Why do you believe that there is a god?

I think we can all sum this up by asking ourselves this question: Would you know of and/or feel "god" if you were born n raised in a cave with no traditional schooling, no friends or family to interact with, no tv, no internet just hunt n gather type life in a cave til let's say the age of 18 yrs old? According to most believers, the answer should be yes since you can just feel him or just "know" he exists. You should not need a bible, teachings of religion or any of the sort....right?
god is an atheist.
 
Originally Posted by Steinbeckballa

He did but we have the choice to sin. During the old testament you read about God getting rid of thousands of people for believing a statue(something like that), and also I remember reading and God was about to wipe out thousands of more people but Moses begged God not too. There would be automatic death if you sinned, but Jesus was born and he died for our sins. When you say we don't have a choice to be a sinner or not, you're right because we are NOT perfect. God knows that we will fail, but we will also be forgiven. You do have a choice to accept God. Either you do or you don't.  And God doesn't only send disbelievers, but even the ones that SAY the believe. I'm not sure if you read the bible but if you do look at Matthew 7 verse 21-23 it talks about even the ones have praised his name and casted out demons aren't guaranteed the entrance of the kingdom of heaven. So I can't even say that I will go to heaven because I am in no position to say that about my future or anyone else. Like I've been saying this whole thread it's faith. 
Not trying to be the over bearing person that puts people down just because they don't believe. Because I know myself and a lot of other Christians don't practice our belief like we are supposed to and that's why there's this negative view of when a person says they are a Christian.
And my point is that it's not a choice. We are born imperfect, so it's a broken and unjust system. We don't have the ability to choose not to sin because we were designed to sin. We are then judged for sinning as if we have the choice to sin or not despite the fact that we can't go against how god designed us. That does not demonstrate that an almighty being loves us. The system is designed such that you either love and accept god or you suffer the worst punishment for eternity. That is not love. Also, god knows everything about us before we exist, so he knows which of us will be atheists, which of us will follow the wrong religions, and which of us will follow him. Because of that, there is no choice to follow god because god knows what our choices will be before we even exist and he is responsible for creating us.
 
Originally Posted by il prescelto

srs question, why doesnt God help me out when I ask him for help? like, when im doing math hw?....for being all-powerful/omniscent/etc., he sure acts like a little $%#@
eyes.gif


oh, and BasedGod > God

/thread
laugh.gif
 
Cmon, son you going to disregard what I said about forgiveness and even accepting God doesn't mean you go to heaven. I'd rather try to not sin than to just give up just because I was born to make mistakes. You can't beat the system because to say you can would mean that you are higher than God( not saying you are). There is a choice to follow God because he knows your future, YOU don't. Who knows, there might be a moment in your life when you accept that Jesus is your Lord and savior. It might also be a life or death situation that may change your views. Or you might not. You don't know that, but God does.
 
Originally Posted by Steinbeckballa

Cmon, son you going to disregard what I said about forgiveness and even accepting God doesn't mean you go to heaven. I'd rather try to not sin than to just give up just because I was born to make mistakes. You can't beat the system because to say you can would mean that you are higher than God( not saying you are). There is a choice to follow God because he knows your future, YOU don't. Who knows, there might be a moment in your life when you accept that Jesus is your Lord and savior. It might also be a life or death situation that may change your views. Or you might not. You don't know that, but God does.
You're right that accepting god doesn't necessarily mean you'll go to heaven, but in Christianity (I'm assuming you're a Christian since you're citing the book of Matthew), accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and admitting your a sinner is your one way ticket straight to heaven. But, I guess my point is that the Bible is (to me) obviously man-made based on these obvious flaws in the system. God introduced the sin that he hates into the world by creating humans that are incapable of not sinning. Do you see what I'm getting at? Whether or not I know my future does not change the fact that my future is contrived due to the fact that god is the creator of everything and also knows everything.
 
It may not change that your future is contrived but it changes your view of whether you believe there is a God or not. So you're saying that if God created us to sin and he knows the future of everyone then it is a big contradiction? God didn't introduce us to sin. He told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree. They decided not to listen, which led them to being punished. I don't see it as a one way ticket straight to heaven because like I said before, I'm not in the position to say I have the ticket to heaven just because I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
 
Originally Posted by Steinbeckballa

God didn't introduce us to sin. He told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree. They decided not to listen, which led them to being punished.
But he's omniscient, so he created them knowing that they'd eat from the tree, though.
 
