CreateDebate


Debate Info

Debate Score:78
Arguments:75
Total Votes:81
More Stats

Argument Ratio

side graph
 
 Why do people believe in god(s) when there is no proof? (66)

Debate Creator

Iamyoufather(62) pic



Why do people believe in god(s) when there is no proof?

Is it simply a matter of ignorance? Or can people not accept they are wrong? do people want it to feel safe? i would just like to know.

Add New Argument
4 points

There is evidence of Jesus Christ who claimed to be God. And there are philosophical arguments for God. And there is evidence of God in science.

People choose to ignore this but, nevertheless, proof has nothing to do with faith in Christ. Blessed are those who live by faith so that the foolish may shame the wise.

Cynical(1948) Disputed
2 points

And there is evidence of God in science.

No, there is not. There's no scientific evidence for the existence of a god/deity, for science can not explain the supernatural, which God is considered.

lolzors93(3225) Disputed
1 point

The fact that no life can come from non-life is proof of God.

Iamyoufather(62) Disputed
1 point

1.If there was evidence of god , i mean real evidence not just some verse in a bible saying hes real, don't ya think it'd be well know?

2.Are you saying we should abandon reasoning altogether and just believe whatever we are told without further investigation?

lolzors93(3225) Disputed
1 point

No, I don't think most people would know about it. Law of Biogenesis

No, I'm saying look at the evidence and say with an honest heart whether you truly believe that there is no intelligent designer... Discovery Institute

1 point

There is evidence of Jesus Christ who claimed to be God.

1. Jesus did not unequivocally claim to be God.

2. Despite the evidence for his existence, there is no evidence to suggest that any such claim of his was true.

And there are philosophical arguments for God.

A philosophical argument does not constitute evidence.

And there is evidence of God in science.

Such as?

People choose to ignore this but, nevertheless, proof has nothing to do with faith in Christ.

This statement is, at least accurate. Indeed, it is the very premise with which the debate is concerned.

lolzors93(3225) Disputed
1 point

1. Jesus did not unequivocally claim to be God.

I'm not denying that. He didn't say straight up, "I am the Messiah" or "I am God" or anything like that. He used more subtle ways.

2. Despite the evidence for his existence, there is no evidence to suggest that any such claim of his was true.

Throughout the Gospels you can see many subtle claims to divinity. Like Matthew 16:13-28, in which Peter claimed for Jesus to be the Christ. John 3:13 makes no sense unless Jesus is claiming divinity because Elijah had already gone up into heaven. It is an allusion to Deuteronomy 30:12. When Jesus walks on water in Matthew 14:22-33, the original Greek words when He responds to His disciples is "Fear not, I am." This along with all His other quotes saying, "I am," like that of John 14:6, are all allusions to Exodus 3:14, which is a claim to divinity. Also, John 10, when Jesus claims that He is one with the Father, especially in verse 30. He also claimed to be the "Son of Man," which is an allusion to Daniel 7:13-14. Matthew 4, where the Devil tempts Jesus, He responds in verse 7 not to test the Lord your God. All are claims to divinity and there are many more.

Such as?

The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. http://www.personal.psu.edu/jmc6/second_law.html There are other things, like proof against evolution, which isn't direct evidence against God so I won't say it because the debate isn't about evolution. But there is this book..... http://api.ning.com/files/kvOHl9cTrw7nNm9triMxsw6T5A7r3Q0S7e2RPDerPNa0GRvO96ilNq6QDhf*A4jVWiDDrGp2n71bBZIeXO9pHKbQ1oPST-47/InSixDaysLO.pdf if you would life to read it.

2 points

Because it's so much easier to explain the mysteries of the universe with an all-powerful being. It puts people's minds at ease.

Axmeister(4322) Disputed
1 point

It is much more easier to sin without the guilt of breaking your beliefs.

MKIced(2511) Disputed
1 point

I really don't see why people need organized religion to guide their morals. I see religion as guiding these people mostly through making them feel guilty about sinning. Instead, it is possible to have a set of rules or a moral code separate from religion.

Also I don't see how your statement undermines mine in this debate.

To be honest i have no idea. that's why i posted this. I need to understand other peoples positions.

Plexel(4) Clarified
1 point

I believe there is no certain proof nor certain disproof ever possible for God or anything much else for that matter. Almost everything is belief including so called scientific proofs. So the field is open. Why would anyone not believe in God is a reasonable question too. It seems clear that science, being human, is of material and temporal origin therefore cannot ever explain the origin of material or time. God can and so is a higher concept than science. This alone is good reason to believe in God. There are many more. Without God we will be forever left with unanswered questions.

1 point

people believe in gods because it is how they live. yes their religions have caused fairly large wars throughout history but without their religion they will all crumble to weak litte people.

1 point

I believe in a deistic god. Why? Just look at the world, okay? I don't have any faith in mankind, barbarians and hypocrites such as us need metaphysical principles to guide us and a maker to discipline us.

What evidence do I have? My evidence only comes in the form of arguments, I don't have any physical this-proves-that-god-exists proof. But it's irrelevant. Animals like us need control from a perfect, powerful being - real or otherwise.

Iamyoufather(62) Disputed
1 point

We do not need a all powerful almighty being watching over us telling us what to do. we need to figure this out for ourselves.. People who want to bad are gonna be bad religion hasn't stopped most people from achieving their wicked goals

VecVeltro(412) Disputed
1 point

When you look at the bloody history, the present and the gloomy future ahead of us, then I can certainly say that we are not worthy of the universe or even earth for that matter. If not for a creator and some elaborate teleological philosophy, then lets just sterilize all of us - we would be doing everyone a favor.

