Survey

[TheStarchDefenders]

n/a
n/a
no

 

[Tamske]

I picked the negative in every choice. I don't believe in a superbeing watching over us, simply because the world looks like there isn't. Or the superbeing must be very indifferent, a bit like an author who doesn't want the heroes to know there are in a book - which, for all practical purposes, is the same from our point of view.
No afterlife, either... Like the existence of gods, this is such a strong claim, backed by a huge lack of evidence.
And if you don't believe in gods or afterlife, there is little point in praying or going to church...

 

[Lark]

I selected that I believe in God, an afterlife and that I am religious.

These sorts of questions are great for illustrating incongruence in meaning or attributional and explanatory styles, very few people are in consensus as to what any of them mean, defining your terms is nye on impossible and when successful it has a mirage like quality as concepts morph, change and lead to a further dispute or dialogue.

Take Wittgenstein, great guy, wrote some awesome books and was seriously hailed and given accolades by some major athiests like Bertrand Russell (who I think was a better thinker than either AC Grayling or any of the so called new athiests like Dawkins), yet, Wittgenstein was an absolutely convinced theist who carried a copy of the bible with him into war and thought that most of the atheistic ways of framing thoughts or questions about God were results of erroronious thinking.

 

[Nicodemus]

I see your position has evolved, [MENTION=14637]FireShield98[/MENTION]. Congratulations.

 

[Totenkindly]

And if you don't believe in gods or afterlife, there is little point in praying or going to church...

Actually, if you "fit into the culture," church can offer a very strong family/community support structure; I think it's one reason why church has continued to thrive in some settings. It's far more than just a "one morning a week" thing.

One of my most difficult aspects of my decision to leave church was losing that network of people, which was useful to me in some ways and also gave me a channel through which to contribute.

 

[Mal12345]

I picked the negative in every choice. I don't believe in a superbeing watching over us, simply because the world looks like there isn't. Or the superbeing must be very indifferent, a bit like an author who doesn't want the heroes to know there are in a book - which, for all practical purposes, is the same from our point of view.
No afterlife, either... Like the existence of gods, this is such a strong claim, backed by a huge lack of evidence.
And if you don't believe in gods or afterlife, there is little point in praying or going to church...

"Superbeing"? Are you actually saying you don't believe in Cthulhu?

 

[Nales]

No, No, and No.
I believe these things were created out of fear: Belief in the afterlife was born from the fear of death (thinking you'll still exist after dying is very reassuring to many), belief in God was born from the fear of being entirely responsible of what we're doing. I'd rather face and accept the truth.
Just my opinion, though.

 

[Mal12345]

No, No, and No.
I believe these things were created out of fear: Belief in the afterlife was born from the fear of death (thinking you'll still exist after dying is very reassuring to many), belief in God was born from the fear of being entirely responsible of what we're doing. I'd rather face and accept the truth.
Just my opinion, though.

You are blasphemying against the god Cthulhu. I wouldn't mess around with Cthulhu.

 

[Qlip]

I think it's entirely your prerogatives to not believe in God, be religious or believe in an afterlife. But it irritates me to no end when you (those who do) have to explain in very naively simple terms why other people do and think it's evidence for how stupid they are. It's not as simple as that, it's very complex and innate. Isn't it sufficient just to state your own view?

 

[FireShield98]

I see your position has evolved, [MENTION=14637]FireShield98[/MENTION]. Congratulations.

Yes. And odd that you should mention this, because it wasn't until after listening to some debates of Christopher Hitchens that I became an atheist (and I believe you mentioned him in the Shyness thread: "Just imagine what, say, Christopher Hitchens would argue.").

 

[UniqueMixture]

My answers were yes and no to both believing in god and an afterlife. I don't view this as inherently contradictory

 

[Munchies]

what purpose does this thread cause other than socializing

 

[011235813]

Believe in a god; no idea about afterlife, hence N/A; not religious.

 

[1487610420]

I am not religious.
n/a
n/a
etc

 

[EJCC]

Actually, if you "fit into the culture," church can offer a very strong family/community support structure; I think it's one reason why church has continued to thrive in some settings. It's far more than just a "one morning a week" thing.

I agree with this. The fact that I go to church every Sunday has little to do with the official doctrine -- I mean, I probably believe less than half of the Nicene Creed -- but I have a lot in common with the people there, culturally, and I love the music.

One of my most difficult aspects of my decision to leave church was losing that network of people, which was useful to me in some ways and also gave me a channel through which to contribute.

That's a shame. Since then, have you found a new church, with more accepting people? Or did you have any interest in doing so?

 

[Totenkindly]

That's a shame. Since then, have you found a new church, with more accepting people? Or did you have any interest in doing so?

My issue is that the churches I know I would not be judged at, I'm rather bored by.

The churches I'm more interested in in terms of the music and other aspects, the more likely that I can't be open about my life with without rejection; and it's also inundated by people who make my skin crawl as soon as I spend ten minutes with them.

Maybe if Mars Hill was around here, I'd give that a shot. When all the conservatives start dumping on Rob Bell, that's a sign his church might be more my style.

 

[Lightyear]

I definitely believe in God and an afterlife but was hesitant to tick the "I am religious" box, which I did in the end. To describe yourself as religious in my Christian circles tends to have negative connotations, it means that you are legalistic and follow rules for the sake of following rules instead of trying to have a genuine, sincere relationship with God. But I guess from a non-Christian point of view I am religious since I follow a religion by describing myself as a Christian.

 

[Lightyear]

At this time, I don't see anything that says God (or whatever) be more likely to be true than anything else, and maybe less when we take Occam's Razor and other rational principles into account.

I sometimes think it is actually easier to be a Christian and believe in God if you haven't been brought up in a Christian environment where your faith has been preached as the one and only truth but if you instead become a believer later in life. I became a Christian after having been brought up in a completely non-religious environment and having an overnight conversion experience at the age of 19. I know that my conversion experience was miraculous and 11 years later I am still a Christian so it has obviously lasted and I will always have that miracle to look back on when I wonder about God and life, no one can take that away from me. It almost feels as if by me having been brought up as an atheist I could start with a clean slate once I converted, I didn't have to fight through all the crap that "church culture" and annoyingly churchy people can instill in you since I had never been exposed to that for the first 19 years of my life. (In contrast I have a Northern Irish friend who has been brought up in church and now has left the faith and is trying to find out what she really believes, to her a lot of the Christian beliefs are just a cultural thing that have been pushed on her as a child.)

 

[Nicodemus]

I know that my conversion experience was miraculous and 11 years later I am still a Christian so it has obviously lasted and I will always have that miracle to look back on when I wonder about God and life, no one can take that away from me.

Would you mind sharing it if I promise not to try to take it away from you? I am simply curious what counts as a miracle.

 

[Lightyear]

Would you mind sharing it if I promise not to try to take it away from you? I am simply curious what counts as a miracle.

I can send you a PM if that's alright and once I get around to it.