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How sure are you there isn't "gods"?

This was a hard question in my profile creation. As a probably high level autistic it bugs me when I can't be precise. All the possible caveats and possibilities wreak havoc on my self analysis.

I put 90 percent. Most of the people I happened to look through had 99 percent. It conjured an image of an angry mob of agnostics, with pitch forks and torches, screaming for the blood of the slightly more believer... It struck me as amusing, and begged me to analyze why my threshold of skepticism lies where it is.

So how, on our arbitrary metric of doubt, can I justify my extra 9 so percent. While I'm thinking about it I have to admit I think it really comes down to our definition of "god". I think the exact phrasing in the question was "gods". So when I consider this question I have to take it on a case by case basis. How sure am I that the Abrahamic god doesn't exist as described in the old testament 99.9(repeating)%.

On the other hand, I can buy into the theory that we are nothing but a computer simulation being run by a bunch of Anubis like programmers. This would not be "gods" in the classic supernatural sense, but it would be an entity that could alter my reality with a few keyboard(or the dog overlord equivalent), making them essentially deities. My disbelief in them is 90%.

I find it funny as I write I'm reminded of a heretical Christan theologian. His name was Marcion and he had such an impossible time trying to resolve the inconsistency of the god of the old testament with the god spoken of by Jesus that he came to the conclusion and taught that they were two separate entities who where locked in a struggle with one another.

I'm going to leave it at that. 🙂

Clupus 4 July 15
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18 comments

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0

There is no evidence to support the existence of a deity. No amount of verbal gymnastics, including negative proofs, implied beliefs, hopeful dreamings, can create a god. Biblical proofs are irrelevant (classical circular reasoning). Long philosophical debates only obscure reason and deny reality. Belief and reason are mutually exclusive terms. 100% there is no god or gods.

0

Would you have bought into ideas of computer simulation before the days of computers and movies that show this idea? Would Muslims believe that black holes in space were the "vacuum cleaners of the universe" before the days of them being invented?

A couple of thoughts to sharpen logic a bit.

1

Just to answer the header.

100% until someone produces some tangible evidence otherwise

ipdg77 Level 8 July 25, 2018
1

So.... People who do not believe in gods are angry folks with pitchforks and torches. That is, civilized people must be vulnerable in some way to religion. It is uncivilized to actually be atheist.

Many people think vegans are the same. If you love animals enough to completely forgo eating them, you must be a savage.

Note how conservative dogma colors your worldview?

I agree that absolutism is not a good thing. It is possible to become a fanatic of any Ideology.

3

I think I'd rephrase it to be how much do I care if there are gods- because as far as I know Thor and Loki and the rest of the boys havent been into much in my lifetime - My answer is they don't figure a jot!

jacpod Level 8 July 22, 2018
1

It's almost completely certain that there is no god/goddess/spaghetti monster/holy toaster.

It is possible, just barely possible, that a demi-urge exists who created the Universe and set it in motion, set up the laws of physics so life is possible, did all these things and then sat back and is watching the process. Maybe even started the process of evolution.

But it's entirely certain to me, and (in my opinion) to any thinking person, that there's no personal deity, no old man in the clouds picking winners and losers, granting wishes based on the merit of the person making the wish. This can be seen by a simple fact: there are no miracles. Prayer doesn't work. Any supposed miracle or answered prayer, on closer examination, is revealed as confirmation bias and random chance. The "holy" books are the tribal mythology of desert peoples centuries ago, glorifying their bloody deeds and codifying their hatred of outsiders. Even Christianity is filled with hatred for those outside the religion. Accidents of history, not a divine plan, led to the rise of the three Middle Eastern cults to dominance in the West, and then over much of the world.

I picked 99.9% because there isn't a 99.9999% option.

0

I consider myself an ignostic, because the question of the existence of God is meaningless... because the term god has no coherent and unambiguous definition. "God" is the great cosmic question mark.

0

The existence of god is a maybe. But it's irrelevant to me. I'm here for X-number of years and then I'm gone. Too many other topics to debate.

1

100% its just a man mad devis for controle

0

Loki is the only true god. Obviously not its original name. It is known in all cultures.

