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?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Willum]

It matters greatly to the people who believe.

It changes how they treat themselves and others, effects the choices they make from birth control to military service. It gives them strength and hope during hardship, if medical reports are to be believed, effects their health longevity and recovery during illness. In fact I cannot think of another single element that has as much potential to change individuals and societies as religious belief.

Arguably history was changed by the story of one such individual, a travelling teacher from the highlands of Galilee, one Jesus of Nazareth.



JW

[imhereforyou]

[Replying to post 1 by Willum]

Why would you think it has any effect on reality?
Why would you think it has any effect on the afterlife or God?

I'm curious as to who thinks this at all.

Realtiy, whatever it is, IS what it is, right?

Is it? Some may say no, or we don't know. All we know is what we know, we don't know what we don't know.

If termites prayed to you would it make a difference?

Depends on my fascination with termites. And, since they're praying, if I do anything to/for them, then it would matter to them I'd think.

God is perfect and unchanged by your beliefs right?

I was told once, by a preacher, that if enough people prayed, it could change God's action or potential action.
[quote[So how does belief change God or what happens ever, or after you die? [/quote] I don't know of anyone who makes this claim.

Seems to me that belief only matters to the one believing.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 7 by imhereforyou]

Well, some people think that what they believe controls whether they go to Heaven, or Hell with the other 99% of us.

Whereas, the point everyone seemed to focus on was how important the beliefs of termites and themselves were.

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

Thank you for actually addressing the topic, and not the termites!

[JoeyKnothead]

From Post 6:

It matters greatly to the people who believe.

It changes how they treat themselves and others, effects the choices they make from birth control to military service.

And to the stoning of folks, the discrimationin'ns of 'em, and all such as that.

Let's be real here, religious belief can be, and has been shown to be, a step t'wards the repressions and oppressions of folks who don't toe 'em to "God says ya'll don't do that, only I can't show he actually said such, I just gotta find me a Congresscritter that'll do me my God's biddin', 'cause it is, he's too danged weak, or too danged inept, to do it himself, and so am I".

It gives them strength and hope during hardship, if medical reports are to be believed, effects their health longevity and recovery during illness.

That a belief may help one to overcome illness, if even to a scientifically viable number, says nothing about the validity of that belief.

I can believe I'm me a duck, and live me to a hunderd and three - that don't mean it was I thought I was me a duck that caused me to do it.

In fact I cannot think of another single element that has as much potential to change individuals and societies as religious belief.

A lack of imagination is hardly a compelling argument regarding the validity of 'em that have 'em a rampent one of them one of 'em.

Arguably history was changed by the story of one such individual, a travelling teacher from the highlands of Galilee, one Jesus of Nazareth.

History also includes such folks tryin' to figure 'em out the differentials twixt the weight of 'em a duck, and 'em the weight of a witch, by a-dunkin' em one or more'n a few of 'em into a body of water, only to realize, they ain't got 'em no calcutater to do 'em the math with.


Conclusions?

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

[Overcomer]

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.�

[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.