Author

Topic: Questions that keep me from turning into a theist. Can you answer them? (Read 280 times)

legendary
Activity: 3906
Merit: 1373
The problem is that you are mixing religion and science.  Religion is faith-based while science is data-based.  Faith means you believe in something in the absence of evidence and Science involves building explanation solely from evidence.    There is no scientific explanation of God and the concept of God is in no way scientific.

The part of science that is data-based is called engineering. Science theory is faith based.

Cool
sr. member
Activity: 1470
Merit: 325
The problem is that you are mixing religion and science.  Religion is faith-based while science is data-based.  Faith means you believe in something in the absence of evidence and Science involves building explanation solely from evidence.    There is no scientific explanation of God and the concept of God is in no way scientific.

there actually is
you just dont know it. or dont recognize it as such

LOL. Publish it and win a Nobel Prize. What are you waiting for?

world is designed in a way that there is always a fraction of the population unable to accept current evidence.
newbie
Activity: 2
Merit: 0
Swami Shivananda once answered this question wisely.

Why has God created the world?

[...] Creation of the world has a purpose. Just as we cannot have a sun without rays, similarly, we cannot have God without the world process. The world is like His rays. It is His Svabhava, nature. Just as a juggler produces something and makes it disappear, so also, God produces this world and makes it disappear. God is omnipotent. To ask why He created the world is an Ati-prasna, a transcendental question. We will be only wasting time by discussing it. Before asking about the world, ask about yourself. Know who you are. Then you will know everything.

The Sanskrit word *ati* means "too much" or "too intense" and *prashna* means "question" or "matter of dispute."

The amount of questions the TO has seems to prove Shivananda's point, doesn't it? When a person has so many transcendental questions this person becomes confused. This is good, because this person is a seeker. Seeking is really a state of confusion. 

When you are seeking concentrate on the search, or more funny questions will arise you cannot answer. Maybe people get angry about your questions (or answers) which then causes non-funny problems.  In the end you will have wasted time, maybe lifetimes, and eventually forgot what was it you were looking for.

So let's concentrate on what you can do.

If we can't answer the question why God has created the world we already live on, how can we ask the question what God is? If we cannot answer the question how such a vivid image of the world appears within us, from a few electric impulses caused by our senses, how can we ask the question what God is?

Don't try to begin with such questions. Answers will be revealed to you in form of grace; don't worry! Concentrate on what you have already experienced. In other words, just try to find a clear, simple start to begin your [spiritual] path.

Surprisingly this is super-easy. We find real truth in ourselves anywhere and anytime. Whatever you as a person experience you will perceive as truth. Pain, love, awareness, realization or even inspiration. Whatever it is, nobody can talk it out of you, because it happened within you. Isn't it so?

Truth has this astonishing property: once seen it can't be ignored. You have become *aware* of it. Therefore it will begin to work with you. Now use the great gift animals don't have: the ability of self-observation.

But there are so many things you experience, right? Some of them you like to repeat, some most definitely not, and some even [partly] contradict each other. How can this all be true? Ati-prashna seems to be inevitable.

Try to begin as humble as you can. Try to see how wonderful your life actually is. Try to see how God manifests in other human beings. Try to see how God is manifesting constantly as the best parts of our civilization.

When you do this without hoping to win something (just control your ego as best as you can) grace will come.
legendary
Activity: 3374
Merit: 1824
I can't answer you all the question but here is my opinion.
By definition, God is love.
For love two are needed, a subject that initiates love and the object that receives it.
God wanted to share his love with someone and that's why he created the universe and man on the end.
God gave man a free will because he did not want to create a robot but someone who will accept his love freely.
Free will means that people can reject God and that's exactly what happened.
As result, we can see great confusion and a lot conflicts today in the world.
God is actually out of space and time, He is universal source of energy and a source of love and balance in the world.
legendary
Activity: 2702
Merit: 1468
The problem is that you are mixing religion and science.  Religion is faith-based while science is data-based.  Faith means you believe in something in the absence of evidence and Science involves building explanation solely from evidence.    There is no scientific explanation of God and the concept of God is in no way scientific.

there actually is
you just dont know it. or dont recognize it as such

LOL. Publish it and win a Nobel Prize. What are you waiting for?
sr. member
Activity: 1470
Merit: 325
The problem is that you are mixing religion and science.  Religion is faith-based while science is data-based.  Faith means you believe in something in the absence of evidence and Science involves building explanation solely from evidence.    There is no scientific explanation of God and the concept of God is in no way scientific.

there actually is you just dont know it. or dont recognize it as such
full member
Activity: 952
Merit: 175
@cryptocommies
The problem is that you are mixing religion and science.  Religion is faith-based while science is data-based.  Faith means you believe in something in the absence of evidence and Science involves building explanation solely from evidence.    There is no scientific explanation of God and the concept of God is in no way scientific.
sr. member
Activity: 1470
Merit: 325
i turned from agnostic/atheist towards a theist after carefully researching the design of the world, and i dont think anything will turn me back

You didn't find the artist's signature in some corner of the world?

Every artist signs his work. It's not always easy to find, but it should be there.

