Are you Religious?

[ZedNova]

Science will, one day, explains everything.

I have to disagree, there are a number of things Science can't explain, and may never explain.

Also, what do you mean by " Your life should be boring sometimes....".

[Lordherrmann]

I'm an atheist and I'm ok with people believing into some higher thing, but there are many things I don't like about religion.

Waht annoys me most are fundamentalist religious persons. People who take the bible literally or try to disprove evolution. As many said, it's like trying to disprove gravity. I personally don't believe in a god, because I don't need any deity in my life. I'm a very logical thinking scientific person and the people who say I can't disprove the existence of a higher being are right, but if I say they can't prove it I'm also right.

But now a fundamental rule of scientific work becomes important: If you want to have a theory become accepted, you have to prove, the others don't have to disprove it. As long as nobody is able to prove the existence of a god, I won't believe in it.

Just a little word on evolution: Creationists mak it sound like a scientific theory is something you simply come up with in 10 minutes. Many very intelligent people, worked on this theory for centuries. It simply is a fact.

-Lordherrmann

[ramses]

Agreed Rune. Quite surprised myself.

A few surprises too:)

[Rune]

Yes, I'm an Anglican. Quite disappointed to read through the thread and see so much hate towards religion. These militant atheists are just as annoying as any fundamentalist religious person.

Hate? I don't see that, as I just pointed out. In fact, I'm seeing the most civil statements I've ever seen on any internet discussion on the subject. Don't confuse disagreement with hate, much less an attack on your beliefs. You might be a minority according to the poll on this forum, but I at least am perfectly happy to let you believe what you want, if you will just return the favour. As long as we can both agree to that, I think we can keep at it, perhaps we will both learn something.

[SuperFastJellyfish]

I was brought up catholic, but in my teenage years realized that it wasn't for me. I have been agnostic-ish ever since. There seemingly is a force behind it all that started everything rolling, but there is no way to prove/disprove that. I always liked this quote from Einstein on this subject:

'Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible concatenations, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion. To that extent I am, in point of fact, religious.'

[milankragujevic]

No. Religion is hilarious to me.

[whatisthisidonteven]

Hate? I don't see that, as I just pointed out. In fact, I'm seeing the most civil statements I've ever seen on any internet discussion on the subject. Don't confuse disagreement with hate, much less an attack on your beliefs. You might be a minority according to the poll on this forum, but I at least am perfectly happy to let you believe what you want, if you will just return the favour. As long as we can both agree to that, I think we can keep at it, perhaps we will both learn something.

See

No. Religion is hilarious to me.

This is the sort of thing I'm talking about.

My post wasn't aimed at you, by the way.

[karolus10]

I don't want be picky, but someone here bring an touchy subject: ethics vs belief in god... why someone with other beliefs (or not believing in god at all) should be less moral than religious people ?

Peoples ethics are matter of choice, not belief or (worst case) being scared about eternal consequences.

[Gniuz]

Religion in a nutshell = People arguing over who has the best imaginary friend.

[whatisthisidonteven]

Religion in a nutshell = People arguing over who has the best imaginary friend.

What a constructive post.

I don't want be picky, but someone here bring an touchy subject: ethics vs belief in god... why someone with other beliefs (or not believing in god at all) should be less moral than religious people ?

Peoples ethics are matter of choice, not belief or (worst case) being scared about eternal consequences.

Most morals in society today come from religious texts. Laws are also based on teachings from religious texts.

You can't really say if ethics only come from religion, because we don't know what would have happened if there was no religion. But think of it like this, a human a couple of thousand years ago says to another human

"Don't steal"

Why should he listen? There's no police/law, so he can do it and get away with it.

But say it changes to this

"Don't steal or you will be condemned to Hell for eternity"

Suddenly this guy doesn't want to steal anymore. This is how morals were held up in society before laws and organised government. To know that you are going to be judged for doing something bad is the reason we don't do bad things. You don't break the law today because you don't want to get sent to jail. And for religious people, we also believe that we'll get sent to Hell, so we try to be good people. Those without religion don't care as long as they get over the fact that they could go to jail. Religious people don't do it because we know our punishment is not only in this life, but the next too - Which is eternal.

