Logic tells me God doesn't exist but my heart says otherwise.

[Alex K]

I'm with Rhythm - the next step could be to become independent of notions of god others have predetermined for you and find out what this thing actually is that you feel in your heart. You might end up with something that is both satisfying to you and less laden with old mythology and supernatural phantasies.

[Mystic]

There is also the problem that when we were kids, we have no strong faith in God other then following what our parents taught us as true. We simply followed. If that was the basis to our faith in God, when and how did it change?

[The Grand Nudger]

I don't know that it does change, for some. What are you referring to though, the change from a faith based upon what your parents told you to a strongly internalized faith? Would seem to be an issue of selective bias and a strong urge to confirm previously held principles (and support all things built atop those principles as a foundation).

We often see people asking us questions like "Why would an atheist act in a moral way". For these people, morality has been built atop a divine foundation - and the fear or suspicion seems to be that if the foundation were to fall then so too would morality. Confirming their faith is, in effect, confirming their morality- which is clearly important to them. That's a powerful impetus to interpret just about everything as confirmation.

Or, are you wondering why we no longer refer to the words of our parents as absolute truth, that we seek out other means of determination? I think that we eventually realize that our parents are human beings, like ourselves, that their opinions and positions are just as subject to being inaccurate or inadequate as our own. They help us to reach this realization, of course......and it isn't as though they could do anything else with regards to that matter (they are human beings, like ourselves, after all).

[Mudhammam]

Your "heart" tells you that God exists because reality is scary, it's difficult; you're born in the world alone and you die alone, and in your thoughts you are also persistently alone. The only way to escape this existential loneliness is to believe in God, and it works until you realize how superficial that belief really is.

[Mystic]

Your "heart" tells you that God exists because reality is scary, it's difficult; you're born in the world alone and you die alone, and in your thoughts you are also persistently alone. The only way to escape this existential loneliness is to believe in God, and it works until you realize how superficial that belief really is.

You maybe right, but in my case, it's not only that I am scared for my own sake, I think off all humans past and present who are going to crease to exist. The many children who died as children. To me, it would be tragic if God doesn't exist. That human lives don't continue after death. I guess that could be playing a huge part in my faith.

[The Grand Nudger]

It would be tragic if a treatment for polio didn't exist as well. Nevertheless, this was once the case. Comes down to your fear of what dreams may come, does it? Is being afraid of something really such a good thing to build a faith around, and what does your fear have to say about a god? Is your fear informative in this regard?

[Mystic]

It would be tragic if a treatment for polio didn't exist as well. Nevertheless, this was once the case. Comes down to your fear of what dreams may come, does it? Is being afraid of something really such a good thing to build a faith around, and what does your fear have to say about a god? Is your fear informative in this regard?

This can't give any knowledge of whether God exists or not. Of course it can]t. What I'm saying perhaps my faith is irrational and this is part o what leads to this irrational faith. At the same time, if there is a mystical connection, it can be part of what motivates people to hold on to that connection.

[The Grand Nudger]

I don't see anything mystical about a fear of death, or a wish that it be abrogated.

But lets get this straight....Who is leveraging or benefiting from this fear as a motivation to maintain a mystical connection? Is fear really the sort of motivator you would appeal to (nothing irrational about that, btw, fear as a motivator...it definitely -is- a motivator)?

[Mystic]

I don't see anything mystical about a fear of death, or a wish that it be abrogated.

But lets get this straight....Who is leveraging or benefiting from this fear as a motivation to maintain a mystical connection? Is fear really the sort of motivator you would appeal to (nothing irrational about that, btw, fear as a motivator...it definitely -is- a motivator)?

well I think it's natural to not want to cease to exist, regarding our own lives and lives of others. I think this fear helps avoid death for example.

[Alex K]

There is also the problem that when we were kids, we have no strong faith in God other then following what our parents taught us as true. We simply followed. If that was the basis to our faith in God, when and how did it change?

You've discovered the outsider test for faith!

http://wiki.ironchariots.org/index.php?t...sider_test