does faith make you a better person?

[Scotaku]

Faith is not praying to Jesus and thanking him for everything. Faith is not going to church on Sunday. Having faith doesn't even mean being a moral person all the time.

I believe that to have faith is to believe that there is a fundamental order underlying everything in the universe. At some point in the distant past this order was set into motion by what can only be described as God. No amount of religion or science will unlock all the secrets of this order and explain it in terms that can be understood by our feeble minds. No matter what you do, whether you bring world peace, or murder 6 million Jews, this was all determined by forces that are much greater than yourself. Once you realize this and also that there is no possible way to avoid any of it, you can have faith and give yourself up to God so to speak.

I would also like to point out that I considered myself an atheist in the past but have since renewed my faith in God. I also believe in Jesus. He is an archetype upon which all humans should model themselves. Once you get down to the basics, the message of Christianity is to treat others as you would like to be treated and to love everybody. If everybody would follow this simple message and be more like Jesus then the human race would stop destroying itself.

As for heaven, I think that it is just the mark you make upon the universe and humanity. If you did positive things in your life, the mark you make upon the universe and humanity will be good and you will be remembered well. If you did bad things, the mark you make will be a negative one and you will be remembered negatively. Up until your dying breath you will have the power to do good but once you die, your ultimate fate is sealed.

With that one word, flipped, we largely agree. Astonishing, I know. I believe Heaven and Hell are "places" our souls end up after our mortal lives end and the decision to believe or not is made final.

For ben312, the only thing that makes you a better person is your behavior; what you chose to do in Life. And that too is relative because you might be pulling the wings off butterflies today and you'd be a better person for not continuing to do so, tomorrow.

I think you want to ask if faith makes you a happier person. That seems to be the point your ex was trying to make. Judge your own happiness in her terms and you'll contiually be asking her if you are happy. Ask yourself.

I believe in God. I have faith. I've acted in faith. I've prayed for stronger faith when Life got hard (cancer anyone?). And I've realized that faith is only proven when tested... which made me pray for less faith when shit got worse. I've not always been happy, but that's an emotion. Faith is a choice.

I too have been through periods where I put my faith on a shelf and forgot about it. Fortunately, dusting it off found it just as good as ever. And choosing that was a behavior that made me both a better and happier person.

[ck_taft325is]

energy can not be destroyed only transfered.

we are beings of energy.

when we die we do not cease to exist.

we are part of the huge ever expanding explosion called the big bang--

your faith should come from the knowledge that you know whats real and right--

your morality should come from the fact that every decision will lead to another decision and that you make the choices.

karma is real as is entropy

happy sunday

The "Big Bang" has been disproved. So if you have a problem with "Faith in things unseen or unproven such as a "God"", then you may want to re-think that stance.

I urge you to see "Expelled" by Ben Stein. Talks with and lets the biggest proponents of Evolution and the Big Bang Theory share their view points, reasoning and evidence. Very telling movie all in all.

[z31maniac]

Greatest story ever written.

It's beyond hysterical to me, that modern man still buys into this shit.

[Farbin Kaiber]

It's wonderful to see everyones opinion on this topic. I will, however sit this thread out.

[stevofthahill]

Fighting over religion is like fighting over who has the better imaginary friend.

[Massive Lee]

The "Big Bang" has been disproved.

Really?

So... Earth was created in 6 days while on the 7th, God had a latte and a few crescents? Hmmm... Maybe earth is flat after all, and the sun revolves around the earth, which is the center of the universe.

Interesting point of view. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

In regard of the initial topic, "Does faith make you a better man?". I don't see how being religious can make one a better person. It is what you do on earth that makes you a better or worst person. People who make a difference, even in small things. "Better persons" are not just people who don't harm others. "Better persons" are altruistic individuals who make their environment a better world.

Those who think they have strictly no purpose in life and will make no difference, should at least try.

[87e30]

As someone raised in a very religious atmosphere and someone who at the moment doesn't care at all this is a very interesting thread. I'm a bit indecisive on what I believe so I choose not to think about it.

There are a couple personal things that make discussions like this very challenging.

What is being happy?
What makes you a good person?
What are "good" morals?

Very few people would respond to all of these questions exactly the same... so it's pretty hard to argue where you should place your faith in order to become a certain type of person.

[hoveringuy]

I'm Agnostic, which basically means "I don't know" (and don't care), whereas atheists are certain there is no god. I believe in god in the sense that it is synonymous with nature.

I also belong to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and worship at Landover Baptist "guaranteeing salvation since 1620" http://www.landoverbaptist.org/

[ck_taft325is]

Really?

So... Earth was created in 6 days while on the 7th, God had a latte and a few crescents? Hmmm... Maybe earth is flat after all, and the sun revolves around the earth, which is the center of the universe.

