Just curious about the ratio around here. Are you a theist? Do you believe in some sort of God? Agnostics and other non-theist religions, e.g. Buddhism, would also answer no.

Oh, and to make this more interesting, explain why you believe or disbelieve. Also, start your timers to see how long this page turns into four pages of fire.

I used to beleive in god, but this thing called logic kept getting in the way...

I'm 13 and questioning my religion. I refuse to vote.

Vote no, Zloc. It's only a matter of time before the brainwashing breaks. I should have included an option for people like you, since there are so many like you.

I am a theist. I've had two very near death experiences that have convinced me that there is some sort of greater power. I believe that if there weren't, I'd have died in each of those instances.

I think there's something... I don't know, something to start it all, to set the fundamental laws, and create the first bits of matter, and let them to flourish in the universe, But not some white bearded man in a chair that crafts animals from mud and hates gays.

Where is the "I can't be bothered to care about either because it doesn't matter" option?

I hate being called an atheist, it's such a broad term.. and it I don't like being lumped in with alot of those idiots.

The concept of a higher power doesn't fit with the way I see the universe. In simple terms, I see everything as all natural occuring, and no need for some ectoplasmic goo to get in the way.

Well, I really DO want to believe there's a God. Kirby's got something interesting to say on this subject...

And it's not so much the idea of a higher level of...ruler that I can't see, feel, touch, anything like that. It's the idea that I can only reach Him through death, and all the stuff I'm told about "How He communicates through the things around us." and whatnot.

I'm not going to vote no because I'm VERY undecided. I want to believe, I want to believe like most others my age and that ignorance is bliss, but I can't.

That seems to be it.

Same. Although I've had quite a few more near-death experiences

I just about fell off a several thousand foot cliff in Yosemite and I almost got shot in the head.

.

What really grinds my gears however, is fundamentalists on both sides of the debate.

The "HURR GOD EXISTS BECUZ DA BIBLE SAYS SO, I PUT ALL MY FAITH IN A BOOK THATH AS BEEN AROUND FOR 1500 YEARS AND COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN TAMPERED BY MAN NOPE OF COURSE NOT. EVOLUTION IS A TOTAL LIE GOD EXISTS."

and then the "HURR THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY GOD COULD EXIST, I REFUSE THE FACT THAT THERE COULD ACTUALLY BE A BEING HIGHER IN POWER THEN THIS HERE HUMAN RACE. EVOLUTION RULES. :downs:"

Both are very close minded, and while we have some knowledge on the Universe, there is no way we know EVERYTHING. Really, the only people who know are the people who are dead. Of course, if god doesn't exist, then I guess the people who are dead really don't know, do they?

Stinkywrix, I don't think you give atheists enough credit there. Most atheists would LOVE to believe in an all loving, benevolent god who let us live forever in eternal bliss. It's just that we can't, because it's so highly unlikely. It's not a matter of being close minded at all.

There are plenty of atheists that are idiots, but in my experience, there are a lot more theists that are idiots.

Oh those people are fine. I have no problem against them, it's just that when you see them start like religious fundamentalists it starts getting annoying.

Well not religious fundamentalists since isn't that contradictory? You know what i'm getting at though, right?

You know what they say: "Absent of proof is not the proof of absence." Sure, I can't prove to you that God exists but at the same time I can't prove you that he doesn't exist. It all boils down you what you believe is true in this case (hence, free will).

The only way of truely knowing whether God exists is to DIE. If you see God on the other side, then yes he does exist. If not, then he doesn't. Too bad you can't comeback and tell anyone your discovery. Even if you could, no one would believe you, LOL.

No.

But we can go pretty far with proving your god doesn't exist, and that theres is alot of false information in the Bible.

This is something i've been wondering for a while, and I think this would be the thread to ask it. What happens if there is no god, and thus no afterlife? What happens to people and the awareness that we maintain? Oblivion? a constant state of dreaming? What?

You die.

You rot.

You return to the earth, from where we all came.

It'd feel just like it did before you were conceived.

What follows is a trainwreck of tired, broken thoughts, with many mid-paragraph edits, so if I ramble or something doesn't make sense, well, do with it what you will.

