Are theists by nature simply insecure?

[Edwardo Piet]

It's the greatest bullshit story ever told.

As Carlin would say.

EvF

[maxbigwood]

As atheists I suggest that most of us accept that the Universe came into existence as we see it today for no particular reason. Certainly not as a result of any conscience decision making or plan.

We are also quite happy to accept that we, as humans, are no more or less important than any other part of this expanding cloud of particles and energy and that our time here is brief and then when, finally, our bodies cease to function we simply exit the Universe and vanish, like teardrops in the rain.

However, if someone simply does not have the psychological equipment to be able to come to terms with this, seemingly, stark reality is it unreasonable to suppose that they might create some kind of purpose for their existence in the form of a greater plan which itself guarantees them continuation of their lives after the death of their body?

I suppose what I am really saying is that theists are by nature worriers and insecure and they cannot function without the knowledge that there is some kind of great purpose of which they are an integral part.

No, because what you think, that the universe had no cause, that we are nothing, is nothing more than a belief. There is nothing to come to terms to. There are plenty of reasons to believe in a God, maybe you don't think the universe could have started by itself, maybe you think the fine tuning of the universe to hold life is too unlikely, and the most common, that you read the holy book and believe it to be true. People don't just believe because they're too "scared of death". Some do, but the vast majority do not.

[Kyuuketsuki]

[quote='Darwinian' pid='25651' dateline='1250102645']No, because what you think, that the universe had no cause, that we are nothing, is nothing more than a belief. There is nothing to come to terms to. There are plenty of reasons to believe in a God, maybe you don't think the universe could have started by itself, maybe you think the fine tuning of the universe to hold life is too unlikely, and the most common, that you read the holy book and believe it to be true. People don't just believe because they're too "scared of death". Some do, but the vast majority do not.

Not only is no serious cosmologist saying the universe has no cause but if the universe was uncaused then it is AT LEAST as good a claim as your one that your god is uncaused but they are actually trying to explain (at least hypothetically) how the universe came to be ... and that's still WAY WAY WAY better than, "the belief that a cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree..."

People don't believe because they're scared of death? Gimme a fucking break man! That's FAR more likely to be a reason to belief there's a sodding afterlife!!!!! Being a humanist is a far, far harder path to choose than believing a fairy tale that gives you immortality!

Kyu

[theVOID]

Maxbigwood;

Bet you can't come up with a single test to distinguish your god from 'nothing'.