Ya he knew they would, but they made the choice not knowing that God already knew that they would would fail(if that makes sense). I'm still learning, reading, and praying. Just letting you know what I've learned so far. It's interesting reading the different views from others tho.
 
Originally Posted by NikeAirForce1

Originally Posted by Vsano

Originally Posted by scshift

Personally, I believe in God because I needed help with my life so I picked up a faith.

I also used logic. Where did anything come from? Even if all of the universe today originated from a tiny speck of dust in the middle of nowhere, who created said speck of dust? Or the nowhere that it existed?
Yeah, same here.. I'm really just a tiny thing in this so-called universe. But maybe there's a purpose why I'm here. Why we are here..
On the other end, I believe in dimensional beings. We have alot here in my place especially on rural areas. Unexplainable & mysterious... & dangerous for some reasons. I'm not encouraging anyone to believe me but that's from my personal experience.

So for me, there's more than what my senses would tell & conceive. Faith is one thing.

But I do hope that a person who doesn't believe in a God or god may not stop in caring for people & being kind to others.
How do you make the jump from "I don't understand how this works." to "God exists because there are things I don't understand."?

This is a logical fallacy called the God of the Gaps. Are gaps in scientific knowledge proof of God's existance?  If so, God is getting smaller and smaller everyday.
It depends on your everyday experiences from a personal view.

For instance, you might get caught up in a life & death situation & get saved, & from there, you can generalize why you are alive. You can look at it in a scientific way, or the other way around.

There are turning points in life when sometimes, science isn't even relevant.
 
Originally Posted by Steinbeckballa

It may not change that your future is contrived but it changes your view of whether you believe there is a God or not. So you're saying that if God created us to sin and he knows the future of everyone then it is a big contradiction? God didn't introduce us to sin. He told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree. They decided not to listen, which led them to being punished. I don't see it as a one way ticket straight to heaven because like I said before, I'm not in the position to say I have the ticket to heaven just because I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
What I'm saying is that because god created us, and because he knows our future, he is therefore responsible for what we do. Since he is the almighty creator of everything, he has to be responsible for everything that his creation does. His creation cannot do anything that he did not create it to do. He may have told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree, but before he created them, he knew that they would eat from the tree. We agreed previously that god created us to sin, so he created them at a disadvantage.

Originally Posted by Steinbeckballa

Ya he knew they would, but they made the choice not knowing that God already knew that they would would fail(if that makes sense). I'm still learning, reading, and praying. Just letting you know what I've learned so far. It's interesting reading the different views from others tho.
Having the illusion that they had a choice doesn't change the fact that they were doomed before they ever made the choice. No matter what, they were going to sin because that's how god created them. There is no possible way they could act against god.
 
Disadvantage to who and in whose eyes? You're trying to view sin as if you are in God's shoes from what I'm reading. I can't even understand the mindset of God, my brain would probably explode trying to(or just a migraine), but I know what he has done for me. We're born sinners, Jesus died for our sins, we are able to ask for forgiveness, but not all are promised into the kingdom of Heaven.
 
Honestly, some people may never believe in a "higher being" or what have you but to each his/her own. I do believe in God, I am Christian. If you can wake up every day and not feel like something is bigger or greater than you, you don't feel him around you, its the greatest feeling in the world honestly. Yes bad things happen, I myself have had my up's and downs. Just because you pray about something doesn't mean it is going to happen over night. My life is bigger than myself and I am blessed to be in the position that I am now. We have free will to think, feel, act however we want. If you choose to just not think that this life is just a random act of nature then hey, do you but don't bash people who believe in God, no matter what religion they may be in. I'll pray for you all anyway.
 
Originally Posted by Steinbeckballa

Disadvantage to who and in whose eyes? You're trying to view sin as if you are in God's shoes from what I'm reading. I can't even understand the mindset of God, my brain would probably explode trying to(or just a migraine), but I know what he has done for me. We're born sinners, Jesus died for our sins, we are able to ask for forgiveness, but not all are promised into the kingdom of Heaven.
Adam and Eve were at a disadvantage because, no matter what, they were going to sin because that's how god created them. Additionally, it makes no sense that god would create someone to sin because he hates sin. So what I'm getting at is the whole idea behind god and sin is illogical. I'm not trying to view sin as if I'm in god's shoes, I'm trying to make sense of that which seems to make no sense.
 