Okay, okay, the world's a pretty big canvas for someone to paint on.

it doesnt matter weather the church was wrong, in the star wars religion there are planets and suns, like in ours but still a big god called the force
legendary
Activity: 2926
Merit: 1386
i turned from agnostic/atheist towards a theist after carefully researching the design of the world, and i dont think anything will turn me back

You didn't find the artist's signature in some corner of the world?

Every artist signs his work. It's not always easy to find, but it should be there.

Okay, okay, the world's a pretty big canvas for someone to paint on.
sr. member
Activity: 1470
Merit: 325
i turned from agnostic/atheist towards a theist after carefully researching the design of the world, and i dont think anything will turn me back
jr. member
Activity: 37
Merit: 4
You know, a tour through hell might be interesting. After all, you can take a cruise to Antarctica. Cruising through Hell would be a way to figure out a lot of these questions.
I don't know what it would cost or where one would sign up, but it would certainly be interesting.

Sign me up!  Do P&O do cruises of the underworld?  I suspect 'dining at the captain's table' has a different meaning on those trips.

Not sure it would help answer the questions but it might tell us what we'd like the answers to be.


Since you are talking about science, has science able to answer that questions as well? Atheists usually says that in the feature science will do unfortunately it is not on our timezone so how sure they are?

1. Does the failure of one explanation add any credibility to another unless you can demonstrate that those are necessarily the only two options?


Now let's try to reverse your question. Lets say there is no God who created the Big Bang then how do you think it happened? By accident? Well atheist usually says that but for my common sense there should always be a being who or that is responsible for all of these

2. "...then how do you think it happened".  Are you infallible?  Could there be an explanation you haven't thought of?  Google "argument from ignorance" or "argument from personal incredulity".
3. Common sense is useful in everyday life for sure but is it a reliable method of getting to the truth?


hero member
Activity: 1246
Merit: 588
It is indeed too hard to answer that question. Is that the main reason why you no longer believe that someone created all those?

Since you are talking about science, has science able to answer that questions as well? Atheists usually says that in the feature science will do unfortunately it is not on our timezone so how sure they are?

Now let's try to reverse your question. Lets say there is no God who created the Big Bang then how do you think it happened? By accident? Well atheist usually says that but for my common sense there should always be a being who or that is responsible for all of these
legendary
Activity: 2926
Merit: 1386
Glad to see you are questioning your beliefs - everyone should, all the time.  The questions you have asked though are very high level and specific.  If you are questioning your beliefs you should try to get to the foundation of the issue.  Study epistemology: examine questions like 'what is truth?', 'how do I determine what is true?', 'do I care whether I believe false things or true things?'.  Study logic, critical thinking, common logical fallacies and common apologetics.  Survey philosophical schools of thought from the last 3000 years.  Hard work but if you approach with an honest open mind and don't cherry pick what you read it can do you nothing but good, no matter what you end up believing.

Indoctrination is disgusting, especially when it comes to concepts like hell.  Do you fear the hells of all religions or just the one you were indoctrinated in?

You know, a tour through hell might be interesting. After all, you can take a cruise to Antarctica. Cruising through Hell would be a way to figure out a lot of these questions.

I don't know what it would cost or where one would sign up, but it would certainly be interesting.
jr. member
Activity: 37
Merit: 4
Glad to see you are questioning your beliefs - everyone should, all the time.  The questions you have asked though are very high level and specific.  If you are questioning your beliefs you should try to get to the foundation of the issue.  Study epistemology: examine questions like 'what is truth?', 'how do I determine what is true?', 'do I care whether I believe false things or true things?'.  Study logic, critical thinking, common logical fallacies and common apologetics.  Survey philosophical schools of thought from the last 3000 years.  Hard work but if you approach with an honest open mind and don't cherry pick what you read it can do you nothing but good, no matter what you end up believing.

Indoctrination is disgusting, especially when it comes to concepts like hell.  Do you fear the hells of all religions or just the one you were indoctrinated in?
hero member
Activity: 978
Merit: 506
I was a firm believer once. I really believed in a God and his messages and his books.

Then as I started to think more, I just kinda got in loop with myself and started to question my beliefs.

I know there are solid arguments on both sides and I acknowledge them.

But I with my common sense, started to contradict my superficial sense.

The questions are mostly :

All stuffs in the universe are made up of fundamentally same elements (electrons, protons and neutrons), which means there aren't really much diversity out there. All are same. Then how is God able to create infinite stuffs if he has created fundamentally only one kind of thing?

Mass and energy can neither be destroyed or created. Then I feel like this universe existed eternally. Even if there was a bigbang that started everything, the potential of bigbang was always there to happen!

Let's say God did indeed start big bang. Then what was he doing there before big bang? Chilling in the darkness for infinite time? Then got bored and created the universe suddenly?

Many say, see how marvelous and balance the universe is. It must be created by a super intelligent creator. BS is the universe balanced. Meteorids floating all over the space, stars exploding up, planets getting sucked in black holes, big asteroids making crack on floating pieces of rocks. It's random and not really balanced or marvelous lmao.

