Does god only exist in your head?

That doesnt really contribute anything to the conversation. If you want to go talk about how great god is, go hang out at youth group or something. If you are trying to make a point that fits in some how to how religion and the anatomy of the human mind, I dont see how. I hate how all the philosphy threads get blown into the atheists verses the church crowd. Please try keep yourself on topic.

Unless your trying to say that Religion is mass produced by Chinese child sweatshop labor, in which case I am just confused.

Originally posted by zinh

Humans need a higher power 🙁 I think mostly because we think of ourselves above all other creatures because we have the highest intelligence. We are smarter so we have a purpose or something.

But I don't. I don't think I need a higher power and I am human. Sure, I needed my mom and dad to raise me, at least someone to bring me up, feed me, clothe me, etc. But now that I'm old enough, I am able to take care of myself. When I'm down, I don't go to God, I talk to my friends or hang out on KMC.

I don't think of myself as being above other creatures either. I don't know why many people do. I never understood that. I don't understand why many people feel they need a leader as well, or to be more powerful than someone else. Sure, if someone is a threat to me physically, I will use whatever power it takes to free myself of their threat toward me. But I don't feel I am smarter just because I do so. I just want to survive and be happy and not put others in harm's way. I don't need God, as harsh as it may sound to some.

Originally posted by Turbo-Cajun

Tired Hiker- I dont know. Some people have twisted interpretations on what exactly those scientific findings mean. I dont agree with everything they say in that article... but I dont understand why it is not possible for there to be some physical part of you connected to religion. That seems to be where a lot of the disagreement is here. Its not "well what does this mean?" its more like "Nope cant be phyisically part of you only in your thoughts..." and I'm saying that I think it could take part in a specific area of the brain. Thats basically what is being said in those studies. The interpretation of it... you cant really interpret anything meaningful from it. Except that it takes place in a certain area and we know where that is. Thats the only conclusion I can really accept based on what I've read. I dont know what that kid would do, Im guessing he would grow up like wolves and do wolve things... maybe he would be spiritual in some way, but who knows.

I see what you mean. Also, though I may not believe in God, I never cancelled out the idea that God may exist, and I may be wrong. I am comfortible with the fact that I may never know. Maybe I excercise the same part of my brain when I 'hope' for something. In essence, 'hope' is having 'faith' and 'faith' is the basis for believing in God, therefore, me hoping is the same as others believing in God. I see how that part of the brain could be triggered whether it's faith in God, or faith that my car will make it up a steep hill.

whether it's faith in God, or faith that my car will make it up a steep hill.

Persinger has tickled the temporal lobes of more than 900 people before me and has concluded, among other things, that different subjects label this ghostly perception with the names that their cultures have trained them to use - Elijah, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Mohammed, the Sky Spirit. Some subjects have emerged with Freudian interpretations - describing the presence as one's grandfather, for instance - while others, agnostics with more than a passing faith in UFOs, tell something that sounds more like a standard alien-abduction story.

That was what was said in one of those articles (This is your brain on God) where they were stimulating that area of the brain in test subjects... kind of what you were saying TH. We are all going to interpret this differently... Im not sure exactly how I interpret this, but I find this kind of stuff interesting. Its stuff worth thinking about, especially in the philosphy forum where there are a lot of different arguements going about "does god exist?" or "Bible: fact or fiction?"... its nothing conclusive for either arguement, just something that might need to be taken into account when people are forming their opinions.

😂 french cars...

Originally posted by Turbo-Cajun
I personally know epileptics who are very relgious... maybe your relatives are the exceptions? It doesnt say all epileptics have this. You know 2 people with epilepsy... not a sufficient number to say that being highly religous is not something experienced by a large number of epileptics. Just not experienced by two. Not a scientific study... 2 people.

Why would your knowing religious epileptics constitute as my relatives being the exceptions? Perhaps the epileptics you know are the exceptions. I'm more than willing to accept that my relatives could be the ones who are perhaps a little different, my whole family are indeed quite odd, but why does it have to be this way just because you know epileptics who do believe? And I know perfectly well that knowing two people doesn't mean I have a scientific case, but should I ever need that pointing out again I'll be sure and see you.

If your immagination doesnt originate from your brain, where does it come from then? 😛 The "God Module" is not really a "module" as its name impies, but rather a part of the brain that becomes more active when experiencing religion. Just as parts of your brain become more active while experiencing pain or remembering something from your childhood.

