite just for science to hold any meaning on a universal scale

Not everything is based on faith. Especially not the nature of the universe -- not in science, at least.

For example, science never argues that the universe is infinite. The assertion that it is has no proof and thus isn't consistent with the scientific method. In fact, observation shows us that it's expanding, which seems to contradict it being infinite.

Science holds meaning because it's about what we can observe. We cannot draw conclusions about the unobservable, so science doesn't really concern itself with that.

[Holy Tedalonia]

I find the universe or the world far to much in our favor. And with that fortune in mind, makes me believe in god. Sure we may be lucky, but you can only be lucky so many times.

[Sapientia Et Bellum]

I do believe in God. My religion Hinduism tells me that everything that aids in your progress is God.(That solely accounts to the 2 million gods in Hinduism)

Thats an easy way to justify vice lol

[Sapientia Et Bellum]

Honestly though, if we live in a truly infinite universe then nothing is truly falsifiable.... everything is based on faith.... for example, we can say here on earth that physics work in a certain way but it takes faith for us to say that physics truly works that way everywhere.... Really we have to have faith that the universe is finite just for science to hold any meaning on a universal scale

Not everything is based on faith. Especially not the nature of the universe -- not in science, at least.

For example, science never argues that the universe is infinite. The assertion that it is has no proof and thus isn't consistent with the scientific method. In fact, observation shows us that it's expanding, which seems to contradict it being infinite.

Science holds meaning because it's about what we can observe. We cannot draw conclusions about the unobservable, so science doesn't really concern itself with that.

The issue I have is what is it expanding into? Yes, science holds meaning based on observable fact so you have a point im just saying that if whatever the universe is expanding into is likely to have different principles just as its likely different principles existed before the big bang... essentially all im saying is that anything can exist its just impossible to prove said existence within our current scope of the universe

[Randsidia]

I find the universe or the world far to much in our favor. And with that fortune in mind, makes me believe in god. Sure we may be lucky, but you can only be lucky so many times.

I recommend watching this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8mJr4c66bs

[Sapientia Et Bellum]

I find the universe or the world far to much in our favor. And with that fortune in mind, makes me believe in god. Sure we may be lucky, but you can only be lucky so many times.

I recommend watching this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8mJr4c66bs

You act like most major religions suggest that we should ravage the planet

[Randsidia]

Not everything is based on faith. Especially not the nature of the universe -- not in science, at least.

For example, science never argues that the universe is infinite. The assertion that it is has no proof and thus isn't consistent with the scientific method. In fact, observation shows us that it's expanding, which seems to contradict it being infinite.

Science holds meaning because it's about what we can observe. We cannot draw conclusions about the unobservable, so science doesn't really concern itself with that.

The issue I have is what is it expanding into?

Who knows? All scientists know is that it's expanding.

[/quote]Yes, science holds meaning based on observable fact so you have a point im just saying that if whatever the universe is expanding into is likely to have different principles just as its likely different principles existed before the big bang... essentially all im saying is that anything can exist its just impossible to prove said existence within our current scope of the universe[/quote]

Fair enough.

[Randsidia]

I recommend watching this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8mJr4c66bs

You act like most major religions suggest that we should ravage the planet

That isn't what he's saying though.

His argument is that there's no reason to believe there is any intention in the way that the universe was created. And that believing so is pretty dangerous.