Discussion of organized religion, the existence of God(s), and theism in general

[Johnnywup]

Topic taken from HiddenStreet, please post your thoughts.

I personally am agnostic, mostly. I believe that the fact that there may or may not be a god irrelevant. I feel that theres a higher force at work here. Think about it, how is it that we, humans, are practically perfect in bodily structure? All our body parts work together perfectly. If this were pure coincidence, it would take many many different species of failure[not just on earth]to finally get one that works, even partly. It's near impossible by chance. What I'm trying to say, is I believe there IS a higher force at work, but doubtfully god.

[Corn]

We're less perfect than you think. We hardly use any of our brains, and we still have an useless appendix and tailbone.

That kind of ruins your theory .

[MasPan]

Deistic - Belief in a higher power, or at least a possible higher power, that created the world/existence with set laws/rules, then left it to run itself. No miracles (higher being isn't necessarily unable to act, just doesn't), things happen as a result of a chain of events. Also, for a perfect being, we seem to be quite spongy and frail. I'd venture that bacteria or viruses are more perfect.

[KaidaTan]

Think about it, how is it that we, humans, are practically perfect in bodily structure? All our body parts work together perfectly. If this were pure coincidence, it would take many many different species of failure[not just on earth]to finally get one that works, even partly. It's near impossible by chance.

What I don't like about this argument is that if any of those things were to not be correct, we wouldn't be alive on that planet to know it. Of course we're going to exist on the planet that just happens to work perfectly, we couldn't be on one that doesn't.

[GMSInfighter]

You can't prove that OUR (as in the general population) bodily functions and brain usage is perfect, or even close to average for that matter. There's people with disabilities, there are people who have limbs missing, people who aren't even born into the world alive. If we had perfect bodily functions, we would never grow old and be worn out eventually. Nothing in my eyes can be perfect. If there's no room for error, that doesn't even make it perfect, it makes it above average.

The opinion that believing God intended on everything working just as planned is a horrible one at that. I don't believe someone so cruel is out there as to make people grow old and die eventually, or to make animals live way less of lives than humans (making humans suffer through more than they have too), or to even 'make' natural disasters kill people. None of this is intended.

There's no higher force that rules over the planet, there are higher forces that rule over nations, such as presidents, but that's not taking it overboard with the whole 'there is a mystical man that created us equally and for us to be perfect working species'.

[Beaner]

humans arent even close to perfect, you so wrong it hurts.

[xLeviathan]

We're less perfect than you think. We hardly use any of our brains, and we still have an useless appendix and tailbone.

That kind of ruins your theory .

We hardly use our brains?
Where did you hear this?

[Nikkey]

We hardly use our brains?
Where did you hear this?

5%-10% of our memory-capacity is used or something. On an average human, that is.

Oh, by the way:
http://www.southperry.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9352
and
http://www.southperry.net/forums/showthread.php?p=18916

Why always so much arguments around God's existence? Hmm...

[xLeviathan]

5%-10% of our memory-capacity is used or something. On an average human, that is.

That's a common myth, perpetuated by people in the time when the suggestion was made that the scientists at the time only knew about ~10% of the brain's functions.

Humans indeed use their brain to the fullest extent, and the extent is stretched, obviously, by acquiring, and organizing new information.

Spoiler

Common misconceptions....
Humans use only 10% or less of their brain:

Even though many mysteries of brain function persist, every part of the brain has a known function.
This misconception most likely arose from a misunderstanding (or misrepresentation in an advertisement) of neurological research in the late 1800s or early 1900s when researchers either discovered that only about 10% of the neurons in the brain are firing at any given time or announced that they had only mapped the functions of 10% of the brain up to that time (accounts differ on this point).
Another possible origin of the misconception is that only 10% of the cells in the brain are neurons; the rest are glial cells that, despite being involved in learning, do not function in the same way that neurons do.
Einstein is reported as quipping that people typically only use 10% of their brains. The popular press took this as fact, although the comment was meant only facetiously.
Lower level of brain activation does not mean a lower performance of cognitive functions; this variable has confounded scientists, because some 'gifted' individuals showed less activity than the average person. Haier proposed that indeed more gifted individuals might possess more efficient brain circuits.
Some New Age proponents propagate this belief by asserting that the "unused" ninety percent of the human brain is capable of exhibiting psychic powers and can be trained to perform psychokinesis and extra-sensory perception. However, there is still no actual proof of this, and many neurologists say that this is not possible.

Anyway, back on topic...o.o

[kingdj333]

Well, I'm a christian (not 100% but still there) and when I read the first book in the bible it says:
because Adam and Eve have sinned against God, their 4th generation will suffer and then their next 4th generation will suffer in a chain until the end of time... Because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit they have cursed all man-kind with ageing, suffering, and death!
Just what I know, summed up..
So if some new diesase pops up it's the next event... which will eventually lead to revulations..
(I misspelled tons of words... but you get my point)

[MasPan]

Well, I'm a christian (not 100% but still there) and when I read the first book in the bible it says:
because Adam and Eve have sinned against God, their 4th generation will suffer and then their next 4th generation will suffer in a chain until the end of time... Because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit they have cursed all man-kind with ageing, suffering, and death!
Just what I know, summed up..
So if some new diesase pops up it's the next event... which will eventually lead to revulations..
(I misspelled tons of words... but you get my point)

This is part of why I dislike organized religion - the whole "sins of the parents visited on their children" type deal. You know, revenge by proxy. It's complete and utter bull, and no just god would do something like that.

[Johnnywup]

What I don't like about this argument is that if any of those things were to not be correct, we wouldn't be alive on that planet to know it. Of course we're going to exist on the planet that just happens to work perfectly, we couldn't be on one that doesn't.

Which is why it's near impossible to be here, with all parts working together to keep us alive, etc. There would be too many alternate species of failure, it would be a veryyyyyyy small chance.

[kingdj333]

Question: If your childern burned down your house what would you do? Punish them right? I know you wouldn't move on... Same thing with God.. he created a beautiful creature, only to see them turn on him..

example- you raised your childern to be the best they can only to find out that their either in jail or homeless..

Now this tread is asking what you think about this God...
In my option I think it's a human behavior... many people fear death and want to know that when they die, they'll be safe in the after life... and that something great/bad is waiting for them... This than became the well-known God. The judge of the spirits.

[shine of voice]

Question: If your childern burned down your house what would you do? Punish them right? I know you wouldn't move on... Same thing with God.. he created a beautiful creature, only to see them turn on him..

Isn't the Christian God "all-loving" and "all-forgiving"?

[Zaotsu]

5%-10% of our memory-capacity is used or something. On an average human, that is.

Oh, by the way:
http://www.southperry.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9352
and
http://www.southperry.net/forums/showthread.php?p=18916

Why always so much arguments around God's existence? Hmm...

Bull.