ChatterBank1 min ago
faith
23 Answers
why do we feel the need to have faith? is there any one out there? or do we speak to space? is there God? and if there is where is he? is he up there in the clouds or is he way beyound the clouds.......
why can't we see him?
any answers?????
why can't we see him?
any answers?????
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Why do we have faith ...Oooh that's a biggie
There are many answers
1) The human brain has evolved to make connections between events - it's so strong that we often make connections when there are none. God is a catch all that gives us some cause that we can hang an effect on when there is no other candidate. This satisfy's or need to see cause and effect.
2) It give us the illusion of purpose. We like to think that we, personally are important. We have a purpose and that our lives have meaning. The alternative is too depressing for many people to contemplate.
3) Culture/Tradition/Ritual. People take comfort in all of these. They were brought up in a religious environment so some find stability and comfort in continuing this.
4) Community. It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't seriously question their faith but continue in them from peer pressure and the community sprit they get from membership of a religion (Maybe that amazement says more about me).
5) Answers, these days most people can grasp that we don't need a God of lightning but few have a grip on the sort of concepts needed to understand ideas like the "big bang" so "God created the big bang" is a nice answer many feel happy with ( see answer 1 regarding cause and effect ).
6) Spiritual insurance policy. The promise of eternal life - what have I got to lose logic - Pascal's Wager.
The other questions - why can't we see him? is he in the clouds? are, I think a little less profound!
There are many answers
1) The human brain has evolved to make connections between events - it's so strong that we often make connections when there are none. God is a catch all that gives us some cause that we can hang an effect on when there is no other candidate. This satisfy's or need to see cause and effect.
2) It give us the illusion of purpose. We like to think that we, personally are important. We have a purpose and that our lives have meaning. The alternative is too depressing for many people to contemplate.
3) Culture/Tradition/Ritual. People take comfort in all of these. They were brought up in a religious environment so some find stability and comfort in continuing this.
4) Community. It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't seriously question their faith but continue in them from peer pressure and the community sprit they get from membership of a religion (Maybe that amazement says more about me).
5) Answers, these days most people can grasp that we don't need a God of lightning but few have a grip on the sort of concepts needed to understand ideas like the "big bang" so "God created the big bang" is a nice answer many feel happy with ( see answer 1 regarding cause and effect ).
6) Spiritual insurance policy. The promise of eternal life - what have I got to lose logic - Pascal's Wager.
The other questions - why can't we see him? is he in the clouds? are, I think a little less profound!
jake-the-peg you said it all, but then what is the purpose of living? We are born we become adults. We depend on a piece of paper we call money, we live and die for it. We get old and die.
This is a weird setup. There is no real reason behind it.
Ok I am trying to search for an answer for my existence and I can�t find one. Years don�t mean any thing to me just numbers. I have faith and trust in God. I pray in my own way to God asking him to help and guide me and I feel safe when I do.
So what am I and why am I here
This is a weird setup. There is no real reason behind it.
Ok I am trying to search for an answer for my existence and I can�t find one. Years don�t mean any thing to me just numbers. I have faith and trust in God. I pray in my own way to God asking him to help and guide me and I feel safe when I do.
So what am I and why am I here
You are falling for item 1)
Humans are wired to look for meaning and purpose - it's in our brains. We sometimes call it intelligence.
It's very handy - if you do something and it hurts we link a cause and effect and don't do it again - most animals can do that.
But ours is so sophisticated that we can link very complex causes and effects and have concepts like probability for cause -sometimes- effects.
That drive to link things in our minds is what drives people to look for a purpose - a cause to all the effects they see around them
They can't find one so you imagine there must be one they cannot see and call him God.
This is why so many who lose their faith do so in the in the face of huge personal trajedy like the loss of a child. Their link between cause and effect is broken, they cannot imagine what would cause such an effect.
Ideas like purpose are human ideas. The idea that anyone should have a purpose presupposes a "planner". But if that planner was truely all powerful he has no need of a poor tool like you or I to achieve any purpose.
So it's contradictory
In reality if we have a purpose, a design, it is to reproduce.
A human being is merely a gene's way of creating another gene.
Humans are wired to look for meaning and purpose - it's in our brains. We sometimes call it intelligence.
It's very handy - if you do something and it hurts we link a cause and effect and don't do it again - most animals can do that.
But ours is so sophisticated that we can link very complex causes and effects and have concepts like probability for cause -sometimes- effects.
That drive to link things in our minds is what drives people to look for a purpose - a cause to all the effects they see around them
They can't find one so you imagine there must be one they cannot see and call him God.
This is why so many who lose their faith do so in the in the face of huge personal trajedy like the loss of a child. Their link between cause and effect is broken, they cannot imagine what would cause such an effect.
Ideas like purpose are human ideas. The idea that anyone should have a purpose presupposes a "planner". But if that planner was truely all powerful he has no need of a poor tool like you or I to achieve any purpose.
So it's contradictory
In reality if we have a purpose, a design, it is to reproduce.
A human being is merely a gene's way of creating another gene.
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Well not quite
This is interesting because a lot of animals do die after reproducing but we have a long life span. In most animals that live as long as we do parents *and* grandparents often play a role in raising offspring.