I went from Catholic to Baptist to Atheist to Islam.  I've been a devoted Muslim for 4 years. Islam truly saved my life and made me very disciplined and humble.  Although I am Muslim, my daughter is a Christian.  I don't want my daughter to feel that she has to be Muslim because I am one.  I want her to make her own decision regarding her beliefs. Exposure to all religions will be best for her to determine what will bring her closer to our Maker.
Sidenote:

Religion is like racism; it is taught.  Religion was used to control civilizations and have control over a masses of people by a dictator/king. (Always seek knowledge in what you believe).  Did know that when you were born, you didn't know of Yeshua (Jesus,pbuh) or any form of religion...Family or routines drew you into religion. There are more than 600 different denominational religions , with different doctrines and beliefs. I do believe you have to find what fits best for you as a person.  Moreover, you should use religion as a guidance to worship and to find yourself as a better person.  You shouldn't feel oppressed or pressured in your beliefs.  I do have a problem with fanatics and people who always want to prove that what you believe is wrong. Who's to say...Deeds are counted. 

Also, someone stated that the Bible said that there is more than one God.  If you're going to speak on something, you should truly study history and fully understand all of the Torah (Old Testament) and New Testament.  In those times, 'We' were the way literature were written at that time, hence Shakespeare were among those on the committee.  Over the years, people then has called many things "Gods" but it was not referring to multiple Gods.  I can go on about the King James version and how King James was a homosexual and had the bible re-written to justify his act of marriage and control a section of his blah blah blah. 

Read the Book of the Dead - First Holy Book that spoke of 'One God' - Monotheism

Some verses off my head that I know the bible state that there's only one God:

1 Timothy 2:5

MARK 12:32

Romans 3:30

Exdous 20:2-6

Jesus even said to worship God and not him:

"God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" - John 4:24 

"Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" - Luke 4:8

Again, I can't express to seek knowledge and what you believe. If Judaism, Catholicism, Christianity, Buddhism, Atheistism, Islam, etc, is what makes you a better then embrace it with knowledge and love. Do good deeds and treat people as you want to be treated.  At the end of the day, even Atheists, believe in something and are classified as a group. 
 
Originally Posted by ricky409

them atheists can never let boys cook.

always want to say why one is wrong.

lol.

and tell saying silly putty went in...

but sc shift its holding it down too.

if religion improves ones quality of life, then what's wrong with that?
I hit the post limit yesterday...but I could NOT let this slide.



No...I can't let ya'll "cook." ...if you say something. Back it up. I've asked for proof or at least EVIDENCE time and time again...yet no one has taken the liberty to do so...




You see when you compare various statistics vs the religiosity of various countries this is supremely FALSE. Only the United States is an anomaly. 




I will admit that these are vague statistics compared over a broad set of data but the correlation is QUITE clear. 




If you really want to say dumb stuff I will not let it slide especially when you're a GOOGLE SEARCH away from confirming your bias with researched poll numbers and studies.




Now its time to learn something.




I've put some sources below. If you all have pubmed, or APA access, PLEASE use that data and take some time to learn something.




You want facts? Here they are.




You will CLEARLY see that the POOREST countries tend to be the most religious.




Grab a cup of coffee and read up...




gender.gif






Religion gives people a false and/or inflated sense of "purpose"...whatever that means:

fpqypw1yf06bw7evfuzm-a.gif



5pvix4uodu2zx-h2zyvm9w.gif






1/3 Americans think the bible is literal

hceygndr4uojctl7bvuwqq.gif



vmjvqt2ib0wmv2dgvj8l4a.gif



b3daekon7kiqpcbpzdsgka.gif



a9b1nc9teuue8v3tr8fvia.gif












evolution.gif









Religion and writing proficiency level based on dating sites

rB9XQ.png


62pgh.png


2275614130_480d8cafda.jpg


secular-graph.gif


In low-income areas, religiosity linked to more enjoyment, less worry
[h1]
religiosity.JPG


[/h1][h1]
[/h1][h1]Religion Provides Emotional Boost to World’s Poor[/h1][h1][/h1]

by Steve Crabtree and Brett Pelham

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A tour of the world's most religious countries wouldn't be all mountaintop shrines and magnificent temples -- it would also take you to some pretty bleak places. Gallup Polls in 143 countries reveal that among countries where average annual incomes are $2,000 or less, 92% of residents say religion is an important part of their daily lives. By contrast, among the richest countries surveyed -- those where average annual incomes are $25,000 or more -- that figure drops to 44%.

