why not believe?

Because Fiedism is not only impossible but unethical. Without evidence your belief is vacuous and harmful. Your beliefs effect others. If you have no reason other than 'it makes me happy' - then you have effected others on a belief that has no valid reason for believing.

Pascal's Wager is a fool's wager.

TTF

yes but
what if you are egostic utilitarianist/solopsist?

and how is that harmfull to others?

why not believe?

For the simple reason that you would not truely be believeing!

Why would you want to believe what's false? Happiness doesn't depend on you believing in religion anyways.

I take it your athiest ray...

Re: why not believe?
I suppose there's some merit to considering one's happiness superior to the truth of one's beliefs.

Don't worry, I'm agnostic. :wink:

Re: why not believe?


Taken.



Because your premise makes no guarantee of success, that may be its purpose but its highly unlikely to succeed. Also short term increases in happiness must be weighed against the sorrows of long term misuse, much as in narcotics.

If you must join a religion then become one of the priests. Better the shepherd than the sheep.



Hmmm, I see them as useful cultural guide markers whose factual existance is irrelevant next to the symbols for which they stand. Then again I believe in all gods. Much like there is never an "A" in the real world, yet the letter has valid meaning.



Big "if" with no guarantees. I prefer the power of reason to the bliss of ignorance, if only because with the power of reason it's easier to get and more importantly keep, your happiness.



There are many brands of happiness, I would prefer the exclusive melan designer to the homebrand, but that's just me.



That's what I think.

Tell me what happiness is.

Sorry, that came out rude. Can anyone define happiness?

Happiness is a warm yak.

'believe and not to believe', that is the question!!
I suppose that now I have reached the philosophy that you can never prove the existence of god, then if i cant believe in anything else.

It is like worshiping a religion, as a religion, not as the truth. Therefore does it make it worthwile?

I think that hapiness is indeed superior to knowledge. If i wasnt so clever then i would have to waste my time thinking about all these arguments, and would probably be a lot happier as a result.

I think i may have to eat my own words a bit here!
because I do not know whther it would be possible to 'believe and not to believe' as it where. Because my beliefs i mentioned before ('it works for me') arent religious, they are more paganistic. And pagan views are seen as deities, and personified forms of nature, not as actual gods.
I dont know how this thery would be applied to christanity though.

this doesnt mean my theory is crap

agreed. just realize that believing in something means having faith in it, having faith can be both a dangerous and useful thing.

rubbish
Most people only turn to religion to satisfy their imagination and to to answer the question "where did we come from?".

I think science will eventually take over from religion as modern science has answered far more questions, and backed them up with fact, than all other religions put together.

yes, look at extremeists.
faith can be great, for two years i was a christian and believed every single word the bible sed, and was really happy, then i met my friend who taught me it was a load of ***** and since then ive been a philosopher, and also happy, (if not a little confused)

however faith can be a bad thing, it can make you dangerous (terrorists) and can make u unbelievable closed minded, therefore a danger to yourself.

Re: why not believe?


I would rather be unhappy and able to see. No question.

I'm not happy about the idea of rotting in a box instead of going to heaven, but I'd rather learn to deal with it than lie to myself.

Re: why not believe?
Axl

I don't understand. How can anyone be happy by believing in something he assumes being false? And how to believe in something and in the same time thinking it is false?
And what makes you think that the only purpose of religion is to make you happy? In fact, religion has made life miserable even for most of it's believers.

because dragging yourself away from a religion is hard, believe me. and it depends what type of views you have, to be able to believe.

i agree religion can make u miserable, but happy at the same time, because you feel you are doing the right thing and you are going to go to heaven. Its like a comfort blanket. Prehaps I should have sed comfort instead of hapiness, or a 'feeling of belonging'

It is possible to 'believe and not belive' in this world, as your mind IS the world, you are all you know, and your mind is all you can ever know, so if your mind is everything, inside it you can create what you want to please yourself.
agreed?

if you are believeing something you presume to be false. Then you are not really believeing. You are just trying to make yourself think that you are believing!

and no I really don't agree with that. We cannot know our minds! because if we knew our minds then there would be no need for schools and education. We must know others peoples minds. (Especialy if your married)