Position:Home>Philosophy> How much does it *really* matter whether you believe God exists or not?
Question: How much does it *really* matter whether you believe God exists or not!?
This question is inspired by the fact that, when people hear I 'believe in God', they usually take it the wrong way!. Atheists begin to act all superior because they think only an ignorant fool would believe such a thing, whilst those who follow a religion think they've found a friend (even though I don't follow a religion)!.
You don't have to believe in God to be an incredibly spiritual person - Buddha didn't believe in God!.
You don't have to be religious to believe in God - Socrates believed in God!.
Here is a chain of reasoning for you:
A Taoist believes that the Tao supports and is in contact with all things!. When s/he experiences the goal of 'union with the Tao', the Taoist becomes omniscient and knows all things as one!.
A Christian believes that God knows all things!. When s/he becomes one with the Creator, the Christian knows all things as one!.
A Buddhist believes in enlightenment!. When s/he becomes enlightened, the Buddhist knows all things as one!.
How much difference is there, really, between these points of view!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
When you say God, it doesnt mean that your referring to one of the worlds religions, or any of them for that matter!. I am a firm believer that there is a creator of the universe that stands above the religions we create to govern our lives, and God is the most important part of my life and my happiness!. I think God and what Buddhists call enlightenment are basically the same thing, when you reach a state of mental purity you reach a state of oneness with all that is!. In a way you become one with God!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
It matters because you have a higher motivation to do the right thing and the difference is really in morals!.
people who don't believe in God tend to have no morals and people with religious habits tend to do the right thing because they think that there will be a bad outcome if they don
t!.
that doesn't mean that they are obligated to be good!.
it just makes it easier to persuade others from doing the right thing!.
it matters depending on what the point of view is!. Www@QuestionHome@Com
very similar really!.
each school of thought agrees on enlightenment and all things are one!.
i think people like to choose one route over the other to help them associate with a group and belief that allows them to focus and advocate something!. Www@QuestionHome@Com
here;s somethin' my grandma taught me!. if god doesn't exist, and your wrong, you get off scott free!. if god does exist, and your wrong, he might be pissed!. not saying faith through fear is the answer, but which kind of wrong would you rather be!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
!.!.!.religion, god and jesus are creations of man!.!.!.
!.!.!.so i take the day one day at a time, living a good life and helping others to help themselves to make a better world!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Whatever a person needs to get through the day!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
As an Atheist I have no problem with what others believe, infact I respect their views !.!.as I hope they respect mine!.!.Amongst my friends the subject rarely arises !.!.We all have a strong and loyal friendship which conquers all!.!.!.Is'nt that what lifes about!.!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
It matters quite a bit, because it says a lot about your intelligence and your ability to use reason!. As you said, only an ignorant fool would believe in a god!. Atheists, Agnostics, and Pastafarians alike feel "spiritually" content with themselves, so there's no need to believe in a god to achieve that feeling!.
So ask yourself: How much does it really matter whether you are an ignorant fool or not!?
I think the answer is a resounding "quite a bit!."
(Side note, edit: Silly Allie K is an uneducated fool!. Your assertion that religious people are moral, and atheists are immoral, is absolutely ridiculous!. I presume you have never opened a history book or taken any sort of philosophy class whatsoever!. Call me elitist, if you wish, but the assertion was absurd!.)
(Edit in response to asker's added details: Whether or not Socrates believed in god or not, I do not know, but that's beside the point!. Socrates obviously had a lot of brilliant philosophical ideas that have carried over into the Western mind!. Assuming he did believe in a god, that does not make his philosophical contributions any less worthy!. It just means he did not approach the existence of a god with a demand for evidence, which I am inclined to forgive because he lived in a culture dominated by belief in the gods, and in a technological age in which the prospect of finding any observable evidence in regards to religion was absurd!. Atheism didn't become widely (relatively)popular until (relatively) recently, and we have to remember that Deism was (relatively)popular before Atheism ever was!. It is because of the influence of what's around you!.
To answer your other question, I must admit my ignorance and say that I'm not really familiar with the specifics of Buddhism!. However, in general, anyone who approaches something with no reason and without the need for evidence is probably less intelligent!.)