z7nd6zjy9kk-onbpyexbnq.gif


i8r-0wg3rkcn31sq2jcb5w.gif



ushctcvzxeo1hti6aert4g.gif


bw81suwkgushfl6bggiylg.gif


v5zkl_jz-kguaurlh_j0aw.gif


tye8bwimokcehshejp5c7q.gif


zyz9jwryreek-j9ee1xkdg.gif


ljvin4ph6ee65_o0o2vfwg.gif


l5esnetf_0w5azrgnmf6sa.gif


sshot11.png


Lets look WITHIN the USA:







StateReligiosity2ip7x.jpg






africanuscompare_revised_checked_final.jpg






USCompare.gif






fig2.gif






fig3.gif






fig4.gif






fig5.gif



fig6.gif



importance_revised_checked_final.jpg



fig9.gif



abortion_revised_checked_final.jpg



homosexuality_revised_checked_final.jpg



commitmenthomosexuality_revised_checked_final.jpg



affiliation_revised_checked_final.jpg



fig20.gif



...and you can see its no wonder why the black community can't get its stuff together...smh
30t6p3b.gif








i4kivjlq1u6dj4elyxvrug.gif






Interactive data on how religious your state is:

http://pewforum.org/How-R...ious-Is-Your-State-.aspx







In the USA there is more prejudice against muslims:

uebdfrfxreeycx4dx56_og.gif









Regionalism%2Band%2BReligiosity.bmp






intolerance towards gays:

cpm5e323bkkhf55hkvcqxq.gif









j1wnjgr0pumupmgjuaerua.gif






ntvzqkhh-ew3-e1ihaypja.gif






Ethnic intolerance:

kjt9woapaeof3e9jnd-m1a.gif






ou6pq90i_0a_fttatdt3aa.gif






jvvmbyi8wu6dmogwzg2otq.gif






4ncmmqvqpuyulziytwlk6g.gif






nqw70hwl5ekbfe6vjgmcpa.gif


jh8htmbvkeeenqsj54wp9q.gif


Belief in God Lower When Other Alternatives Offered

Gallup has asked about belief in God using different question wordings in past surveys, all of which give respondents expanded response alternatives. One such question includes the explicit choice of belief in a universal spirit or higher power, while another allows respondents to express doubts about belief in God. Using these questions, the percentages of Americans who say they believe in God without doubts or as separate from a universal spirit have ranged from 73% to 86%.

The percentages who more definitively say there is no God are generally 6% or 7% across these questions, similar to the 7% or 8% who do not believe in God in the questions asked this year. This suggests that most Americans do believe in God, but when given the opportunity to express some uncertainty, a modest percentage opt to do so.

ao6-3e1dqkk33bgf7vn_vg.gif


zfnxiineeeabxqrlf9yh9a.gif


bbfa9iwwn0ggwmutxk6yhq.gif





hwmg-ajjhecuhbma2vooha.gif






rpoafscwjeqfzencnbivwg.gif









xw2kcfv_-uoaf5qxy-ygbw.gif


826a77t2-uiaboqv6hkdug.gif


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ztx77iknqkk8tksbouojiw.png


gjork_anm0uczjmfa4f6ma.gif


[h1]
Near-Record High See Religion Losing Influence in America[/h1][h2]Current 70% nears all-time high of 75% recorded in 1970[/h2]
by Frank Newport

PRINCETON, NJ -- Seven in 10 Americans say religion is losing its influence on American life -- one of the highest such responses in Gallup's 53-year history of asking this question, and significantly higher than in the first half of the past decade.

bbx-1mlhruaylixpfgsgvg.gif


aup4z0lakeyanuulbc8beg.gif


yfohndqiiecfcyigozjgqg.gif

fo0icpvbpke6wlft2xzeug.gif

rel_1_3_162_tbl2a.gif



rel_1_3_162_tbl3a.gif



picture-13.png



Trust_Irrel.png


Here are some of my sources:

http://www.gallup.com/pol...g-Whites-Not-Blacks.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...ontinue-Believe-God.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...g-Influence-America.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...-Organized-Religion.aspx

