Why do people believe in God?

[Arianna]

why would an omnipresent being care about countries?

Then why "God bless America"? I've seen and heard it so often.

Come on, Americans, jump in and tell ...

It's just a name to a song..

"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song originally written by Irving Berlin in 1918"

According to Wikipedia:

"Berlin was born Israel Isidore Baline too an Ashkenazi-Jewish family in Mogilev, now Belarus (according to other sources possibly in Tyumen, Russia). His family immigrated to the United States in 1893."

So no..it's not that God blesses any country in particular..it's as I said..just a song. Along the lines of the English.."God Save The Queen."
Would that mean that God saves only the Queen of England?
I guess it all depends on how each person looks at it.

P.S. Oh..and by the way..I forgot to point out that the family of the person (Berlin) who wrote the song..were immigrants from another country. Not a family originally born in America.

 

[sloth4urluv]

I've been brought up that If you don't belive in God you go to hell, and even if it is pretty Cliche I'm afraid of what would happen then if i died atheist and God really was real and I went to hell, I know thats kinda lame but I guess thats how I feel, Now I'm more kind of deism.

I used to go to church every week and believed. Then I woke up and saw how miserable life really is. God made me who I am and if he wants to punish me for it so be it.

 

[DutchGirl]

I've been brought up that If you don't belive in God you go to hell, and even if it is pretty Cliche I'm afraid of what would happen then if i died atheist and God really was real and I went to hell, I know thats kinda lame but I guess thats how I feel, Now I'm more kind of deism.

I used to go to church every week and believed. Then I woke up and saw how miserable life really is. God made me who I am and if he wants to punish me for it so be it.

So you still believe in a god who wants to punish you for what he did himself? Why don't you believe in yourself? I agree with you that life is often miserable, but I honestly think religion makes it worse.

 

[evanescencefan91]

unforunatly todaay I lost my car keys at the gas station and i spent like 1/2 an hour in the cold parking lot looking in the loose snow, and I made a deal out of desperation if i found them i wouldn't doubt his existence unless i was in an equally or worse situation.

I found them though Yipppie,

 

[armor4sleepPA]

So, should I expect you for mass this Sunday?

 

[Larsen B]

This is an interesting topic - here are a few thoughts

Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.

--Bertrand Russell, An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish

Why must people believe in something? I don't understand.

Maybe it is natural to believe in things. It is possible – although the idea has philosophical complications – that animals need some sort of belief mechanism otherwise nothing would get done. In other words, no one can know for sure that anything will definitely happen, they can only make their best guess depending on the evidence they have at hand. In many cases there is such a high probably that certain events will occur that they, for all intents and purposes, become a certainty. Here evidence is based on a reasonable assumption that something will happen. But, of course, life is complicated and many events are not so predictable or certain – for such events it makes sense that animals use a belief mechanism. Just imagine what it would be like for Neanderthal man or woman to wake up one morning and believe that nothing is possible (i think i’m talking about myself here lol ), motivation to do anything would be sorely lacking – would he actually survive very long?

So as humans evolved into the intelligent, thinking (in most cases ), emotional beings that we are, the groundwork for a belief system had already been done. It wasn't such a huge leap towards a belief in the supernatural, and it follows nicely from emergent questions about the meaning of life, purpose and our place in the universe.

 

[Larsen B]

And I'm also Afraid what will happen if I do become atheist. I've been brought up that If you don't belive in God you go to hell, and even if it is pretty Cliche I'm afraid of what would happen then if i died atheist and God really was real and I went to hell, I know thats kinda lame but I guess thats how I feel, Now I'm more kind of deism.

But there's thoughts and situations on Religion, even through I think it's crazy how in the middle east and all through history there have been these crazy relgious radical groups that kill people and I just think that is the worst part of religion how it can brainwash people into killing others

It sounds to me like you have been brainwashed - i feel very sorry for you. I think it's terrible that parents - as Richard Dawkins says - abuse their children this way. But on the plus side it is very promising that you seem to be very aware of all the factors that are influencing where you are now. If you weren't aware then you may well be an evangelist or a fundamentalist or who knows what terrible thing, and inflict your deluded thinking on other people. But like i said, it is very good that you have an awareness of the environmental factors that are influencing you.

 

[blak000]

There are a variety of reasons...

