Any Theists on AF, I Challenge You to a Debate on the Existence of God

[Whateverist]

You're never going to know the sincerity of your lovers feelings towards you tsq only your feeling towards them (I'd hope). And that's the most precious thing we have.

Requiring some proof before belief does not require being devoid of faith in others, emotion, or love for that matter. I do have faith in others' love for me. But that faith is based on experience, and past a certain point, I would cease to believe in a particular person's love, were it contradicted with any regularity. And I wouldn't say someone who had faith in the love of an abusive partner had strength of mind, quite the contrary.

But, and it is a major but, I've never had to have faith in the existence of people who love me. I have plenty of evidence of their physical existence. I don't have faith in an imaginary friend's love.

That probably goes a long way toward getting at why religion persists. The knowing of another person requires a great deal of projection. In deed we can take their pulse and provide a decent description unlike with God. But when it comes to assessing their character and predicting their intentions, we do as we must rely on empathy which circles back on our selves. That so much of knowing another relies on our knowing ourselves helps to explain how one can develop a sense of the presence of God. One can -apparently- carry on a relationship with God whether or not He exists. Weirder and weirder.