Is it immoral to believe in God?

Question

If you believe that moral right and wrong depend upon the foreseeable consequences of our choices, then there are reasons for concluding that religious belief in God is immoral. Examples:

1. If your belief is in the God of a particular religion, then it is in potential violent conflict with the beliefs of other religions.

2. If your belief is in your own personal concept of God, then it is in potential violent conflict with the beliefs of all established religions, including your own.

3. No matter what God you believe in, atheism, and perhaps also agnosticism, are standing 'insults' against your God, and thus potential sources of violent conflict.

Assuming your belief in God is a matter of your choice, do such reasons make your belief in God immoral?

Answer 1

I apologize for the lack of editing and revision.

Yes,
because another line of reasoning. Belief in any God perpetuates the value of God. The language of God. The metaphysics surrounding the possibility of God. The history and reference to "holy" books which are filled with so much misinformation, if one starts with the premise the Book is revealed Truth-- it will take you all your life to dig your way out of it.

We are linguistic, social creatures. We have an existential effect on language, just as someone who wears a pair of Nike sneakers Affirms the shoes' social place. Language, in part, controls our minds. History cannot advance with this issue unresolved.

The idea of an afterlife has controlled the working classes for centuries into bearing ANY load of oppression.

Karma has justified the caste system.

Islam, the subjugation of women.

Good and Evil as a distinction has lead to countless wars. There is no room for "tolerance" with the bifurcation. Heathens will always be Evil. Infidels. From the power it grants people derive the seeming right to uphold it. There is no room for human empathy with Good and Evil.

Nor is there room for understanding people in their environments and exigencies if they have a free-will. Which is GOD talking, this concept is necessary to justify draconian punishment. To blame the victim. To pummel the rapist to death with rocks. And condemn them to hell. But also the boss, the president-- it's such a fallacy, or theodicy, that theyare the sole source of blame.

The notion of sin has caused unbearable repression.

The apocalyptic aspect makes any worldly progressive thinking mute. The End is coming, people are inherently flawed, therefore God will come to save the blessed.. killing the rest. This makes all social movements suffer, when we understand humans as walking contradictions that need redemption.

Divine Right, Manifest Destiny, Good War, the text will continue to justify worldwide damage.

The abject reluctance to offer people sexual protection.

Pascal's wager has force. And it is enough to frighten many into submission. YOU DO lose something if you believe in God. You lose your life here, and continue needlessly this violence Just in identifying with its Goodness.

We can't know a God... even if it exists. God is the walking, non-walking, present/absent, all-powerful/powerless contradiction no one, no priest, doctor, lawyer, scholar can fathom-- it is the thing-not-in-itself that does not even resemble this human reality. Why anyone thinks they can talk to God, reach God, understand it, is such hubris. Every proof for God has been debunked. With Kierkegaard, it is simply a matter of faith. How can you have faith in the thing-not-in-itself?? One must direct their minds to the non-existent, it SURELY is nothing conceptual. To believe in that which CANNOT be believed. That is faith.

It is immoral to continue in this way. If God is good, it would realize that believing it is also wrong.. Against helping our neighbors... Against God. To believe, to surrender, to give up human judgment, to defer life to death, to wait for armageddon-- Only a child with an Ant Farm would want this for people.

Answer 2

I can understand the potential conflicts you list. However, my religion which professes a belief in God also includes an article of faith stating that while we claim the privilege of worshipping God according to the dictates of our own conscience, we allow all men, the same privilege; let them worship how, where, and what they may.
Now, I have a return challenge for you.
1. If your belief is that God does not exist, then is it in potential violent conflict with beliefs of other religions? Maybe many of them.... My question is why are you attacking? Why does this belief so threaten you, if you are secure in your own?
2. If your belief is that God doesn't exist, you have some sort of concept already what "God" means, and so imply at least a linguistic perception, though you defy his existence. In doing so, in even mentioning anti-God sentiments, you spread discusssion of the possibility in the mention of the word. You keep the fire and debate going.
3. Agnostic or Atheists are not standing insults to belief, only a welcome challenge to them.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Like I said, according to the dictates of your own conscience....

Answer 3

Well, sheesh, loving vanilla ice cream is a POTENTIAL source of violent conflict. Theism is also a potential source of wisdom, compassion, charity, and forgiveneness. It's all in what you choose to do with it.

In my opinion, the best way to argue the immorality of theism would be on the basis of intellectual irresponsibility – that is, it's morally wrong to believe something when one has no rational cause for doing so.

Answer 4

You focus a lot on violent conflict as a potential. are you feeling violent? as a hindu living in the bible belt, i can say that my religious beliefs are squarely opposed to the majority of those I live with. However, Inever feel a need to violently oppose them. I believe that we are where we are in life to learn something. Christians are christians because they have something to learn from that, just as I am a hindu because I have something to learn from it. we are neither of us wrong, just learning in different ways.

So, no, I do not think that belief in God or the gods is immoral. People who act violently out of that believe are immoral, but that is not the belief itself.

Answer 5

Yes it is. But we believe in god to trick hour self's into being immoral with out felling bad. That is why we pray for hour sins and the sins that we do not know we have committed. If you look at it right it really is a beautiful thing, how it works. An organization where no one knows what happens and the ones who do shut up or get shut out.

Answer 6

.
If you follow an immoral god then this is immoral.

The idea that Gods should be judged by the same moral standards as people is what got Socrates his dose of Hemlock.

But ... God is immoral, and we can prove it.
> God killed the Egyptian children as a 10th plague.
> The 10 commandments condone slavery and fail to prohibit rape.
> God planned and carried out the premeditated murder of his son so guilty people could go free

Obviously the Jewish & Christian god is immoral

> the Muslim god rewards with virgins (a form of slavery in heaven)
> the Muslim god simply pretended to kill his son. .. but faking death for personal gain is immoral,
so this Muslim god is no improvement...

do we have another contender?

Answer 7

I have a saying it is not the religion but the relationship that gets you to Heaven....

I believe in God, and Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, NO it is not immoral, but Moral.

I have been a Christian for 26 years. I grew up in a Christian family.

Answer 8

Then the world should proudly begin calling itself immoral now, and the term morality must fade away.

Answer 9

As children of God,,we do not have a right to analyze his righteousness. It is our obligation to love him for our life. What's immoral about that?

Answer 10

no... you don't have to be violent if you disagree with another religion... you can respect their views and believing in God is not immoral.. it teaches morality