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Do you believe in God or the supernatural?
- Thread starter Paperboywriter
- Start date
Not exactly sure what you mean by supernatural, but overall, I feel that there is far more beyond our comprehension abilities both as humans and 3rd dimensional beings. I don't believe in the Judeo Christian god whatsoever, and am far closer to the camp that would believe we're in a simulation, or at the very least, we are a microscopic part of a large being/universe (in the vein of our universe is a single cell in a larger world, etc).
I am convinced, however, that our lives are utterly meaningless and we are a scream into the dark void.
I am convinced, however, that our lives are utterly meaningless and we are a scream into the dark void.
I try to believe in the existence only of that which has significant evidence for its existence. The thing I have to gain by doing that is a closer correspondence of my perception of reality to reality itself than those who selectively disregard evidence or lack thereof in the existence of something or someone.
I also think that people who believe in things based on "faith" and are proud of doing so make the world a worse place.
I also think that people who believe in things based on "faith" and are proud of doing so make the world a worse place.
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Not a believer.
I just live my life and I don't see the supernatural or a god in it.
The first few chapters of Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot reflect my stance on organized religion pretty well- the universe is massively, maddeningly, incomprehensibly vast and complex. I don't see a bunch of meticulously arranged molecules living on a particular, relatively infinitesimal rock having any sort of privileged, divine or cosmic significance on such a scale.
I just live my life and I don't see the supernatural or a god in it.
The first few chapters of Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot reflect my stance on organized religion pretty well- the universe is massively, maddeningly, incomprehensibly vast and complex. I don't see a bunch of meticulously arranged molecules living on a particular, relatively infinitesimal rock having any sort of privileged, divine or cosmic significance on such a scale.
I don't believe in anything supernatural. In a vacuum I don't really gain anything. I guess compared to heavily religious people I gain more free time? This is a hard question to answer lol.
Nope.
That doesn't automatically mean it's an impossibility, but until there's any evidence whatsoever, no. Also agree with the post above in that even if there were something "supernatural", it would just mean it's something science doesn't currently understand.
That doesn't automatically mean it's an impossibility, but until there's any evidence whatsoever, no. Also agree with the post above in that even if there were something "supernatural", it would just mean it's something science doesn't currently understand.
I don't believe in anything really supernatural, maybe some philosophical principals that can't be easily explained by the latest science, but I don't believe there's anything supernatural behind them, just that we might lack the fundamental understanding of them at the moment.
Despite not having any supernatural inclinations, I'm usually a bit of an apologist for religion and religious people... At least on the internet, where it matters. I think I usually come down on the anti-hot takes on religion, which seem to be really pervasive.
Despite not having any supernatural inclinations, I'm usually a bit of an apologist for religion and religious people... At least on the internet, where it matters. I think I usually come down on the anti-hot takes on religion, which seem to be really pervasive.
In all my studies, the more I learned about religion and supernatural beliefs across cultures, the more clear to me it was that it's very much a human invention.
There's nothing wrong with that, any more than there is say, an Italian-born person preferring the food of their culture over other things. The only problems lie in treating it like a universal, and worse, applying religion to broader, non-religious life.
There's nothing wrong with that, any more than there is say, an Italian-born person preferring the food of their culture over other things. The only problems lie in treating it like a universal, and worse, applying religion to broader, non-religious life.
I don't because the big bang and evolution provide perfectly rational explanations for how things are.
I have a "complicated" belief that the supernatural exists on some level but I don't let it dictate my life in any way.
I am extremely superstitious. I attribute that to being raised in a harsh, Pentacostal home.
I am extremely superstitious. I attribute that to being raised in a harsh, Pentacostal home.
Do I think there could be a god or some type of supreme being(s)? Yes, that's a possibility, slim, but possible. Do I believe in any Earthly (religions created by humans) gods? No. It's quite obvious major religions are just a tool to control people.
There is so much we don't understand, which is why I like to keep an open-mind.
There is so much we don't understand, which is why I like to keep an open-mind.
I like the some of the ideas of God and other higher beings looking down on you(kind of in The Lion King train of thought), but I don't necessarily believe in them.
I don't have any belief now. I was raised super Catholic, like altar boy at daily mass five days a week, Catholic. By junior high, I realized I didn't believe any of it. It took almost 20 years to fully scrub it out of my head. I was an atheist with the brain of a Catholic for so long. I'm happier now, more empathetic, and my world view has just opened up in a way that wasn't possible before.
I believe that there is an entity that has the ability and the right to to administrate everything that we can perceive.
Nope, and I also consider myself anti-theist in general. I.e. even if a ruling god (or whatever) was proven to exist, I'd be opposed to them. Not interested in anything supernatural until proven natural aside from that either.
Luckily for you there is infact overwhelming evidence for at least four known fundamental forces (currently). If that's not what you meant you should probably clarify what you meant by a "force" as that could mean literally anything you want it to unless you, you know, actually define it.
(I'll be honest all this vague new age shit with all these undefined bullshit terms annoy me more than the old religions. Sure they are bullshit too but at least they said something.)