The value of mankind must be presented on the whole of humanity, it should not be based on its individuals and so far, the collective has not done any favors. The fear of God keeps people on a leash, but sadly due to intense materialism and technological progression, this fear has diminished. Peace based on fear is still peace.

OliverJDH(131) Clarified
1 point

I suggest you look up Nietzsche's Superman - I think you'd find the idea quite interesting. The idea was misappropriated by the Nazis, much to Nietzsche's frustration (he denounced all German nationalists as "fools" and "all too human"), so don't be put off by any comparisons to the Third Reich.

VecVeltro(412) Clarified
1 point

I have read it and believe me, it's not a world I, you or any other person would want.

ChuckHades(3197) Disputed
1 point

Can you please expand on this point? Why do we need control? And moreover, how do our needs prove a deistic, non-interventionist god?

VecVeltro(412) Disputed
1 point

I never said that it proves deism, I implied that the idea of deism has much more pragmatic value than atheism merely because one can give us objective morality and the other can't.

That's why I ended my post with - real or otherwise. The idea of God can keep us from reverting into barbarians and objective, uncorruptable principles which we assign to a benevolet deity (real or not, it doesn't matter) are the fail-safes that are going to keep us disciplined.

If we have no objective moral values, we have no duties or moral accountability. In an atheistic/materialistic framework, why can't I, for example, abduct homeless people and use them for medical experiments ''for the greater good''? Objective morals would prevent us from doing so, subjective morals won't.

1 point

I don't have any faith in mankind, barbarians and hypocrites such as us

Though you do have faith in the Being that allegedly created mankind with the capacity for barbarism and hypocrisy?

My evidence only comes in the form of arguments

Videlicet, "I have no evidence".

Animals like us need control from a perfect, powerful being - real or otherwise.

What we need, and what we have, are necessarily two different things.

Indoctrination, hallucination, and emotional masturbation .

*indoctrinated masturbation.

1 point

In order to stimulate hope, reason and logic to an otherwise meaningless and possibly hopeless life; perhaps also when promised rewards e.g heaven

1 point

To believers and nonbelievers:

I just don't understand why you are 100% sure about anything.

riahlize(1573) Disputed
1 point

To you:

What makes you 100% sure believers and nonbelievers alike are only 100% sure?

1 point

The only 100% certainty is that something is going on rather than nothing. All else is belief and belief is never 100%. Is that a chair I see over there or is it all a very lucid dream?

1 point

Nobody independently verifies every single one of their beliefs. Who are you, Rene fucking Descartes?

Let's follow in that line of reasoning:

You believe some things that are false, correct?

You are unaware of the falsehood of some of your beliefs, correct?

You hold them out of a misapprehension of evidence, correct?

God's factual existence notwithstanding, is it not possible that a) you hold beliefs far commoner than those you actively examine that might cause others to guffaw at you the way you do at theists? b) your evaluation of belief in god as unsupported is itself erroneous?

It's like babby's first skeptical inquiry on this website, I swear.

Plexel(4) Clarified
1 point

The only verifiable belief (certainty) is that something is going on rather than nothing. All other beliefs can become stronger but not verified.

Why do people ignore the spell check, even though a squiggly line comes up so you don't even have to go through the effort of clicking one button?

Oh, and to answer your question, probably because they aren't content to wait for a naturalistic explanation for things and instead prefer to ascribe unexplained things to a supernatural agency by default. Also, culturally condoned, even culturally encouraged childhood indoctrination plays a big part in manufacturing more religious people.

1 point

You and another person are walking down a tunnel the tunnel is dark if each of you didn't have your handy dandy torches with you. Consider that you didn't light the torch or design what the torch was/is intended for but someone at the beginning of the tunnel did this.

riahlize(1573) Clarified
1 point

And this equates to........?

for the same reason people believe in the big bang theory, theres no proof of the big bang happening, in fact, new scientific studies are coming out that DISPUTE the big bang.

http://www.metaresearch.org/cosmology/BB-top-30.asp

1 point

People have belief in their god (s) because they're allowed to have faith, and with that faith they choose to believe in whichever god they please. It is not ignorant, it is not irrational, it is normal. There ya go captain.

1 point

Proof has two meanings. Certain proof and believable proof. Proof in the Law Courts is "beyond reasonable doubt" and so is just belief, not certainty. Proof in logic and maths are based on believable assumptions (axioms) and so this type of proof is still only a belief. Other uses of the word proof are also only belief when you analyze it. The only certain proof you have is that "there is something going on" rather than nothing. Only of that can you be certain. For this reason all so called "scientific proofs" are also just the beliefs of the current scientific majority and can change. There is no scientific certain proof of anything, this is just a popular public misconception. Even if God appeared on earth and stayed there, you could still say it was an impostor. So even the strongest evidence is still not certain proof. People believe in God because they can, it's not wrong or silly.

1 point

Some people find it comforting to believe in an entity who will protect them from harm, who will forgive them for all their faults, whatever they may be. I love when Im being patronized by Christians and they tell that the reason I would be in a bad mood is because I feel empty inside. And if I accept God in my life, that void will be filled. But they dont realize that it is themselves who feel empty.

People will believe whatever they want to believe. Their belief needs no proof.