Why do we need a god?

[apelike]

So you don't have any beliefs?

 

No I don't have any religious beliefs.

 

 

And you don't feel like you belong?

 

Belong to what?

 

 

And you don't feel like you have a purpose?

 

My purpose is to keep living and enjoy my life.

 

 

You believe that everything is totally pointless, you are a true nihilist.

 

 

Err.. No, and no.

 

Notwithstanding all of the above you are happy and can cope?

 

Yes I am very happy and cope with life very well as do many others.

 

 

Can I just re-iterate, at no point have I said that all people need religion which i fear is an assumption you have made. Please re-read my posts if so.

 

Not an assumption at all. You keep talking about being Nihilistic which is:

 

"a person who believes that life is meaningless and rejects all religious and moral principles."

 

To call someone a nihilist means that it is you who has made the assumptions and not me.

[TimmyR]

Okay, so if someone has a system of beliefs that says it's right to kill a person who doesn't share the same system of beliefs.

 

Are they acting morally to kill that person?

 

Yes in their view they are acting morally correctly. The jihadists who kill people, believe they are doing the morally right thing. I really don't see how this is relevant to anything I've said. I don't think they are morally correct nor do I think we should let them continue killing because THEY think it is morally correct. All I have ever said is that people need a system of beliefs by which to live their lives. That may or may not come from religious doctrine

 

---------- Post added 17-05-2018 at 15:07 ----------

 

To call someone a nihilist means that it is you who has made the assumptions and not me.

 

i didn't call you a nihilist. Quite the opposite.

 

---------- Post added 17-05-2018 at 15:09 ----------

 

No I don't have any religious beliefs.

 

but you DO have beliefs. Those are things that you don't know for certain to be true. They are absolutely fundamental to existence. You may believe (or you may not, this is just an example) that by going out and earning money, you will make you life more comfortable. You do not know this for certain. Somewhere in your life, this belief was added to your list of rules and you sought a job. There are alternatives to earning money.

 

my point is, and i'll say it again, we all need rules by which to live our lives, religion for some provides that, that is why some people need god.

Edited May 17, 2018 by TimmyR

[SnailyBoy]

Yes in their view they are acting morally correctly. The jihadists who kill people, believe they are doing the morally right thing. I really don't see how this is relevant to anything I've said. I don't think they are morally correct nor do I think we should let them continue killing because THEY think it is morally correct. All I have ever said is that people need a system of beliefs by which to live their lives. That may or may not come from religious doctrine

 

See I disagree, I think people have beliefs which develop and change over a lifetime. To say they need a system of beliefs to live their lives, I don't think you've demonstrated that's the case.

Edited May 17, 2018 by SnailyBoy

[TimmyR]

See I disagree, I think people have beliefs in which develop and change over a lifetime. To say they need a system of beliefs to live their lives, I don't think you've demonstrated that's the case.

 

why can't a system of beliefs change? it may well do, but you still have one and you base decisions on it.

[SnailyBoy]

why can't a system of beliefs change? it may well do, but you still have one and you base decisions on it.

 

A belief system is a set of mutually supportive beliefs, yes?

 

So for example, if someone believes that a woman has the right to choose what happens to their body, but because of they're a Catholic believes that abortion is wrong.

 

Do they have two belief systems because their beliefs aren't mutually supportive?

[apelike]

The jihadists who kill people, believe they are doing the morally right thing.

 

Yes, its morally right according to their interpretation of their religion.

 

 

i didn't call you a nihilist. Quite the opposite.

 

 

So you didn't say "You believe that everything is totally pointless, you are a true nihilist." Or did you miss out "If"

 

 

but you DO have beliefs. Those are things that you don't know for certain to be true. They are absolutely fundamental to existence.

 

I am certain that I am alive and living and believe it to be true, although I have rarely contemplated that fact. So far no one has convinced me otherwise that it is not true.

 

 

my point is, and i'll say it again, we all need rules by which to live our lives, religion for some provides that, that is why some people need god.

 

Shouldn't that be.. "that's why some people need a God to believe in?"

 

I will ask you this, do you believe that there is more than one God?

[TimmyR]

Yes, its morally right according to their interpretation of their religion.

 

Yes thats my point.

 

So you didn't say "You believe that everything is totally pointless, you are a true nihilist." Or did you miss out "If"

The whole thing was a question based on your previous response.

 

I am certain that I am alive and living and believe it to be true, although I have rarely contemplated that fact. So far no one has convinced me otherwise that it is not true.

Right

 

Shouldn't that be.. "that's why some people need a God to believe in?"

Don't see why that matters.

 

I will ask you this, do you believe that there is more than one God?

I don't believe there are any gods other than in the minds of people who do believe in a/the/all the god (s)

 

---------- Post added 18-05-2018 at 06:55 ----------

 

A belief system is a set of mutually supportive beliefs, yes?

 

So for example, if someone believes that a woman has the right to choose what happens to their body, but because of they're a Catholic believes that abortion is wrong.

 

Do they have two belief systems because their beliefs aren't mutually supportive?

 

mutually supportive beliefs yes but no belief system is so cut and dry that an individual's beliefs can't change based on experiences. You could have some belief impressed upon you as a child that you then decide is wrong as an adult but still consider yourself a member of whatever religion.

 

Anyway, I think shall leave this discussion here, its been interesting thanks.

Edited May 18, 2018 by TimmyR