What is so horrible about believing there is a God?

Question

Groups like the Brights Net and the Atheists of America are trying to say that belief in God is "superstitious" and anyone who believes there is a God is something like "unintelligent" and "irrational." When you think walking under a ladder or Friday the 13th will bring bad luck, I'd call that superstitious. But belief in God (particularly as a creator of the earth) does not seem to fit the same category. Please, if you try to answer this question DO NOT confound belief in God with belief in a particular religion. These two things are not mutually exclusive, but I'm asking what's so bad about believing there is a God (not "what's so bad about religion," which is a different question)?

Quote from below:

"When you say 'God' that is the English Christian deity, so you cannot divorce it from that religion."

--That's very unfair because I ONLY SPEAK ENGLISH! Label the "god-figure" whatever you want! I'm talking the equivalent of what English speakers call God, and in terms of a creator there is no one Anglo religion that assumes privilege over a one-god religion. Islam also has a one God belief, but I'm not talking about religions! Belief in a God or belief in God in whatever form you choose to believe is not necessarily bound by a specific religion.

I know of not one invincible argument that disproves the existence of anything including God because even among ardent scientific empiricists you cannot prove the non-existence of something. You can only say there is no evidence to support a hypothesis. Belief in God transcends what empiricists call a "hypothesis" or "null hypothesis," and that does not mean the belief equals superstition, it means the belief is dogmatic at most.

Another quote from below confounding belief in God with being part of a religion:

"To be human is to have a religious tendency."

When are people going to stop confounding belief in God with belief in a religion ???

More contradictions:

"There is nothing horrible about about believing there is a god. However, belief in a god or a creator has not more rational than other beliefs or superstitions."

Calling something "superstitious" in a society that so highly values science is derogatory, and you know it, which is why all this talk about "You can believe whatever you want but I'll call it superstitious if I want" is what Brights and atheists want to keep telling the public so that anyone who believes there is a God can be considered "irrational" and "unintelligent."

I asked what is so horrible about believing there is a God and the best answer atheists can come up with is it's as "superstitious" as believing you'll have bad luck if you walk under a ladder? Pathetic.

You cannot, respectfully, as an atheist say: You can believe whatever it is you want but leave your fables at the door when you enter my domain. At the same time you say someone can believe whatever they want you're disrespecting someone's belief as a "fable." That's just too rude for someone who's not only a critical thinker but can respect that each person's experience and world view is different.

Answer 1

There is nothing bad about believing in God.There is also nothing bad about not believing in God.
What is bad is people trying to force their views on others.

Answer 2

You say "God", so that is part of a specific religion. If you just said a creator or said gods that would be somewhat different. Yahweh is the name of Moses' god. It's Dieu in French, Gottes in German, etc. When you say "God" that is the English Christian deity, so you cannot divorce it from that religion. What's bad is that one lives a lie and is all too likely to force it upon others. Christianity and Islam are the worst ones for that. No wonder they've fought for centuries. Would you like for someone to ask your question but say Allah or Brahma instead of God in it? I doubt it. Belief in gods does fit into the same category as not walking under ladders. Both are irrational beliefs that cannot be proven by logic and science. There is more evidence to disprove them, but believers refuse to see it. as long as you keep it to yourself, I don't care if you believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster some mention in these questions...BUT do you? Do you speak out to have God in the Pledge of Allegiance and on all of our money. If you do, I have a quarrel with you.

Answer 3

Religious belief is a common part of most human cultures and has been part of human understanding for millennia. These experiences usually include a system cosmology or myths explaining the origins of the world. Humans have always created beliefs to explain the natural world, particularly difficult questions. People enjoy the security of explanation, beliefs simplify a complex world. Thunder became the thunder god. Belief in a god (singular/one god) is a more recent idea, but monotheistic religions have these beliefs in supernatural orgins. In fact supernatural orgins is the basis for most one god faiths. Monotheism usually attributes the orgins of the world to the one single god; therefore giving the god and his faithful power over the creation. Supernatural creation stories are common to all cultures one god or many. Religion also was used to enforce social norms in more primitive societies. Often these norms where needed by the culture that created them. Often the norms out lived it usefulness and religions evolved. An example of this is Xtianities rejection of the dietary codes of its mother faith Judaism. The age of reason and scientific age attempted to explain the natural world with observable fact and in the process called into question many religious beliefs. Belief in pure reason replaced other beliefs. The origin of "atheism" is from this time. Historically many atheist or atheistic people were reacting archaic religious belief or to abuses by religious leader. Men such as Voltaire are examples of this. I understand where the modern atheist gets her/his fire. Today there are many religious abuses and outdated beliefs. Just consider the three major monotheistic religions and the wars they cause. This could be a good motivator to any modern atheist, most of which are very intelligent people. However, the labeling of religious belief as "unintelligent" is not rational seeing religion and other myths are part of our shared human experience. To be human is to have a religious tendency. Intelligent people can be and are religious. Many of the world’s great thinkers were and are religious people. "Walking under ladders" and triskaidekaphobia and other cultural myths are also part of our human experience, but they do not carry the cultural weight as religion and universal myths such as creation. These "superstitions" are largely beliefs that are specific to one cultural group, they served a purpose, and they often have out lived that purpose. You are very right religion should not be put the same category. There is nothing horrible about about believing there is a god. However, belief in a god or a creator has not more rational than other beliefs or superstitions. It is just a more important part of our shared human experience. Rather than fight other religious belief as our atheistic friends do, I think we should come to an understanding that these beliefs are part of what makes us human.

Answer 4

There is nothing wrong with believing in God. I don't. I would be happy to but I won't subscribe to such things without some sort of evidence. I won't beat up anyone who chooses to believe but I will defend myself against people like "mia_bria0" whose arrogance has no bounds. Her source says it all. Well truth can be proven if it is a positive. I invite the lady to produce one shred of evidence God exists in any form or fashion. And the words written 500 years after the event by people who have heard some story 16th hand, then translated who knows how many times does not constitute evidence. It does constitute here-say to the Nth degree.

I invite any and all to believe as they see fit but those who do should leave their arrogance and their fables among those who also believe.

Superstition is a good example, if you choose not to walk under a ladder it doesn't bother me. If I choose to walk under that same ladder, why should it bother you??? Belief in God and belief in luck, good or bad, is in my opinion the same. It differs in degree only. Like the difference between robbing one bank and robbing twenty banks. Simply a matter of degree.

BTW, I have never had an Atheist at my door but I have had to threaten believers with bodily harm to get them to leave.

Answer 5

What is "confound belief in God with belief in a particular religion?"

Anyway, the horrible thing about believing in a god is that one doesn't exist. Do you encourage children past a certain age to believe in Santa Clause or the tooth fairy? No, so stop with the god nonsense.

Answer 6

If you believe in God, you will get stoned by those that don't.
If you believe in God, just state it and then bear the consequences.
The atheist sees nature and analyzes it and says, "A natural consequence of random molecular activity." How much beauty is missed, how much meaning is lost to the blackness of meaningless existence?

Answer 7

If I said I believed in god and followed a religion, it would be only lies and deception. Because I honestly do not believe in (a) god.

It would just bring more corruption to the already corrupt world of religion.

Answer 8

as an atheist i find nothing wrong with believing in god, I find it wrong when those who do try to force others to believe in him as well.

Answer 9

Nothing. There is a god and his son is Jesus Christ.