We have, I believe, already had a thread that discussed imagination and its existence, where it stems from, how it works etc. Find that, read some other views and then tell me where its origins are.

Imagination, IMO, is made up of experiences we have, memories and images that do, admittedly, take effect inside our brains, but are more of an essence to each individual than a scientific element of the human body.

If we have a part of our brain that makes us think that we are talking to God how does that make us not predisposed to have some religious thought? I dont think your comment directly contradicts that statement. Religion was created to answer questions like "where did we come from?" "why are we here?" etc... These answers that Religion gave them, regardless of whether they are true or not, makes them more secure because they "have faith in something"... Religion helps a lot of people more comfortably, not me, but alot of people.

I was simply arguing against that statement implying that we were genetically programmed to believe in God. As you said, religion may have been specifically created to to answer such questions, and if that is the case then how could we have been programmed this way from the start? More likely we decided this for ourselves, no?

And with regard to the 'laboratory-cum-church' comment, I was really trying to say that I believe those particular researchers to be entirely religious, just an attempt at lightening the atmosphere 🙄

Anyway... If you read a little deeper, you would see that the "God Module" did not just encourage Christianity, which we both dont believe in, but also it says that it caused visions in those who believe in Aliens that are typical of those who believe they are abducted by extraterrestrials... meaning that it doesnt mean that we are going to have to be religious because we have this part of our brain, we might just believe really hard in aliens. But, if people have this part of their brain that makes them prone to have these visions or these beliefs... people are more likely to accept stories about God and Jesus, because "they feel like them working within themselves" and they "feel god working through them, etc..." So yeah, I think if that part of the brain does create these feelings of God within us we are more likely to believe in that, than if we didnt feel the presence of god in us... it has nothing really to do with whether he really exists or if it is just how we percieve him. It just affects i guess whether we are more or less likely to believe it.

The more 'imaginative' people are perhaps the ones who are more likely to be swayed by different concepts of religion than those who are steadfastly straight and narrow, who don't hold much creativity in their minds? Well, I'm creative, I'm imaginative, but I don't believe in a religion personally. I do however have a deep interest in religion and culture that may one day lead to my being completely turned, until then I cannot say 😄

Originally posted by Syren
Why would your knowing religious epileptics constitute as my relatives being the exceptions? Perhaps the epileptics you know are the exceptions. I'm more than willing to accept that my relatives could be the ones who are perhaps a little different, my whole family are indeed quite odd, but why does it have to be this way just because you know epileptics who do believe? And I know perfectly well that knowing two people doesn't mean I have a scientific case, but should I ever need that pointing out again I'll be sure and see you.

We have, I believe, already had a thread that discussed imagination and its existence, where it stems from, how it works etc. Find that, read some other views and then tell me where its origins are.

Imagination, IMO, is made up of experiences we have, memories and images that do, admittedly, take effect inside our brains, but are more of an essence to each individual than a scientific element of the human body.

I was simply arguing against that statement implying that we were genetically programmed to believe in God. As you said, religion may have been specifically created to to answer such questions, and if that is the case then how could we have been programmed this way from the start? More likely we decided this for ourselves, no?

And with regard to the 'laboratory-cum-church' comment, I was really trying to say that I believe those particular researchers to be entirely religious, just an attempt at lightening the atmosphere 🙄

The more 'imaginative' people are perhaps the ones who are more likely to be swayed by different concepts of religion than those who are steadfastly straight and narrow, who don't hold much creativity in their minds? Well, I'm creative, I'm imaginative, but I don't believe in a religion personally. I do however have a deep interest in religion and culture that may one day lead to my being completely turned, until then I cannot say 😄

God I love you. 😄 😉

Originally posted by Canadian Moose
God I love you. 😄 😉

Well, I guess I can't deny that I think I feel the same. And you just told everybody blushing

🥷

Originally posted by Syren
Well, I guess I can't deny that I think I feel the same. And you just told everybody blushing

🥷

I...WOT? No, I was amazed at your diatribe.

But..umm...yeah... 😮

Originally posted by Syren
Why would your knowing religious epileptics constitute as my relatives being the exceptions? Perhaps the epileptics you know are the exceptions. I'm more than willing to accept that my relatives could be the ones who are perhaps a little different, my whole family are indeed quite odd, but why does it have to be this way just because you know epileptics who do believe? And I know perfectly well that knowing two people doesn't mean I have a scientific case, but should I ever need that pointing out again I'll be sure and see you.

