Why?

[T X 0]

Why are people religious? It is because they have had a like vision with them and god like hanging out?I mean, I'd seriously appreciate someone going in-depth about why religion makes sense and why it makes sense to be religious.I've never really thought about religion until now since I've been atheist my entire life. Can someone explain a little bit like what the bible and stuff say? I heard about it from a friend but I'm not interested until now because I got shot and I survived and I don't understand why. I was supposed to die but I didn't.Thank you.

[anwiii 17]

i don't think people can give you the answer as to why. maybe you know. you ask why are people religious. i ask why people have near death experiences and turn to the bible. some people will say you got lucky and from a surfacy standpoint, you did get lucky. i also believe that maybe you were meant to experience it. i think there are hidden messages in everything and for the most part, there are explainable reasons. but to answer your questions about why you are still alive could only come from you. life is more complicated than to sum it up in one incident where you should have died or just lucky to be aliveso if you like livin', at least know, it just wasn't your time yet. ws it god? was it your will to live? is it just one of those freakish accidents that has no meaning? hope you find your answers....

[T X 0]

I just don't understand the sense of it. I understand the why portion, it just simply doesn't make much sense to me. I'm more curious as to how people make sense of this if they can't know for sure that it's true?

Edited March 27, 2010 by T X (see edit history)

[linekill 1]

I'm not religious but base on what I've observed, it's about people finding certainty in what they have. I understand that we're living in an uncertain world, we will never know what will happen in the next few seconds, hours, days and years. The person we love could also love us, the next day he/she's off to someone. The same goes to life. We're alive now, and maybe not in just a few seconds. Again, an uncertain world were anything could happen and with no warning. Now, if something/someone could provide you with a certainty in life (Perfect life in paradise after this chaotic life, a better world, transcendence beyond the universe, etc.), how would someone feel? Isn't that a great promise. And what lays beyond this life will always be a mystery so there's no way to know other than having faith in it. This is were religion comes in, providing certainty - a promise of a better afterlife. Interpretation and ways may vary but the goal is similar. It really is hard to understand, I don't understand the blind side of faith, myself. It's the mystery that draws people to it. And I'm sure that the religious don't understand it either. We may never get a good grasp of it but what we can do is accept it as a phenomena, just as the sun rises everyday. That's the best I could offer.

[truefusion 3]

It is never the case of what is it that makes religion make sense to us; rather, it is always the case of: what is it about religion that doesn't make sense to you? More often than not the flaw is on the questioners' side, not on the one that is not questioning. However, i will admit that there are some religions out there that are exaggerating, but the discussion isn't about those religions, it is about religions that make sense.

 

Concerning what is mentioned in the Bible, the Bible mentions a lot of things that cannot easily be quickly mentioned all in one post. Nevertheless, the current structure is basically this: It starts off concerning the beginning of time, then it goes into Jewish history, prophecy, some writings (e.g. the Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Job, et cetera), the Gospels, early church history, and, finally, the end of times.

[manish-mohania 0]

I do not know If I consider myself religious or not; but when I am going through hard times I do go to temple. It somehow strengthens me and relaxes me.I am hindu by birth and my religion teaches us that we are descendant of gods. When I look at this way and feel that I belong to people who were so cultured and so much able in every way; makes me confident and makes me believe that I can do anything. When I connect to gods as my family, I get rid of fear as I know there is someone who is taking care of me even in my hard times.Just think about this when you were a kid and your parents told you that Santa Claus would bring you gift on christmas. Did you believe them ?? When you got the gifts on Christmas then did you believe them ?? I am sure you always had the doubts, but the hope that you will get a gift and merely the idea that someone will give a gift or complete your wish; was too much to make you wanting to believe in a fairy tale.

[Soviet Rathe 1]

Why are people religious? It is because they have had a like vision with them and god like hanging out?
I mean, I'd seriously appreciate someone going in-depth about why religion makes sense and why it makes sense to be religious.

I've never really thought about religion until now since I've been atheist my entire life.