(Second edit in response to asker: Meditation has many different forms and can be found in cultures all over the world, both linked with religion and independent of it!. Anyway, if you choose to meditate(whatever that means for you) and feel better and more enlightened, because of it, then that's great!. Go ahead and contemplate the mysteries of life or attempt to reach a higher mental state if that floats your boat!. But if you throw magical deities into the mix, then you're not acting on evidence, and it is therefore illogical!.)
(Third: That kind of experience does not count as evidence!. You need observable, unambiguous evidence!. In other words, scientific evidence!. If you permit your divine revelation, as it were, as legitimate evidence, then anyone can claim anything as solid evidence if he thinks it was divinely revealed to him!. I can claim that I beheld the glory of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in my meditation, but that's not observable, unambiguous - aka scientific - evidence!.)Www@QuestionHome@Com
There is only one God and He is your creator!. Buddhists, Taoists, and other religions have codes of ethics to live by but they are laws by men!. The law of God our creator are encased in the Ten commandments and they were written in stone!. If you break one of the laws then you've broken them all and a broken law is a transgression whether you are a buddhist, taoist or atheist!. It doesn't matter, you've transgressed against God!.
With God and your faith in Him you have salvation!. It is by His grace, you do not earn it!. You accept it in faith or reject His grace for lack of faith, but either way you are given a choice!. God's salvation came the death of the Christ Jesus!. Accepting that: and not your good intentions, not your works, or your ability to abide by the law or laws of the religion you follow, but faith in the Christ's salvation!.
Your faith saves you not your religion!.
Either you believe that or you don't!.
Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, and the other religions that the new age espouse do not have the Christ!. That is where they fail you and I because I don't care how good you are you cannot earn God's grace!
You simply can't!.
Because the religions of the world do not have the saving grace of God they are nothing; because there is no way you can attain perfection on your own!. We are human, and that is the fault we carry to our graves and unless we have an advocate for our souls come the judgement day we are doomed to live without God!.
So here's the difference !.!.!. if you have faith in God and not in a man made religion then you know the Christ, if you know the Christ then you know God and if you know God then God Himself knows you and there is the Christ to speak for you when you stand before Him in judgement!.
There is much more to it than that my friend because there are many men and women who have never heard of Jesus of Nazareth yet they did the best they could with what they had not even knowing there is a God!!!!!
These people the Christ Jesus knows!. He will speak for the righteous of the pagans and He will not speak for the unrighteous of the pagans!. He; our Christ knows the hearts of all men and women and it is He who is our Saviour!. There lays the Grace of God!.
Not in Buddha, nor Muhamad, nor Shiva or any other form of religion!.
It is appointed to man to die but once then the judgement!. Your soul lives forever and where you put your faith here and now!? That is what decides your eternal future!. That is the best reason I can give you for believing in God!.
God bless and do take care, a lot is riding on how you take care of your soul!. Www@QuestionHome@Com
Wow, we are swimming the same river but opposite ways!.
1!. Religion matters to religionists!. God, SPECIFIC matters to them!. Mysticism is devil worship to most of these folks!.
2!. I run into the same problems as you, because when I describe God most religionists hear science and most science junkies here mumbo-jumbo!. I believe that God and potential particles in Quantum Physics are synonymous!.
3!. As an incredibly NOT spiritual person, I would suggest that belief doesn't equal spirituality!. Spirituality is a way of being!. I just intellectualize!.
4!. I am a Taoist!. In all my readings in Taoism I have never heard that claptrap Buddhism nonsense about a taoist experiencing union with the Tao!. That is Buddhist dualism which is antithetical to the "yoga" if you will of Taoism!. The taoist (or non-taoist) experiences union with the Tao from birth because they ARE ONE!. Taoism is not an escapist fantasy like Buddhism!.
5!. Christian (or Muslim or Jewish) mystics who become one with God have been excommunicated or shunned by their religions!. Most of the major religions have no use for mysticism, with the exceptions of Orthodoxy and Hinduism!.
6!. Buddha says "This world is unreal, detach" and then says you will feel universal "love" for everyone (ATTACHMENT!?!?!?)
7!. Nirvana is a cheap ploy to bring the suckers back to the ashram!. Heaven is a more realistic myth!.
8!. Have a nice day!
A Buddhist believes in enlightenment!. When s/he becomes enlightened, the Buddhist knows all things as one!.
How much difference is there, really, between these points of view!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Short answer: No
Long answer: For me it's much deeper and complex than religion!. Logic is what gets stuff done!. So logic is what I judge people's intelligence on!.
