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Do God/s Exist? Probably Not.

Gordy327

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" It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously....Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." ---Albert Einstein

God/s is a concept which has permeated human cultures and societies throughout history. The belief and worship of god/s can be traced back thousands of years and it's not unreasonable to assume that even primitive humans in individual tribes may have had a concept of gods before the establishment of permanent settlements and civilization. While the belief in god/s helped bring communities closer together or used to explain natural phenomenon which ancient humans did not understand, it's unlikely that any god/s actually existed. Here's why:

First is the obvious lack of any objective, empirical evidence or proof. Religion and belief in various god/s has exited in human societies for thousands of years. Yet, in all that time, not one religion has ever substantiated any claim for the existence of god/s. One would think that over thousands of years of belief and worship of god/s, one would at least be able to come up with a shred of empirical evidence to substantiate the basis of belief and/or claims made based on it. But that clearly not the case. Without any evidence, there is no logical reason to assume any god exists, or has ever existed.

Second, which god is "real" or "true?" Many religions around the world believe in different god/s or claim their god (and by extension their religion) is "true," which also implies all others are false. But not all gods and religions can be "true." Neither have any religion ever been able to establish their particular god/s to be the "true" one. It's quite arrogant to think, not to mention claim, that one's god/s is true and everyone else is false or wrong. Some will go so far as to even vilify differing beliefs, religions, or god/s. By the same token, many societies believed in and worshipped various god/s at some point in history. The Greek and Roman Pantheons is a well known example. But today, those gods and belief in them are relegated to mythology. The same holds true for other religions and gods in history. At some point, many religions and gods are abandoned, possibly supplanted with newer or different god/s. They believed in their pantheon of gods. So if they "got it wrong," as it were, then who's to say the same isn't true for all god/s?

Third, religious texts or sources (ex. the bible) are often cited as "proof" of a god/s. What some people fail to understand is that citing such works as "proof" is not actully proof of anything. It's a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies like that do not make a compelling case for the existence of god/s. It's essentially ancient people writing down their beliefs, nothing more. Also, many cite "miracles," unusual or extreme events, or their own "experiences" as proof of god/s. Of course, such things are subjective and anecdotal, based on something along the lines of "because I (or they) said so." Such experiences are often personal and based on emotion and/or ignorance.

Speaking of ignorance, the lack of understanding of the natural world and phenomenon is a good reason why many thought there's were gods. It's a convenient explanation. Primitive people saw the sun rise and "move" across the sky while providing light and heat. They had no concept of a star's fusion process or the Earth's rotation. So naturally, there must be a god pulling the sun across the sky (i.e. Apollo of Greek myth). Thunder and lightning? Yep, a god is angry. Crops and plants growing? Definitely the work of a fertility god/dess. Seasonal or weather changes? You better believe it's due to a god. Get the idea? Many religions had similar kind of gods to explain all sorts of natural phenomenon. But as science developed and our knowledge and understanding grew, people learned how or why such things happened. Science can even refute certain religious claims. God/s are no longer needed as an explanation. As science continues to learn more, the less and less god/s are needed as an explanation for anything, making them less and less plausible. But then, god/s were never really a valid explanation for anything. But rather a failure to explain anything. It boggles the mind that in today's technological and information era, there are still those who cling to silly superstitions like god/s as real or true or as an explanation for things.
 

“I do not concern myself with gods and spirits either good or evil nor do I serve any.”​

― Lao Tzu

Perfect quote.
 
Here's the bottom line.

Human life is so horrible (filled with grief, loneliness, injustice, and illness) that human beings have to pretend that there is a God in order to endure this vale of tears.

I do not believe in God, but every morning, I ask God for the guidance and strength to do His/Her will.

And I pretend that the inner voice that tells me what to think or do comes from Him/Her.
 
So, you’re either lying to us, or, you’re lying to yourself.
Which is it?
I am lying to myself, of course.

It is the only way to keep one's sanity.
 
I am lying to myself, of course.

It is the only way to keep one's sanity.
I personally find that a good morning swim gets the job done.

But, if lying to oneself is the only way one knows how to decompress, well, to each his or her or their own.
 

“I do not concern myself with gods and spirits either good or evil nor do I serve any.”​

― Lao Tzu

Perfect quote.
I agree.
 
I personally find that a good morning swim gets the job done.

But, if lying to oneself is the only way one knows how to decompress, well, to each his or her or their own.
Yes, exercise (even walking) can do wonders. (Something about endorphins?)

Have a nice weekend!
 
No, you can keep your sanity just as well without pretending there are gods.
It can be said believing there are god/s might bring one's sanity into question.
 
It can be said believing there are god/s might bring one's sanity into question.
Believing that this is what God intended for man, that this life is all there is, might also bring one's sanity into question...
 