Having you stick around for a while after your off spring are born is very advantageous for those stroppy littly hitchikers otherwise known as genes!
You're not off the hook yet!
This is interesting because a lot of animals do die after reproducing but we have a long life span. In most animals that live as long as we do parents *and* grandparents often play a role in raising offspring.
Having you stick around for a while after your off spring are born is very advantageous for those stroppy littly hitchikers otherwise known as genes!
You're not off the hook yet!
Jake I am only usefull now for money there are no other reasons mate, lets be honest they grow up find partners and 9/10 your left on your own and you pray to god that they are well.
as far as purpose is concerend well re-production is good enough reason so that the human race carries on and God s name is remembered untill eternity
as far as purpose is concerend well re-production is good enough reason so that the human race carries on and God s name is remembered untill eternity
Life without faith is as empty as a body without soul. If someone says that our existence has no purpose then they should point out few more things from withing their reach and knowledge that do not have a purpose.
Or is it what our brain makes us think when we do not have a faith? Afterall human that claims to have the most sophisticated brain can become worse than an animal when that same brain playes trick with him/her.
Or is it what our brain makes us think when we do not have a faith? Afterall human that claims to have the most sophisticated brain can become worse than an animal when that same brain playes trick with him/her.
I don't understand Keyplus the first part of what you say what examples are you looking for?
Humans without faith can commit dreadful deeds too but we all know that those with faith can do so too!
I've quoted it many times but I think it bears repeating:
Without religion good people will still do good things, bad people will still do bad things, but for good people to do bad things - that takes religion"
Humans without faith can commit dreadful deeds too but we all know that those with faith can do so too!
I've quoted it many times but I think it bears repeating:
Without religion good people will still do good things, bad people will still do bad things, but for good people to do bad things - that takes religion"
jake-the-peg let be honest some religions with faith do make you do bad things but then if brain is so powerfull that it makes us beleive in faith and god then it must also question the fact that why do we talk to god why do we feelthe need to go on knees and pray? i could say because of my religion and fath i can not steel from my neighbour but then if I am starving and dying then i would. so is it all in our head?
perhaps we are led by a brain and not god
perhaps we are led by a brain and not god
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Few religions make you do bad things. I do not agree with that. I think its the people who used that religion to manipulate few people do bad things. Or people manipulated religious teachings alltogether.
Jake- This is what you said,
Without religion good people will still do good things, bad people will still do bad things, but for good people to do bad things - that takes religion"
I would put it like this,
How would we decide and most impotantly who would decide what is good and what is bad?
Jake- This is what you said,
Without religion good people will still do good things, bad people will still do bad things, but for good people to do bad things - that takes religion"
I would put it like this,
How would we decide and most impotantly who would decide what is good and what is bad?
keyplus90 you have to deceide for your self for is good and what is bad,,, if through religion you are hurting someone then that is bad.
like yousaid people will still do what they attend todo regardless but it should not be in the name of religion or god. afterall god is a faith we want to beleive in and that it is good for us.
like yousaid people will still do what they attend todo regardless but it should not be in the name of religion or god. afterall god is a faith we want to beleive in and that it is good for us.
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People are often so afraid to face the reality of the inevitable, that in the process of desperately attempting to save their souls, they are oblivious to the fact that they lose their hearts. Religion is all about self-preservation. No matter what unkindness, hatefulness, deviousness, or spite, lurks within their own natures, people of religion arrogantly assume that they will be excused their failings, and yet are content to predict, and to accept without criticism of the principle, that others in possession of genuinely good qualities will be damned to the fires of hell supposedly created by a God that very clearly falls far short of perfection, simply because they don�t worship him. How any truly just man can happily accept, and justify, such an evil scheme is beyond comprehension.
If there is a God it isn�t the God the Bible or the Koran talk about - his many shortcomings are all too human - and faith in him is misplaced. Those who are capable of admitting their own mortality are quite aware that the most important thing in life is the way they live their lives, and they know that kindness and humanity are paramount. There is no plan for life, and there is no purpose to life, except to ensure the survival of the species. In that, human beings are no different to any other creature that nature has created.
If there is a God it isn�t the God the Bible or the Koran talk about - his many shortcomings are all too human - and faith in him is misplaced. Those who are capable of admitting their own mortality are quite aware that the most important thing in life is the way they live their lives, and they know that kindness and humanity are paramount. There is no plan for life, and there is no purpose to life, except to ensure the survival of the species. In that, human beings are no different to any other creature that nature has created.
There are a frightening number of people who will tell you that without God (Allah/ Vishnu/ Thor /Nyarlathotep/ whatever) to tell them what is good or bad, people would be running about the streets murdering, raping and pillaging.
May I just respectfully ask that these people do whatever it takes to keep their faith, because I really don't want those nutters on the same streets as the rest of us normal people who manage to live perfectly happy, moral lives without any religion.
May I just respectfully ask that these people do whatever it takes to keep their faith, because I really don't want those nutters on the same streets as the rest of us normal people who manage to live perfectly happy, moral lives without any religion.
