Religion Americans Skeptical Of God But Think Heaven Is Real, Somehow

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Einstein expressed his skepticism regarding an anthropomorphic deity, often describing it as "naïve" and "childlike". He stated, "It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I feel also not able to imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere. My views are near those of Spinoza: admiration for the beauty of and belief in the logical simplicity of the order which we can grasp humbly and only imperfectly.
 
Einstein was a pantheist

Pantheism is the belief that the Universe (or nature as the totality of everything) is identical with divinity, or that everything composes an all-encompassing, immanent god. Pantheists thus do not believe in a distinct personal or anthropomorphic god.
 
Aristotle was a Belgian.

barfo
 
Einstein expressed his skepticism regarding an anthropomorphic deity, often describing it as "naïve" and "childlike". He stated, "It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I feel also not able to imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere. My views are near those of Spinoza: admiration for the beauty of and belief in the logical simplicity of the order which we can grasp humbly and only imperfectly.

He is also quoted as saying, "In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."

So, you'd better stop pissing off Einstein's ghost, Denny.
 
To VanillaGorilla:

Saw your post before it got deleted, and I got a question for you

How does being told what to believe make your beliefs more valid and less "utter nonsense" than the beliefs I formulated on my own?

What do you mean? I wasn't told what to believe.. Or at least I don't really believe the things that I was told to believe. But anyways, how does you formulating your own beliefs, without any evidence or anything, make them valid?
 
What do you mean? I wasn't told what to believe.. Or at least I don't really believe the things that I was told to believe. But anyways, how does you formulating your own beliefs, without any evidence or anything, make them valid?
Show me evidence for any religion! And I mean real evidence
 
Show me evidence for any religion! And I mean real evidence

Show me evidence, and I mean real evidence, that a universe can form from nothing, complete with an organized set of physical laws that allows it to exist for billions of years. Show me evidence that says that the amount of information contained in the DNA of even the simplest single-cell organism, information that allows it to form in a way that it can ingest food, process it into energy, eliminate the waste, and reproduce itself, can somehow come into being through happenstance.
 
Show me evidence, and I mean real evidence, that a universe can form from nothing, complete with an organized set of physical laws that allows it to exist for billions of years. Show me evidence that says that the amount of information contained in the DNA of even the simplest single-cell organism, information that allows it to form in a way that it can ingest food, process it into energy, eliminate the waste, and reproduce itself, can somehow come into being through happenstance.
And that leads me to my point. That no religion or belief is based on actual evidence. We have no idea why all that occurs. Which makes my beliefs as valid as the next guys
 
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/what-believing-in-god-does-to-your-brain-a6950956.html

What believing in God does to your brain
Researchers found humans suppress the analytical areas of their brain in order to believe in god

Humans suppress areas of the brain used for analytical thinking and engage the parts responsible for empathy in order to believe in god, research suggests.

They do the opposite when thinking about the physical world, according to the study.

"When there's a question of faith, from the analytic point of view, it may seem absurd," said Professor Tony Jack, who led the research.
 
Some of you REALLY need to work on your spirituality.

This should help. Be sure to take notes.

 
In a somewhat related issue... I just renewed my driver license and checked the organ donor box. I hope everyone does.

After lights out, I won't be needing them and if they save a life or two, it's the least I could do.
 
In a somewhat related issue... I just renewed my driver license and checked the organ donor box. I hope everyone does.

After lights out, I won't be needing them and if they save a life or two, it's the least I could do.

I checked the 'donate Denny's organs' box.

barfo
 
In a somewhat related issue... I just renewed my driver license and checked the organ donor box. I hope everyone does.

After lights out, I won't be needing them and if they save a life or two, it's the least I could do.

Good for you Denny. I hope someone checks the "good until date". I know I won't be need mine either, and the reason I won't need them at lights out will be, no doubt because
the "good until date" has long past.
 
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/what-believing-in-god-does-to-your-brain-a6950956.html

What believing in God does to your brain
Researchers found humans suppress the analytical areas of their brain in order to believe in god

Humans suppress areas of the brain used for analytical thinking and engage the parts responsible for empathy in order to believe in god, research suggests.

They do the opposite when thinking about the physical world, according to the study.

"When there's a question of faith, from the analytic point of view, it may seem absurd," said Professor Tony Jack, who led the research.
Interesting. I didnt learn to critically think until liberal public school was in my past. I picked up a bible with the goal of calling it horse shit and found the opposite to be true. Took about a year of intense study, I didnt want outside influence so I ignored both the suited man at the pulpit as well as my athiest friends.

How ever I didnt notice my analytical brain function decline, or empathy increase for that matter. Quite the opposite I hated most people before, and I still hate most people, but I began analyzing why.
 
I think it's lights out forever when you die. Your consciousness completely ends, your body rots to dust.

No "soul" or anything else.

I've come to believe the concept of Hell is actually the few minutes it takes for your brain to die after your heart stops beating. All the more reason to live a life to be proud of.
 
yet you have to teach your child not to lie, and how to share, because we are inherently bad, we are taught morals as we grow up, we do not naturally do the right thing until after we are taught what is right.

I disagree with this completely. In my experience, people are inherently good. Most bad behavior is born from mental illness or extreme abuse.

Having coached youth sports for 12 years I have personally known may kids and watched them grow, learn and develop over time. The ones with little-to-no constructive parenting are usually the most morally-centered, compassionate ones. I guess they are taught this by reverse example, as most have 1 or 2 total losers as parents.
 
I disagree with this completely. In my experience, people are inherently good. Most bad behavior is born from mental illness or extreme abuse.

Having coached youth sports for 12 years I have personally known may kids and watched them grow, learn and develop over time. The ones with little-to-no constructive parenting are usually the most morally-centered, compassionate ones. I guess they are taught this by reverse example, as most have 1 or 2 total losers as parents.
Kids in sports have already begun learning and shaping their moral character. Look at babies, they are all little shit bags. Take a babies toy, it's going to cry, cause it's a selfish ass hole. Get off my lawn
 
In a somewhat related issue... I just renewed my driver license and checked the organ donor box. I hope everyone does.

After lights out, I won't be needing them and if they save a life or two, it's the least I could do.

Sorry to hear you will probably be euthanized by doctors the first chance they get to put you down and harvest those priceless organs.

Take solace that your premature death will afford some surgeons to buy another Learjet or Mazzeratti.
 
The "study" is non-scientific gibberish, unsupportable assumptions, and moronic conclusions (or leaps of faith, as I like to call them).

No peer reviews, no actual "experts in their field", and a decided lack of basic knowledge of what is known about the human brain.
 
Think about your mind and how you think.

Then think about what if in 5 seconds you died and no longer could think and ceased to exist. Therefore never getting to communicate with your best friends, wife, family etc.

That's depressing.

Being depressed by something that has never occurred is irrational. It's the glass (life) is half empty thought process and is born from greed.

Being 60+ years old my glass has overflowed with with nectar sweet beyond my wildest expectations. I can only feel fortunate, lucky and thankful for being born, for knowing so many wonderful people, for experiencing so many fantastic adventures.

When I eventually die, assuming I don't live forever, it will be with a shit-eating grin on my face.
 
Im all about peoples rights to believe what they want, I think choice is good and living with consequences of choices (whether good or bad) is part of life. However, relativity certainly cant be true, either 1 religion has it right, or there truly is nothing after death and consciousness itself was a cosmic accident, or no one has it right. The only certainty is they cant all be right. Either way I think one should consider research and exploration of the ideals available and come to a conclusion, that's what the mid life crisis is all about. That and sports cars.
 

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