does faith make you a better person?

[ak-]

Omg, theseeeeee threaaaaaaaaadddddddssssssss.

[markseven]

You're right, there is a difference between "Theory" and "Hypothesis". Apologies for using the wrong word.

I guess whichever side of the table you're sitting on depends how you view the other. I'm not one to dismiss the big bang except for the lack of actual fact, the same as some dismiss the presence of (a) God due to a lack of factual evidence of said God.

I don't see how ID is not a rational idea in terms of the Scientific realm. Care to explain your dismissal of a possible avenue of reasoning in science that current hypothesis' cannot explain? No more so than "crystals" that spawned a certain genetic structure via molecules lining up juuuuust right to create the first cell. Rinse and repeat. How is that not laughable in the slightest. Give me one idea of where it all started at.

When did I say the planet was created in seven days? My issues with the Big Bang are not the Big Bang part. It's the illusion of what preceded the Big Bang. All these researches and studies done on it and not one can point in any GENERAL area (that's not hysterical) of where it all began. I'm not trying to argue Christianity Vs. Atheism, or anything else of that nature.

I'm not against the Big Bang. Just the conclusions that it's where everything began. Logically, this doesn't follow as there was obviously shit there to start the whole thing in motion.

This is good. :) I like this except for the not against big bang part ;)

The word "Faith" in the Bible is most commonly a translation of a Hebrew word that is defined as "Believe". It is meant to be an action based word, not a mental thought but a physical action.

The translations from the original text have allowed human interpretation of what it means, but when it was written, it was meant to mean something totally different than what the present day religous strongholds want to you think it is.

Farbin, I one is a Christian, the words faith and believe are interchangeable (not grammatically, of course).

[Farbin Kaiber]

The word "Faith" in the Bible is most commonly a translation of a Hebrew word that is defined as "Believe". It is meant to be an action based word, not a mental thought but a physical action.

The translations from the original text have allowed human interpretation of what it means, but when it was written, it was meant to mean something totally different than what the present day religous strongholds want to you think it is.

[ck_taft325is]

Lots of things wrong here. Only hard line atheism requires "faith", because as stated earlier you cannot prove or disprove something with 100% certainty. It's not a religious doctrine - it literally means the absence of theism.



Care to back up your dismissal of Big Bang Theory? I like how you bolded 'theory' - it shows you have a clear misunderstanding of the word's use in science. Scientific theory =/= hypothesis. Many people seem to hold this misconception when criticizing evolution. A quick search should explain it for you.



This planet was not created in seven days. It's ~4.5 billion years old. Radiometric dating is extremely accurate.



"Expelled" is a horrible attempt at supporting ID as a rational idea.



There's a reason why Lee laughed at you - your claims are completely ridiculous. As he said, you may as well go back to believing in a heliocentric universe.



You don't need faith to believe life is worth living. "...hope, wishes, desires, ambitions, etc" are completely separate from faith. Keep in mind that the use of faith here refers to belief in god.

You're right, there is a difference between "Theory" and "Hypothesis". Apologies for using the wrong word.

I guess whichever side of the table you're sitting on depends how you view the other. I'm not one to dismiss the big bang except for the lack of actual fact, the same as some dismiss the presence of (a) God due to a lack of factual evidence of said God.

I don't see how ID is not a rational idea in terms of the Scientific realm. Care to explain your dismissal of a possible avenue of reasoning in science that current hypothesis' cannot explain? No more so than "crystals" that spawned a certain genetic structure via molecules lining up juuuuust right to create the first cell. Rinse and repeat. How is that not laughable in the slightest. Give me one idea of where it all started at.

When did I say the planet was created in seven days? My issues with the Big Bang are not the Big Bang part. It's the illusion of what preceded the Big Bang. All these researches and studies done on it and not one can point in any GENERAL area (that's not hysterical) of where it all began. I'm not trying to argue Christianity Vs. Atheism, or anything else of that nature.

I'm not against the Big Bang. Just the conclusions that it's where everything began. Logically, this doesn't follow as there was obviously shit there to start the whole thing in motion.

[Mr Two]

Religion doesnt make you a better person physically, but more mentally for your own self. If that makes sense. Basically you arent doing it for someone else, you are doing it for yourself.

I'd argue the opposite. If someone knows they won't be punished for bad acts or rewarded for good acts in the afterlife because they don't believe in such things, and yet still do good acts and tries to be a good person, are they not better than someone that does good out of fear or hope for a reward of some kind?

[Mr Two]

Words

Lots of things wrong here. Only hard line atheism requires "faith", because as stated earlier you cannot prove or disprove something with 100% certainty. It's not a religious doctrine - it literally means the absence of theism.

