What you says is indeed true. What happened before the big bang is impossible to know, BUT that still doesn’t give any reason to believe in “God” and claim it as truth in a loud voice… “TRUELY, SCIENCE IS WRONG BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS BEHIND SOMETHING THAT I SAY GOD DID!”

It really is silly to believe in a God simply because science hasn’t figured it out yet…

Yes, it does. If there is a natural explanation behind a scientific answer then to say “God did it” or completely ignore the evidence (or say it’s the devil) is completely irrational.

“I just happen to think that belief in God, a belief that doesn’t infringe on the rights of others, is perfectly legitimate and serves a purpose in fulfilling a psychical need for some people.”

If only it didn’t infringe on the rights of others…. there’s millions of examples that show that religion is no where even remotely close to not infringing on other people. There is no psychological need for religion naturally, because it doesn’t help with any of the basic life processes like getting food, shelter, procreation, etc. The need is created by indoctrination because of the fear of going to hell. It makes something that gives eternal life and happiness very comforting.

“In other words, it is a rational choice for dealing with an irrational human need for meaning and purpose. Someone else might try to satisfy the same need by killing people or becoming a philantropist, who knows.”

Yeah… people do have a primal urge to kill as well, and religion gives them an excuse to kill humans for profit (72 virgins, eternal life). While religion also leads to philanthropy, secularist/humanists/atheists also still work community service and donate to charity, but you’re never going to see an atheist with a bomb strapped to his chest. It takes religion to give someone the drive to do something like that.

At any rate, my point was that the god-belief probably serves an important function in our psyche’s. In other words, it is natural, just like you argue that promiscuity is natural (though that it debatable). As rational beings, we can choose different paths, seeking fulfillment in various places. I just happen to think that belief in God, a belief that doesn’t infringe on the rights of others, is perfectly legitimate and serves a purpose in fufilling a psychical need for some people. In other words, it is a rational choice for dealing with an irrational human need for meaning and purpose. Someone else might try to satisfy the same need by killing people or becoming a philantropist, who knows.

Way to insult every moderate thinking believer ever. Luckily for you most moderate faithful (what ever their faith) aren’t going to shove their religion in your face and insult you for your beliefs. Or lack thereof.”

Please explain how explaining science is bigoted, intolerant, hypocritical, and pretentious. You insult is only perceived because it’s taboo to call someone’s faith wrong. If I just called your spouse ugly or something, then you can feel free to be offended, but that wouldn’t make me any less wrong if she’s 5′ 2″ and 350lbs. I can feel free to call your faith in a God with complete lack of evidence ridiculous and laugh in your face because you’re too ignorant to understand science.

@jeebajaba:

“Meh, science has plenty of “leaps of faith” just like religion does. Scientists will believe in imaginary things like gravitons and tachyons, imaginary mass and quantum entanglement, but ridicule a belief in God. I guess scientists can get away with double standards.”

There’s at least some evidence supporting all of those things and those things are still being tested. The key difference is that if something is proven wrong, we throw it out. We don’t hold onto it like the Peanut’s kid holds onto his blue security blanket just because it makes him feel safe.

@Cutsman
Here’s your entire argument:
“I believe in God because science doesn’t know all the answers.”
And calling “well it took billions of years” a ‘cop out’ is just idiocy. Between radioactive dating, the fossil record, and all the evidence for evolution “it took billions of years” is fact, not a ‘cop out.’ Just because a scientist says “we don’t know,” a theist claiming “then God did it” is the cop out.

“we all look like fucking assholes ARGUING ON A FUCKING INTERNET COMEDY SITE ABOUT SCIENCE AND RELIGION.”
Maybe you think so. I find this to be a fun and stimulating debate.

@Sam
Very well put, except one thing: the “where did we come from” questions. We actually have a fairly good idea of how common compounds could have formed into RNA and eventually life. It’s being tested in laboratories now. Here’s the explanation of the current (and quite strong and promising) hypothesis being tested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozbFerzjkz4

@Glenn
“Why do we feel compelled to cheat on our spouses (I am talking about the urge, not acting on it)? It certainly isn’t a rational thing, and yet you wouldn’t deny that it is there.”

Actually it IS a rational thing, and it is a survival trait. Biological drive pushes men to mate with as many women as possible to increase the likelihood of creating offspring. This is also why most men tend to fall asleep or get tired after sex… so they’ll move out of the way so the next man could have his go. The irrational thing is actually monogamy, though it seems more civilized, actually goes against human nature.

“There is a biological basis for god belief (i.e., brain centers that, if stimulated, will produce a sensed presence of god, and so there is probably a psychological benefit to believing in god, especially in times of stress. Did god put the biology there? Maybe. You see, you can’t use science to disprove god.”

Yes, this is true in the same way that doing what your parents tell you when you’re young will help you survive. This is probably why there are some religions that say “don’t eat pork.” It was a health risk back in those days when they didn’t know that poorly cooked pork could contain worms and such. This is also the same as saying Lightning is the weapon of Zeus so you shouldn’t go near it because it’s powerful and could hurt you. However, we’ve progressed passed that point. We don’t need the invisible authority figure of God anymore to help us survive. True, we can’t definitively disprove God, but we can show that the probability that he exists is very, very low.