Let's assume God indeed created a random universe. Then why did he create that blackhole billions and billions of light years away when his focus was on Earth and human beings and to judge them and send them to hell or heaven?!

The maker of the universe wrote a book for humans in Earth? Truly makes me unbelieve. And I can't convince myself to believe lol. Although since indoctrined, I still fear if all these are true and I'm sent to hell xD

Jesuit Georges Lemaitre created fake universe. God created the heavens and the earth.







fair enough?
legendary
Activity: 3906
Merit: 1373
I was a firm believer once. I really believed in a God and his messages and his books.

Then as I started to think more, I just kinda got in loop with myself and started to question my beliefs.

I know there are solid arguments on both sides and I acknowledge them.

But I with my common sense, started to contradict my superficial sense.
We all get weaker as we grow old. Maybe your thinking ability is getting weaker with age.



The questions are mostly :

All stuffs in the universe are made up of fundamentally same elements (electrons, protons and neutrons), which means there aren't really much diversity out there. All are same. Then how is God able to create infinite stuffs if he has created fundamentally only one kind of thing?
Electrons, protons and neutrons are not fundamental particles. They are made up of smaller particles/waves. Look at the variety of plants and animals that are different even though they are all made up of atoms. God spoke things into existence; vibration of God's voice in the aether brought things into existence.



Mass and energy can neither be destroyed or created. Then I feel like this universe existed eternally. Even if there was a bigbang that started everything, the potential of bigbang was always there to happen!
Big Bang Theory contradicts BB. Since the early times of the BB were extremely different than our times, things like math, physics and time were different back then. Because of this, we can't calculate that a BB existed using our math, physics and knowledge of time. Once we realize this, we understand that we don't really know that matter and energy can't be destroyed or created.



Let's say God did indeed start big bang. Then what was he doing there before big bang? Chilling in the darkness for infinite time? Then got bored and created the universe suddenly?
Can an amoeba understand what a human does and why? God is far greater than we are, more than we are greater than an amoeba.



Many say, see how marvelous and balance the universe is. It must be created by a super intelligent creator. BS is the universe balanced. Meteorids floating all over the space, stars exploding up, planets getting sucked in black holes, big asteroids making crack on floating pieces of rocks. It's random and not really balanced or marvelous lmao.
Everything acts according to cause and effect. There has never been even one instance of pure random found. C&E activities all act according to the laws of physics. Never once do they disobey the laws of physics.



Let's assume God indeed created a random universe. Then why did he create that blackhole billions and billions of light years away when his focus was on Earth and human beings and to judge them and send them to hell or heaven?!
We don't know what a black hole is; we guestimate. We don't know how the universe is balanced to maintain existence on the earth. Ask God in the resurrection.



The maker of the universe wrote a book for humans in Earth? Truly makes me unbelieve. And I can't convince myself to believe lol. Although since indoctrined, I still fear if all these are true and I'm sent to hell xD

Godly people wrote the Book as they were spiritually moved by the Holy Spirit. The test to see if they were Godly people was in their predictions. If they made big predictions that happened, and they never made a mistake in their predictions, and they claimed to have heard their predictions from God, they were considered Godly people who were writing truthfully.

If you find that you can't come back to faith in God, don't worry yourself about it. In the book of Hebrews in the New Testament, it says that if a person is a believer, and then he falls away, he can never be brought back to be a believer again. If this is what happened to you, you are simply stuck. So recheck yourself to see if you have some shreds of your original faith still in there somewhere.

Jesus is the man sent by God to be perfect in this life. God rewarded Him with the position of Godhood. Simply believing in Him can save you.

Cool
full member
Activity: 1022
Merit: 133
I was a firm believer once. I really believed in a God and his messages and his books.

Then as I started to think more, I just kinda got in loop with myself and started to question my beliefs.

I know there are solid arguments on both sides and I acknowledge them.

But I with my common sense, started to contradict my superficial sense.

The questions are mostly :

All stuffs in the universe are made up of fundamentally same elements (electrons, protons and neutrons), which means there aren't really much diversity out there. All are same. Then how is God able to create infinite stuffs if he has created fundamentally only one kind of thing?

Mass and energy can neither be destroyed or created. Then I feel like this universe existed eternally. Even if there was a bigbang that started everything, the potential of bigbang was always there to happen!

Let's say God did indeed start big bang. Then what was he doing there before big bang? Chilling in the darkness for infinite time? Then got bored and created the universe suddenly?

Many say, see how marvelous and balance the universe is. It must be created by a super intelligent creator. BS is the universe balanced. Meteorids floating all over the space, stars exploding up, planets getting sucked in black holes, big asteroids making crack on floating pieces of rocks. It's random and not really balanced or marvelous lmao.

Let's assume God indeed created a random universe. Then why did he create that blackhole billions and billions of light years away when his focus was on Earth and human beings and to judge them and send them to hell or heaven?!

The maker of the universe wrote a book for humans in Earth? Truly makes me unbelieve. And I can't convince myself to believe lol. Although since indoctrined, I still fear if all these are true and I'm sent to hell xD
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