Eternal suffering or eternal joy, I know which one I pick.

Edited April 26, 2013 by whatisthisidonteven

[Gniuz]

What would you rather me say?

No one can prove the existence of a GOD or not but religion seems to be doing pretty good with it, on the other hand you get someone talk about an imaginary person they play with and that person is nutz and needs to see a shrink.

All I'm trying to get across is that everyone is entitled to believe what they want to believe in. I personally do not believe in GOD but I don't think that someone who does is wrong in doing so. I do how ever think that if GOD does exist then the amount of killing we do to each other in his name is a joke and if I was him I wouldn't want anything to do with us. The human race is capable of such great tings and yet we prefer to kill not just each other but the planet as well.

If religion has taught us anything then we have got lost somewhere down the line.

G.

[Daze]

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.â€Â

[MrPwner]

Whatisthisidonteven, I have to disagree there. Compassion and altruism can naturally occur in people, just like it's opposites.

Saying someone is going to hell for something bad they've done, doesn't really change their morals/ethics, it just scares them.

And doing something good to get into heaven is doing good for the wrong reasons. It's still selfish in a certain way.

Doing good for no other reason than to please/help other people is true altruism.

But indeed, I like the fact that there's been no full on flamewar, this just goes to show that this really is the best internetcommunity I've seen.

We'll just ignore the bad apples.

[whatisthisidonteven]

Whatisthisidonteven, I have to disagree there. Compassion and altruism can naturally occur in people, just like it's opposites.

Saying someone is going to hell for something bad they've done, doesn't really change their morals/ethics, it just scares them.

And doing something good to get into heaven is doing good for the wrong reasons. It's still selfish in a certain way.

Doing good for no other reason than to please/help other people is true altruism.

But indeed, I like the fact that there's been no full on flamewar, this just goes to show that this really is the best internetcommunity I've seen.

We'll just ignore the bad apples.

Compassion does not naturally occur in people anywhere near as much as it does when there is a reason for it. It seems barbaric, but we are still the same species we were thousands of years ago - We just use computers and wear clothes now.

Edited April 26, 2013 by whatisthisidonteven

[Latcarf]

You know? This thread IS proving something to me: most KSP players that post on the forum are very nice people, showing respect for other people's beliefs and moderation and a calm approach to discussing touchy subjects. I honestly thought the thread would be non-stop flames by page two, but I'm liking 90% of the answers, whether I agree with them or not. Definitely

Rune. So kudos to us!

1. I read through about half of this thread, and was equally as amazed at the sincerity and respect given by the KSP community.
   
2. 
   
3. But I'm over it. I am an atheist with a glowing respect for Christianity and all other benevolent religions.
   
4. 
   
5. I cannot (and you shouldn't either) dismiss any belief that AT ITS CORE teaches self-respect/happiness/honor/simplicity/kindness.
   
6. 
   
7. You should, however, ignore and dismiss any and every religious radical immediately.
   

Edited April 26, 2013 by Latcarf

[Gojira]

Anyone who thinks there is a contradiction between religion and science, clearly, understands neither.

This.

I am the most scientific Christian you'll ever meet. I'll respect anyone else's beliefs, each to his own. I might not agree with them, but I respect their beliefs, because Christianity is about loving others, not judging them.

I haven't read the thread, so forgive me if I come across as a jerk.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Gojira

[NASAFanboy]

I am a very strong atheist. I believe in science. Not god.

So, no.

[Xeldrak]

Let's see: No, I'm not religious - I'm an Atheist. I personaly belief that the world would be a better place without religion - but as long as you leave me alone with your religion, I'm fine. You can do whatever you want with your life/body/diet/whatever.....

And if you ask me why I don't believe - I'll go with Laplace: I have no need of that hypothesis.

