• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Does God exist? (16 Viewers)

do you believe in god?


  • Total voters
    1,570

Annihilist

Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
449
Location
Byron Bay
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
What is wrong with those values though? 'Thou shalt not kill', 'though shall not steal' - seem alright to me.
Does society require religious instruction to invent these commandments? Isn't common sense equally adequate sources for such morals? I personally don't believe in objective morality, and while those commandments sound good, in certain cases they may not be quite so appealing.

But what about everything else illustrated the bible? What about the sex-before-marriage, anti-homosexuality, praising God's every word out of fear of eternal condemnation, stoning girls to death because they refuse to marry their rapist? The "Ten Commandments", while seemingly appealing to those who need someone else to construct their moral codes because they are unable to think of that for themselves, only consists of a small portion of the text contained in the Bible. There's good and bad things of course, just like anything, but I don't think following the Bible is necessary or constructive when creating our moral code.
 

Annihilist

Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
449
Location
Byron Bay
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
christianity doesn't "do" anything. Individual christians who are constituents of "society" behave in a certain way to attain their subjective desires. A change in society from its present state to another certainly does not necessarily mean "progress" is being made in any objective sense. You may not prefer the society that christians allegedly work to keep (which I think is a load of crap, anyway), but progress is a meaningless concept if you're going to use it to mean whatever type of societal change personally pleases you
*The followers and sympathisers of Christian belief.

You are right though, progress is relative. Personally I think Christian beliefs halt any possibility of equality or fair treatment of people, liberty and freedom, and most of all it discourages independent thought, something I personally see as harmful.
 
Last edited:

Annihilist

Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
449
Location
Byron Bay
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
I am well read on the theory of evolution. Likewise the theory of intelligent design.
" 'But evolution is only a theory!' Which is right, it is a theory, and I think it's good that they say that, isn't it? It really gives you hope that, you know, they might feel the same way about the theory of...gravity...
...
...and they might just float the fuck away."


(Paraphrased quote from Tim Minchin)
 

Galapagos

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
302
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
I am well read on the theory of evolution. Likewise the theory of intelligent design.
Did you graduate from high school? Do you know what theory means in SCIENCE?

The theory of evolution is not some made up idea with no evidence to back it up like intelligent design; intelligent design in scientific standards is more like a hypothesis, EVOLUTION is a theory:

Theory

A scientific theory summarizes a hypothesis or group of hypotheses that have been supported with repeated testing. A theory is valid as long as there is no evidence to dispute it. Therefore, theories can be disproven. Basically, if evidence accumulates to support a hypothesis, then the hypothesis can become accepted as a good explanation of a phenomenon. One definition of a theory is to say it's an accepted hypothesis.


Evolution is not something you choose to believe in like a religion or something. It's plain FACT supported by tonnes and tonnes of evidence: saying you don't believe in evolution is like saying you don't believe the world is round.

Now be on your merry way and continue to believe Evolution is a hypothesis just like intelligent design.

/fail.
 

Galapagos

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
302
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
What is wrong with those values though? 'Thou shalt not kill', 'though shall not steal' - seem alright to me.
Look, if you're going to go flouting all these positive values you claim originate from the Bible, it's only fair to own the terrible shit as well i.e. killing homosexual and other racist, hateful, sexist and intolerant barbaric ideas.
 

Annihilist

Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
449
Location
Byron Bay
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
"So...maybe some intelligent omnipotent consciousness mad us?"

"Hmmmm...no, we've researched and discovered the most likely scenario is that we evolved from other species over billions of years."

"So, we could have been created by an omnipotent being?"

"...no, the evidence clearly suggests the opposite."

"But...still...?"
 

Galapagos

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
302
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Solooooooo's lack of response is why I don't take creationists seriously.

One does not have a reasonable and logical answer because it is not reasonable or logical to reject scientifically-supported FACT (evolution) and believe in mere speculation.
 

braintic

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Messages
2,137
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
What is wrong with those values though? 'Thou shalt not kill', 'though shall not steal' - seem alright to me.
Why do christians need to have good/bad, right/wrong explained to them?
Bad/Wrong: When your actions have the potential to affect someone in a negative way.
Good/Right: When your actions have the potential to affect someone in a positive way.
No-one's business: Every other scenario.

It is so simple, why do they need it explained to them by a 2000 year old book? It only gives 10 examples anyway, instead of a simple governing principle.
 
Last edited:

Skarovas

New Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2011
Messages
6
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Nothing is a black/white dichotomy in this world. Over-simplification of good-evil dumbs down humanity. Nothing in existence is completely perfect or malevolent - everything has flaws e.g. people's personalities, goals, the natural world, or even an aesthetically flawed teacup. If we accept some entity or movement as flawless and all-righteous, it would be something outside the nature and fabric of existence whose aim is to prevent us from connecting with the real world, the way that things really are. And in order to really understand the universe in which we live, we must place faith in the power of humanity to create a better future for ourselves (in other words, the self-determination of the human race).
Otherwise, we might as well sit down and smoke some opium.
 
Last edited:

Appleorange

Banned
Joined
Sep 2, 2012
Messages
106
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
After reading some arguments, I can't believe the whole argument of religion is still here, in-fact it really is pitiful.

Honestly, I can't believe in this day in age, that individuals have problems with peoples beliefs. In the 21st century, everyone should be able to accept peoples beliefs regardless of how crazy they may appear.
 

Absolutezero

real human bean
Joined
Nov 17, 2007
Messages
15,077
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
After reading some arguments, I can't believe the whole argument of religion is still here, in-fact it really is pitiful.

Honestly, I can't believe in this day in age, that individuals have problems with peoples beliefs. In the 21st century, everyone should be able to accept peoples beliefs regardless of how crazy they may appear.
Beliefs are fine. It's when beliefs inform actions where problems can arise.
 

Some Vunt

Banned
Joined
Aug 10, 2011
Messages
448
Location
Your mum's place
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
1998
After reading some arguments, I can't believe the whole argument of religion is still here, in-fact it really is pitiful.

Honestly, I can't believe in this day in age, that individuals have problems with peoples beliefs. In the 21st century, everyone should be able to accept peoples beliefs regardless of how crazy they may appear.
yet

Some people

With some beliefs

Don't accept me

For something that isn't my choice

Something which I do believe

But something that I am

I cannot accept someone that does not accept me

For something I cannot change

(especially because like, I'm pretty fantabulous).
 

AAEldar

Premium Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2010
Messages
2,246
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
After reading some arguments, I can't believe the whole argument of religion is still here, in-fact it really is pitiful.

Honestly, I can't believe in this day in age, that individuals have problems with peoples beliefs. In the 21st century, everyone should be able to accept peoples beliefs regardless of how crazy they may appear.
Just because we debate the matter and have differing views, doesn't mean we have a problem with peoples beliefs - although I do have a problem when they start pushing it onto other people.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 16)

Top