Can someone explain a little bit like what the bible and stuff say? I heard about it from a friend but I'm not interested until now because I got shot and I survived and I don't understand why. I was supposed to die but I didn't.




Thank you.

I too am an atheist and IMHO religion is just a way to control us, by far the worst religion is the Catholics, yes, there... I said it.... Catholics are the worst... even though i'm an atheist I have some values and it is WRONG to make someone pay for confessing to you or make you pay for every little thing for attending their chirch, Catholics are a fake religion and everyone knows it... hmm.. I went off subject a bit there.. maybe because I heard on the news about Catholic priests molesting little kids? heh, who knows.

some people automatically think atheists are bad people.. that's 100% not true, a person doesn't need a religion. they don't need to live by a god that doesn't show his face. I don't have anything against Christens or any other religions but I just have to wounder... how can they stay faithful to a god when the world is in the condition it's in? my parents are christens, and they try to force religion on me... everything that happens.... everything scientific... they have to insist that god has something to do with it.. you can't have a discussion with them without them bringing god into it... and it annoys me to no end, so the bottom line is that Christens or such have no scientific view about things.. just about god.. a god that doesn't do anything.... when someone almost dies but makes it. they have to insist that god made them live... even though it was quite possible for that person to live anyway. just another example...

those are my views, feel free to discuss/flame me about it

[T X 0]

Arguably, Catholics say that it's faith and faith only. They continue to insist that you don't need to see god, just have faith that he is there. If god is all about faith, why doesn't he come down and show his face? Then everyone would have faith.

[truefusion 3]

If god is all about faith, why doesn't he come down and show his face? Then everyone would have faith.

Biblically speaking, if that would occur, then it would no longer be called faith. (Hebrews 11:1) Faith, therefore, does not imply without evidence, only what we have not yet seen but are certain of. If the existence of something required being able to see it, then it would be perfectly valid to deny the existence of air for not being able to see it.

[Soviet Rathe 1]

Biblically speaking, if that would occur, then it would no longer be called faith. (Hebrews 11:1) Faith, therefore, does not imply without evidence, only what we have not yet seen but are certain of. If the existence of something required being able to see it, then it would be perfectly valid to deny the existence of air for not being able to see it.

When I say, 'show his face' I don't mean latterly show his face, I mean show his existence... do something... anything distinctive enough where we would not be able to doubt his existence.... like you said... evidence.....

[truefusion 3]

When I say, 'show his face' I don't mean latterly show his face, I mean show his existence... do something... anything distinctive enough where we would not be able to doubt his existence.... like you said... evidence.....

All that is required from the skeptic is for them to make use of logic and reason and choose to be consistent with them. For no matter how obvious or absolute the evidence is, if they choose to become inconsistent in their reasoning and avoid the issue, then they will never be convinced. Indeed, many don't want a reason to believe (though they may say such); rather, they want a reason to say "there is no evidence," a reason not to believe. But in order to declare that there is no evidence requires inconsistencies within their own way of thinking.
You say, "Why doesn't He do something that declares His existence?" If you pass by a sign, does that mean you will acknowledge the sign? Yet, why don't you contemplate on what it means for this universe to be perishable and that nothing can cause its own existence? Doesn't knowledge require for it to be searched out? The evidence is there, just be sure to acknowledge it.

[justinedwards 0]

I am Agnostic, and I believe that it is just used for moral support, and encouragement. I think it gives people something to live for.I also believe that things happen for a reason. Maybe you didn't quite fulfill what G-d had in mind for you, and he decided to let you live.I don't know, but I was raised that if we knew, we would be G-d.I know a lot of what I just said conflicts itself...but I am still trying to find the "Right" religion for me.