Fur shur the true character of the old jew dieties. ("Christians" removed all the plurals from the original books.)

JacarC Level 8 July 17, 2018

All gods are the inventions of humans.

@Spinliesel But Loki is real. I feel it.

@Jacar So, you'll probably love the Norse people who inventted him. I love Wolverine.

@Spinliesel Loki is an imposter. Also known as the coyote. it has existed from the beginning. It is the root of all evil.

@Jacar Get a grip, my man.

@Spinliesel I get a grip, about once a day. And then Loki does something to return me to reality.

0

I think it’s just very unlikely that there are any gods at all. They don’t go around proclaiming themselves, and in all my 45+ years of life I’ve never seen or heard of anyone who has had such an encounter.

Denker Level 7 July 16, 2018

On the other hand I have had a guy tell me with a straight face that god told him a car in a convoy had fallen off the main group and guided him half a mile back up the interstate to save my daughter. Something any conscientious group leader would notice, the most logical solution to the problem, and his god glasses were brimming with how can I deny this?

@TaylorWalston that, and the fact that psychiatric hospitals are overflowing with people who claim that god talks to them. Unfortunately he rarely seems to talk sense.

1

Good for you for being nearly 100% certain the Abrahamic gods are false. As for some other god(s), what does it matter? If they exist or existed, they are connected to no doctrines, seem neither to want nor be able to reveal themselves to us, and created a world seemingly indifferent to our well-being, as many, including innocent children, live miserable lives and die horrible deaths from all sorts of famine, illness (cancer, infection, defects), natural disasters, predators, all sorts of inhumanity that man inflicts upon one another without any gods intervention (in fact by the nature of the way we are created, as a species we are highly susceptible to such behavior), and some are in such misery that they choose to end their own lives. Fascinating video.

Glad you liked it. I love that guys channel, he really discusses some fascinating topics.

0

You nail it in that the issue comes down to definition. I am as close to certainty as possible that there isn't a theistic god as put forward by the Abrahamic faiths.

Having said that, all that we think we know is limited because the best tool we have, mathematics, is incomplete per Goedel's theorems of incompleteness. And we can be near certain that every theory we have will evolve with new discoveries, if not be cast aside. And that there are "powers" we will discover that some will see as god like.

2

I'm as certain that there are no gods the same as I'm certain that there is no Santa Claus, there are no leprechauns, there is no Tooth Fairy, and that there are no ghosts. These are all things made up by humans and there is an utter lack of evidence to support that any of these things are real. I don't spend any time worrying whether dragons are real and I see no reason to be concerned whether any gods are real either.

2

The NT borrowed from the OT is the book of the JEWS. It seem Paul created Hell.

I did a provable survey on what was more likely on more of a Christian Forum.
I ask, what is more provable? Yahweh Sasquatch, or Aliens. Aliens had triple the provable votes, Sasquatch had more provable vote than Yahweh.

Even though Yahweh is by far more described as their Christain God in the Bible.
Many Christians don't know who Yahweh is.

0

I'm 99.9% sure about god not existing. I'm 100% sure the gods I've been told about do not exist, too many contradictions of themselves and reality.

mt49er Level 7 July 15, 2018
1

Time to take a step or two back and just relax and concentrate on the things that make you happy. I think all this analysing is too much for you.

I appreciate the advice. I was trying to write something quasi amusing that might generate some smirks.

3

I am 100% certain there are not now, nor have there ever been, any gods, whatsoever.
There is nothing proving their existence. Nothing. They are ALL nothing but
myths.
So, unless and until I am presented with credible, verifiable evidence of
their existence in reality, I am quite comfortable in my assertion that there
aren't any.
As far as I'm concerned, the burden of proof is on whoever says a thing exists.

@icolan If I say "Santa Claus doesn't exist", you're saying I have to prove that now?

@icolan Nope. That's not how it works. There is no "there" there.

@icolan The believers began this whole thing by saying their god(s) exist.
There is NO proof of any god having ever existed at any time, anywhere.
For me to say there are no gods is simply an answer to their initial assertion. I don't have to "prove" anything. This is not a court of law, and no one has been accused of a crime. You are conflating your "argument".
Let's stick with those who started this nonsense, and it wasn't me.

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