Believing that this is what God intended for man that this life is all there is, might also bring one's sanity into question...
This life is reality. Believing there's something else, especially without evidence, is questionable. At the very least, it's a psychological comfort mechanism.
 
" It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously....Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." ---Albert Einstein

God/s is a concept which has permeated human cultures and societies throughout history. The belief and worship of god/s can be traced back thousands of years and it's not unreasonable to assume that even primitive humans in individual tribes may have had a concept of gods before the establishment of permanent settlements and civilization. While the belief in god/s helped bring communities closer together or used to explain natural phenomenon which ancient humans did not understand, it's unlikely that any god/s actually existed. Here's why:

First is the obvious lack of any objective, empirical evidence or proof. Religion and belief in various god/s has exited in human societies for thousands of years. Yet, in all that time, not one religion has ever substantiated any claim for the existence of god/s. One would think that over thousands of years of belief and worship of god/s, one would at least be able to come up with a shred of empirical evidence to substantiate the basis of belief and/or claims made based on it. But that clearly not the case. Without any evidence, there is no logical reason to assume any god exists, or has ever existed.

Second, which god is "real" or "true?" Many religions around the world believe in different god/s or claim their god (and by extension their religion) is "true," which also implies all others are false. But not all gods and religions can be "true." Neither have any religion ever been able to establish their particular god/s to be the "true" one. It's quite arrogant to think, not to mention claim, that one's god/s is true and everyone else is false or wrong. Some will go so far as to even vilify differing beliefs, religions, or god/s. By the same token, many societies believed in and worshipped various god/s at some point in history. The Greek and Roman Pantheons is a well known example. But today, those gods and belief in them are relegated to mythology. The same holds true for other religions and gods in history. At some point, many religions and gods are abandoned, possibly supplanted with newer or different god/s. They believed in their pantheon of gods. So if they "got it wrong," as it were, then who's to say the same isn't true for all god/s?

Third, religious texts or sources (ex. the bible) are often cited as "proof" of a god/s. What some people fail to understand is that citing such works as "proof" is not actully proof of anything. It's a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies like that do not make a compelling case for the existence of god/s. It's essentially ancient people writing down their beliefs, nothing more. Also, many cite "miracles," unusual or extreme events, or their own "experiences" as proof of god/s. Of course, such things are subjective and anecdotal, based on something along the lines of "because I (or they) said so." Such experiences are often personal and based on emotion and/or ignorance.

Speaking of ignorance, the lack of understanding of the natural world and phenomenon is a good reason why many thought there's were gods. It's a convenient explanation. Primitive people saw the sun rise and "move" across the sky while providing light and heat. They had no concept of a star's fusion process or the Earth's rotation. So naturally, there must be a god pulling the sun across the sky (i.e. Apollo of Greek myth). Thunder and lightning? Yep, a god is angry. Crops and plants growing? Definitely the work of a fertility god/dess. Seasonal or weather changes? You better believe it's due to a god. Get the idea? Many religions had similar kind of gods to explain all sorts of natural phenomenon. But as science developed and our knowledge and understanding grew, people learned how or why such things happened. Science can even refute certain religious claims. God/s are no longer needed as an explanation. As science continues to learn more, the less and less god/s are needed as an explanation for anything, making them less and less plausible. But then, god/s were never really a valid explanation for anything. But rather a failure to explain anything. It boggles the mind that in today's technological and information era, there are still those who cling to silly superstitions like god/s as real or true or as an explanation for things.

There is ZERO empirical evidence that proves God and the supernatural do not and cannot exist.
 
There is ZERO empirical evidence that proves God and the supernatural do not and cannot exist.
There is zero evidence god/s and the supernatural do exist. It's just an assumption based on nothing but belief that they do. Proving the non-existence of something is a logical fallacy. Believing god/s or the supernatural exists sans evidence is little more than a mental comfort mechanism at the very least.
 
This life is reality. Believing there's something else, especially without evidence, is questionable. At the very least, it's a psychological comfort mechanism.
Yes.

I like that word "comfort."

Each morning, I "pray" to "God" for His/Her guidance and strength to do His/Her will during the time that I am destined to live that day.

And I pretend that good ideas that come to me are directly from Him/Her.
 
There is ZERO empirical evidence that proves God and the supernatural do not and cannot exist.

Well DUH, because you cannot "prove" a negative.
This is Jr High level stuff.
 
Truth trumps anything else...
Proclamations of "truth" sans evidence or facts are meaningless and empty. Simply declaring something "truth" does not make it so.
 
Proclamations of "truth" sans evidence or facts are meaningless and empty. Simply declaring something "truth" does not make it so.
And yet, TRUTH prevails...
 
And yet, TRUTH prevails...
And yet, you fail to demonstrate truth, as you lack evidence and/or proof. Still just an empty declaration. But you do demonstrate a point made in the article perfectly.
 
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