[Rian]

If there is a god, then he/she/it/they did not prevent those particular displays of human imperfection. Human action and recognition of evil may, at least, help to lessen or prevent such atrocities in the future. I couldn't say whether divine influence will do the same. I accept that many people believe in gods for personal reasons, but I do not find this a compelling argument for why humanity as a whole needs this belief.

[Turambar]

We're all human, and we're bound to make mistakes, god or no.

What troubles me is how many otherwise rational adults find themselves still believing in fairy tales from books as if they're the truth.

[peterv]

We're all human, and we're bound to make mistakes, god or no.

What troubles me is how many otherwise rational adults find themselves still believing in fairy tales from books as if they're the truth.

Less than those who believe in simillar "fairy tales" broadcasted from TV.

[The E]

And to get even lower on the intelligence scale, people who believe fairy tales on the internet.

[Scotty]

This 'going down the intelligence scale' bothers me.  People who are religious are not inherently stupid or irrational.  Whether or not you meant to do so, you implied this with your previous comment.

Conversely, it troubles me how many otherwise rational adults find themselves believing unproven or even untested scientific theories as if they're truth.

It carries with it a negative connotation when you say 'otherwise rational.'  The above, was just another example.  That in no way means it is what I actually think.

[Turambar]

It means i think you're a tad silly for living in this world and still believing there is some magical creator god who decides what to do with us after we die.

Edit: Who's claiming to believe in stuff from TV or unproven scientific theories?

[High Max]

.

[peterv]

It means i think you're a tad silly for living in this world and still believing there is some magical creator god who decides what to do with us after we die.

Edit: Who's claiming to believe in stuff from TV or unproven scientific theories?

It's a belief. How can it be critisized? And for the record, Einstein believed in God, was he an idiot?
And i don't mean that you believe in stuff from TV, i mean what i wrote, that the TV - propaganda victims are nowadays more than the Churches propaganda victims. In both cases, propaganda is the enemy, not the beliefs.

[High Max]

.

[peterv]

Carl Jung's "collective subconscience" theory. You're very close to that 

[Scotty]

I wonder what the religious fanatics will think if we find life on Mars or other places, even bacterial life.

Religious fanatics go ballistic at the slightest provocation, such as not wearing a burqa (only citing an example).  Personally, that wouldn't phase me spiritually.  The Bible says nowhere that He only created life on Earth.

What if all religions on earth are actually based off a core religion

Interesting theory.  Have fun getting people to agree  .  Nothing against you, but I disagree.  I have trouble understanding how the same core religion could have evolved into both Christianity and Hinduism, or Buddhism and Shamanism, as well as crossing oceans before any contact between east and west.

[High Max]

.

[karajorma]

And for the record, Einstein believed in God, was he an idiot?

For the record, Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life trying to disprove quantum physics because they didn't mesh with his view of God.

His famous "God does not play dice" quote was a reference to this. He was claiming that there was no way that quantum physics could be as random as they in fact have since been proved to be.

So yeah, once you got Einstein onto religion, he was pretty stupid.

[Ghostavo]

Therefore to place all of one's faith in man or a man is recipe for disappointment and in certain cases ruination, as is the case of Nazi Germany.

Wait, what?

[TrashMan]

I thought of something. What if all religions on earth are actually based off a core religion but is just each culture interpreting it differently? They have similarities and call God a different name. What if there is only one religion and there are all just different ways of looking at the same thing, like calling Jehova Krishna or Zeus. Maybe the core religion is some unnamed religion and the truth, but every culture altered it to their own interpretations.

monotheistic religions are in essence the same. Islam, Christianity and Judaism are all belief in a all-powerfull, just God. It's the less important details like His name that cause the unnecessary divide.

[Colonol Dekker]

No christian wars plox....

[TrashMan]

And for the record, Einstein believed in God, was he an idiot?

For the record, Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life trying to disprove quantum physics because they didn't mesh with his view of God.

His famous "God does not play dice" quote was a reference to this. He was claiming that there was no way that quantum physics could be as random as they in fact have since been proved to be.

So yeah, once you got Einstein onto religion, he was pretty stupid.

Really? Last I hear, some of his more "redicolous" theories are beginning to have some merit again. The universe is more complex that you and I probably imagine.
The old coot, even in him most stupid phase, may yet prove to have been 1000 time smarter then you will ever be.

[peterv]

For the record, Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life trying to disprove quantum physics because they didn't mesh with his view of God.

His famous "God does not play dice" quote was a reference to this. He was claiming that there was no way that quantum physics could be as random as they in fact have since been proved to be.

So yeah, once you got Einstein onto religion, he was pretty stupid.

I got him onto religion? where that comes from?

And yes, i'm aware of this and his other quotes about God. Here's a nice bio : http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/einstein_symphony_prog_summary.shtml

Obviously he knew that we was speaking to an Atheist audience and he also knew that he could'nt proove anything about it. What makes me wonder is how the opposite can be prooven, the non existance of God. People are very sure about it (And please don't confuse it whith the religions. I think i've made my point very clear about them).

[Pred the Penguin]

And for the record, Einstein believed in God, was he an idiot?

For the record, Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life trying to disprove quantum physics because they didn't mesh with his view of God.

His famous "God does not play dice" quote was a reference to this. He was claiming that there was no way that quantum physics could be as random as they in fact have since been proved to be.

So yeah, once you got Einstein onto religion, he was pretty stupid.

Really? Last I hear, some of his more "redicolous" theories are beginning to have some merit again. The universe is more complex that you and I probably imagine.
The old coot, even in him most stupid phase, may yet prove to have been 1000 time smarter then you will ever be.

You're getting the message wrong.
Many of his theories do have general merit. Though he tried to disprove them, it doesn't mean that he was wrong.

[karajorma]

Really? Last I hear, some of his more "redicolous" theories are beginning to have some merit again. The universe is more complex that you and I probably imagine.
The old coot, even in him most stupid phase, may yet prove to have been 1000 time smarter then you will ever be.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

The point is that Einstein abandoned the scientific method and decided on faith that the universe had to run differently from the way the theory he had created said it did. Even if he is proved right, and relativity doesn't work that way, he's still wrong. Because all he did was take a guess and then try to prove that guess was correct even though every single experiment said he was wrong.

Furthermore I challenge you to provide proof of him being right as I suspect you pulled that claim out of your arse.