[gisellebebegirl 0]

I dont think there is one reason why, recently i became closer to god and the bible, and the process that led me into it was amazing, i went to church one day to confess my sins and had a talk with the priest (in the catholic religion is it said that when you speak with the priest or bishop you are in a way speaking to god)and i cannot fully explain the feeling i got afterward but it was so strong, i was happy but had tears in my eyes, like something took over me, i cannot explain itand again i was like you an atheist, i did not believe in god at all, until thatyou should try going to church, or something.. for the most part it is about morals and standards as to being a good person.. what the right and wrong things are, and becoming closer as a community

[Rigaudon 0]

I don't get it. If you have the ability to pick and choose from the Bible, then why pick and choose at all? Live by the morals, but not necessarily believing in the words in an old book that says that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old and where animals could talk, and where people could fly bodily up into heaven (even though they have all been disproved by carbon dating, paleontology, and space travel). Science is exact to the point that anything can be exact to. I won't go off on a tangent on all the fallacies of God, but the way I see it, religion is a failed hypothesis of an early scientific experiment. Imagine back in the 1500s, where the sun rose every day at the same time with no given explanation. The only answer was God, and if I had lived in that time, I would have believed it too. Yet, now, science has proved that the sun is a giant thermal nuclear reactor floating in space, not some chariot pulled along in the sky. Hypothesis, experiment, result. Why is it so hard to let go? I think this reverts back to the simple matter of fear of death.

[anwiii 17]

proof proof proof. now i'm no preacher of god. far from it. but when people want proof that there is a god and neglect talking about wanting proof on other things as we walk this earth in ignorance of many things, it's just ridiculous in my eyesyou either believe or you don't. you either make some sense out of what you don't know, or you don't. that's what it boils down to. i heard someone call the catholic religion the worst religion. why why why? all religions are different and hold their different beliefs. if we are trying to find the truth, no one religion holds it. they are all different. i do agree that money should not be a part of any religion but that is beside the point most all churches have their offering plates.but do you even have to go to church to be religious? do you have to believe in god to be religious? no on both counts. churches don't make a person religious and just because you go to any certain church doesn't mean you ARE religious.atheists are not bad nor good. religious people are not bad nor good. we all have bad and good inside us and it is not only defined by our belief in our own selves but those who see us.....judging as we judge our own selves.....the good and bad are just judged differently on different levels according to their own personal beliefs.personally, i think many people are fake. they believe in certain religions when they can't even believe in their own self. or people say they don't believe in god because their is no proof although they will have faith in other things they can't prove. a lot of people are FAKE in my opinion. some act fake on purpose. some don't some just don't take the time to even find out who they arepeople use god as an excuse for their lives wether it's total crap or if they accoplished something. they give all credit to god. i really hate it when someone accomplished something big in their life and they say they couldn't have done it without god when in fact it's the actual BELIEF that helped them. we are our own worst enemy. not god. we either accomplish or not accomplish. not god.....for the most parti'm not saying there is or is not a god. i'm no preacher and never will be. what i AM saying is we are accountable for our own actions and we are on this earth to be better people with god as a crutch or without god and strongly believing in our own selves. i am neither an atheist or religious when it comes to any god. i am neutral. always will be....because.....i'm just me.i hear people who survived accidents and turn to god as the only logical explaination. i see people looking at the trees and listening to the birds sing and thank god as that could be the only logical explaination. i see people die and i hear other people either blame god or switch sides in not believing in any god that can allow things to happen when it is the human race that allows things to happen and they use god as an easy out to believe in something different.fact is, most people don't know what the heck to believe in these days. they wonder around like lemmings and creatures of habit that society teaches us or our parents teach us which give us no credit when we have a brain and a mind of our own. we have a spirit and a soul. and all it takes is to look deep down inside our own selves to know the answerso all i have to say is shame on those who say they don't believe in god and shame on those who do and shame on those who don't even know who they are to make such a judgement or choice or belief to either believe or not believe.we have to see to believe and if we don't see, that should automatically make us non believers. so i guess if a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around to hear it, it can never make a sound. so we have to see to believe huh? maybe we DO see....and we just don't want to believe. those are some sad people who try to use failed logic to believe or not believe.i know my post is a lot of mumbo jumbo, but the most important thing to consider is not if god exists or not. it all starts with knowing who you are, and believing in yourselves because if you can't even do that, then you will never hold any answers and you will die one day as someone who lived a fake life because they didn't even know who they were. they just followed the crowd to the cliff and jumped off....... not even knowing why.