Lost Data

[steelish]

Certainly people can believe that God resides within them. There is no one who can prove them wrong. But if they cannot admit to themselves that this belief is based only on faith and not on evidence they are no better off than some ancient shepherd cowering in his field because a comet hangs in the sky. Maintain your faith if it comforts you. But don't deny reality and don't attempt to force that faith on others.

I am completely against organized religion. Most are zealots who (I agree with you) use people's faith as scare tactics to enforce the behavior they require their congregation to exhibit.

That being said it is my belief that faith in God's existence is exactly that...FAITH. I do believe he resides in each one of us. I feel He is the guiding force for good. Some call it a conscience, I prefer to believe it is God's guiding hand. Call it what you will. I for one think people are entitled to their own opinion in regards to faith. I do not believe in trying to "recruit" followers as organized religions are want to do. What another person believes (as far as religion goes) doesn't directly effect my life. Thank God (a slight pun there) that I live in the States and not where it WOULD effect my life, such as Ireland, Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.

[Thorne]

That being said it is my belief that faith in God's existence is exactly that...FAITH. I do believe he resides in each one of us. I feel He is the guiding force for good. Some call it a conscience, I prefer to believe it is God's guiding hand. Call it what you will. I for one think people are entitled to their own opinion in regards to faith. I do not believe in trying to "recruit" followers as organized religions are want to do. What another person believes (as far as religion goes) doesn't directly effect my life. Thank God (a slight pun there) that I live in the States and not where it WOULD effect my life, such as Ireland, Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.

Even here in the US religion has far too great an influence on our lives than it should. Where I live they still have "Blue Laws" proscribing what one can do on Sundays. Your religion, or lack of it, has no bearing on whether these laws apply to you: they affect everyone. Those who protest against gay marriage are mostly doing so on religious grounds. Just ask gays in California if the tenets of organized religion have affected their lives. The same goes for abortion. And how likely would it be for an avowed atheist, for example, to be elected President?

Religion in the US is so ubiquitous that we don't always see how it affects our daily lives, whether we believe or not. Most vocal atheists are striving to make people aware of that. They aren't trying to "recruit", or convert, people. They don't care what you believe. All they (we) want is for religious beliefs to be kept out of our lives. Don't make something illegal on Sunday if it's not illegal on Saturday. Don't push religion into public schools. Don't make others adhere to a religious belief of what constitutes a "proper" marriage.

As I've stated often here, I have no problem with those who believe in God, or gods. If you find comfort in your beliefs, who am I to say you are wrong? And if I don't feel the need for such a belief in my life, who is there to tell me that I am wrong?