http://www.nytimes.com/20.../04blow.html?ref=opinion

http://www.gallup.com/pol...d-Poorest-Nations.aspx#2

http://www.gallup.com/pol...al-Boost-World-Poor.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...rance-Gays-Lesbians.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...-Ethnic-Intolerance.aspx

http://psycnet.apa.org/in...uy&id=2009-12471-003

http://ecstathy.blogspot....igiosity-associated.html

http://www.sciencedirect....le/pii/S0160289608001013

http://blog.okcupid.com/i...estions-for-first-dates/

http://pewforum.org/Scien...estion-of-Evolution.aspx

http://pewforum.org/How-R...ious-Is-Your-State-.aspx

http://pewforum.org/A-Rel...f-African-Americans.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...en-Religion-Purpose.aspx

http://blogs.wsj.com/indi...religious-riots-and-gdp/

http://www.gallup.com/pol...Say-Bible-Literally.aspx
 
Originally Posted by marmourjr

I went from Catholic to Baptist to Atheist to Islam.  I've been a devoted Muslim for 4 years. Islam truly saved my life and made me very disciplined and humble.  Although I am Muslim, my daughter is a Christian.  I don't want my daughter to feel that she has to be Muslim because I am one.  I want her to make her own decision regarding her beliefs. Exposure to all religions will be best for her to determine what will bring her closer to our Maker.
Sidenote:

Religion is like racism; it is taught.  Religion was used to control civilizations and have control over a masses of people by a dictator/king. (Always seek knowledge in what you believe).  Did know that when you were born, you didn't know of Yeshua (Jesus,pbuh) or any form of religion...Family or routines drew you into religion. There are more than 600 different denominational religions , with different doctrines and beliefs. I do believe you have to find what fits best for you as a person.  Moreover, you should use religion as a guidance to worship and to find yourself as a better person.  You shouldn't feel oppressed or pressured in your beliefs.  I do have a problem with fanatics and people who always want to prove that what you believe is wrong. Who's to say...Deeds are counted. 

Also, someone stated that the Bible said that there is more than one God.  If you're going to speak on something, you should truly study history and fully understand all of the Torah (Old Testament) and New Testament.  In those times, 'We' were the way literature were written at that time, hence Shakespeare were among those on the committee.  Over the years, people then has called many things "Gods" but it was not referring to multiple Gods.  I can go on about the King James version and how King James was a homosexual and had the bible re-written to justify his act of marriage and control a section of his blah blah blah. 

Read the Book of the Dead - First Holy Book that spoke of 'One God' - Monotheism

Some verses off my head that I know the bible state that there's only one God:

1 Timothy 2:5

MARK 12:32

Romans 3:30

Exdous 20:2-6

Jesus even said to worship God and not him:

"God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" - John 4:24 

"Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" - Luke 4:8

Again, I can't express to seek knowledge and what you believe. If Judaism, Catholicism, Christianity, Buddhism, Atheistism, Islam, etc, is what makes you a better then embrace it with knowledge and love. Do good deeds and treat people as you want to be treated.  At the end of the day, even Atheists, believe in something and are classified as a group. 

Which parts of the Koran do you take as literal vs the parts you take as metaphor/allegory...and how do you know to separate the two? 
 
When you think about the total existence of space and all the galaxies out there... its hard not to believe there is a higher power.

If you really think what scientists came up with as a big bang theory out there butts...
30t6p3b.gif


For a non-believer of God, to believe that junk.. that is "just as bad"
 
Originally Posted by JordanPP30

When you think about the total existence of space and all the galaxies out there... its hard not to believe there is a higher power.

If you really think what scientists came up with as a big bang theory out there butts...
30t6p3b.gif


For a non-believer of God, to believe that junk.. that is "just as bad"

The creator of the "big bang theory" was actually a jesuit priest who was a physicist. 
Jesuits tend to be some of the most liberal christians and scientifically involved...

There is a correlation between the MOST DEVOUT PEOPLE and being some of the smartest in the world. I won't deny that, but as the trend moves down it reverses completely to the other end of the spectrum. Its probably correlated to how certain people just have "book smarts" but don't really have that sense of investigative ability....plus cognitive dissonance is a hell of a thing. 

BTW, the big bang theory doesn't say it was an "explosion" in the sense that we think of...think of it more as an energetic change in the favorability of a superposition of states...
laugh.gif


There is a lot to address in here... a lot of logical fallacies and what not... I guess i'll just jump in anywhere after this. 
 