Care to back up your dismissal of Big Bang Theory? I like how you bolded 'theory' - it shows you have a clear misunderstanding of the word's use in science. Scientific theory =/= hypothesis. Many people seem to hold this misconception when criticizing evolution. A quick search should explain it for you.

This planet was not created in seven days. It's ~4.5 billion years old. Radiometric dating is extremely accurate.

"Expelled" is a horrible attempt at supporting ID as a rational idea.

There's a reason why Lee laughed at you - your claims are completely ridiculous. As he said, you may as well go back to believing in a heliocentric universe.

You don't need faith to believe life is worth living. "...hope, wishes, desires, ambitions, etc" are completely separate from faith. Keep in mind that the use of faith here refers to belief in god.

[TheB1G Lebowski]

Its a personal choice. Im a Christian but im not gonna shove it down your throat. I dont like people dropping GD bombs around me, but im not gonna get all bitchy if you do but ask that you dont if its every other word.

I dont think anyone is better than any other person Religion doesnt make you a better person physically, but more mentally for your own self. If that makes sense. Basically you arent doing it for someone else, you are doing it for yourself. Thats how I feel, I would prefer to see more people with faith. But its like smoking, you make the choice and if thats how you want to do it then thats how you shall do it.

[Hallen]

I never said that the outcomes would change. Read my other post. Would you rather live your life believing that the future will be good and your goals and wishes will be fulfilled? Or would you rather live your life believing that the future is a bottomless pit of pain and despair? This is exactly why people are depressed and commit suicide. They lose hope that the future holds any good and kill themselves to end the pain. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In this particular case, Holmes is basically right. Faith in a god or faith that things will get better if you work hard enough, or get lucky, or whatever it happens to be, they are all related and it is about faith. Without that faith, that belief that that life is worth living, then you have nothing left to live for.

Faith, in the exclusive context of belief in God, is a bit different than faith that things will get better because faith in God tells you that things that are completely out of your control will make things better for you. Some people have ridiculous faith, like "I know I will win the lottery" and those people easily lose their faith because they are dependent on pure luck. But people that have faith in hard work and intelligence, will normally hold onto their faith.

Faith in God is very contradictory about that kind of thing and that's where the suspension of disbelief has to come into play. You accept the contradictions by accepting that we are not able to understand God's plan.

Either way, God, or internally driven, it is all about faith that things will get better for you, or that things will continue to be good for you. It's what holds us to our pitiful little lives. People with faith in God also believe that things will get better for you after you die and I think that does help people face that inevitable future. It's why you see a lot of older people who shunned religion in their younger years fall back on it as they get older. Or, it could mean they have simply gotten wiser... :)

[Turf1600]

Because you have no control over it. You have no proof that good things are going to happen. You just have to believe that good things will happen.

Wow. No. I have absolutely no faith. I could get hit by a car tomorrow and my wife would have to pay the bills. I'm just happy to be here today.

[LBJefferies]

Based on..... and it's supposedly going to change the outcomes?

I never said that the outcomes would change. Read my other post. Would you rather live your life believing that the future will be good and your goals and wishes will be fulfilled? Or would you rather live your life believing that the future is a bottomless pit of pain and despair? This is exactly why people are depressed and commit suicide. They lose hope that the future holds any good and kill themselves to end the pain. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[Streichholzschächtelchen]

Because you have no control over it. You have no proof that good things are going to happen. You just have to believe that good things will happen.

Based on..... and it's supposedly going to change the outcomes?

[LBJefferies]

I'm just not grasping how that's considered faith?

Because you have no control over it. You have no proof that good things are going to happen. You just have to believe that good things will happen.

[Streichholzschächtelchen]

fuck all that shit. Holy fucking shit you guys are crazy. I control me. Miracles are just highly improbable things happening. When I die I'm going to feed worms. There is nothing above us, and there is no heaven or hell to go to so I can freely say it without fear, god, you can suck my balls.

[Turf1600]

Actually it makes a lot of sense. If you didn't have any hope, wishes, desires, ambitions, etc. would life even be worth living? People have faith that these things will be fulfilled which keeps them from jumping in front of a bus. It is also why so many people are depressed and commit suicide because they lose faith in these things being fulfilled.

I'm just not grasping how that's considered faith?

[Jand3rson]

Tom, I want to know if you came back to this site for ANY OTHER REASON than to continue making and posting in threads of this type. Do you even have an E30 anymore? Do you post in any other section besides off-topic? Do you offer anything relevant to the E30 community?