Choosing a faith

This already has three replies, but I think it deserves another.Answering the same question you asked Tangle, I never made any decision to reject Christianity or Christian doctrine, any more than I made any such decision concerning Judaism, Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism. I'm sure that what's true for me is true for many others, that other than in discussions like this religions just don't show up on my radar.Maybe you've seen some of the criticism Phat has drawn for his vulnerability to precious metal flim-flam salesmen and emotional appeals about the gold standard. Religions are in the same category for me.About whether I think I've reached the correct conclusion, the only conclusion I've reached is that none of the world's religions have evidence, including yours. Why don't the leaders of all the sects of all the world's religions have a conference and decide what the actual truth is, then present the evidence behind their conclusions?You say the existence of love, empathy and morality tells you that there's something there. Which of the world's religions, if any, represent that "something" and why that one? Try to answer without using any form or synonym of the word "believe".--Percy

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Not really. I actually start with the belief in a theistic deity because that makes a great deal more sense to me that does a wholly materialistic world.
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Given the lengths you go to to maintain that belief it seems that even you really know it isn’t true.Does it really make sense to you to dismiss ideas you refuse to understand by inventing imaginary “problems”. Does that really show any interest in the truth? Because that is exactly what you have done in this thread.

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The only evidence I have ever heard is that they know it couldn't happen because it can't happen, and that they see people dying all the time and they aren't resurrected. What other evidence have you got?

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Well that isn’t true either. I pointed out major inconsistencies in the Gospel appearance stories and you dismissed them as insignificant details. As if stuff like Pentecost (or Luke’s version of it) is the sort of thing the participants would completely forget.

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My first priority is the truth

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We know that isn’t true. It obviously isn’t true. Your first priority is clinging to ideas that you want to be true - and the truth can go hang.

You are the only one who can decide which anxiety is better to deal with.Because, clearly, there's anxiety caused to you no matter what your ideas are.

The studies show that your life would be better.But the studies are for "society," not "individual people."
You are the only one who can decide for yourself which is going to be better for you, as an individual.I only suggest that you be honest with yourself.
If you're going to believe in God, then be honest when that belief influences your ability to "look for the truth" of this reality.
That, as well, will help with your anxiety.

You quoted my answer to this:Just ask them!If you think you have an issue with people lying or "not being able to know what is in their heart" - it is not an issue with identifying motivation.
And that's why studies on such issues are done over and over again, with various people, in double-blind scenarios... a known method for successfully battling "lying."
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Double-blind studies are verified to be able to identify "what is in their heart."
That's why they work.
That's why we're able to successfully study societies and measure things like happier people and over-worked people and stress levels and "having fun." Again - I already did. Here it is again, all 2 million papers. Go nuts. Evolution of Morality - over 2 million, evidenced papers for you to read. This evidence is not "speculative" it's peer-reviewed (duplicated and objective) and vastly, vastly studied and tested.

• Evolution of Morality - an online book
• The evolution of morality - a paper from 2015
• The evolution of morality - "...a concise biological account of the evolution of morality."
• The structural evolution of morality

I can't do your homework for you.
There is no one-paragraph "easy answer" to this question. It is complex and involves a lot of various aspects. That's why there's over 2 million different papers.
I've given you the easy answer. If you want the "know if it's really real..." well - you'll have to do the work. Thousands and thousands of people have dedicated their entire lives to identifying these answers. They have been tested and verified and scrutinized and corrected for years by these same people from all over the world. It's all there for you to look at it. Your choice if you're interested in the truth - or if you want to make up an excuse and attempt to put blame on others for you not doing your own homework. You keep using that phrase - I don't think idda means what you think idda means.Looking for God, everywhere, and not finding God - is evidence that God does not exist.
Of course, we don't only "not find God" - we always find natural explanations for thing people used to say "only God can do that!" They were all wrong. You're just one more in the same line.

