I wish I could be religious

[cman]

Just been thinking about this earlier. I wish I was religious.

I'm not, because everything I've learnt in Science has steered me away from the 'God' question and I'm the kind of person to make jokes about it too. Every time I look for an explanation of some sort in the world, Science has an answer. There are a few exceptions such as:

'Why did the Big Bang happen/What caused the Big Bang?' or even 'What went on before life and matter was created?' - I know Hawking and other Physicists are still trying to explain this.

'Why do we do what we do (Yes I know, electronic impulses in the brain, blah blah...) and what makes us what we are?' - I suppose this touches on the idea of a 'spirit'.

Sometimes I wish I could just forget science and ignore it all, and embrace religion. I don't know why I can't, I guess I just have a crave for knowledge and full understanding of the world and the universe, but damn, it gets complicated. I know religion isn't perfect, but to an 'outsider' like me, it seems so much simpler and you don't really have to worry about death either...

I swear I'm not trolling, nor justifying religion/non-religion, this is just something I wanted to throw out there and see what people think. Share your ideas.

Another thought just popped into my head: Do you think that by reducing life, the universe and everything to a bunch of scientific equations and complex mathematics that we remove the beauty of life itself?

Funny thing is, the more I learn the clearer it becomes that there is a creator. He is the ULTIMATE scientist.

DNA is probably the best example/proof the the "science folk". Nature does not/cannot create information, such as the encoded "blue print"/"building instructions" found in DNA. From the first replicating cell to what we have today is an insane amount of information gain. Evolution? Serious?

I cannot for the life of me understand how someone can think how there was nothing, then suddenly a big explosion then somehow everything "evolved" into what we see today. "But over millions of millions of years..." you say!

Everyone should read The Dawkins Delusion, btw.

 

[chrisd]

I cannot for the life of me understand how someone can think how there was nothing, then suddenly a big explosion then somehow everything "evolved" into what we see today.

Eh? So you can't believe that our Universe was somehow created from nothing, yet you can accept the existence of an infinitely powerful and complex being, which, presumably, was created from nothing?

 

[Dinomania]

Eh? So you can't believe that our Universe was somehow created from nothing, yet you can accept the existence of an infinitely powerful and complex being, which, presumably, was created from nothing?

Haha yes, that's always the next question.

"So what started the Big Bang?"
"Something."
"And where did 'something' come from?"
"Urrr..."

 

[wozencl]

No, no, no. The infinitely complex being was created by a more infinitely complex being, that was created by a being more infinitely complex than itself..

Oh wait, infinite regression.

 

[Vonhelmet]

One would probably be correct in assuming that you're not a theist, then?

One would be altogether wrong. I'm a Christian and a scientist. But not a Christian Scientist, that's something entirely different.

 

[Naffa]

One would be altogether wrong. I'm a Christian and a scientist. But not a Christian Scientist, that's something entirely different.

So what, then? Deist? Pantheist? Atheist? p)

I can't see how you could be a Christian and anything other than a theist.

 

[Radiation]

What would you call someone who never is exposed to or even has a single thought about anything to do with god or religion their whole lives?

 

[Edinho]

That's entirely subjective. And considering that religious people have to spend more time moderating their behaviour than atheists, I'd suspect that there's a lot more unhappy ones out there.

I'd guess that 'atheists' go without things, work hard, moderate their behaviour etc...

Sacrificing is part of life and enriches it. Anyone who is prepared to go through life without compromise isn't probably going to last very long. This is a big problem in our society at the moment, people dont want to compromise and want it all which isnt achievable.

So you'd say and an alcoholic has a better life than a t-totaler, promiscuious life better than someone who doesnt have casual sex?

 

[Christo]

Haha yes, that's always the next question.

"So what started the Big Bang?"
"Something."
"And where did 'something' come from?"
"Urrr..."

What a load of rubbish. Just because it cant be explained doesnt mean that we have to accept that somene called God did it.

We dont know what caused it end of.

 

[Dinomania]

Not sure I said that!

BTW I'm not arguing either side - the above is one of the conversations I've had with myself

 

[Nix]

What a load of rubbish. Just because it cant be explained doesnt mean that we have to accept that somene called God did it.

We dont know what caused it end of.

'God of the gaps'

 

[Christo]

Not sure I said that!

