Religion Americans Skeptical Of God But Think Heaven Is Real, Somehow

No, I don't think I know anymore about Hitler than you do. We can only see him through what ever history allows us, that surely is no portal into a mans soul. Perhaps his book(s) would help but I was never able to suffer through his Mine Camp.

I get the impression occasionally just talking with people that seem to be nothing more than the biological being with no continuity in self through time, only what you see and hear now. Then there are others, that go out of there way to make it clear they have and are stiffing and overtly ignoring the soul, not allowing it to be nurtured. As if to communicate there is nothing more that what you see now as if there is a prize to be awarded to the most convincing by the judge they denies exist. I think the evil acts done occasionally are only part of the effort to be convincing.

Ha! Sort of laughable in a way, since none could possible ever point to a reward for being most convincing. Certainly not Hitler.

 

What specifically is it that you think is temporally continuous in some humans but not in others? (a vague impression you have that some people are "real" and others are biological automatons isn't evidence for anything.)

 

If a soul is just a template you could just as easily substitute the word genetics for the word soul in the above and it would be just as meaningful. And there is actual objective evidence that genetics exists.

Then you're back to the problem of who we are being easily manipulated by altering the brain or body chemistry.

 

The definition of evil is subjective, and by any definition postulating that some people are real and others are automatons explains nothing.

 

Well you give the impression Crow. I ask you if you have a soul. You gave no answer. So that and your questions now, "What specifically is it..." reinforces the impression.
I suspect there is no bridge here.

 

To me the most important part of faith was finding a line that separated God from religion. Ive never wanted anything to do with religion but have always believed there had to be an Intelligent creator of some sort.

For many years I considered myself agnostic for this reason, I knew there was a creator, because the big bang and macro evolutionary theory are horse shit and defy the laws of thermodynamics. Intelligent life requires Intelligent programming, it's simple algebra. I also reject organic life sprouting from a pool of inorganic soup.

I began reading the bible as a result of religion, and I learned who God really is. Coincidentally, the bible showed me that the preacher who had got me to pick the bible up, was himself, full of shit. Upon reading I felt the conviction and knew I had to make a decision, are the words in the book real, or bullshit? I decided to test them, and found them to hold true, so I began believing.

I still dont consider myself religious, but I know christ died for my sins and as a result he has chosen to include me in his after life. Why he chose me I don't know, because I have done nothing to deserve the gift, but I am grateful.

 

Well then if a soul is something that makes you eschew logic and critical analysis of objective evidence in favor of vague subjective impressions I'm OK without one.

My point was you have no concept of what a soul actually is other than a word. You're just using the term as a purely semantic vehicle to facilitate your own ego driven wishful thinking.

 

Yet you believe Christianity is specifically true and other religions are necessarily false.

 

Gosh! I think you are angry.

 

Not at all. Just making an observation.

The mental concept you have of a soul essentially reduces to a magic vehicle that facilitates wishful thinking.

 

That's good, and it's good you are content.

 

Very well said.

 

Just playing devils advocate here to expand on your thoughts and theory. You said.

If humans are the only species that truly grasps the concept of time and planning for the future, which shows our intelligence and consciousness is a product of evolution. Then why are we the only species that has a plan to cause our own extinction, as well as the only species that has ever built the means to eradicate every one of our own species?

The result of your evolution theory probably will end with humans as one of the youngest species ever to go extinct, but also the only species that caused its own extinction.

Wouldn’t our ability to self destruct indicate that there is something far beyond evolution within us? Something we do not see or understand yet? The forces of good and evil are in all humans, not just a few such as Hitler. Those forces will determine how long our species remains on earth. Maybe those forces are part of our soul?

The oldest living creature on earth is the sponge, which probably does not have a soul. Ants, jellyfish, sharks, shrimp, sturgeon, lampreys, and horseshoe crab are some of the other oldest living species on earth. I doubt any of them have souls. As far as I know, none of them ever had a plan or the means to self destruct their entire species. What makes humans better as a species than any of the oldest species because we can plan for the future? Especially since our ability to plan probably will result in our own extinction.


We are different from many other species, we have a soul. But it does not make us better than other species. The soul holds us responsible for our actions and plans, hopefully

 

I can not speak for him. To me Religion is all bull shit. Religion is a set of rules and actions designed to make us worthy of ascending to heaven. The thing is that man is incapable of being perfect. Thus regardless of how wonderful we believe we are our actions will never attain that state.

Christianity is a belief that we are saved by grace, not our actions. All we have to do is accept the gift.

 

Our species doesn't have a plan to cause its own extinction. A few psychopathic individuals might.

The vast majority of humans are rooting for our species to survive, both instinctively and intellectually. There's obviously no intrinsic desire in us to cause our own self destruction.

 

He was, and to a lesser extent you are, saying religion is bullshit then making statements that are derived from specific religious tenets.

 

Many humans self destruct everyday, on many levels.
Some humans are only hurting themselves. Drug addiction is just one example.
Other humans cause destruction to family and friends.
The most powerful humans can cause damage to millions and billions of people.


Since you like science, some scientists predict humans will be extinct within 100 years. Some scientists predict our own overpopulation will eventually lead to our extinction, due to the limit of how many people the earth can feed. There are many ways we can cause our own extinction.

 

I thought I explained it a plainly as I could. I have a belief system, Religion distorts what I believe.