Comment on "Asking the right God question"

Reading this thread, you will see that the believers who have posted here have a certainty about their beliefs that have nothing to do with reason. It is experiential for them, and as such it is not subject to the obligations of rationality or external evidences. Our sense of "knowing" can be triggered by reasoning, but it can also be triggered by a myriad of subconscious factors. I recommend Robert Burton's book: On Being Certain- Believing you are right even when you are not.

Valerie Tarico @ 11:35 AM PDT, Oct 7, 2008

There's a whole additional set of answers to the "why" question that have to do simply with the information processing structure of our brains. We error on the side of seeing causation where there is none. We experience inanimate objects and natural events through a set of processing modules optimized to process information about other humans. (e.g. naming boats, naming hurricanes). Natural hypnotic and meditative processes trigger a sense of euphoria or one-ness. etc. etc. Pascal Boyer's book, Religion Explained, does a much better job digging into this than any other I have seen.

Valerie Tarico @ 10:43 AM PDT, Oct 7, 2008

God is Love.....there would be no life withput it.

Lorin Hart @ 11:14 PM PDT, Oct 6, 2008

The arrogance of atheists is amazing. They tell us believers that they are are wiser, more mature, less needy, more in tune with The Truth & are totally convinced that their view of reality is the only correct one. We believers believe because we have experienced God in our own lives. No one can tell me that my experience is not Truth because it is real. Nor can the atheist claim that it is not possible for me to have experienced God because he/she has not. Atheists are non-believers because there is no evidence of God that they will accept, which does not mean that there is no evidence of God's existence.

jkmora @ 9:45 PM PDT, Oct 6, 2008

Congratulations on a well written and well considered piece. You did an excellent job of presenting a very volatile issue in a nonjudgmental and thought-provoking way. I am rather amazed, however, at the bigotry of some of the comments. I find it irrational but rather amusing that people become so rabid over a nonbelief.

Iona Hoeppner @ 9:23 PM PDT, Oct 6, 2008

. An entity who can remember the past and make projections of what is yet to come is an apt definition of a human being. Now, then, such an entity with memory and foresight can pray. Most human beings, having memories and foresights, will pray, but not all of them. Some will lack two otherr essential characteristics: a sense of humility expressed as gratitude and a thirst of completion expressed as justice.

AJdlReyes CA @ 8:00 PM PDT, Oct 6, 2008

Governor Palin believes in witches. Enough said. She also believes that God tells her to do whatever she needs to do. Drill, baby, drill. Hmmm. God loves to drill. Right in Mother Nature. I hope HE uses protection.

DaveT @ 6:31 PM PDT, Oct 6, 2008

Bill Maher is not an atheist. He's agnostic. Get that right. Religion is fine. Perhaps there is a supreme being. But every religion seems to argue that THEIR god is THE GOD. Organized religion is an object of abuse. Of ignorance and hatred. More wars have carried the banner of Religion than anything else. To depend on God to solve one's every problem diminishes one's own abilities. If God was all powerful, why is there evil? And many times, the evil is carried out in the name of God. See the Holocaust.

DaveT @ 6:26 PM PDT, Oct 6, 2008

To a large extent the answer to the "why" question is, because we were so taught from an early age. And not only were we taught to believe in God, we were taught that if we did not live our lives as taught we would suffer after death. It's hard for a person to discard that teaching; the bias in favor of believing is not easy to overcome. . I would like to present your question, though, in a different way: Assume there is no concept or thought of God in a society as knowledgeable as ours, particularly as to the sciences. How successfully could a religion be introduced into such a society?

R L Makyn @ 6:05 PM PDT, Oct 6, 2008

Bill Maher is Agnostic, not Athiest. It's sad that you would write this article and get such an important fact wrong. Athiests are CERTAIN there is no God... just like many believers are CERTAIN there is a God. What makes Maher's film wonderful is that he admits he isn't certain and is simply asking questions about how some people can be so certain there is a God. I would guess Maher would take issue with Athiests because, again, his belief is that no man can be certain about these things. Anyway, you missed the key message about Maher and his film.

Gregg in Marina del Rey @ 5:59 PM PDT, Oct 6, 2008

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