I believe God speaks to people through their conscience and their thoughts. Some only believe God speaks to mankind through the Bible. What about you?

[Integrity]

So when I believe I hear from God “What happens? Do I hear a voice or something?”

“No, I believe God normally talks to us through our thoughts. I believe it is the
natural way for him to reach us. Let Him put the questions to you
about your business, and your home life, and the bit of the world you live in. Think over the problems of the day against the background question,
“What does God want?” rather than “What do I want?” I believe you will find convictions forming in your mind as you do. This is a primary way that I believe God has spoken to me and still does to this day.

Any thoughts for discussion?

 

[Indecisi0n]

With the thoughts that run through my mind I don’t think you want to make god responsible for those.

 

[Integrity]

With the thoughts that run through my mind I don’t think you want to make god responsible for those.

I don’t believe all thoughts are from God, some attribute bad thoughts of mankind to Satan or demons.

 

[BeefiestMass]

[Does] God speak to people through their conscience and their thoughts . . . [? Does] God speak to mankind through the Bible, "Do I hear a voice or something?”

Yes

 

[DriverNerd]

I'm an atheist so I believe neither, but if God were to exist I think the bible view would be bat crazy...using a book created by men thousands of years ago that's half "truth" and half parable to determine everything about your religion

On the other hand, if there's some omnipotent being determining how you're supposed to live and what kind of afterlife you have it would make more sense for it to be focused specifically to the life/hardships that that particular person faces.

 

[Integrity]

Yes

?

 

[Integrity]

I'm an atheist so I believe neither, but if God were to exist I think the bible view would be bat crazy...using a book created by men thousands of years ago that's half "truth" and half parable to determine everything about your religion

On the other hand, if there's some omnipotent being determining how you're supposed to live and what kind of afterlife you have it would make more sense for it to be focused specifically to the life/hardships that that particular person faces.

Well said. I do believe in God but you spoke your position clearly and honestly. I have to appreciate that!

Do you believe in right and wrong?

 

[DriverNerd]

Do you believe in right and wrong?

Yes and no. Hard to describe but I'll try. Right and wrong is tough to define because people have different ideas of right and wrong.

Since I believe that you only have one life (and a short one at that) that I should live to enjoy my short life as long as possible as much as possible. So if you're talking about murder, then yes I believe anything that takes away someone else's chance at that is wrong. Murder of a murderer? I'm all for that. But that's a different discussion.

I'm not one of those crazy atheists who think all religious people are nuts (just some of them). I respect those with spiritual views as long as they don't try to affect my life. Because although I don't believe what they do, it doesn't mean they're wrong.

 

[BigGuy2732]

People who do not believe in God have no basis for their morality, they attribute their sense of right and wrong to nothing. That must be tough to reconcile. The honest atheists are the ones who straight up kill people and do whatever they want because why not? This is all an accident and nothing matters.

 

[Indecisi0n]

People who do not believe in God have no basis for their morality, they attribute their sense of right and wrong to nothing. That must be tough to reconcile. The honest atheists are the ones who straight up kill people and do whatever they want because why not? This is all an accident and nothing matters.

So morality only comes from religion/god?

 

[Integrity]

People who do not believe in God have no basis for their morality, they attribute their sense of right and wrong to nothing. That must be tough to reconcile. The honest atheists are the ones who straight up kill people and do whatever they want because why not? This is all an accident and nothing matters.

I have found some individuals who claim to be Atheist to be very moral people. Some with better morals than some professed believers that I know.

 

[Integrity]

So morality only comes from religion/god?

Where does morality come from?

 

[bleedinbrown58]

People who do not believe in God have no basis for their morality, they attribute their sense of right and wrong to nothing. That must be tough to reconcile. The honest atheists are the ones who straight up kill people and do whatever they want because why not? This is all an accident and nothing matters.

So Religion is the only way to learn right from wrong? Interesting...

 

[Integrity]

So Religion is the only way to learn right from wrong? Interesting...

Where do you think right and wrong comes from?

 

[bleedinbrown58]

Where do you think right and wrong comes from?

As a child, my parents taught me right and wrong. As an adult, I think we decide our own set of morals....yes some people base theirs on religion, some don’t. But I don’t think that non religious people are automatically devoid of morality.

 

[floridays]

I have found some individuals who claim to be Atheist to be very moral people. Some with better morals than some professed believers that I know.

Professed believers are nothing more than sinners that heard the Word, that Jesus came to save sinners, believed what they heard, and trusted God.

From an old hymn:

There is a fountain filled with Blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins
And sinners plunge beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains

 

[BigGuy2732]

As a child, my parents taught me right and wrong. As an adult, I think we decide our own set of morals....yes some people base theirs on religion, some don’t. But I don’t think that non religious people are automatically devoid of morality.

They aren't devoid of morality. They get their morality from Christianity whether they want to admit it or not, in some form. They just cannot properly explain where they get that morality from. Because they believe in nothing.

 

[upschuck]

I believe God speaks both ways, but if your conscience goes against what the Bible says, then your conscience is not listening to God.

 

[Red Devil]

They aren't devoid of morality.

Want to bet?

 

[Jones]

First off, many highly secular societies in the world today with the lowest rates of belief in God—such as Sweden, Japan, and the Netherlands—are among the safest, most well-functioning, and most humane societies on earth, with the lowest murder rates, violent crime rates, infant mortality rates, child abuse fatality rates, incarceration rates, etc. Conversely, those nations with the highest rates of corruption, murder, inequality, political repression, and violence—such as Colombia, El Salvador, and Jamaica—are among the most religious. Granted, this is merely a correlation, but it is a powerful correlation that may knock out the knees of the claim that “only God” can provide morals and values for civilization.
Secondly, within the U.S., those states with the highest levels of belief in God—like Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama—have much higher rates of violent crime and other "social pathologies" than those states with the lowest levels of belief in God—such as Vermont, Massachusetts, and Oregon. If popular belief in God kept people moral and widespread atheism led to immorality, then we would expect to see an opposite correlation; we would find that those states (and nations) wherein God-belief is strong would have the lowest levels of violent crime, while those states (and nations) wherein God-belief is weak would have the highest. But we typically find just the opposite.

Atheism, Morality, and Society

Is God necessary for goodness?

www.psychologytoday.com