BTW I'm not arguing either side - the above is one of the conversations I've had with myself

Ha ok

 

[Hamish]

What would you call someone who never is exposed to or even has a single thought about anything to do with god or religion their whole lives?

lucky!

 

[Vonhelmet]

So what, then? Deist? Pantheist? Atheist? p)

I can't see how you could be a Christian and anything other than a theist.

The post I responded to said you assumed I wasn't a theist. I didn't really get your point at time!

 

[Nitefly]

Wow, massive misunderstanding here. The Darwin fish isn't meant as an insult, not it's creation, nor in it's use by me. I would never intentionally 'cheap shot' religion as it were, even if I am fundamentally opposed to it's existence. It's a symbol for scientific evolution over creationism, I suppose it is mocking, slightly, but I believe creationism to be nonsense. If you don't think there are Christians that mock Darwin, or even the Darwin fish, then you're wrong because they do.

I do actually believe creationism, at least in its most traditional form as a literal interpretation of genesis, is nonsense yes. But you aren't going to be able to convince those that think differently otherwise if you quite openly mock their beliefs or belittle them, especially when beliefs are something that people hold close to them. Also, just because people mock Darwin doesn't mean that I am prepared to fight back with equal tactics.

All the fish does is wind up creationists. How that can be in line with the open teaching of science, I shall never be able to comprehend. It's similar in many ways to explaining the problems with Muslim integration in British society whilst drawing a cartoon showing Muhammed with a bomb - totally antagonistic.

However, when I created the sig, I didn't intend the symbol to be interpreted as a cheap shot, a means of devaluing Christianity, simply to demonstrate my anti theism. But if you really want me to change it, I will do so happily.

I have told you what I think, you are free to do exactly as you wish.

 

[ReeVo.uK]

I had a physics teacher that was religious. They aren't exclusive, choose what feels right, you shouldn't force yourself into religion if it doesn't feel right.

 

[Naffa]

The post I responded to said you assumed I wasn't a theist. I didn't really get your point at time!

I'm full of fail today, sorry!

All the fish does is wind up creationists. How that can be in line with the open teaching of science, I shall never be able to comprehend. It's similar in many ways to explaining the problems with Muslim integration in British society whilst drawing a cartoon showing Muhammed with a bomb - totally antagonistic.

Damn, good point... I can't really formulate a comeback to that. Well, with regard to the cartoon, I can. The antagonism, I believe, was spawned by the religious fundamentalists themselves that actually created additional cartoons that were deemed far more offensive than the material actually published. I do have a problem with how much more offendable (if that's even a word...?) Islam appear to be, than other religions. They regularly print anti-semantic cartoons in their national press, yet we never hear about Jews blowing up Mosques or threatening to kidnap Islamic leaders.

Sorry, seriously off topic.

 

[Sankari]

Thats because Evangelion said

'I can't imagine why anyone would want to be religious. Firstly, it opens up a world of hurt. Secondly, atheists have all the fun. '

Thus implying that Athiests do not hurt anybody and so implying that Athiests are superior to Thiests.

Only standing my ground here Hey, I didn't open the can of worms!

You've completely misread me. When I said "a world of hurt", I meant it leaves you open to moral guilt on the basis of religious principles, etc. Life becomes a lot more complicated because you have to moderate your behaviour in ways that atheists have no need to do. It also leaves you vulnerable to anti-religious sentiment and scientific issues that religon struggles to address. That's the "world of hurt" I was referring to.

I wasn't implying that atheists do not hurt anybody and I wasn't implying that atheists are superior to theists.

As it happens, I am a theist myself.

 

[Briton]

Science doesn't contradict religion................

And there a reason they call it the big bang THEORY.

Yes...I think it was called the Big Bang Theory by one of it's opponents (Hoyle?) as a derogatory aside.

 

[Briton]

I can't imagine why anyone would want to be religious. Firstly, it opens up a world of hurt. Secondly, atheists have all the fun.

I suppose it must be a great comfort knowing that they are special in this Universe. They have the amazingly conceited belief that the whole caboodle was created with them in mind and they have a great Sky Daddy who loves them. They wont really cease to exist when they die but will live forever in paradise.

Then there is the moral/ethics issue. Theists have the Sky Daddy to tell them what is right and what is wrong and how they and others should live their lives.

As an atheist, you have none of these crutches. Still glad to be George Bernard Shaw's sober man though.