Does belief matter at all?

[Willum]

If you believe in Heaven.
If you believe in redemption.
If you believe in monotheism, or a monotheism that is a trinity.
If you believe they put a man on the moon.

Why would you think it has any effect on reality?
Why would you think it has any effect on the afterlife or God?
Realtiy, whatever it is, IS what it is, right?

If termites prayed to you would it make a difference?

Reality will be unchanged by your beliefs, right?
God is perfect and unchanged by your beliefs right?

So how does belief change God or what happens ever, or after you die?

If one termite believes you are his savior, and one believes I am it's saviour, does this change anything at all?

[imhereforyou]

[Replying to post 8 by Willum]

Isn't it possible, that, whatever happens after we die, has nothing to do with what we believe?

Sure - why not.

Or, that should we invoke a divine arbiter, he's got standards of behavior, rather then judging you on what kind of meat you believe is wholesome?

That would be nice lol

[ttruscott]

So how does belief change God or what happens ever, or after you die?

Our faith, our unproven hope in YHWH 's divinity and promise to make sure we end up in heaven as HIS Bride and our trust / faith in HIS Son as our saviour for any and all sin is the only entry for sinners into the heavenly marriage of a full, loving communion based upon a full telepathic communication of thought and emotion between all who are in the heavenly marriage, including GOD.

GOD was the same after our declaration to put our faith in HIM as our GOD as HE was before - HE did not change, HE only viewed us now as HIS children.

In metaphor, our faith in Christ, what you call belief which when spoken by a secularist is often wrongly defined*, is the key to open the door to heaven. Our choice of where to put our faith changes / defines our fates by our free will decision to embrace the fate we chose.

*Belief as referring to a perception of proven fact is not the same as belief as faith, an unproven hope.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 12 by ttruscott]

Why do you think your belief can effect an all-powerful creature?
Why do you think it cares what you believe about it? What could a termite believe about you that would persuade you to elevate it about other termites and give it pleasant immortality?

[JehovahsWitness]

That history was changed by a notion says very little about the truthfullness of that notion, or about the weight of a duck.

I didn't take the question to be one of the truthfulness of any given religion only about whether its existence as a social phenonomen "matters". If by "matter" the OP means has any lasting effect, influence or consequence, then for good or bad it "matters" from a human perspective.

Of course a more focused response would result from a more focused and precise question, but your points about the bad effects of religion only reinforce my point which was religion has an effect as social phenonomen. Religin is as integral a part of human society as anything else that can be named such as family, language, politics, trade and commerce, music, art etc. So unless I have misunderstood the question, it seems an undeniable fact that religion matters because it matters to the majority of the human race including those that have no religion, unless they live up a mountain or under a rock.



JW

[ttruscott]

If termites prayed to you would it make a difference?

[Replying to post 12 by ttruscott]

Why do you think your belief can effect an all-powerful creature?
Why do you think it cares what you believe about it? What could a termite believe about you that would persuade you to elevate it about other termites and give it pleasant immortality?

Wow - the ignorance of Christianity is strong in this question...

GOD created us to be HIS Bride, that is, to have a truly loving and righteous marriage in holy communion and telepathic communication with us so HE made us able to perceive HIM, communicate with HIM and love HIM, able to have such a union. When HE can receive us, we will be able to receive HIM. We were made for each other!

It is sin that has destroyed the fulfillment of this purpose... It is an anti-Christian fallacy to call mankind worms or insects in our debased sinful condition...we are the Bride of GOD gone astray into sin and evil and needing to be redeemed but we are still HIS Bride. The demon tares / goats were also created to be able to be HIS Bride but by rejecting HIM, deciding instead HE was a false god and a liar, they self created themselves as eternally evil and therefore never able to fulfill the purpose for their creation.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 15 by ttruscott]

You know I am not at all comfortable being referred to as God's bride, not with how well he treated his son and people.
If you want to be in God's bed chamber, that's on you, but I find the sexual overtones disgusting and unavoidable.

Now the OP, too, has NOTHING to do with that.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 15 by ttruscott]

You know I am not at all comfortable being referred to as God's bride, not with how well he treated his son and people.
If you want to be in God's bed chamber, that's on you, but I find the sexual overtones disgusting and unavoidable.

Now the OP, too, has NOTHING to do with that.

It's a metaphor for being dedicated and united in an eternal bond. Like saying a man is "married to his job" it shouldn't be taken literally or imply sexuality.

Plus there is nothing "discusting" about sex between consulting adults that are united in marriage, so there is no reason to see the metaphor as "discusting".

[Tcg]

Plus there is nothing "discusting" about sex between consulting adults that are united in marriage, so there is no reason to see the metaphor as "discusting".

Sure. It's as wholesome as prison group sex.

[JoeyKnothead]

From Post 10:

Everybody believes in something. As G. K. Chesterton put it, “When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing; they then become capable of believing in anything.�

Just 'cause I ain't capable of believing the claims of them that can't show they speak truth, that don't mean I'm capable of becoming me a Muslim.

I propose that either it's you, or your friend there, a-doin' some projecting.


Your proposal is a bit slanderous, but more goofy, in that it attempts to define those who reject unfounded claims as gullible enough to accept 'em other unfounded claims.

Just because the claimant can't show they speak truth, that's no reason to conclude those who disbelieve that claimant are somehow gullible enough to believe 'em them the next claimant that comes along.

Alas, "If y'all don't believe me, then y'all'll believe y'all anything" seems it a compelling argument among some folks who can't show they speak truth.

That sounds to me like saying if I don't believe frogs are ducks, I must then believe that ducks are frogs. I mean, look at their feet!

[JoeyKnothead]

That history was changed by a notion says very little about the truthfullness of that notion, or about the weight of a duck.

I didn't take the question to be one of the truthfulness of any given religion only about whether its existence as a social phenonomen "matters". If by "matter" the OP means has any lasting effect, influence or consequence, then for good or bad it "matters" from a human perspective.

Of course a more focused response would result from a more focused and precise question, but your points about the bad effects of religion only reinforce my point which was religion has an effect as social phenonomen. Religin is as integral a part of human society as anything else that can be named such as family, language, politics, trade and commerce, music, art etc. So unless I have misunderstood the question, it seems an undeniable fact that religion matters because it matters to the majority of the human race including those that have no religion, unless they live up a mountain or under a rock.

JW

Plenty fair, as I note having a negative impact is also having it an impact.