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my ideas are largely grown out of my upbringing in a comparatively open minded protestant church and a bunch of syncretism from getting a liberal arts education and meeting and listening to lots of different people of different backgrounds. i don't know what it means to have god create the world and leave us here to hurt and kill ourselves but i gotta have faith that the good in us brings us closer to some truth and that life and death isn't all senselessness
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My answer is no. Turns out life isn't too different without religion, it's just one less burden to live with. Also, whenever something mysterious pops up, I don't get the appeal of looking for a shortcut answer by invoking the supernatural, when there are physical explanations that are possible, one can try and remove psychological bias, or remain agnostic about it.
Why would I believe a mostly illiterate group of people from thousands of years ago? They shit in the streets for God's sake.
Supernatural things? No, though I kinda wish some of that stuff was real because the world would be a lot more interesting.
As for God or another deity, I was raised Catholic, but in the intervening years (especially around the time I went to college and the years since) I've about 98% shaken that and moved to being...I guess agnostic. Even as a child I eventually felt like I was sort-of going through the motions to fit in, rather than actually believing, and as time has gone on (and I moved out of my parents' house) I've felt less of an urge or desire to associate myself with Christians and more of a sense that I have a much stronger moral compass than the vast majority of those who label themselves Christians anyway and would be ashamed to be lumped in with them.
I think that last 2% that's holding on is just a testament to how hard it is to shake things you were taught during your formative years.
As for God or another deity, I was raised Catholic, but in the intervening years (especially around the time I went to college and the years since) I've about 98% shaken that and moved to being...I guess agnostic. Even as a child I eventually felt like I was sort-of going through the motions to fit in, rather than actually believing, and as time has gone on (and I moved out of my parents' house) I've felt less of an urge or desire to associate myself with Christians and more of a sense that I have a much stronger moral compass than the vast majority of those who label themselves Christians anyway and would be ashamed to be lumped in with them.
I think that last 2% that's holding on is just a testament to how hard it is to shake things you were taught during your formative years.
I believe in neither, but I do believe it's probably impossible for us to ever fully grasp the wonderful, horrible machination of reality. There could very well be a higher plane of existence with entities that could only be considered god-like to us, where our entire universe is a mere atom to them. But I doubt we'll ever be able to transcend our comfortable little bubble to find out, so Earthly religions and anyone who claims to know there's a god or gods have always struck me as being obviously fraudulent... and no amount of hysterical righteousness is gonna convince me those beliefs deserve to be respected, especially once they start causing societal harm by perverting people's moral compasses.
This, but in the same sense that I could be wrong about dragons or leprechauns.
I still practice the faith yes, though not by any strict, uniform set of ecclesiastical doctrines. ^^'
I believe in God and heaven, it gives me hope and keeps me going.
If people don't want to believe that's on them and they have every right to do so, I dont force my beliefs on people so they sure as shit better not force their opinions on me, especially in person.
If people don't want to believe that's on them and they have every right to do so, I dont force my beliefs on people so they sure as shit better not force their opinions on me, especially in person.
Nope, there are incredible things in terms of our own personal meanings, interests, passions, and our own creations. Finding purpose, and meaning, and believing in ideas and others is wonderful. But things that relate to the nature of things, or affect our health are critical for us to understand, and confusing human invention with basic nature can be dangerous because of all the things we rely on our understandings of the world for. Of course some beliefs, like ghosts, likely aren't gonna affect our ability to live well, but believing in things like spiritual healing over medicine, for example, carries worrisome ramifications.
There's plenty of amazing supernatural and magical things in our life, but they (as far as we can tell) exist entirely within the scope of human imagination, and even in that scope they can enrich our lives without obfuscating things.
There's plenty of amazing supernatural and magical things in our life, but they (as far as we can tell) exist entirely within the scope of human imagination, and even in that scope they can enrich our lives without obfuscating things.
The state of consciousness is so amazing. A lot of times before I sleep I start thinking about it and then end up at the point where my brain can't comprehend anymore. Like why? Why does the universe exist? Why do we exist in the way we exist? Is there anything 'outside'? Are there more types of existence that differ from ours?
It's fascinating. I hope we manage to learn a lot more. As for the 'force', you could say I believe the universe is God. Not in the religious sense though.
No. I've basically always been an atheist and never believed in ghosts or anything like that. Growing up in rural MS, I didn't really put a label on it until my grandpa said he was an atheist, and I was like "huh, I think I am too."
No hate towards religion though. I went to high school with somebody whose dad got them hooked on meth. They both found religion, confessed to crimes they hadn't been caught for, served their time, and now they've got a great family going with all that behind them. Would that work for me? Nah. But different strokes for different folks.
Hey, so do wizards apparently
No hate towards religion though. I went to high school with somebody whose dad got them hooked on meth. They both found religion, confessed to crimes they hadn't been caught for, served their time, and now they've got a great family going with all that behind them. Would that work for me? Nah. But different strokes for different folks.
Hey, so do wizards apparently
I believe theres a God, but the wording on your choices confused me so I picked the last one.
The reason why is because I think there's a higher probability that some kind of God exists than not. Non-theistic arguments dont make much sense to me and I generally feel them to be lacking
The reason why is because I think there's a higher probability that some kind of God exists than not. Non-theistic arguments dont make much sense to me and I generally feel them to be lacking