Here's my (religious) dilemma. I believe in "god"...sort of.

[darmok167]

I consider myself a logical person. Or at least I try to look at things as rationally as possible.

I think most "religions" are BS. Looking at them logically, they were created centuries ago as a form of social control. In fact, they were probably necessary at the time in order to avoid utter chaos.

In my opinion, and I'm no expert, I think the basic rules of most religions are a pretty decent concept. Aside from all the judgmental damnation and the hypocritical stuff, of course. ;)

In my opinion, I think it is more or less a good thing that a majority of the people believe in religion. It gives them a reason to (for lack of better terms) "behave well."

That being said, to me, the thought that "all this" just happened by chance doesn't make sense to me, either.

I do not subscribe to the notion of a "Christian" (or any other Religion's) "God" but...

...in my opinion, to deny the possibility of a "Higher Being" doesn't make sense, either.

I have no idea how (or why) life started on this planet.

Scientifically, it is difficult to argue with the "theory" of evolution.

If life has evolved on this planet, surely, it has evolved on other planets, of course.

If it happened here by chance, did it happen there by chance, as well?

This is my dilemma. I simply can't "buy" the idea that "all this" happened by chance.

I think there must be something more.

What that is, I have no idea.

[RevCheesehead]

1. Logic, schmogic....

what does your heart say? :D

[catbert836]

2. You may be a Deist...

that sounds like the label that best fits you. If so, you are in good company (Jefferson, Lincoln, Adams, Washington...)

[Briarius]

3. Why does there have to be something more?

Are we really so special?
Logically, is chance different based on location?

I really think that what you are struggling with is the final driving force behind fundamentalist religions. The idea that we aren't special. To come to grips with your place as a vanishing speck on the galactic time scale is something that is difficult. Here's to the challenge though! :toast:

[darmok167]

6. In my opinion, there has to be something more because...

my small but open mind tells me it is pretty arrogant to think otherwise.

It isn't the "we're born, we live, we die and that's it" I have trouble with. I can accept that.

There is just no way that among all the billions of stars with all the billions of planets orbiting them that we are the only ones here in the universe. But that is sort of a side note.

Thinking of time as a linear entity, if we go back far enough, we get to the big bang. The event that set into motion the universe as we know it. But time is infinite. It continues in both directions forever. Something caused that big bang to happen. I'm not saying it was "god" or whatever, but something caused it.

It's the simple formula of cause and effect. My argument is based purely on scientific reasoning as I understand it. Things don't just happen for no reason.

I suppose it's the age-old question...Why?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

My dear darmok167....

Oh boy, do I ever hear you!

I feel much the same....

How could the universe just happen?

I truly feel that there is something behind it, but I have no idea what, either......

I wouldn't call it God.......no old bearded men in the sky for me....

But I do feel as though there had to be some force to at least begin the universe.......

Welcome to the club of confusion!

:hi:

[jobycom]

4. Simple agnosticism, sounds to me.

Don't waste time with labels, though. Understand your beliefs, and act accordingly, and let others worry about limiting you with labels.

[graywarrior]

5. All I know is that I ain't God.

Took me til a few years ago to get that.

[grannylib]

7. My belief has always been this: if I am a person of faith, it's more than

just 'personal salvation' that's at stake. I believe that faith is a call to action for the betterment of our world. And if that action leads to love, tolerance, understanding, etc., even if it pans out NOT to be "true" or whatever, then it's a good thing.
It's NOT a good thing to use "religion" as a crutch or an excuse or anything of that nature.

[Guava Jelly]

8. I myself believe we are nothing more than animals

I don't believe we were created or when we die we go anywhere.
We are nothing in my opinion special.
I just can't believe we were poofed out of nowhere by an omnipotent being.
I know i don't paint a rosey picture but i just believe humans are arrogant to believe that they are anything more than biological machines

[Tenseiga]

9. put your faith in God, not religion

Just remember that the people who edit these religious texts are human, which makes the editing process fallible. Humans are known to twist words and concepts to fit their own agendas, whether reiligion, politics, philosophy, whatever.

Figure out what you believe and go from there.

[StellaBlue]

10. I knew there wasn't a god when

I got my first period.

Period.

[xmas74]

11. I thought that for a time too.

Then I realize God did answer my prayers when I was 19, got drunk and slept w/ an idiot w/o protection. After praying every night for a few weeks and then getting my period I had to offer thanks. You can guess how that went.

(yelling "Thank you God!" in the bathroom stall in the science building. A friend was at the sink when I did it and her first response was "You got your period, didn't you?")

[StellaBlue]

12. true enough

I think once you have one of those experiences, you never wholeheartedly greet your Aunt from Alabama with the same pure hatred ever again.

[xmas74]

13. Exactly.

You gripe when you have them but you'll cry when you don't have one.

Right now I'd much rather gripe.

[StellaBlue]

14. It does prove - to me - that there is no 'intelligent design'

as it's a totally inefficient way of reproducing. At the very least, it proves any god is neither just nor merciful.

[xmas74]

15. I never said just or merciful.

Periods suck. And it's not an efficient way to reproduce. Then again, do we want to be truly efficient? True efficiency would allow reproduction to be done w/ such ease that we would have overbred ourselves thousands of years ago.

Thanks for an interesting thought. I'll be thinking about this when I'm alone at work tonight.

[bridgit]

16. i find religion wholly different from faith...

[bridgit]

17. oh, and spirituality...

[SmokingJacket]

18. I feel pretty much the same as you.

Except that "it all happened by chance" and "it's all a great design" seem about equally likely.

It's so far beyond my ability to understand it, or have any clue about it, that I've happily settled into my agnosticism.

Which, when I think about things like children dying in wars and the suffering of people in Darfur, reverts to atheism. What kind of Designer would allow THAT shit to happen???