Why do you believe/disbelieve in god?

[Mister D]

I think everyone has morals independent of religion. We have morals and values in society which are debated and agreed upon which have no bearing on theology. If moral absolutes became of religious text, then we would still stone people for working on the Sabbath and encourage slavery and abuse of women. Morality is flexible and should be.

Also, I like to think I behave morally because of empathy and kindness rather than fear of eternal punishment

If morality is not objective and absolute it's without foundation. It's not "flexible" but subject to our whims. That's not a world I want to live in.

I try to behave morally not because of empathy and kindness, which can quickly and easily turn to contempt or indifference, but because I believe it's the way I am supposed to behave as a human being. I can say that because I believe in God.

[Mr. Burns]

Morality is without foundation. We ascribe morality to the world for the benefit of human kind. Morality is prescriptive, not descriptive. Where do moral absolutes come from then?

[Mister D]

Morality is without foundation. We ascribe morality to the world for the benefit of human kind. Morality is prescriptive, not descriptive. Where do moral absolutes come from then?

Thank you. That's an honest perspective. Since I believe in God I have an answer to that question. I do believe that life and reality has meaning and purpose. I do believe that morality has a foundation. Mind you, I'm just speaking in general terms. I'm not trying to proselytize.

[Mr. Burns]

Thank you. That's an honest perspective. Since I believe in God I have an answer to that question. I do believe that life and reality has meaning and purpose. I do believe that morality has a foundation. Mind you, I'm just speaking in general terms. I'm not trying to proselytize.

I believe that life has meaning, but only so far in the sense that man gives himself and others meaning. I have to localize morality and the meaning of life because of my lack of faith, but I don't believe this is totally irrational.

[Mr. Burns]

You definitely have to abandon absolutism as an atheist and do have to account for randomness. But being existential in the morality and philosophy department is at least somewhat defensible.

[Mister D]

I believe that life has meaning, but only so far in the sense that man gives himself and others meaning. I have to localize morality and the meaning of life because of my lack of faith, but I don't believe this is totally irrational.

Understood. One cannot prove or disprove nihilism anymore than one can prove or disprove God.

[Mister D]

You definitely have to abandon absolutism as an atheist and do have to account for randomness. But being existential in the morality and philosophy department is at least somewhat defensible.

Oh, it's intellectually defensible. No doubt about that.

[Mr. Burns]

That's always the split between the religion and nonreligious. Personally, I sit on the side that finds the evidence for God's existence lacking. Since I am refuting a positive assertion, the other side has the burden to convince me otherwise. Since I personally believe that's God's existence isn't necessary to orchestrate the universe we live in, I do not believe in him, until compelled.

[Mister D]

That's always the split between the religion and nonreligious. Personally, I sit on the side that finds the evidence for God's existence lacking. Since I am refuting a positive assertion, the other side has the burden to convince me otherwise. Since I personally believe that's God's existence isn't necessary to orchestrate the universe we live in, I do not believe in him, until compelled.

God can't be proved or disproved. Neither can your own POV. These are choices we make about our approach to reality.

[Mr. Burns]

God can't be proved or disproved. Neither can your own POV. These are choices we make about our approach to reality.

Agreed. However, we can prove or disprove positive assertions about God (e.g. prayer healing the sick). However, I'm not meant to be prove my position. Claims must be laid in evidence before they are accepted as true. You wouldn't say unicorns exist because we can't prove they don't exist. Said logic can "prove" anything. Our existence in the universe is attributed to God most often, but since we don't know, we don't know. Not it's God until we prove otherwise. Back to that whole burden of proof rant I had with conely.