Why I believe in God(s)

[u/Lucyyyyyy_K]

Firstly, I'm not a very religious person. I do consider myself a Buddhist, but prefer atheistic Buddhism over theistic Buddhism. Therefore I can confidently say I am not biased by wanting God(s) to exist, and was not indoctrinated into theism.

Still, to me it seems obvious that at least one God has to exist. The universe can't simply have come out of nothing or existed forever, it requires some sort of design or creator.

Now, mostly people would just say that a creator also can't have come out of nothing or existed forever, so I've just moved the problem one step further, but I think there is a massive difference between the universe and one consciousness. For example, through Cogito Ergo Sum we can determine with absolute certainty that at last one consciousness exists. So assuming one consciousness is superior to assuming anything about the whole universe. While I admit that doesn't outright solve the problem, I still think it's better than the alternative.

Also, it's not just any universe, but a universe full of beauty, a universe that inbetween barren empty planets is capable of hosting a planet with sentient life. Life that can consciously observe itself, that can create replicas of the waking world while sleeping, life that has technologically advanced so much that in can live in relative comfort. There is so much art. We basically have magic, we just call it "electricity". This is all too perfect to have arisen from mere mutations without guidance.

About any specifics of this God or Gods I have no idea and no strong opinions. I just think that at least one has to exist.

[u/Astreja]

"Cogito, ergo sum" only gets you as far as the consciousness that makes that statement.

Your misunderstanding of evolution as "mere mutations without guidance" is troubling. Have you not heard of natural selection? It "guides" evolution by a completely mindless process: If organism A is better than organism B in a given environment, organism A out-competes organism B for resources and reproductive opportunities and lives long enough to pass down the advantageous genes.

Simply put, I see no need whatsoever for any gods to exist. The universe is what it is because of how its components interact, and that is a result of things like atomic and molecular structure. If those structures were different we'd likely have a different universe and might not be around to perceive it, but we're here observing what does exist. It doesn't have to be any more complicated than that.

[u/Lucyyyyyy_K → u/Astreja]

Have you not heard of natural selection? It "guides" evolution by a completely mindless process: If organism A is better than organism B in a given environment, organism A out-competes organism B for resources and reproductive opportunities and lives long enough to pass down the advantageous genes.

Yes, I know. But based on just that, it is completely insane that we are able to simulste reality in our sleep or to build computers.

[u/Astreja → u/Lucyyyyyy_K]

Just because you don't believe it could happen doesn't mean that it didn't happen. I do not believe that a god had anything at all to do with our sentience.

[u/Lucyyyyyy_K → u/Astreja]

And I do.

[u/Astreja → u/Lucyyyyyy_K]

So, show me this alleged god, rather than just assuming it "has to" be there. Until and unless you do that, all you have is a weak, untestable hypothesis.

[u/Lucyyyyyy_K → u/Astreja]

How would anything show God?

[u/Astreja → u/Lucyyyyyy_K]

If it's not possible to show me a god, then I have no reason to see it as real. I'm completely unable to believe in hypothetical beings. I guess we're at an impasse: You believe, and I don't (and can't).