We have, I believe, already had a thread that discussed imagination and its existence, where it stems from, how it works etc. Find that, read some other views and then tell me where its origins are.

Imagination, IMO, is made up of experiences we have, memories and images that do, admittedly, take effect inside our brains, but are more of an essence to each individual than a scientific element of the human body.

I was simply arguing against that statement implying that we were genetically programmed to believe in God. As you said, religion may have been specifically created to to answer such questions, and if that is the case then how could we have been programmed this way from the start? More likely we decided this for ourselves, no?

And with regard to the 'laboratory-cum-church' comment, I was really trying to say that I believe those particular researchers to be entirely religious, just an attempt at lightening the atmosphere 🙄

The more 'imaginative' people are perhaps the ones who are more likely to be swayed by different concepts of religion than those who are steadfastly straight and narrow, who don't hold much creativity in their minds? Well, I'm creative, I'm imaginative, but I don't believe in a religion personally. I do however have a deep interest in religion and culture that may one day lead to my being completely turned, until then I cannot say 😄

As Kerry kicks ass...😄

And the thing about more imaginative people being more likely to be swayed by religion is such crap...

Originally posted by Canadian Moose
I...WOT? No, I was amazed at your diatribe.

But..umm...yeah... 😮

😆

Did I scare you? Apologies 😛

Originally posted by Silver Stardust
As Kerry kicks ass...😄

And the thing about more imaginative people being more likely to be swayed by religion is such crap...

We know that for sure, being amazingly imaginative ourselves winkiss Twin that you are of mine hug

Originally posted by Syren
We know that for sure, being amazingly imaginative ourselves winkiss Twin that you are of mine hug

Yes, that we are...winkiss

Originally posted by Syren
😆

Did I scare you? Apologies 😛

No, I'm sure it was all just in my head...

*looks at the thread*

Yeah...must have been.

We'll never know until we die. That's it.

Originally posted by Canadian Moose
No, I'm sure it was all just in my head...

*looks at the thread*

Yeah...must have been.

😆

Mhmm, must have been 😂

Originally posted by Syren
[B]Why would your knowing religious epileptics constitute as my relatives being the exceptions? Perhaps the epileptics you know are the exceptions. I'm more than willing to accept that my relatives could be the ones who are perhaps a little different, my whole family are indeed quite odd, but why does it have to be this way just because you know epileptics who do believe? And I know perfectly well that knowing two people doesn't mean I have a scientific case, but should I ever need that pointing out again I'll be sure and see you.

In an experiment with patients suffering from an unusual form of epilepsy, researchers at the UC San Diego brain and perception laboratory found that the parts of the brain's temporal lobe - which the scientists quickly dubbed the "God module" - may affect how intensely a person responds to religious beliefs.

This article wasn't talking about your family.

I was simply arguing against that statement implying that we were genetically programmed to believe in God. As you said, religion may have been specifically created to to answer such questions, and if that is the case then how could we have been programmed this way from the start? More likely we decided this for ourselves, no?

And with regard to the 'laboratory-cum-church' comment, I was really trying to say that I believe those particular researchers to be entirely religious, just an attempt at lightening the atmosphere

The site I found these articles on was www.atheistempire.com

If you think that this is just a bunch of religous scientists trying to justify thier beliefs and this is religiously biased, well I disagree...
If I thought it was advocating religion I would not have posted it 😛

I myself am not religious, and I dont think that the idea of part of your brain controlling religous thought means that god exists... read some of my other posts and I think you will see that.

I think you are missinterpretting what I was trying to say earlier, and have a different interpretation on those scientific findings that I do... thats fine. Just I dont want to be missunderstood when voicing my opinions, it may not have been worded very clearly... I might have to try again.

Apologies TC, I think I must have gotten the wrong end of the stick 😬

Its all good....

I must admit Im not used to being apologized to... I usually completely alienate the other person long before it gets to the apology stage. It feels funny...

but, you get what i was trying to say earlier now though, not that you agree, but you see where i was coming from?

Originally posted by Tired Hiker

I just want you to know that I printed out your signature and posted it on the wall behind my desk at work. I LOVE! that skit!