- because people like to believe there's something after death
- because people want to feel that there's some balance in the world (that evil men DO get their punishment in the end, and that good people are rewarded... no matter how unfair things were in this world)
- because people need some greater meaning in life than simply that we live, die, and then nothing...

you can make a long list of why people need God, or gods. I used to go around and try to point out flaws in everyone's religions. Eventually, I realized that this was rather small and petty of me. What would it accomplish? Even though I thought I was giving people a piece of my mind, all it really did was get them to hate me. I didn't convince them one bit that their religion was false.

The way I see it, science and technology has accomplished much in finding out the facts of once unexplainable phenomenon. The truth is, though, that we still haven't found anything to prove that God doesn't exist. Though religion has been used as a reason for war in many wars, it actually wasn't responsible for any of them. None of the major world religions encourages violence and death. Humankind warps the teachings of religion in order to incite the masses, and provide a certain level of conviction in what they're doing. There's nothing wrong with religion; there's something wrong with the way humankind tends to propagandize or distort it to fit their needs. You have to ask yourself: "If that particular religion does happen to be real, are THOSE people going to see the pearly gates/garden of scented virgins/etc.?" Do you think their God will REALLY look kindly on the murder and destruction that they've caused? I seriously doubt it.

From what I've seen, though, religion tends to offer a lot of people guidance. To those who don't presume to have an understanding greater than what the teachings offer, religion acts as a very positive force in their lives. Whether it is fake or real, I still respect all the good that it does. I'm not religious, but I think most of the major world religions offer some very good tips on how to live one's life.

 

[Larsen B]

My believe is there is something there. I have no idea what. I don't think its a god that can do anything as am sure if there was a god of that sorts who was good he would of already done something to stop all this pain and suffering. I think there has to be a reason am just not sure for what reason.

I think this is pretty common really. I suppose it's natural to think that there must be something. Evolution has led us towards this thought process.

Scientific progress may even lead to us to stick 2 fingers up at evolution or, as some would say, our creator. I mean, it will be possible in the future to create life, it's possible now, albeit we are in the early stages. We are the creators!!! And we'll also be able to change everything that already exits!

When you think about things this way, it sheds a whole new light on the way we look at the universe, our place in it and so on.

 

[IgnoredOne]

I personally can't begin to express how much my life improved after I understood the nature of divinity and began reciting this simple prayer before sleep:

Lord Almighty,

Please hear me and forgive the wrongs that I have done, willfully or not. Aid me so that I would know how to be Your servant, Your hand, and Your sword here.

Let Your Will be done, not mine, for Your Will is wiser than mine, and Your Wisdom is greater than mine. For Thou art the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, my God.

Grace be to those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity,
Amen.

Regardless of if you're religious or not, I feel that prayer has given me a sense of humility and understanding that has greatly helped me in everything else in life. Realizing that I am only one of many, that my sole desire is to be of assistance, and that my wisdom is only so little, so I can understand when things turn out differently.

Regards,
IO

 

[Larsen B]

I personally can't begin to express how much my life improved after I understood the nature of divinity and began reciting this simple prayer before sleep:

Lord Almighty,

Please hear me and forgive the wrongs that I have done, willfully or not. Aid me so that I would know how to be Your servant, Your hand, and Your sword here.

Let Your Will be done, not mine, for Your Will is wiser than mine, and Your Wisdom is greater than mine. For Thou art the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, my God.

Grace be to those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity,
Amen.

Regardless of if you're religious or not, I feel that prayer has given me a sense of humility and understanding that has greatly helped me in everything else in life. Realizing that I am only one of many, that my sole desire is to be of assistance, and that my wisdom is only so little, so I can understand when things turn out differently.

Regards,
IO

It's an excellent work of fiction.

There are plenty of works of fiction, non-fiction and similar philosophy out there to give people a perspective like yours.

 

[NeverMore]

"Nature herself has imprinted on the minds of all the idea of God"
-Cicero

Whether it be a biological imprint or other, you can't deny the fact that it is there and you also can't deny the benefits of having faith. Health benefits, and as IO said, a sense of humility etc... It also serves another purpose in that it puts you within a community, and humans are social creatures, we need that sense of community for our well being. It also works the other way as well, when religion runs people's lives, it can destroy them or put others in harm's way example:the crusades

Everyone can benefit from having a faith, but like everything, you have to keep it balanced

 

[IgnoredOne]

It's an excellent work of fiction.

There are plenty of works of fiction, non-fiction and similar philosophy out there to give people a perspective like yours.

I regret to inform you that I find that comment of yours offensive as well as speculative. That said, I have no interest in arguing something as personal as my faith.

