Is there God?

[Florestan]

This is only for statistics purpose only. Pick your choice without any comment whatsoever. Thanks for participating.

[Daverz]

May you be touched by his noodly appendage.

[Florestan]

May you be touched by his noodly appendage.

I (really) don't get it but many thanks for posting / voting, anyway. Also, many thanks to all those who cared to vote, much appreciated, guys.

[Mandryka]

What would be really interesting is to see how the voting relates to where people are from. I have a theory: that religion has almost completely receded in Europe but in America it is still booming.

[DaveF]

Mandryka, you're breaking 2 rules there, old fellow: the OP said "no comments" and your Wittgensteinian strapline also forbids you to talk about religion 

I would also be interested to know how responses relate to musical tastes.  Just take the three Bs: Byrd, Bach - you're probably a believer, Boulez: you're probably not.  Or that's my theory.  Of course, you (M) like very old and very new stuff...

[Que]

I would also be interested to know how responses relate to musical tastes.  Just take the three Bs: Byrd, Bach - you're probably a believer, Boulez: you're probably not.  Or that's my theory.  Of course, you (M) like very old and very new stuff...

Interesting theory...

As a Bach-loving nation, the Netherlands is one of the least religious countries in the world.

And as a Early Music & Baroque fan I spend a lot of time listening to what my wife calls "your church music", while I'm a lifetime atheist.

[Alek Hidell]

Answer: a somewhat qualified no (qualified because we can't know there isn't a God any more than we can know there is - but I strongly suspect there isn't ).

[Brahmsian]

I would like to know, out of the ones that believe that God exists, what percentage are chosing to say they believe just to cover their asses so that they ensure they go to heaven (if it exists)?  As in, I better believe in God just in case.

[Mirror Image]

I would like to know, out of the ones that believe that God exists, what percentage are chosing to say they believe just to cover their asses so that they ensure they go to heaven (if it exists)?  As in, I better believe in God just in case.

These are the majority of people that go to church every Sunday. For many of them, they believe in God because 1. it just looks good on them, because it's what their church-going friends believe and 2. they assume that by believing in God and being a 'good person' that will ensure their place in heaven. The reality is that most of these 'Holy rollers' as I call them wouldn't even spit on people like me and their whole attitude is, which is actually a superiority complex masquerading as 'genuine concern', to use Hilary Clinton's favorite word, deplorable.

[steve ridgway]

I put I don't know although the more I learn about the evolution of the universe and life the more I think that if I were God I'd love nothing more than to set up a relatively limited set of laws and initial conditions with such genius that it'd develop itself over incredible spans of time into something infinitely diverse and fascinating.🪐

[Mandryka]

I would like to know, out of the ones that believe that God exists, what percentage are chosing to say they believe just to cover their asses so that they ensure they go to heaven (if it exists)?  As in, I better believe in God just in case.

There's something reassuring about seeing yourself as a believer, it's like a link with the past, a way of forging an identity for yourself. In a way, when white Brits say they believe in God it's the same sort of thing as when they say they believe in The Queen. They aren't saying anything more than it's comforting to see yourself as part of a tradition.

The Pascal's wager thing that you allude to seems to me totally anachronistic, no one believes in judgement after death or heaven and hell for fks sake!

[Brahmsian]

I think believing in God is becoming increasingly more irrelevant with each successive generation.

Within another three or four generations, it will literally be a thing of the past.

That's my thought, but I could be mistaken.

[Florestan]

What would be really interesting is to see how the voting relates to where people are from. I have a theory: that religion has almost completely receded in Europe

Western Europe, maybe --- just maybe. Eastern Europe, no --- at least Romania and Poland (the two most populous countries of the region) identify themselves as strongly religious (Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic respectively).

[Florestan]

I think believing in God is becoming increasingly more irrelevant with each successive generation.

Within another three or four generations, it will literally be a thing of the past.

What country are you talking about?

[Mandryka]

Western Europe, maybe --- just maybe. Eastern Europe, no --- at least Romania and Poland (the two most populous countries of the region) identify themselves as strongly religious (Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic respectively).

Yes, I'm sure your right about that. I was planning on editing my post in fact to reflect it.

[Florestan]

I would like to know, out of the ones that believe that God exists, what percentage are chosing to say they believe just to cover their asses so that they ensure they go to heaven (if it exists)?  As in, I better believe in God just in case.

I have often questioned God's justice, but never His existence.

[Mandryka]

I have often questioned God's justice, but never His existence.

If he isn't just, why does the ontological question matter? Because he's powerful?

[Florestan]

If he isn't just, why does the ontological question matter? Because he's powerful?

I don't say He isn't just. I do believe He is. It's only that His justice is far and above our human one.

[Florestan]

There's something reassuring about seeing yourself as a believer

Ummm, no... There's nothing reassuring about it. Actually, Christianity proper is risk, wager and adventure.

Once saved, always saved is an absurdity, an absolutely non-Christian notion.

[Brahmsian]

What country are you talking about?

Canada. I'm sure there are others.