Of less importance than the question; "Does Bigfoot exist?"
In other words the question is ill posed.
Why is the question "Does / do God / gods exist?" important in today's world? (I would like answers, but I am also starting a new thread for those interested.)
I don't believe it is any more important today, than it was thousands of years ago. Probably less, as science has come a long way in explaining things that people previously could only explain as "acts of god(s)".
If you think of it, people join a religion for the same reason they join gangs ... (1) they were born into it, or (2) they are looking to belong to something. #2 because they don't have enough confidence in themselves, and need an outside source to give them a sense of worth.
While my answer is my own personal view . . . More and more I find it echoed throughout the Atheist community.
Simply put:
- We should care about what is "True"
- We should care about what is appropriately assigned to "Belief" versus what is assigned to "Knowledge"
- This ensures we keep moving forward with natural scientific discovery rather then set a "Supernatural Placeholder" for what we currently do not actually KNOW.
- There needs to be an understanding that people will OFTEN act on their "Beliefs" as truth, regardless of whether it harms another who does not share their belief
- The inability to distinguish "Truth" from "Belief" can pose a very real threat to benefiting the continuance and societal evolution of humanity as a whole.
- People who've been indoctrinated in a "Belief" WILL impose their beliefs on others to ensure it's continuance
So, this is why I feel it is important and necessary to discuss.
alot of people including myself looking for god gods something to beleive in. Someone or something created this
You are right to search for truth.
Weigh all information in your own mental factory.
Don't give up until you are satisfied that you have
found the truth. This could take some time.
After all you are in fact a Time Being.
It's important in today's world because we see so much mass death and destruction wreaked by nutjobs who'd see their God imposed on everyone else. What is their excuse if there is no God?
It will always be important to those who put a premium on their faith. Often any answer, even the wrong answer, is better than none.
One's position on this matter can influence or direct their worldview, their set of basic values, who they vote for, what foods they eat and the way they raise their kids. I'd say its still a pretty significant concern in some circles.
Dear Tom Jackson,
In our traumatized world, I think it is actually better to get beyond that God question altogether…and as quickly as we can…
Atheists often point to slaughter in the name of God over the centuries; and indeed the best count available may be something like 55 million murdered. However just in the last century anti-religious atheist forces have exterminated something like 128 million (Russia, Germany, China, Cambodia).
* * *
From Adolph Hitler, for example:
"After the destruction of Judaism, the extinction of Christian slave morals must follow logically... We are fighting against the perversion of our soundest instincts...That poison with which both Jews and Christians have spoiled and soiled the free, wonderful instincts of man and lowered them to the level of doglike fright."
* * *
Maybe we can go instead to a question like “how do we unfold our finest human potential?”