[Britpoint]

Haha, saw the 7 pages and thought "Wow, this must be an old thread." Nope! Posted today! This thread always gets so much commentary... ^^

Anyway, um... no. I am atheist and pretty anti-theist as well, in that I think religion as an institution is a bad thing. Nothing against individuals that call themselves "Christians" but I do have something against "Christianity," for example. I was raised a kind of lay Christian and acknowledged myself as an atheist in my mid-teens, but I think my mind had already rejected the premise long before that. Even in my younger days I put "God" and "Praying" in the same part of my mind as Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy - a fun thing to believe in that you know deep down isn't real.

P.S. The post count is deceptive I only just got my account back after the server issues. I promise I'm not a troll just signing up to hate on religion!

[musicpenguin]

I am religous. My church is http://www.venganza.org/

The church of the flying spaghetti monster. I am a believer. In fsm.

[MrPwner]

Compassion does not naturally occur in people anywhere near as much as it does when there is a reason for it. It seems barbaric, but we are still the same species we were thousands of years ago - We just use computers and wear clothes now.

Yeah, I guess you're right. If law and what not would be removed we'd go back to being a Darwinian society. It's kinda sad, really. If only we could disable those parts of our instincts, the world would be a much MUCH better place.

[Britpoint]

Those without religion don't care as long as they get over the fact that they could go to jail. Religious people don't do it because we know our punishment is not only in this life, but the next too - Which is eternal.

I don't think this is true though. There are an awful lot of immoral things I could do without punishment but don't because they are immoral and I have principles. Similarly, there are things that I could be punished for that I do do because I feel that X or Y law is unjust.

I would concede that religion and law are both good ways of "enforcing" compassionate behaviour, but I certainly wouldn't claim that religion is the genesis of it. Humans were risking their lives to provide food for their children long before they started believing in gods.

[karolus10]

Compassion does not naturally occur in people anywhere near as much as it does when there is a reason for it. It seems barbaric, but we are still the same species we were thousands of years ago - We just use computers and wear clothes now.

Point for You, sadly people capacity doesn't increasing... we aren't more intelligent than average "The Flintstones" guys.

EDIT_1:

Also few words about making peace with Bible and evolution: in genesis human has been formed from dust of earth and then it get an "soul", so it doesn't dismiss that humans has evolved from other creatures on earth (Made by God â„¢ anyway ) and the "god element" are our soul .

Only flaw of this thinking is that made people superior over all living creatures, not because of our mind complexity but because we had monopoly for possessing soul :/ (but this is other issue).

Edited April 26, 2013 by karolus10

[Latcarf]

Do the Kerbals believe in a higher power?

[Nibb31]

Most morals in society today come from religious texts. Laws are also based on teachings from religious texts.

No. Many of our current laws are inherited from Roman law, which really doesn't have much to do with Christian dogma.

You can't really say if ethics only come from religion, because we don't know what would have happened if there was no religion. But think of it like this, a human a couple of thousand years ago says to another human

"Don't steal"

Why should he listen? There's no police/law, so he can do it and get away with it.

But say it changes to this

"Don't steal or you will be condemned to Hell for eternity"

Suddenly this guy doesn't want to steal anymore. This is how morals were held up in society before laws and organised government. To know that you are going to be judged for doing something bad is the reason we don't do bad things. You don't break the law today because you don't want to get sent to jail. And for religious people, we also believe that we'll get sent to Hell, so we try to be good people. Those without religion don't care as long as they get over the fact that they could go to jail. Religious people don't do it because we know our punishment is not only in this life, but the next too - Which is eternal.

Eternal suffering or eternal joy, I know which one I pick.

So basically, what you are saying is that Christians behave only because they are afraid of going to Hell. Without that fear, they would steal, lie, kill and rape. Ok, but that doesn't really make we want to be friends with any Christians.

I know quite a few atheists who are pretty decent people and who aren't afraid of going to Hell. You don't need fear to be a good person.

I'm an Atheist, and so are my Children. They are nice kids, not because they are afraid of being punished (either by me, by society, or by some kind of divinity), but because I have taught them the Golden Rule: One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. There is no need for religion just to have morals. The Golden Rule is common sense.