I could introduce you to plenty of people who would tell you that their lives have been transformed through faith. Who are you to dismiss their beliefs or experiences?
Science doesn't deny belief or truth based systems, nor does it seek to invalidate that truth from those who have had what they believe to be spiritual experiences. Faith is the ultimate provider of that knowledge and most members of the Scientific Community would regard that knowledge as fabricated and falacious or at best, a possibility that cannot be determined.
Why would "you" need to introduce me to people who believe? A lot of my friends are God botherers, one of whom, bemoans the fact that he and his family are among so few at church. I'm not disputing some people take great comfort from having their beliefs, and have never stated that. Just the same as I don't dispute that placebos work with some people and not with others. Just like faith healing seems to work for some people, but no one can say whether their own metabolism has kicked in at just the right time. I do dispute their belief that I should follow their beliefs. I dismiss their beliefs only when prompted too, I don't go up to Vicars in the street and tell him I think he is a fool for believing in God. If he asked my opinion that's a different matter. What are these "experiences" you speak of? Give me an example and I have a much better chance of responding, rather than generalities.
When human beings find themselves in desperate situations, they frequently find themselves calling on divine help. This applies as often to atheists as it does to believers. My own experience tells me that if you're really in the **** and you ask for god's help, he she or it won't let you down. Incidentally, I bet there's several million Poles praying their hearts out right now.
I think there's thousands of people out there who've asked for gods help who'd disagree, both believers and non believers. I give you a clue, it's the people who's follow up prayers began with why? Your idea of faith is delusion. I'm not religious myself but my uncle is a minister he believes true faith is tested and that God doesn't answer prayers by keeling in to demands. Even with all his faith, he understands there's no magic God who makes everything better, I respect that. You sound like beauty queen with delusional ideals
Congratulations so much ****e in so few words. You have just made that up about people in desperate situations asking for divine help haven't you? Unless you can provide documentary proof of your claim, it is nothing more than "your" belief. Your own experience? Has He brought you back from the dead, cured your cancer? You must be special or a really good person. My having lost family (who were believers) to cancer, dying in extreme pain, and in their rational moments begging God to help them. Guess what 3 months of constant pain after begging, they still died in agony. Is God not letting down the men women and children being killed, maimed and made to suffer all around the World as we talk? He seems very selective in who he helps, child murderers and despots who commit genocide, live long happy lives. please log in to view this image
Old fellow I used to drink with mate, ex forces like you. He told us about when he got bayoneted in the stomach during the Korean War. He killed the gook (his words before the PC brigade get butt hurt.) and was alone and knew he was dying. Luckily another patrol found him took him back to the medics. First person to get to him was the padre telling him to "Talk to God". His response "I would rather talk to the doctor". Always cracked me up that.
It's amazing how belevers give God the credit for anything good that happens, but fail to blame him for all the suffering and bad things..
I would have more respect for them if they did mate. Thankfully religion as an institution seems to be slowly dying out in western civilisation. Education is a wonderful thing.
My father was in Kenya fighting the Maumau in the 1950's. The RNF were with the Black Watch & Mad Mitch. They got on the ship to come home & the Navy turned it round & sent them to Korea. It's strange, as much as I treasure my fathers GSM's, I couldn't give a **** about my own & gave them to my daughter.
Maybe like hbar over 2 (i.e. like Heisenberg's uncertainty principle) - there is always some uncertainty in there - and that is the unknown. Ps. while we are discussing if time is linear we have really made the assumption that it is flowing in one direction.
Nowt against people who get comfort out of religion but if they think they are going to end up with a pair of wings & sit about on lilly white fluffy clouds then they are deluded. When you're dead, you're dead. All you are is worm food.
But thats the thing, though. The sheer scale of the universe suggests that your idea of a copy of Earth is a very real possibility. The whole monkeys on typewriters scenario. The cocksured denial of the possibility of a 'god' due to intelligence leading you to conclude that is just as bad as the idea that 'god' exists becuase belief leads you there. Intelligence doesnt tell people what you propose is bollocks, it opens the ideas that we know very little, and to discredit anything would be foolish.
Maybe. Maybe I'll come back as an ant. I've no ****ing idea. But I know that this life makes a lot more sense and is a lot more tolerable if you have faith in a loving creator. As for scientific understanding of the universe's origins - I see god in all that stuff. Worm holes, black holes, arseholes. All evidence of the creator's plan.
So would you clarify what you mean by this then? You clearly have never watched/read the news, because I have and my experiance tells me it's bollocks fella.