Raised roman catholic, stopped going to church when I was in my early teens (13 or 14 I think).

I'm Agnostic, I guess. I'm a logical person, and as such have a hard time with "faith". It just seems much more likely to me that there is no god. I do acknowledge that there of course could be, but I basically just don't care. God, if such a being exists, doesn't seem to care about the world, so I don't care about him. I've reached out and received nothing in return, I've done my part. Ball's in his court. I know I sound like some whiney emo kid or something, but there you have it.

Also, even if some time in the future I decide I believe in god, I firmly do NOT believe in organized religion. It is my opinion that it is the worst thing the human race has ever created. However, people are welcome to their beliefs, and I will never tell someone that what they believe in is wrong. I just wish they'd leave me the hell alone.

While there very well could be a god or gods, I cannot bring myself to believe that they would care whether we believed in them or not. A good person's a good person whether they're theist or not.

So I guess you could say the reason I don't believe in a god or gods is because they're irrelevant to leading a moral life. In fact, they tend to hinder things quite a bit by bringing the focus away from kindness and putting it on fanatic irrelevancies that pertain to some god.

This, I believe, is most likely the reason why man created god. It's a lot easier to look forward to an afterlife than it is to face the reality of, and try to comprehend, non-existence.

It's also entirely possible that our awareness remains, though there is no god. Why not?

I too am a logical person, and I believe in a God. I've thought about my religion a lot (and still do) and I always come back to believing. Mainly, it's the intense feeling of happiness, relief, and contentment you get when doing something religous. That's my proof. Unfortunately, that kind of proof only works on an individual basis.

I voted atheist, maybe closer to agnostic as I'm sure there's a LOT about what's going on in this universe we don't know yet. But if there IS a god, he's definitely not one of thelame ones ancient people made up silly books about

Oh yeah, I remembered the other major reason I'm not a theist. How the hell am I supposed to decide wether to be a monotheist or a polytheist? There's absolutely no logical reason to choose one over the other.

How about the reason that if you choose wrong you'll BURN IN HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY

I hate the term, too. I'm VERY spiritual, but don't believe in any of that ascension crap. I think life is a precious gift because you only get one, and when you're done: You're done. Gives me a personal reason for morals, not an extrensic one that assumes we're all good if we ask forgiveness.

Atheist has become a buzzword, and I hate a LOT of people I'm so-called "with."

Agnostic, pretty much, but closer to atheist.

Really? I guess I must be wierd. The very thought of eternal life and/or damnation scares the **** out of me. I'd honestly rather be non-existant than exist forever.

I'm not really sure if I'm a theist or not, but I really don't see why it matters anyway. There's two possible outcomes (speaking purely in terms of theism vs. atheism), and when it's all said and done beliefs aren't going to mean ****. It's like playing Russian Roullette. You can believe that you're not going to get shot all you want, but in all likelihood you're still going to get ****ed.

Just my two cents worth of caffeine-fueled rambling.

What makes you think that?

I do believe in a God or something of that sort.

When I see the world I see an uncanny order to things. I'm not talking the obvious like night and day but more subtle things. And since I don't believe in random or happenstance, something or being had to have caused it all.

reality tv

unmatched socks

dead kittens

stuff like that

He brought Christianity to the world.

I'm kidding.

I am a theist.

I am athiest, and I've been in three car accidents.

Regardless if I'm lucky to have lived or unlucky to have been in them, I fail to see what any sort of god has to do with the outcome.

I hear the same thing from a lot of people that these things happen to. "I was in a deadly and dangerous situation, and I lived. God must have saved me." But look at it this way - most people die in deadly and dangerous situations because they are deadly and dangerous. It's called probabilty. Most people don't have birds poop on their heads. But those few that do have a bird poop on their head, don't think "This bird pooped on my head. God must have made this happen."

But if considering random chance to be the work of God helps you sleep at night, then I say sleep well.

yeah, this pretty much sums me up

I'm not a religious person. I don't see the need of a God to explain things to me, that science, logic and rationality can explain as well.

Plus, how would one expect me to believe in a God that, if he'd exist, gave me a chronic disease for which there's no cure to be found?

That's what God wanted you to have