Can religious people ever learn to stop claiming things like....?

Question

..the simple fact that we exist is "proof" of a creator? Do they not realise that exposes them as intellectually challenged?!

I find it amusing to imagine people all over the planet trying to answer such a complex question as "What are the origins of the universe and life?", when so many seem incapable of answering much more mundane questions here on YA!

Ask your local vicar such a simple question as, for example, "what causes the Northern Lights?" and (s)he may struggle to answer…yet ask the much more challenging question of life, and they will confidently give you a whole host of answers which, luckily for them, require no proof or great intellect to comprehend.

Is "something simple enough for me to understand" the only explanation that will suit a religious mind?

And no…I do not claim to know the answers to the big questions either, but I do not invent answers where there're gaps in my knowledge. (Although I certainly hypothesize based on the available evidence)

Pretty good riposte Cricket, but most philosophy is based on strongly logical thought....something that is necessarily absent from religion, based as it is on "faith". Faith can be discussed from a philosophical point of view, but if we were in possession of any evidence then science would be able to step in and complete the picture much better than pure philosophy can currently. After all, philosophy doesn't claim to have any answers about religion, just hypotheses.

Batgirl - Apologies for the generalisation, however a quick scan of most answers to "proof/reason type questions" in the religion section on YA should show you that my generalisation is, like most of my thinking, based on observation. Also, if I put in all the "most, but not everyone" caveats necessary to make it non-generalist then I would have run out of space!!

Answer 1

nice point

what annoys me however is when they say "there is proof all around you" yet never state that proof or point out what it is.

oh, besides that irate book of scribblings.

Answer 2

No, probably not.

But people LIKE the simple answers, regardless of religion or lack thereof. Even many atheists like the simple answers.

I'm curious though. Some of the "big" questions require philosphical answers, rather than scientific, and much of religion is philosophical. Therefore, it makes sense that religious people would try to answer the "big" questions from a philosophical perspective, rather than scientific.

Can a person use science to analyze a poem? Well, they could, but their analysis would be flawed. A person needs a more artistic mind to understand art, poetry, song lyrics, novels, et cetera.

So some of life's big questions (why are we here, what happens when we die) require answers from a religious perspective, not from a scientific one. Science is for the concrete, religion and philosophy are for the abstract.

Answer 3

I'm afraid "faith" is such a denial of the obvious and the likely explanation of things that twists theists into peddlars of mumbo jumbo

Answer 4

Yes. It's a pity that so many of us try to make things simple for us by being ignorant. Ignorance is not bliss. It's just a flawed recipe for a wasteful life with self-imposed limitations.

Answer 5

excellent point. Although we as atheist do not know the answers, we a free from faith, so we have the freedom to ask the questions, anything else is just ignorance. What bugs me, is that Christians believe the words of men written nearly 2000yrs ago, when they didn't have the technical advances that we have had. 2000 yrs ago was the Bronze age, they believe bronze age philosophy over modern science? this is where blind faith comes in, you see their faith forbids them to question the word of men, ooooppps sorry, the bible. therefore they will never find the questions never mind the answers, at least our minds are open enough to consider all the possibilities.

Answer 6

Sure. I don't use that argument anyways. Religion has always been a faith thing anyways. I guess except in ancient times when the 'gods' supposedly walked the earth.

Answer 7

For the sake of argument lets say I create a VCR. Do I have to become a VCR to prove Im the creator or understand the logics behind it for those who dont know anything about it. I created VCR for ease of use and if they need info as to how to play, fwd, rew, stp they have a 'manual', similarly, we humans are created and for a reason, we have a manual, a revelation, and a creator.
I totally agree with you on this...Wouldn't this world be a better place if we all take care of each other and ignore the bad and adopt the good, hence fulfill our purpose of existence.

Answer 8

Our existance proves God's existance. What proof have you that God doesn't exist? A lame brain theory that NOTHING turned into everything without a Creator/God? Unbelieveable!!!

Why do you hate Him so much that you strain to believe such unbelieveable ideas?!?

There is something obsessively religious about having faith in such unseen, unproveable beliefs!!!

It takes more FAITH to believe THAT than I can muster. I am inpressed in your devotion to your un-faith system.

Congratulations on your ability to hold on to obsessive strong beliefs, misguided though they are!!! We could use you on God's team.

Answer 9

I respect and share your point of view but you must remember that it is very difficult to reprogram yourself after years of religious upbringing and people you trust telling you loads of crap that they were told. Seeking truth is an individual journey and so the focus should be simply on living life and experiencing new things.

Answer 10

Damn!! I wanted to say that!

Nice point, well put. Have a star!