I think I missed the mark in my OP.
What I was trying to say, I guess, was this; Why do theists believe that humans have an intrinsic knowledge of God, or are born with God, or are born to serve God or what have you when we are born without knowledge of the divine whatsoever? We are all born atheists.
It's as if theists believe us humans to have been born "broken", that we need to be fixed. That is... depressing and largely untrue. So they teach us the religion they've been taught by their parents and the cycle goes on.
But religion is so pointless. Look at how many of them there have been, like what, 2812 or whatever? They've all said different things and said that those things are true. With such wide ranging speculations one could only reach the conclusion that all of them are incorrect and that humans have absolutely no fucking clue what is happening out there in the universe, really.
Especially since they all say a couple things that should raise some skepticism.
Like how they all have the same amount of proof (none, no proof whatsoever for any of them)
How they all say that they are absolutely, unequivocally right. (again, without proof and they all say this.)
How all other faiths are wrong because I mean clearly they're wrong if we're right. (still no proof, and they all say this)
Then people try to say that the universe itself is proof of their deity's existence, but they all say that and that doesn't really help us in the end anyway. The argument from ignorance, I believe? It's assuredly some logical fallacy.
Then you guys try and tell me that I believe science like I would believe in a religion. Ho ho! A bolder statement may never have been said. To this, I answer "No."
Plain and simply, "no". I do not worship the Big Bang. I do not go to church. I would not say that I believe every word scientists say, because to believe means to not exercise any level of skepticism or critical thinking, which I think is offensive for you to say to me as a person.
I say "that sounds like it makes sense." Actual sense. Not the way someone could say that religion makes sense. (Not like it's even supposed to; it's believers will frequently tell you that it is not supposed to make any sense at all, to you, petty human.)
I think it is sad, truly, that religion shackles the minds of so many people around the planet. It's gotten to the point where people are still clamoring to try and fit God into scientific reasoning or data, to use science in such a vain effort to prove that God exists.
Why is it, religious scientist, that you are not strong enough of conviction in your beliefs to need only that? Why do you have to go off searching for God? What is that to say about what you believe in if you are constantly trying to justify it through other means than just your faith?
Are you afraid, maybe, of the idea that you have been lied to? Tricked. Fooled. Had the wool pulled over your eyes. That there is no life after death and that God is not real is assuredly a disturbing thought, one might try to suppress such information in their heads. So they drown it in faith. Revel in it.
I said in the "list proofs of/against God" thread that no evolutionary adaption would give us insight into the fundamental nature of reality, this was agreed upon.
I then went on to say that religion is an evolutionary adaption because it gave us, the semi intelligent human species, something to actually strive to live for. For evidence, I brought up the fact that in the worst societies economically, in the places where people have nothing, there is the highest rates of fundamentalist religion. It's like an inherent defense mechanism we use to blind ourselves from the cold, hard fact that life is very cruel, random, and that it does not care about you or your comfort.
Again, I ask the question (I don't think I asked it in this thread), what does religion actually do for the individual who believes that cannot be accomplished through something else? Some other sort of social construct like group talking, or what have you?
I think all of our existentialist fears could be quelled by the fact that if we all come together and talk about them then we can learn that we are all sort of on some level afraid. And it is from this mutual fear that we can derive great bravery and strength and togetherness and love.
The unfortunate thing is that someone thought of the afterlife. This means that we are always going to know about the idea of the afterlife. We will wish for it, hope to have it, and will search our whole lives for the answer to it. We have stoked our own fires for an endless chase of what is essentially nothing.
There is no point in worrying about the afterlife. Nobody knows what it is, and for them to say that they even have the smallest semblance of an idea about some sort of life after death... well that's just wishful thinking.