Originally Posted by sillyputty

Originally Posted by ricky409

them atheists can never let boys cook.

always want to say why one is wrong.

lol.

and tell saying silly putty went in...

but sc shift its holding it down too.

if religion improves ones quality of life, then what's wrong with that?
I hit the post limit yesterday...but I could NOT let this slide.



No...I can't let ya'll "cook." ...if you say something. Back it up. I've asked for proof or at least EVIDENCE time and time again...yet no one has taken the liberty to do so...




You see when you compare various statistics vs the religiosity of various countries this is supremely FALSE. Only the United States is an anomaly. 




I will admit that these are vague statistics compared over a broad set of data but the correlation is QUITE clear. 




If you really want to say dumb stuff I will not let it slide especially when you're a GOOGLE SEARCH away from confirming your bias with researched poll numbers and studies.




Now its time to learn something.




I've put some sources below. If you all have pubmed, or APA access, PLEASE use that data and take some time to learn something.




You want facts? Here they are.




You will CLEARLY see that the POOREST countries tend to be the most religious.




Grab a cup of coffee and read up...




gender.gif






Religion gives people a false and/or inflated sense of "purpose"...whatever that means:

fpqypw1yf06bw7evfuzm-a.gif



5pvix4uodu2zx-h2zyvm9w.gif






1/3 Americans think the bible is literal

hceygndr4uojctl7bvuwqq.gif



vmjvqt2ib0wmv2dgvj8l4a.gif



b3daekon7kiqpcbpzdsgka.gif



a9b1nc9teuue8v3tr8fvia.gif












evolution.gif









Religion and writing proficiency level based on dating sites

rB9XQ.png


62pgh.png


2275614130_480d8cafda.jpg


secular-graph.gif


In low-income areas, religiosity linked to more enjoyment, less worry
[h1]
religiosity.JPG


[/h1][h1]
[/h1][h1]Religion Provides Emotional Boost to World’s Poor[/h1][h1][/h1]

by Steve Crabtree and Brett Pelham

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A tour of the world's most religious countries wouldn't be all mountaintop shrines and magnificent temples -- it would also take you to some pretty bleak places. Gallup Polls in 143 countries reveal that among countries where average annual incomes are $2,000 or less, 92% of residents say religion is an important part of their daily lives. By contrast, among the richest countries surveyed -- those where average annual incomes are $25,000 or more -- that figure drops to 44%.

z7nd6zjy9kk-onbpyexbnq.gif


i8r-0wg3rkcn31sq2jcb5w.gif



ushctcvzxeo1hti6aert4g.gif


bw81suwkgushfl6bggiylg.gif


v5zkl_jz-kguaurlh_j0aw.gif


tye8bwimokcehshejp5c7q.gif


zyz9jwryreek-j9ee1xkdg.gif


ljvin4ph6ee65_o0o2vfwg.gif


l5esnetf_0w5azrgnmf6sa.gif


sshot11.png


Lets look WITHIN the USA:







StateReligiosity2ip7x.jpg






africanuscompare_revised_checked_final.jpg






USCompare.gif






fig2.gif






fig3.gif






fig4.gif






fig5.gif



fig6.gif



importance_revised_checked_final.jpg



fig9.gif



abortion_revised_checked_final.jpg



homosexuality_revised_checked_final.jpg



commitmenthomosexuality_revised_checked_final.jpg



affiliation_revised_checked_final.jpg



fig20.gif



...and you can see its no wonder why the black community can't get its stuff together...smh
30t6p3b.gif








i4kivjlq1u6dj4elyxvrug.gif






Interactive data on how religious your state is:

http://pewforum.org/How-R...ious-Is-Your-State-.aspx







In the USA there is more prejudice against muslims:

uebdfrfxreeycx4dx56_og.gif









Regionalism%2Band%2BReligiosity.bmp






intolerance towards gays:

cpm5e323bkkhf55hkvcqxq.gif









j1wnjgr0pumupmgjuaerua.gif






ntvzqkhh-ew3-e1ihaypja.gif






Ethnic intolerance:

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Belief in God Lower When Other Alternatives Offered

Gallup has asked about belief in God using different question wordings in past surveys, all of which give respondents expanded response alternatives. One such question includes the explicit choice of belief in a universal spirit or higher power, while another allows respondents to express doubts about belief in God. Using these questions, the percentages of Americans who say they believe in God without doubts or as separate from a universal spirit have ranged from 73% to 86%.

