If this has come up in another thread, sincerest apologies. Anyway, when people choose a religion, they are absolutely positive that it is the 'right' one. "I grew up with it." "I saw the light." "There's no other way."

But how do we know that any of these religions—Islam, Christianity, Buddhism—actually exist? No, I don't mean that we have proof from the Koran or the Bible or mythology. I don't mean something written down. How do you know?

How do you know that in reality, the "god" isn’t something no one has ever imagined? That this God relates to no stories of any religion, modern or obsolete. Everything you've ever believed could be wrong. And what if this God didn't care? It just accepted you and celebrated all beliefs? How do you know you’re right?

Faith.

Good way to put it.

Wavemaster- Geez, I'm glad my parents don't say, "straying from the Lord."

I have decided that there is something up there, but that it obviously thinks humans can deal with themselves. Sadly we can't. Its not attached to any religion. It just is. It may have sparked the universe, it may not have. Who knows and who really cares? As long as we try our best to make the world what it should be without stupid religious statements and people clogging the way, we should be fine. I'm not trying to sound sarcastic. That's just the way it came out.

clpo, I didn't even finish reading what you wrote.

Greenleaf. My parents said that to me. They're like, the whole "gender dysphoria" thing doesnt concern us as much as we think you're straying from the Lord. I almost rolled my eyes and said, "well, that's because I am."

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What if our lives have no meaning? What if there was no higher power and we are simply products of a bizzare chemical reaction and scientific processes?

Then we're all lost.

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Originally posted by depressedwavemaster:
I care. A lot of people care. It gives our lives meaning. You may not. Like I said. You're special. But some of us need meaning beyond ourselves and these 60 or so years we are stuck on this blasted piece of rock.

What if our lives have no meaning? What if there was no higher power and we are simply products of a bizzare chemical reaction and scientific processes?

The Primordial Soup theory was tested in this big glass container. They put hydroden, water, amonia, oxygen, and some other things in the container that were on the earth a few million, billion or so, years ago. They ran electricity through the container to stimulate lightning. And they did other things to stimulate other things. I forget. School's been out. Anywho, after a while, amino acids started popping up, and the amino acids, as I'm sure you all know, are the building blocks of protein and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). So, these dna molecules formed. From there, you add in evolution, and say that there was a mutation in the dna sequences and after 3 billion years, (which, may I add, is a veeeeery long time,) we are here. TA-DA!

It makes sense. You know, maybe we just out smarted ourselves, became too intelligent, therefore, increasing our blunders and mistakes. We THINK there must be more because of complexly evolved brains, when there really is nothing else.

Just a thought...

if i suggested to you that the world should live its ways on a book that these bunch of guys wrote, you would all laugh or say ' you serious'? but thats what christianity is, christians just base there life on a book, strange huh

Faith. It's simply faith. Just like you have faith( i'm guessing)in yourself to follow through with certain things, or faith that your security system will keep burglurs out. It's faith.

That makes sense.

But I have my mind to keep.

I'd rather believe in God and find out that there isnt one than not believe and find out that there is.

We'll never know. There's just no solid proof, or even a feeling that everyone will agree on. People just have their different opinions, and it's always going to be that way. No one really knows, they just pretend they do, and most of them hope that they're right. But no one really knows anything. The sky could be neon pink, and none of us would know, because we're too used to seeing blue, and calling it blue.

I think I believe in a higher power, but that is the extent of my belief. I haven't come to a decision about the whole "creation" of the universe, yet, though I someday will.

My mother thinks I should go back to church because she's afraid I might get "lost." i.e. turn to a cult. She doesn't want to go, though, so I'm not worried. We have an excellent community in the neighborhood, so there'd be no purpose.

Wow, I can't believe I've never come across this thread before...probably because I rarely visit this section of YN...

Now, I believe in the Creator, some form of higher being (perhaps interdimensional, or a lifeform that has transcended the normal "restraints" of matter and energy) that "created" the Universe. Now, I say "created" because that's the easiest way to say it, although I don't think it's necessarily true. More likely, this Creator set things in motion, and allowed the Universe to essentially create itself. However, I don't believe the Creator has anything to do with his/her/its creation. In other words, I don't think the Creator is in any way like the God of the Bible.

Can I prove that the Creator is there? Of course not. But neither can anyone disprove his/her/its existence. I've made the decision to believe in him/her/it simply because the Universe is too complex to have just occurred by chance. I mean, look at DNA, look at the human brain, the human eye! The Divine Proportion, galaxies, planets, life itself! How could any of this just "appear" without something guiding it?

But that's just what I think. I'm sure some of the crazier religious types won't ever give up their "faith" and I'm sure some of the more stubborn atheists won't reverse their position. But I've found evidence suggesting a higher being of some sort, so that's why I think there is one. I'm not sure, but hey, how can you ever be sure about anything?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, PoliticalStandpoint you rock!

Personally, I'm like Political, I don't believe that there is a god, gods, or higher power so I really can't give an oppinion on how one "knows" that their religion is right and the others are wrong.

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"DUDE! My friend Jesus walked on water! It was amazing man!"
"...I walked through a puddle. You've had too much wine."

That one made my cheeks hurt zzyzx.

Perhaps I will eventually come across an experience and figure it out. I'm certainly confused at the moment.

No one can fathom that. The question isn't meant to be answered; it's just meant to give us meaning and a drive to look for the answer.

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I care. A lot of people care. It gives our lives meaning. You may not. Like I said. You're special. But some of us need meaning beyond ourselves and these 60 or so years we are stuck on this blasted piece of rock.

But I find it hard to fathom why we are here as humans, or where we are going.

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ust because I don't believe in a "higher poower" so to say, does not mean that I do not have purpose or motivation.

I was talking about people in general. Of course you're special. You're unique, but for the rest of us drones out here, we need a "highter poower."

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You don't need religion to tell you what is right or wrong. You call someone a name, they cry. It was wrong because it made them unhappy. That's morality: the "good" makes people happy, the "bad" makes people sad/mad/any thing but happy. You don't need religion to tell you how to feel or how to behave. You find that on your own.

I don't believe in good or evil, and I don't believe religon is the only answer or even an answer. So you can't argue good or evil or religon with me. I'm sorry.

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As for what happens after life: WHO CARES? Your body goes into the ground, or else is burned and scattered over something. That's what happens when you die.

I care. A lot of people care. It gives our lives meaning. You may not. Like I said. You're special. But some of us need meaning beyond ourselves and these 60 or so years we are stuck on this blasted piece of rock.

"DUDE! My friend Jesus walked on water! It was amazing man!"
"...I walked through a puddle. You've had too much wine."

I brought up the "some drunk"/some loonie writing the bible thing with my very religious aunt once. She said that Christians had to have faith that God wouldn't let anyone who wasn't really hearing his words write it. But then I wonder... why wasn't she Mormon, why didn't she beilve in the book of Mormon too, or the Koran, or Sutta Nipata? Why didn't God stop those texts from being writen and widely accepted?