Religion Catch All

[treco]

Are you a Hebrew under the law?
Actually they would be compelled to some other givings above their tithe.

And Christians are not held to a specific %.
Nor is that any gateway to salvation anyway.

[H_factor]

@treco

What are the right requirements that he demands?

Oh no one has any clue. That’s what makes the game so fun. It changes over time and billions have disagreed for centuries now. But don’t fret if you’re wrong it’s punishment for eternity in a lake of fire I guess.

SouthPark - I'm afraid the mormons were the correct answer

[Aragorn]

@zecarlo

if it keeps someone from becoming a serial killer, I’m OK with it.

If that’s the way you think of it ok

@zecarlo

That’s not a question most religious people want to think about. Which brings up the question: is it rational to believe in a particular god? Because I see people shifting between proving the existence of something godlike and a particular god

Again, not proving. But you have to establish the rationality of belief in a God before you move to the question of specifics.

For me it’s easily shown that belief in God is rational.

[mnben87]

@Aragorn

For me it’s easily shown that belief in God is rational.

To me, this just gets too we don’t know. It seems like something would have to start things, but it’s possible that nothing is responsible too.

I understand the position of a Creator. I took that position for a long time. However, as stated this doesn’t get to a specific religion very easily.

[Aragorn]

@mnben87

However, as stated this doesn’t get to a specific religion very easily

I never voiced any opinion on that part :).

I’m really only interested in the question: “is belief in God RATIONAL?” as far as this thread is concerned. Not, is it 100% provable or is it inevitably correct.

We make judgements on probabilities all the time. Sometimes heuristically and sometimes using formal logic. Most would consider these decisions “rational”, or at least the vast majority of them.

[mnben87]

Lots of our (assuming American here) founding fathers were incredibly intelligent and were deists. Not many were fond of specific religions though.

[treco]

How can chemical reactions cause man to have a conscious mind?

And if indeed there was a God who created man, and gave him this conscious mind - why would God not want to have a relationship with this created man?

The avowed disbelief of God is not due to logic, it is due to not wanting to submit to him.

[chris_ottawa]

@treco

How can chemical reactions cause man to have a conscious mind?

That’s the thing, as much as some people want to claim that the concept of God is irrational, its much less rational to look at life and think it must have all been a coincidence and came out of nowhere.

[Aragorn]

@mnben87

Not many were fond of specific religions though

Somewhat a tangent to the thread, but Sam Adams, Elias Boudinot, John Jay, and Patrick Henry were very clearly orthodox. The definition of Deist is somewhat varied depending on who you talk to and may include anything from a completely impersonal Diety (“Nature’s God” as Paine referenced), to a Christian who held what would be at that time somewhat unorthodox points in view.

Edit–spelling

[chris_ottawa]

Most of the US founding fathers were Freemasons, belief in a supreme being is a requirement to join.

[zecarlo]

@chris_ottawa

its much less rational to look at life and think it must have all been a coincidence and came out of nowhere.

Billions of years.

[zecarlo]

@treco

How can chemical reactions cause man to have a conscious mind?

Because mind is a function of the brain that has an evolutionary explanation.

[Drew1411]

@treco

How can chemical reactions cause man to have a conscious mind?

God of the gaps isn’t a good explanation either, which seems to be the argument you’re making.

@treco

if indeed there was a God who created man, and gave him this conscious mind - why would God not want to have a relationship with this created man?

Do you believe animals are conscious creatures?

[zecarlo]

@Aragorn

is belief in God RATIONAL?”

Define god.

[Aragorn]

Why? Have you followed my thoughts so far?

[zecarlo]

When you write God, not god, it seems to mean a particular god.

[Aragorn]

@zecarlo

When you write God, not god, it seems to mean a particular god

Yes in my case. But I would posit in general that “a super being that is beyond comprehension and explanation” probably warrants a proper noun. Creator of the universe is probably worth capitalizing.

In any case, one has to accept the rationality of a belief in a God before any specific personhood or anything else can be talked about.

[treco]

God of the gaps is nothing more than saying
We really dont know if anything is true or can be proven.

I personally do not ascribe to philosophical mumbo jumbo - so respectfully if you are not interested in talking to me on that basis, l take no offense.

However, l believe we are in some form of consciousness, since we are communicating over thousands of miles and exchanging our thoughts.

If animals have a thought process, then they certainly don’t exhibit it in either communication or action in any degree other than explainable by instinct. They may even have enough brain power to learn a simple task or communication. Barely above the same level nature already imbues them.
The mother bird doesn’t feel some love for the chicks, it just feeds them by instinct.

[treco]

I dont understand this.
God would imply and even dictate totally unique being superior to all others things.

Religion is how creatures relate to that creator.

[Sloth]

@Aragorn

In any case, one has to accept the rationality of a belief in a God before any specific personhood or anything else can be talked about.

Yup. Waste of time otherwise.