Torn between theism and atheism

[hbacharya]

why should I be a beleiver ? Is there a god? I do not care whether there is god or ot. If there is one who created me, then he will take care of me. If he is reallly merciful he will he will guide me and save me from committing sins, and from going astray. If he is the one to have created everything and our minds he must be answerable for all we do. Good or bad.

The point whether there is god or not does not interest me at all. I am not a strong beleiver. I am not a temple goer. Chrisianity, No it does not appeal to me. Christ does. His sermons on the mounts are really something that can save us from falling. So is the Buddha.
I do no find them divine. They loved not out of divinity but of humanity. They are great humans.

I like Marx also. Marx was a materialist and did not beleive in God and religion was something he dispelled. So what whether he was a beleiver or not? But he lived for humanity selflessly till his last breathe tirelessly and unremittingly.
He lived for a cause that had to do with humanity. This humanist appealed to me immensely. Yet communism failed somewhere but not everywhere despite there incisive allegatios against communism by western medias. I do not always belleive in what the media say. At times medias become mouth peices of of despots.

I am not a theist nor an atheist. In fact we have diverse ideas. If we are really honest we are not the same at all times. Sometimes we have a tinge of beleif and at others we have different views. In fact we have different views on different things.

Sometimes when I read marx, Freud, Russel I become rationally and scientifically bent and athesim appeals to me and at others when I read the Buddha and Christ and Krishna I have a different feeling and I will be close to theism

Honesty is better than any other idelogy. I am like that and choose to share with you all that I feel.

[Bii]

I entirely agree, better to be honest about your feelings as opposed to pretending to believe in God, or believing out of fear of retribution in the afterlife if you don't. Most people will waiver one way or the other at one time, but I suppose in general you probably have a 'core' belief either theistic, or athiestic.

[Dante Wodehouse]

I entirely agree, better to be honest about your feelings as opposed to pretending to believe in God, or believing out of fear of retribution in the afterlife if you don't.

Honestly, why not believe out of fear of retribution? I would rather live in fear than suffer forever. Not that this is an entirely healthy way of thinking, but I think it is better than the alternative.

[RobinHood3000]

I recommend atheism if commitment to religious belief isn't your thing, but only if you can defend your lack of said beliefs semi-vigorously. Otherwise, you have nothing to stand against when your atheism is besieged (and it will be). Point is, you need to find the belief system, theistic or otherwise, that fits best for you, and contentions to back it up.

[cuppajoe_9]

I would rather live in fear than suffer forever. Not that this is an entirely healthy way of thinking, but I think it is better than the alternative.

The alternative being a healthy way of thinking?

Here's one: maybe there's a God, and maybe there isn't. If there is a God who would eternally torture a moral person for not believing him, it's not going to be possible to please him anyway. If there is a God who is not in the habbit of condemning moral people to hell, there isn't a problem.

In slightly more practical terms: it doesn't matter what you belive in, so long as you're a moral person.

[Dante Wodehouse]

The alternative being a healthy way of thinking?

Here's one: maybe there's a God, and maybe there isn't. If there is a God who would eternally torture a moral person for not believing him, it's not going to be possible to please him anyway. If there is a God who is not in the habbit of condemning moral people to hell, there isn't a problem.

In slightly more practical terms: it doesn't matter what you belive in, so long as you're a moral person.

That would only be reasonable if you were perfect, which I doubt you are. If you are imperfect, then you need divine assistance. Divine assistance quite possibly has certain prerequisites including belief.

[cuppajoe_9]

That would only be reasonable if you were perfect, which I doubt you are. If you are imperfect, then you need divine assistance. Divine assistance quite possibly has certain prerequisites including belief.

My way does not in any way require perfection. You just have to try to be moral, which is (in theory) what you would be doing anyway, were you a theist.

[RobinHood3000]

How many people are imperfect drivers? And how many of them die in automobile accidents?

[Hyacinth42]

Oh, you don't have to choose either of them, it's called agnosticism Or at least, that's what I am...

I believe that there is a God somewhere out there, but do not necessarily suscribe to any main-stream religion. So, I have come to my own conclusions as to the nature of things like creation, damnation, and what to do with yourself...

So you don't get attacked for being an atheist, get the nice warm fuzzy feeling from knowing there is a higher entity, get out of hell for believing in God, and get to do it all seperately from and formal institution.

[cuppajoe_9]

Oh, you don't have to choose either of them, it's called agnosticism Or at least, that's what I am...

I believe that there is a God somewhere out there, but do not necessarily suscribe to any main-stream religion. So, I have come to my own conclusions as to the nature of things like creation, damnation, and what to do with yourself...

So you don't get attacked for being an atheist, get the nice warm fuzzy feeling from knowing there is a higher entity, get out of hell for believing in God, and get to do it all seperately from and formal institution.

Strictly speaking, you don't sound very much like an agnostic. Agnostics are in doubt as to whether or not gods exist, you seem to believe in God, but doubt whether organized religion has a very good handle on him. Some people use the term 'spiritualist' to describe a person who believes in god independantly of organized religion.

The opinions of anybody ignorant enough to 'attack' one for atheism are not worth considering, in my opinion.

[RobinHood3000]

Oh, I dunno about that. They're marvelous for helping one affirm one's lack of faith.

[Rick Hendricks]

I have studied Marx, and find him not to be a materialist or concerned about humanity, but rather a dominating and controlling individual who allowed thee of his five children to die, while he waged war on progress. Communism invites totalitarians to seize control, as evidence by Chavez, Mao, Kim Jong Il, Lenin and others who ascended to power under this banner.

There is a third alternative to religion (which I believe is your true argument), Deism.

All the best,
Rick

[aeroport]

The opinions of anybody ignorant enough to 'attack' one for atheism are not worth considering, in my opinion.

Agreed.
I was just wondering what this business was about being attacked over, of all things, atheism. I've never been able to understand why - in my own case, anyway - people seem to really think something is wrong with you when you say you're a nonbeliever (this would be my rather euphemistic way of describing my 'spiritual beliefs', more an absence of belief in God than the belief in the absence of God, as I'm no philosopher). Quite honestly, mean things have been said to me simply because I say I have never been convinced of the existence of God, or anything spiritual at all. I don't bloody get it! How can people seem so sure? Doesn't the idea of faith imply that one is unsure?

[Lote-Tree]

How can people seem so sure?

"Certainty" can be a psychological state and not necessarily based on objective facts.

[Neo_Sephiroth]

Agreed.
I was just wondering what this business was about being attacked over, of all things, atheism. I've never been able to understand why - in my own case, anyway - people seem to really think something is wrong with you when you say you're a nonbeliever (this would be my rather euphemistic way of describing my 'spiritual beliefs', more an absence of belief in God than the belief in the absence of God, as I'm no philosopher). Quite honestly, mean things have been said to me simply because I say I have never been convinced of the existence of God, or anything spiritual at all. I don't bloody get it! How can people seem so sure? Doesn't the idea of faith imply that one is unsure?

Actually, "faith", I'm assuming, is not consider to be "unsure" to those who truly and strongly believes.

For those who have faith, it gives them more of an assurance than being unsure.