Poll: Whaddya reckon about God's existence?

[rainbow]

Aye, it's often used as a cosmetic solution for unsightly hair loss.

I didn't wish to know that.

[Jason]

No option for me.

God is a symbol not an entity. As such, God does exist.

[JimC]

No option for me.

God is a symbol not an entity. As such, God does exist.

It's actually only a word.

Some people may interpret it as a symbol, many as the name of an actual entity, a few as a historical curiosity...

[Jason]

A word that denotes a symbol in popular mythology. Like it or not, 'God' is a culturally significant mythological figure for a significant proportion of the world's population. What this figure, and the myriad like him, symbolizes is a subject of some scholarly debate. The common conception of a living 'god' is simply a misinterpretation of mythological symbolism owing to the antiquation of the mythology itself. The original intention of the inventors of God isn't known, but isn't terribly relevant. The role of mythological symbolism in cultural development is. Of course it would be nice if people would stop insisting these figures actually exist and doing evil things in their name.

[rainbow]

Religion has a political purpose, and the actual existence of God is irrelevant to that purpose.

[mistermack]

It's actually only a word.
.

THE word, apparently. There weren't many of them about back then.

Now, god is a concept, not just a word. A sort of joint concept, which everyone has their own version of.
And the concept is itself a kind of virus, which perpetuates and replicates itself.

[Seth]

Religion has a political purpose, and the actual existence of God is irrelevant to that purpose.

Correct. It also has a social purpose. That's why it endures, which is, by and large, not a bad thing.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Religion has a political purpose, and the actual existence of God is irrelevant to that purpose.

Correct. It also has a social purpose. That's why it endures, which is, by and large, not a bad thing.

...unless you happen to live in one of the many countries in the world suffering from inter-religious strife. "Social purpose" goes out of the window when IS invades your country and decides you're doing it wrong.

...or, unless you happen to be a 14yo, British schoolgirl who is suddenly whisked off to Pakistan to marry a 54yo cousin and live out the rest of her life in a dirt-farm smelling of goats and popping out babies.

...or, unless the population of the small town in Iraq/Turkey/Egypt/Brazil/India/Bible-belt USA where you tried to start a business discover that you don't believe in god.

...or, unless you are born gay in one of the countries where that is a religiously-endorsed crime.


I could go on. Religion is "not a bad thing" ONLY up unto the point where it ceases being a personal belief and starts sticking its fingers into politics. Then it becomes a pernicious, corrupting disease.

[Seth]

Religion has a political purpose, and the actual existence of God is irrelevant to that purpose.

Correct. It also has a social purpose. That's why it endures, which is, by and large, not a bad thing.

...unless you happen to live in one of the many countries in the world suffering from inter-religious strife. "Social purpose" goes out of the window when IS invades your country and decides you're doing it wrong.

The largest loss of human life associated with religion in human history was caused by Atheists trying to wipe out religion.

Like anything else, religion can be used for good or ill, and so can Atheism (which of course IS a religion).

...or, unless you happen to be a 14yo, British schoolgirl who is suddenly whisked off to Pakistan to marry a 54yo cousin and live out the rest of her life in a dirt-farm smelling of goats and popping out babies.

Fallacy of composition.

...or, unless the population of the small town in Iraq/Turkey/Egypt/Brazil/India/Bible-belt USA where you tried to start a business discover that you don't believe in god.

You think you have some moral right to force people to do business with you if they despise your ideology?

...or, unless you are born gay in one of the countries where that is a religiously-endorsed crime.

Fallacy of composition.

I could go on. Religion is "not a bad thing" ONLY up unto the point where it ceases being a personal belief and starts sticking its fingers into politics. Then it becomes a pernicious, corrupting disease.

Depends entirely on the specific religion and its belief/practice set, which makes your general condemnation pure fallacy.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

The largest loss of human life associated with religion in human history was caused by Atheists trying to wipe out religion.

Really? Please, do inform me when this great massacre took place? I think I missed it.

[Seth]

The largest loss of human life associated with religion in human history was caused by Atheists trying to wipe out religion.

Really? Please, do inform me when this great massacre took place? I think I missed it.

1917 to present under Lenin, Stalin. Mao, Pol Pot and their Marxist successors and followers. Toll in human lives taken >100 million and counting.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

The largest loss of human life associated with religion in human history was caused by Atheists trying to wipe out religion.

Really? Please, do inform me when this great massacre took place? I think I missed it.

1917 to present under Lenin, Stalin. Mao, Pol Pot and their Marxist successors and followers. Toll in human lives taken >100 million and counting.

That many? Really? And this figure comes from where exactly?

[Seth]

The largest loss of human life associated with religion in human history was caused by Atheists trying to wipe out religion.

Really? Please, do inform me when this great massacre took place? I think I missed it.

1917 to present under Lenin, Stalin. Mao, Pol Pot and their Marxist successors and followers. Toll in human lives taken >100 million and counting.

That many? Really? And this figure comes from where exactly?

History.

[pErvinalia]

The largest loss of human life associated with religion in human history was caused by Atheists trying to wipe out religion.

Really? Please, do inform me when this great massacre took place? I think I missed it.

Don't go there. You'll need to bleach your brain after reading the coming idiocy.

[pErvinalia]

The largest loss of human life associated with religion in human history was caused by Atheists trying to wipe out religion.

Really? Please, do inform me when this great massacre took place? I think I missed it.

1917 to present under Lenin, Stalin. Mao, Pol Pot and their Marxist successors and followers. Toll in human lives taken >100 million and counting.

That many? Really? And this figure comes from where exactly?

HistoryMy arse.