If there is a blatant disregard for logic displayed in front of me on a high priority subject (for example: not knowing the purpose of a school Xing sign or voting Bush for a second term)!. I automatically label the suspected person stupid!.
There seems to be a 2 to 1 ratio for stupid to smart people here in the U!.S!.A!. That is: 2 stupid people for 1 smart person!. In other words, only 33% of this country is able to tell their *** from their elbow!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Consider this!.!.!.
Your life focus and the way you live depends on your perspective of God!.
There is a fine difference between being "religious" and being a christian!.
Christianity is more than a religion, or just simply sacraments and acts!.
It's something in your heart!. A work that God does to change you!.
Have you ever met with a true christian and discussed this with them!? You will notice that there is something different about them!.!.!.
I do not really understand what you mean by knowing all things as one!. But I can tell you the difference between these different religions!.
The difference is the God that these believe in!. The God of the bible is loving, compassionate, personal, all-powerful, all-knowing and omnipresent!.
I haven't studied many of the religions that you have listed!.!.!.I will in the future!. But I can tell you that Christianity is a work in the heart that God does!. He chooses you to be his child!. I'm not saying he controls us like robots!.!. Our free will is another aspect of how we were created that would be a whole other long explanation!.
About Socrates, simply knowing that God is there (through the wonders and complexity of creation, or through seeing his affect on a friend) does not make you a christian!. It's knowing that you have sinned and believing that Jesus Christ died so that you wouldn't have to be ruled by your wrong desires to sin!. It's a U-turn in your life that doesn't go away!.!.!.!. If you have truly become a Christian you will desire to act like Jesus (in a way pleasing to God)!. You will be a reborn person!.
NOTE: Christians are not fools or uneducated!. They have experienced something!. Why do you think that throughout time millions have died for their faith!?
And another thought, it takes a lot of faith to believe that this complexity that we live in was created by chance!.
Questions: If you are an atheist what is your hope!? the betterment of the human race!? what do you think will happen to you when you die!? What do you live for!? Without the bible, what is your basis for morals!? You don't believe in intelligent design, How can you prove that tons of different species mated with eachother eventually evolving into humans, when scientist cannot even get a horse/donkey (mule) to be able to multiply!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Socrates didn't believe in god first off (he said he hoped the gods existed) but more importantly the matter of how it "matters" is completely irrelevant!. God as he relates to the human race is illogical!. This is my opinion!. The opposite of believing in god is not caring!. I do care because I like to argue about it!. Enlightenment is the only route listed above that lets you "know all", the others are too vague to be described as such!.
Atheists aren't allowed to feel superior!? I thought that one of the pillars of religion was to wear your faith on your sleeve, to be righteous!?! Total nonsense to try and argue about that!. I'm an atheist when I feel like it otherwise I don't care enough to say!. "I believe in god" CAN'T EVER be taken the wrong way, it's totally personal on both ends!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
If only we were all Phil!. Everyone else is an ignorant fool but him!. It must be lonely up there on the highest of intelligence mountains!. Sorry Phil!. I believe in God and am far from an ignorant fool!. But I will not stoop to insults to try to prove a useless point!.
What I do not understand is why, if Athiests say there is not God and really believe, do they belabor the point!. I don't believe in UFO's and Bigfoot, so I don't talk about them!. Makes life a lot easier!.
But then I am not so enlightened as some!. I am an old ignorant fool 62 years old, retired military officer with a PHD from Columbia, such things ignorant fools are made of!.
Www@QuestionHome@Com
Yeah, you've got your point!. I just can't be so open minded when I'm surrounded by bible thumpers!. I can smell the incredulity!. People seem to want to believe in things, rather than pondering the validity of things they believe in!.
I don't feel superior about it though!. I'm here with my thoughts for reasons I don't believe that I can control, just as much as any other person!. I do some times get to feeling high and mighty, but I always feel foolish later!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
i dont think it really matters at all!. believing in god will not feed you, nor make sure your children have a roof over their head!. if you acquire friendships through religion, they are probably not true friends because they would be there for you regardless of if you were a believer or not!. religion may "give you strength", but you have that it in you already, you just need to believe in yourself!. you should not have to worship someone else yo believe in your own capabilities!. just like you should not have commandments tellling you right from wrong, you should already know right from wrong!. Www@QuestionHome@Com