Perhaps that's the problem.You start with "something that makes sense to GDR."
When this thing that "makes sense to GDR" is put up against evidence that casts doubt on it - you ignore the evidence and refuse to accept that the thing that "makes sense to GDR" may be untrue.I don't start with "something that makes sense to Stile."
I don't hold anything that "makes sense to Stile" as impenetrable to evidence that casts doubt on it.
There are plenty of things that "made sense to Stile" that were shown to be untrue by evidence.
-there were people I thought liked me. Turns out they didn't.
-I used to think "auras" didn't exist. Turns out they do.. for some people, anyway. Certain kinds of synesthetes are able to "see auras" around people. It's a very real thing. Even science has studied this "supernatural" topic and gained lots of useful information from it.Our best-known-method for identifying truth has shown us over and over again that "things that make sense to us" doesn't mean jack-all when identifying the truth about reality. That's why it's a terrible place to build a hill to die on with. Because you're gonna die. And everyone will see that your hill was nothing but a house of cards. Um... what more do you need? Why isn't proving that it's impossible enough to show you that it didn't happen? A materialistic view doesn't show it's impossible. It's impossible because it never happens, and never did happen. Regardless of a materialistic view, or a supernatural view, or a polkadot view or any other view you'd like to have. True. But, since it didn't happen - what does this tell you? Okay - but taking a starting point of "an idea that makes sense to GDR" is not a starting point that holds "identifying the truth" as a highest priority. It's very well known to lead to being wrong. That's not true.
You said it yourself - your starting point is "holding an idea that makes sense to GDR" - that clearly and brazenly flies in the face of having the truth as your first priority.You can't wriggle out of this - you either follow "our best known method for identifying the truth about reality" and hold "finding the truth" as your highest priority - or you don't.Why aren't you able to be honest about this?There's nothing wrong with holding a belief.
There's nothing wrong with holding an idea that "makes sense to GDR."It's just not compatible with also holding "identifying the truth of our reality" as your highest priority.

One of the most significant traits in regards to faith & belief is honesty. This morning, I just scolded Dredge for dragging Tanypteryx's topic off its rails, and I then followed Dredge over here to try and establish an argument appropriate thread for personal ranting. Upon arriving at this thread, I saw where Dredge and myself have often dragged this topic off course as well!! Allow me to take some deep breaths and Re-channel this topic back on course.Philosophically speaking, I see my error. When I react to what someone says, I tend to ignore the topic and focus on the sub topic heading and more specifically the written response. Thus, I REACT rather than RESPOND. Again, my apologies. ~Phat
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Let's start with the hungry children in the U.S. How much federal income tax do you pay? I would bet that not more than a nickel of the tax you pay per year is spent helping feed hungry people, you whiny, self-centered !@#$%^&*!You support policies and politicians that support billionaires and that cost the middle class Trillions of dollars added to the national debt. Remember the Trump tax cut for billionaires, Asshole?AND Trump wants to be an authoritarian, you ignorant jerk!Taxes are your fair share for the benefits you receive automatically by living in a civilization. You don't want your tax dollars to benefit anyone but you, well I don't want MY tax dollars benefiting YOU! I do worry about it. That's why I vote for people who vote to support food for hungry people, that's why I donate to food programs.When I worked for the government I built a world class insect imaging lab and my salary was so low that I qualified for food stamps, luckily I have a pension from another job in the private sector and my wife had a high paying job.

Perhaps you haven't noticed. It is the Democrats who are supporting education, while the Republicans are usually trying to cut it back.

Which proves you have no more faith than we do.
​ STOP it.NOBODY has suggested anything about government legislating anything. That's strictly your delusion. I watched Stagecoach (1939) again yesterday for the umpteenth time. The thieving banker sounds just like you:

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I don't know what the government is coming to. Instead of protecting businessmen, it pokes its nose into business! Why, they're even talking now about having *bank* examiners. As if we bankers don't know how to run our own banks! Why, at home I have a letter from a popinjay official saying they were going to inspect my books. I have a slogan that should be blazoned on every newspaper in this country: America for the Americans! The government must not interfere with business! Reduce taxes! Our national debt is something shocking. Over one billion dollars a year! What this country needs is a businessman for president!

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{Bearing in mind that he has just stolen $50,000 from his own bank.)Yes, we know you'll vote for Trump.

Is it physically painful for you to answer a question directly? Or are you just congenitally dishonest?

How would the village idiot know when an argument was shot down?

You really are an entitled POS.

All of those services get cut but right wingers, like you. All of you on the right want the poor to suffer even more.

As it never happened he wouldn't know. Maybe you could share some examples where you thought it happened.