The percentages who more definitively say there is no God are generally 6% or 7% across these questions, similar to the 7% or 8% who do not believe in God in the questions asked this year. This suggests that most Americans do believe in God, but when given the opportunity to express some uncertainty, a modest percentage opt to do so.

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[h1]
Near-Record High See Religion Losing Influence in America[/h1][h2]Current 70% nears all-time high of 75% recorded in 1970[/h2]
by Frank Newport

PRINCETON, NJ -- Seven in 10 Americans say religion is losing its influence on American life -- one of the highest such responses in Gallup's 53-year history of asking this question, and significantly higher than in the first half of the past decade.

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Here are some of my sources:

http://www.gallup.com/pol...g-Whites-Not-Blacks.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...ontinue-Believe-God.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...g-Influence-America.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...-Organized-Religion.aspx

http://www.nytimes.com/20.../04blow.html?ref=opinion

http://www.gallup.com/pol...d-Poorest-Nations.aspx#2

http://www.gallup.com/pol...al-Boost-World-Poor.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...rance-Gays-Lesbians.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...-Ethnic-Intolerance.aspx

http://psycnet.apa.org/in...uy&id=2009-12471-003

http://ecstathy.blogspot....igiosity-associated.html

http://www.sciencedirect....le/pii/S0160289608001013

http://blog.okcupid.com/i...estions-for-first-dates/

http://pewforum.org/Scien...estion-of-Evolution.aspx

http://pewforum.org/How-R...ious-Is-Your-State-.aspx

http://pewforum.org/A-Rel...f-African-Americans.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/pol...en-Religion-Purpose.aspx

http://blogs.wsj.com/indi...religious-riots-and-gdp/

http://www.gallup.com/pol...Say-Bible-Literally.aspx
I'm just patently offended this dude said that though... 
Religion increases well-being? 
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Originally Posted by JordanPP30

When you think about the total existence of space and all the galaxies out there... its hard not to believe there is a higher power.

If you really think what scientists came up with as a big bang theory out there butts...
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For a non-believer of God, to believe that junk.. that is "just as bad"

Why is the answer automatically God though? And scientists didn't just come up with the Big Bang theory, "out of there butts."
It took years of empircal evidence and observations to come to the conclusion of a  big bang theory. Einstein's own theory of  general relativity made it possible
for there to be a big bang or expansion from a point singularity. According to the theory the universe isn't a static place. A priest as sillyputty said, George Lamaitra postulated
the idea of a beginning. There is evidence that universe is expanding( meaning it must've been infinitely small at some point) and there is an after shock in the form of radiation which has been observed
by telescopes.

I suggest that some people check out Lawerence Krauss lecture of how it is possible for the universe to spring up from absolutely nothing.
There is always a large gap of knowledge regarding science in these threads. Maybe if some of you actually challenged your beliefs you'd come to the same conclusion I have.
 
Originally Posted by NeptuneBeats187

How do you think everything that got here from everything else, got here?

Do you know how molecules just randomly coagulate? 
Then form lipid membranes? Hydrophobic tails with hydrophilic heads on lipids?

I mean it just so happens that the most common elements in the universe are ones that we are made of.

These are just theories.

I suggest you look at the Urey-Miller experiments. They CREATED amino acids in the lab just spontaneously. Just took the right conditions. Over time its probably happened more than once. 

Do we KNOW? No. Thats just it. Its safer to say "we don't know...but we will try to learn to the best of our ability" 

The best thing people can ever do is to say "I don't know" ...why lie? Just figure it out and come back. 

Saying "god" did it doesnt explain anything. Lets say that you're a creationist... You say god created you. Well how did he do it? Doesn't that matter? Even IF god did it... why would it hurt us to try and figure it out? So we just can't ask now? 

Thats weak to me. 

Lets remember here...we've only had like close to 200 years of LEGITIMATE and uninterrupted consistent effort devoted to scientific endeavors. We've learned more in the last 200-300 years than we EVER knew.

Who knows what the next 200-300 hold? 




Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. – Anonymous
 
Originally Posted by sillyputty

Originally Posted by NeptuneBeats187

How do you think everything that got here from everything else, got here?

Do you know how molecules just randomly coagulate? 
Then form lipid membranes? Hydrophobic tails with hydrophilic heads on lipids?

What/Who gave them the instructions to coagulate and proliferate?
 
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