To Marolee if he or she is still around

[ultimate777]

I just now ran in to this thread you started about six weeks ago, I haven't checked to see if its dead, but if it is, it's worth reviving:



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by Mariolee » Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:26 am

TLDR; How can we know if we aren't just deluding ourselves with Christianity into making ourselves more comfortable and ignore the harsh reality that there is nothing after death and there is no higher spiritual being? In addition to this, how do we know all of these "evidences" that supposedly back up Christianity isn't simply us building something akin to a conspiracy, tying together facts that shouldn't be tied together?

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For those of you who have seen my posts on this board, you may know that I am probably the most doubtful Christian you may have ever known. I designate myself as a Christian but still feel incredibly shaky on my faith. This is probably because I am in my teenage years, and am currently experiencing an influx of differing opinions and knowledge at an enormously quick rate, and do not yet know how to process it all. This is probably what is leading to all of my doubt as well as the skepticism of many teenagers, and I would like to just get that out of the way before I get to the meat of my question.

Relying on faith is a phrase that some might construe as hopeful, while others may see it as delusional, an almost cult-like method of going about your life. The idea that you go throughout life ignoring reality in favor of a fantasy that makes you feel much more at peace and comfortable is what most would argue is detrimental to the state of one's well being. But some of the same people who argue that deluding yourself is preposterous are the same people who believe in major religions. To an atheist or even possibly an agnostic, wouldn't this seem hypocritical? To those who believe religion is just phooey, they also believe naturally that the followers of religion are simply deluding themselves in order to make themselves feel comfortable.

This came up to me as I watched tonight's episode of Awake, in which Detective Michael Britten saves a hospital by letting a schizophrenic bomber indulge in his delusions.





I am a huge fan of "Awake." I have thought for many years that one can never be more than, say, 99.44% sure that one is not hallucinating at any given time. For some people, there may be evidence that the probabilities are much higher if they can recognize and accept them. Detective Michael Britten is one such person and he knows it and copes with it well, by accepting it and working with it as best he can. It is not an unmixed curse by a long shot.

Maybe we should handle our doubts like Detective Michael Britten handles the doubts that must be constant at any given time that he is experiencing reality.





The psychiatrist at the end then notes that this is why major religions have afterlives, to make their constituents feel better. Now, don't get the impression that this is the first time I've wrestled with this question, as throughout my short lifetime as of right now I have run into this many times before in arguing with friends and watching religious debates.

It's a hard question to ignore, as it makes you question if you're insane. What if all of these evidences that you interpret as proof of Christ, are actually illusions derived from your preconceived worldviews? How can you interpret evidences objectively and at the same time use it to prove God's existence? As the alien history meme guy would ask, "Is such a thing even possible?"

So then, how can we know if we aren't just deluding ourselves with Christianity into making ourselves more comfortable and ignore the harsh reality that there is nothing after death




In this life we can never know that, or never know the contrary, if that be true, we can just try to make educated guesses.
If I had a good enough answer it could make me rich.




and there is no higher spiritual being? In addition to this, how do we know all of these "evidences" that supposedly back up Christianity isn't simply us building something akin to a conspiracy, tying together facts that shouldn't be tied together?

This turned out to be well lengthier than I expected