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

Why does someone have to agree with you to accept you? My best friend isnt a christian but he's still my best friend, and I see more good qualities in him than most "christians" I know. Of course I hope he experiences faith some day but it's not my job to force feed it on him.

Just because I think religions are false does not mean I hate the people who believe in them. Just because I think homosexuality is a sin does not mean I hate homosexuals. To me all sin is the same, and ive broken all 10 of the commandments, so I am no better than anyone. I also see a need for separation of church and state and dont have a problem with homosexuals being married legally. I dont believe my faith can be forced on anyone and I dont believe forcing my beliefs on others is how christianity works. Studying the book of Romans in depth will squash all ones need to do religious works.

At the same time, forcing me to disregard my beliefs isnt acceptable to me either. If it came down to renounce my faith or be killed, id laugh as "they" pulled the trigger.

A very freeing realization I had was God does not need me or anyone else to fulfill his plan, he's in complete control. I'm more than happy to share my beliefs with others who ask, but thats where my evangelism stops, God is more than capable of doing the rest if he pleases.

 

See I have no problem and respect people like that and I feel the same way. My post is more towards those who look down upon others just because their beliefs are different.

 

I agree there are more dimensions and I also agree the soul is part of another dimension. I also believe the "spirit of God" one receives at salvation is in another dimension as well as the fallen angels and Lucifer himself. I think angels and demons can manifest themselves in our visible dimensions and I believe that explains ghosts, aliens, ect.

See, we believe a lot of the same we just have different conclusions. i believe i am right in my conclusions, you believe you are right in yours, doesnt mean we have to fight or hate eachother because of it. I dont see a problem with discussion, I find it most enjoyable actually.

 

That's why i always say i hate religion, especially modern "christianity." No where does Jesus say kill others or fight people over beliefs. He says love thine enemy. I believe you can have a civil disagreement and still show love and kindness towards someone you disagree with.

Thats why I stay away from church. The last service I attended a guest preacher was giving an entire sermon on how evil muslims are and how they must be stopped. When he started talking about their beards and their towels on their heads I stood up, turned to the attending audiences and said this is how a holocaust happens, I calmly walked out and never went back.

 

Haha I don't know why I laughed because that is so true. I agree with youre posts. That's why when someone asks me about my beliefs I say that I don't believe in organized religion just because of the divisions it creates and the people who kill for it.

 

There are so many different beliefs in this thread that aren't connected to any possible notion of reason. I understand saying I feel there is something more, I understand saying that there is no evidence of anything so curtains is most likely. I don't really understand conjuring up long and detailed explanations with no possible way to ascertain if any portion of that could have even a modicum of validity.

 

No need since Einstein already covered that

String Theorists believe there are up to 26 dimensions, so you probably need to up your game.

Nice unintentional pun there

 

All derived from some combination of personally modified religious tenets and wishful thinking.

What's funny is there is potential evidence (from QM) for things that are just as wild as anyone has claimed here, such as infinite universes and infinite versions of us actually existing. Unfortunately even if that's true we only get to live as one of those.

 

I see. You no doubt recognize connections better than me.

 

I see Einstein mentioned.

Ha!
"I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being."

Another thought attributed to Einstein;

"Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hopes of reward after death."

Taken out of context, but worth of a stand alone thought in my view, and I have remembered this for some years now. I alluded to in a prior post this thread, our mission here is to not to prepair for heaven, but to learn enough to avoid Hell while we are here.

Einstein took several positions during his lifetime, not at all unusual for many of us.
He claimed to be an Atheist.
He claimed to be an Agnostic
He claimed to be a Pantheist.

He put down the idea of an individual surviving the death of his body, for feeble souls through fear or egotism.
But later he admires Spinoza and his idea of the soul.

Einstein was a Physicist, any progress he made in the spirtual thinking was probably due to others like Spinoza and Kurt Godel.

 

He is also quoted as saying, "In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."

So, you'd better stop pissing off Einstein's ghost, Denny.

 

No wonder he waffled on religion.

 

What do you mean? I wasn't told what to believe.. Or at least I don't really believe the things that I was told to believe. But anyways, how does you formulating your own beliefs, without any evidence or anything, make them valid?

 

Show me evidence for any religion! And I mean real evidence

 

Show me evidence, and I mean real evidence, that a universe can form from nothing, complete with an organized set of physical laws that allows it to exist for billions of years. Show me evidence that says that the amount of information contained in the DNA of even the simplest single-cell organism, information that allows it to form in a way that it can ingest food, process it into energy, eliminate the waste, and reproduce itself, can somehow come into being through happenstance.

 

And that leads me to my point. That no religion or belief is based on actual evidence. We have no idea why all that occurs. Which makes my beliefs as valid as the next guys

 

I don't think there is any.