Regards,
IO

 

[Larsen B]

"Nature herself has imprinted on the minds of all the idea of God"
-Cicero

Whether it be a biological imprint or other, you can't deny the fact that it is there and you also can't deny the benefits of having faith. Health benefits, and as IO said, a sense of humility etc... It also serves another purpose in that it puts you within a community, and humans are social creatures, we need that sense of community for our well being. It also works the other way as well, when religion runs people's lives, it can destroy them or put others in harm's way example:the crusades

Everyone can benefit from having a faith, but like everything, you have to keep it balanced

No i don't think i could deny these things that you mention. But for benefit to be felt, does one really have to follow a religion - why not an institutional philosophy of whatever kind? Nothing like that exists nowadays, except non-denominational Buddhism or Marxism...can't think of anything else - but these are examples of practical and theoretical benefits without faith.

And anyway, i think what is true is more important than a belief system, how ever beneficial, that is based on falsehoods. Having faith in God, to me, isn't truth. But i feel i have to say i completely respect you and any other religious moderates.

 

[DutchGirl]

It's an excellent work of fiction.

There are plenty of works of fiction, non-fiction and similar philosophy out there to give people a perspective like yours.

I regret to inform you that I find that comment of yours offensive as well as speculative. That said, I have no interest in arguing something as personal as my faith.

Regards,
IO

Ignored One, you only put a statement, and now you don't want to discuss it. Why not?

You said: "I personally can't begin to express how much my life improved after I understood the nature of divinity". Why don't you give it a try? How did you understand?

 

[Paperclip]

I've never believed in God, even though my whole family is theist. I just don't...get it. I've tried, but it just didn't work out for me. I'm sure there must be some reason so many people believe, and I've seen people who I guess have been helped by having faith... but I couldn't even begin to truly understand it myself.

 

[blak000]

I've never believed in God, even though my whole family is theist. I just don't...get it. I've tried, but it just didn't work out for me. I'm sure there must be some reason so many people believe, and I've seen people who I guess have been helped by having faith... but I couldn't even begin to truly understand it myself.

I'm not really religious myself, but I can understand why others might be. It's hard to see so much complexity and order in our universe, and not think it was spawned from some deliberate design. For all the answers science provides, it still can't explain some of humankind's oldest questions about life: What sparked the beginning our reality? What caused the Big Bang? Where do we go after we die? Does our consciousness simply disappear, or is there something afterwards?

Until the day comes when science has all the answers (something I'm not even sure will ever really happen), humans will maintain a desire to believe in something greater than themselves; a grand scheme that dictates our reality.

 

[Larsen B]

I've never believed in God, even though my whole family is theist. I just don't...get it. I've tried, but it just didn't work out for me. I'm sure there must be some reason so many people believe, and I've seen people who I guess have been helped by having faith... but I couldn't even begin to truly understand it myself.

I'm not really religious myself, but I can understand why others might be. It's hard to see so much complexity and order in our universe, and not think it was spawned from some deliberate design. For all the answers science provides, it still can't explain some of humankind's oldest questions about life: What sparked the beginning our reality? What caused the Big Bang? Where do we go after we die? Does our consciousness simply disappear, or is there something afterwards?

Until the day comes when science has all the answers (something I'm not even sure will ever really happen), humans will maintain a desire to believe in something greater than themselves; a grand scheme that dictates our reality.

There are something like 6 theories that explain the cause of the big bang - but don't ask me to explain them because i can't i'm afraid. And...they are just theories at the moment, but i'm sure in time evidence will come.

It is hard to see why there is so much complexity and order in the universe, at least, in the realm of the large - there is no order in the realm of the very small. Mutiverse theories propose an answer - the anthropic principle in string theory states if there were many universes, at least some may have the conditions that are suitable for harnessing life. Whilst the great majority of universes exist without life at all. Therefore, this explains the fine-tuned universe - life arising because of probability, just as it does in our galaxy - there is no need for a creator.

At least, this is one theory

 

[lonelygirl]

Indigo,

How can order come out of chaos?

 

[Larsen B]

I think at this point it might be good to tell you about a discussion between 4 prominent atheists: Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennet, Sam Harris and Christoper Hitchens.

You can watch the discussion by The Four Horsemen HERE

There is large amount of fascinating information here - i don't understand some of what they are saying, but i can get a general idea. It outlines some of the reasons why people believe in a god and much more.