Split from Welcome FAQ thread - Is there a God? Discuss

[MayContainNuts]

Arguing whether god exists or not is pissing in the wind, there's no proof either way.

A moral code does not require religion.

I agree, proof of god is pissing in the wind. At least with pissing in the wind you know you may get wet!

Moral codes do not require religion, but in practice, as opposed to theory religion plays a guiding light. Of the commandments, the first relate to God, but the remainder

Do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, do not act like a Premiership footballer are a moral code. Whether religion dictates or innate human instinct dictates moral codes is the question?

I am the Lord your God
You shall have no other gods before me
You shall not make for yourself an idol
Do not take the name of the Lord in vain
Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
Honor your father and mother
You shall not murder
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor

[Cliphead]

I am the Lord your God
You shall have no other gods before me
You shall not make for yourself an idol
Do not take the name of the Lord in vain
Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
Honor your father and mother
You shall not murder
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor

Humanity and society got on very well for thousands of years before Moses went up a hill and got stoned.

[doodab]

Humanity happily kicked the tulip out of each other for thousands of years before Moses went up a hill and got stoned.

And have kept on doing so ever since.

Dictation of moral codes has never been a problem for rulers, religious or otherwise, but persuading human beings to comply with them has always been and always will be a difficulty.

Making them foolproof is another game altogether.

[shoes]

Seriously, I just do not get why atheists are so obsessed with god not existing.

The longest posts in this thread are by people who claim that there is no God. Why?

Watch the news.

If you watched a kid repeatedly stick their hand into a fire screaming with pain each time, would you want to take five minutes out of your day to tell them it was a bad idea?

[MayContainNuts]

Humanity and society got on very well for thousands of years before Moses went up a hill and got stoned.

Not sure that is completely true. There are more people alive to today living in harmony than there were 1000s of years of ago. It can be argued that it is a much more peaceful world now than then. But that could be a subjective argument.

The question should be, Are you born with a moral compass or is it taught? Religion offers that guidance.

You could argue that in Britain today that out of control youths, drug use, a 3rd tier society are all down to a lack of direction through a lack of religion.

[doodab]

Arguing whether god exists or not is pissing in the wind, there's no proof either way.

It's only by "arguing" about such questions that we can begin to find answers.

It seems odd that God would have granted us the playing field of reason if he didn't intend for us to frolic upon it. Perhaps these squabbles are the reason he created the universe?

[Cliphead]

It's only by "arguing" about such questions that we can begin to find answers.

It seems odd that God would have granted us the playing field of reason if he didn't intend for us to frolic upon it. Perhaps these squabbles are the reason he created the universe?

You expect to find an answer to the question 'does god exist'? You'll be getting a drenching from all that piss.

[doodab]

You expect to find an answer to the question 'does god exist'? You'll be getting a drenching from all that piss.

As I said in an earlier post, whether or not god exists is not the question I am interested in answering. I do expect to gain something of value from seeking answers though.

[xoggoth]

You could argue that in Britain today that out of control youths, drug use, a 3rd tier society are all down to a lack of direction through a lack of religion

You could but it doesn't actually fit the facts. They may not be able to afford booze but the third world generally has far more crime and social problems than we do although it is also generally more religious. Polls tell us that the country with the lowest degree of religious belief is Japan, which also has one of the lowest crime rates. The US is not exactly crime free but they are far more religious than we are.

The main correlations of crime and social problems are with a) conflicts and lack of a stable culture and b) poverty. Some of the worst problems in our country, like the Welsh Valleys, are where traditional ways of life have been lost and as yet nothing has replaced them.