Interesting point of view. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

In regard of the initial topic, "Does faith make you a better man?". I don't see how being religious can make one a better person. It is what you do on earth that makes you a better or worst person. People who make a difference, even in small things. "Better persons" are not just people who don't harm others. "Better persons" are altruistic individuals who make their environment a better world.

Those who think they have strictly no purpose in life and will make no difference, should at least try.

Yeah, Really.

As for the rest of the crap you said? I have no idea. But at least I've got the balls to say I don't know. Pushing the "big bang" theory, which was broken awhile ago, but gets continually vomitted back up because it's, "What I was taught in school" is just about as naive as you seem to think I am for saying it's a theory, not a fact. I'm not dealing in absolutes here, but it seems you are. It's either the "Big Bang" or you believe in fairy tales and such. Odd how that works out...

Furthermore, when did anyone ask "Does Religion make you a better person?" exactly? I seem to remember clarifying that they are not one in the same. Are you an "altruistic" person? Define this, please. From where I'm standing you're one step away from being just another religious nut of another variety calling the kettle black when it comes to "judging" people. And if they are the same (Religion and Faith), you should know it takes just as much or more "Faith" and thus "Religion" to believe in something that you have no physical evidences of today.

[Jordan325iC]

I am agnostic. From a sociological perspective, organized religion offers many benefits to followers. Slightly better physical and mental health, a wide variety of social perks (job allocation, localized disaster support, organizational skills, information distribution, etc...), and a general sense of purpose. Collective effervescence is powerful and real. These sort of correlations show very little variance between different religions and different denominations. The function of religion, as I see it, is not really individual enlightenment. If that was the case, a "church" would be unnecessary. The main function is social cohesion.

[Massive Lee]

Yeah, Really.

We have a winner here. So from now on, earth is flat and sun revolves around the earth. Welcome to the 16th century.

[ck_taft325is]

We have a winner here. So from now on, earth is flat and sun revolves around the earth. Welcome to the 16th century.

That's it? Pithy personal attacks? That's all you can respond with? Heh, so what you've surmised is, I'm an ignorante believer? Because, why? The Big Bang theory was proved to be a sham? There MUST only be two alternatives by your standards. Big bang or bust, right? You're the type of person that makes religion a terrible thing. You just haven't come out of the religious "closet" yet.

[hoveringuy]

I am agnostic. From a sociological perspective, organized religion offers many benefits to followers. Slightly better physical and mental health, a wide variety of social perks (job allocation, localized disaster support, organizational skills, information distribution, etc...), and a general sense of purpose. Collective effervescence is powerful and real. These sort of correlations show very little variance between different religions and different denominations. The function of religion, as I see it, is not really individual enlightenment. If that was the case, a "church" would be unnecessary. The main function is social cohesion.

So R3VLIMITED is a church? BMW is a religion?

[LBJefferies]

The "Big Bang" has been disproved.

Wow you are one ignorant person if you honestly believe this. The Big Bang has not been disproven. In fact, there is VERY strong and simple evidence in support of the Big Bang. Have you ever heard of the redshift? How about cosmic background radiation? Go tell the smartest man in the world, Steven Hawking, that the Big Bang has been disproven and he will use his computer to laugh at you.

The Big Bang is as truthful as the theory of gravity. Sure, it can never be proven without a doubt but then again nothing can. That is the beauty of science! It changes with new evidence and new discoveries. Religion on the other hand is based on dogma and is unchanging and is having a very hard time adapting to our times. Organized religion is going the way of the dinosaur.

[ck_taft325is]

Wow you are one ignorant person if you honestly believe this. The Big Bang has not been disproven. In fact, there is VERY strong and simple evidence in support of the Big Bang. Have you ever heard of the redshift? How about cosmic background radiation? Go tell the smartest man in the world, Steven Hawking, that the Big Bang has been disproven and he will use his computer to laugh at you.

The Big Bang is as truthful as the theory of gravity. Sure, it can never be proven without a doubt but then again nothing can. That is the beauty of science! It changes with new evidence and new discoveries. Religion on the other hand is based on dogma and is unchanging and is having a very hard time adapting to our times. Organized religion is going the way of the dinosaur.

Perhaps we're debating the wrong thing here. Let me be clear, the Big Bang theory, while in and of itself is flawed, still hasn't explained clearly or in any logical way, how things began. There was nothing. Then there was something. A compression of hot gases that are cooling (Cosmic Background Radiation). Then stuff happend, the "bang". Which wasn't a bang. Just something that happend.

Something can't come from nothing. One of the ONLY things the big bang theory determined circa '68-'70 (S. Hawking, G. Ellis, R. Penrose) is that there was a beginning to time. Which they expounded from Einstein's relativity theory.

TBB is the as sure as Gravity? Yet it's totally unexplainable?

You're right. I'm totally ignorant...