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nornerator

I see that you are arguing that the elaborate chemical signaling systems that a present in the brain are simply there to augment gods ability to make choice. This is simply a self rationalization because there is no reason to think that this is the case.

Think of it this way: If time were reversed back to a time when you made an important decision, and every single sub-atomic particle was in the exact same state and position, you would make the exact same decision. There is no decider that actually has a choice, it is all just the functioning of an extremely elaborate signaling system. Because we are our minds, and our minds "choose" what to do based on past experience, we can say that we make choices, and for all intents and purposes it appears that we do. But what I am saying is that it is 100% of the material that makes up the universe that decides the choices made and not any sort of supernatural power.

Some may ask, "why do you have to be such an arsehole about religion" well, religion is bad. It allows people to accept easy answers to the most important questions in life, it deludes people into thinking that they should live their lives for someone other than themselves because if they do they get rewarded for eternity, which is a blatant lie. In addition to that religion provides another means for dividing people from one another.

Oh and also because it is a big fat lie and lots of people make money off of this lie.

The arguments saying that it is inadequate to use evidence to justify a position regarding theology is silly.

We have invented many machines which can detect things beyond our five senses, way beyond. If we literally cannot detect in any way shape or form the presence of a deity, then that deity either A) Does not exist or B) Has absolutely NO influence on the world in which we live.

 

glorious

I don't get it. You demand anecdotal evidence for God's existence but then completely rule out the existence of God without providing any evidence for your claim.

"What will be allowed as evidence:

-Everything must be found in a peer reviewed article
-Any evidence submitted MUST be positive evidence that proves YOUR GOD exists."

Where are your peer-reviewed articles showing evidence for God not existing? or that God has no influence in the world we live in?..because those are your claims

ihavenoidea

No, yes i am arguing the first part of the first paragraph, and yes it is to allow you to make "gods" choice. But i do not see god as a being controlling my every move. God is a series of choices i can make, certain things, or particles in this world, that i can focus on that will give my brain a pleaseing affect. Now this pleasing affect is different for everybody, because of our past experiences and, as you have pointed out, are predetermined. \but what we have control over is our perception on it. We are conciously creating our past, which creates our future, because past events, or rather, how we remember our past events, changes how we live today. People can either learn and correct from their past, or blame it. God is the power to take the good out of your life, to make it better for yourself.

and i dont think if you are using religion in way that helps you, it shouldnt be easy, with strightforeward answers. It should make you think each and every day about what you are doing. If everything you do you have a reason that pleases you, id say you are finding your god, or following your religion, and organized religions help the majority, or a large part, of the population find that.

And its not a lie, just a story, a lense into a way of life.

and no its not silly, when you consider external evidence is not what religion is about, it is about fufillment inside, which cant be outside. you are asking us to look in a cow for giblets, the cow doesnt have any. (wierd analogy)

and if technology detects things beyond our senses, and god which is someone acting on their own pleasure to create that technology, created that technology, It wouldnt be able to detect itself. The only way we know who we are is by seeing everyone else around us to compare. Technology cant detect god because it was created by a god like force.

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Lit_Match

What kind of evidence is there other than physical by human standards? How do you know there isn't anyone who has experienced things in which there is no scientific answer?

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Mac_Whipp

Why ever not? If there is a creator 'god' then everything about us has been designed and these chemical systems are simply how our bodies have been programmed to make decisions. I can see nothing logically impossible about this.

Why is religion bad? It helps many millions of people in their lives who need somewhere to turn, why is this such a terrible thing? You seem to be grouping a lot of things under the umbrella term 'religion'. Buddhism encourages people to question everything they are taught and accept nothing blindly. What proof do you have that there is no heaven after death that makes you so sure that it's a 'blantant lie'? And while religion divides people it also brings them together in many ways. People from all backgrounds can be united in a shared faith.

Again, why are you so sure that it is a lie? I find it rather ironic that you put so much faith into a stance that just like religion cannot as yet be proved for certain either way.

Or it could mean that there are deities and/or forces present that are working beyond our current capacity to detect them through scientific methods.


Don't get me wrong. I'm an agnostic, as I am young and have seen little of the world so I don't consider myself to be in a position where I can suscribe to any faith without holding serious doubts about it. You claim to be an atheist, but this is still an act of faith, as while there is no definate proof for any religious system, there is also no proof against it. I've got to admit, that looking at our world, at the complexity of the atom and our bodies, and then looking up and marvelling at the sheer wonder of space that I find it difficult to believe that there's no forces at work here beyond what we currently accept as reality. I'm skeptical about the idea of an omnipotent creator god because of the many, many holes in the history and stories of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. But I think completely dismissing the idea that there might be something else and pouring large amounts of effort into trying to convert people away from religion is just as bad as these people picketing US soldier's funerals because they didn't follow the extremist form of Christianity that the picketers do.

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macphearsome

well, maybe not described by a sense but definitely with a sense..

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Trocisp

Just without making any sense.

SpiralArchitect

^
Very true!

I hadn't really thought about that until now, but yes, everything must be described in relation to one of our senses. Otherwise you'd be talking in complete abstract and no one would know what your talking about.

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J-Yo

but we don't and no one does, thats the point of religion isnt it? taking that leap of faith and saying that god does exist. i dont care what your religion is there all fundementally the same, in the end you worship some outside force or being that may or may not exist which for some may be enough to live their lives happily, me personally, i have no set religion, i use principals from many religions to form my own set of morals i.e. i accept everyone for who they are no matter what they have done, which is a basic principal of christianity and several other religions.

Flyingdonk

When it comes to evidence within religion your not going to find it, so it will come down to philosophies and faith.

The Christian idea of God Ive always (teen onwards) taken objection to, as according to that belief structure we have been put on this earth do nothing more than worship him.

If God is such a mighty powerful benevelant deity who created the universe, why does he need the deference from his "children" , after all you don't expect your pet to be deferential .

My interpretation is that all is reliant on repent and forgiveness, rather than any positive action one might take, and its just pointless.

two quality quotes from films
"Religion takes a good idea (faith) and builds an entire belief structure upon it" Dogma

"What does God need with a starship" Star Trek V