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Ask HN: Why do you believe that your religion/faith/worldview is correct?

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11–20 of 38 posts

Re: Ask HN: Why do you believe that your religion/faith/worldview is correct?

#11
post #6

Muslim here. I'm open to being convinced. In fact, if you want to convince me, my inbox is open. I think it is possibly the most important question to decide on, so I'd appreciate honest discussion. Most online discussions are rarely civil because they're a little dishonest. IMO, there is always going to be lack of evidence for or against. Agnosticism is logical, but I would rather just pick something and experiment…

For a muslim, I would suggest to be extra careful with choice of words describing God especially with point No. 3 and 4.

I don't know if I understand what you really meant to convey (your context, nuances, etc.), but you would not want to accidentally commit subtle shirk and invalidate your faith without even noticing.

We don't think about God. We think about God's creations instead.

Re: Ask HN: Why do you believe that your religion/faith/worldview is correct?

#12
I think faiths and ideologies are group identities that pass me by since I'm a perpetual outsider.

There are books and sayings and thoughts that I really appreciate and like to think about... And I definitely have some personal biases, motivations, desires... But I don't have a worldview that I could write down, and my views on many things are marked by confusion, doubt, or pluralistic appreciation.

Here's one quote I like, by Paul Goodman:

Behavior is more graceful, forceful, and discriminating without the intervention of the state, wardens, corporation executives, central planners, and university presidents. These tend to create a chronic emergency that makes them necessary. In most cases, the use of power to do a job is inefficient in the fairly short run. Extrinsic power inhibits intrinsic function. "Soul is self-moving," says Aristotle.

I tend to agree with that based on experience, but then, I'd also have to add that it's a biased statement. Of course sometimes the state improves things, the executive inspires, the planner gets things done, and the university president has courage and wisdom...

Of all the spiritual traditions, Zen is the one I've been most interested in, but as soon as you find some dogma in Zen, someone comes and slaps you.

Basically my worldview is that of a cosmic know-it-all without any concrete suggestions. And then I just try to do whatever's in front of my nose to do, as Henry Miller once said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYL3mB3rAfU

I also like imaginative, powerful, crazy manifestos, like Hakim Bey's "Temporary Autonomous Zone".

http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/taz.htm

And rather than join some political party, I'd rather be at home reading Spinoza, Simone Weil, Huangbo, Van Gogh's letters, anthropology, McLuhan...

Sometimes I try to figure out, like, is private property good or evil? I just don't know, man. There's so many ins and outs.

Re: Ask HN: Why do you believe that your religion/faith/worldview is correct?

#16
post #6

Muslim here. I'm open to being convinced. In fact, if you want to convince me, my inbox is open. I think it is possibly the most important question to decide on, so I'd appreciate honest discussion. Most online discussions are rarely civil because they're a little dishonest. IMO, there is always going to be lack of evidence for or against. Agnosticism is logical, but I would rather just pick something and experiment…

Why would I want to remove a placebo if it works?

The placebo is false, it is not a truth.

Your reasoning seems to me to be constructs of your own making. My search is for truth in its simplest form, detached from human perceptions.

I do think that your thoughts are good, though perhaps not true.

Re: Ask HN: Why do you believe that your religion/faith/worldview is correct?

#18
post #9

I think my strongest belief is that we can never ever have any objective evidence on whether or not God exists. I'm deeply suspicious of any attempt to prove or disprove the existence of God. I do belief God exists and created this universe, and as creator of this universe, God is not subject to its laws, and therefore falls completely outside the purview of science. This universe exists entirely because God wants it…

Why the Christian God, and not some other religion's ?

Re: Ask HN: Why do you believe that your religion/faith/worldview is correct?

#19
I think having seen all of the worst evils in the world committed in the name of some belief, I have dropped concerning myself with anything that isn't scientifically validated. I feel like all organized religions are just some form of control and don't provide any benefit except for forcing an association with a group that might not hold the same complete beliefs as I do, but is essentially pushing those beliefs onto you by association.

One thing that kind of blows my mind still is how the engineers I work with (some of the best most logically discerning minds) can believe in religion. It seems counter intuitive. Maybe it's out of fear? Not sure. I used to be religious though, and constantly thought about what makes my ancient book of mumbo-jumbo more valid than someone elses book? And is it not messed up that everyone is so divided and just because they were born to a culture or society that does not believe a religion, they will all burn eternally? Seems shady to me. Anyways, ridding my life of unfounded beliefs allowed me to realize the value of life, empathize, and treat others equally, irrelevant of culture or beliefs, whereas I feel like religion tries to make everyone else the "others" who are less than.

Re: Ask HN: Why do you believe that your religion/faith/worldview is correct?

#20
post #3

A God who defines His paramount and most important characteristic as being Holy not His power. The God Jehovah Jesus HolySpirit is the God who is worthy of being called God. Scientific reasoning only proves to me the existence of God as does historical evidence. The levels and layers of interdependent complexities in the universe and living things in the macro and micro are without a doubt proof of such an amazingly…

Crediting our lack of understanding of the universe to a higher power is like assigning thunder and lightening to Zeus. Now we know better.
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