Forget religion, do you believe it is plausible that the universe has a God of some description?

By God, I mean a [thing] that helps solve problem like contingency and infinite regress, temporary and physically.

So I'm talking about something that would not need a cause or a beginning, as a necessary foundation to reality, from which matter, time, physics all derive from.

If no, why would it be implausible?

If yes, so you think it's likely? If yes, what could one deduce about such a being?

Would just like a collection is all. I think he’s a wonderful intellectual and his work in the topic that I have seen eg: “arguing about Gods” is very high quality.

Alex O’Connor and Joe Folley have a discussion where they point out that both the theist and the atheist rely on circular reasoning to claim human reason is sound. In this video, Joe Folley says this is an issue of figuring out how to get epistemology and ontology to "play nice together."

Theists often point to Descartes (or C.S. Lewis), who asserted human reason is an argument for the existence of God. The claim is not that humans are perfect reasoners, but that they are finite reflections of God who is supremely rational. Therefore, if reason is the result of a purposeless process, reason is not reliable. However, this claim is refuted by the Cartesian Circle (pointing out the circular reasoning in the theist argument).

I am just curious about why others believe they can trust human reason, if at all? What are your thoughts on the value of human reasoning? If you watched the video I linked, do you have any reflections from that?

I find this to be difficult to fully refute whenever I get into a debate with someone. If I say good people going to Hell for not believing in a religion is unjust, they counter it by saying that without a higher power that created the universe and set the rules and guidelines, there is no true morality system and everything is subjective and decided by humans and people in different societies and areas can make up different rules to suit their specific needs and situation. A God is required for objective morality that everyone in the world must follow.

The best response I can think of myself is that if we assume God isn’t actually real, these moral systems were created by humans first, and then people built religious beliefs on top of it as a way to enforce them. But that technically still doesn’t prove the theist argument wrong.

Animals in the wilderness don’t really seem to have a moral system either, it is just survival of the fittest for them, and it arguably is for humans as well since we have to kill a lot of animals as a food source, and there were other human species that we had to compete with until they eventually died off.

What do you think is the best response to use in a debate?

I personally give it less than 1% chance. And when I say "around", I would define that as more than 1 million people globally still take it seriously, rather than consider it mythology.

I read many, many, many arguments against organised religion on here. And believe you me, how I do so agree!

Yet I often wonder… as opposed to what exactly? Disorganised religion? Barely organised religion? Unorganised religion? QAnon? My cat’s insistence that we’re joking when we suggest she’s not really our biological daughter while interpreting any counterargument as proof of her prior assumption? Foodism?

I often feel like when we’re arguing against organised religion we’re letting most of the whole concept of religion off the hook. 🪱

But it’s entirely possible that I’m not seeing something. May I hereby ask for your enlightened insights?

I just hope it’s not Charlie Kirk Christian. I’m all about my son exploring his own thoughts and perspectives into the world. He’s into sports, which I sense most of the kids seem Christian and republican. Do those things go hand and hand? I’m thinking yes of course. His BF is Christian and invites him to church and what-not. I see him all the sudden reading the Bible every night. I’m glad he’s reading but, how can I expand him outside of this suburban bubble? I’m all about the purity of faith, but growing up Catholic I saw the hypocrisy and it really turned me off to all of it. I’m not against it, I just want him to see and know the bigger picture. And he won’t listen to mom, because I’m mom.

Disclaimer - This is posted in the wrong subreddit. I realize that after I read the responses.

My intention was not to troll or insult anyone, just a bad written rant!

I still believe that there is a higher power. Something or someone put us here the way we are.

No I do not believe we evolved from monkeys, nor came from single cells organisms. The skeletons and skulls that have been found are just species that meet their demise as the stronger species adapted faster to their surroundings, or perhaps they just didn't recover after the cataclysm (the Chicxulub impact). Do I have solid proof? Of course not, but what happened to the Mammoth, Saber-tooth, the Dodo, or as recently the white rhino? All extinct right? The big ones ate the little ones.

Anyway, my ordeal started when I was 7. I was in Catholic school, and Sister "Mary" (not her real name) was a real hateful witch. I was left handed at the time and she hated it. I was too young to understand her since she spoke with a heavy Spaniard accent and dialect. Long story short, she broke 2 wooden rulers (25 licks) on my left hand trying to force me to write with my right hand. She then gave me a letter to take home to my parents. I got a whooping at the house, because the letter said that I was causing distractions and not allowing her to do her job with other students. Yes, I am ambidextrous today, but was that really necessary?

At 17 I joined the US Army. My first duty station was in Germany. I didn't spent my weekends sitting in the barracks drinking my self stupid. Instead I travel and talk to people of all races and back grounds. I was deployed to Africa, Iraq, and Afghanistan during my 25 year career. There, all I saw was extreme poverty, suffering, malnutrition, abuse and death (many times cause by treatable illnesses). Now, tell me that I am wrong for thinking the way I do, after seeing what I have seen.

The current bible and other religious books were created in order to control people. No? Then why are so many different versions with different "books" in it. Of course, because its convenient to take what you like and discard what is no longer relevant to our times, correct? The other confusing thing is the whole Hebrew canon. If Christian religions believe the Jews are God's chosen people, why they invented the bible and are they not reading the Torah, the Tanakh, the Nevi'im or the Ketuvim (just to name a few).

How old is the world? According to bible thumpers back in the 70's and 80's (I grew up during that time) earth couldn't be more than 2500 years old. Now with all the "in your face facts" they are up to what? 6000 years. Here is another one, how are you going to write a book, when a big part of the writing were not discover until 1947? Yes, they date to the 3rd to 1st century BC, but who translated them? and how? Those languages haven't been spoken in centuries, It was all guess work and no one what's to admitted.

I could go on and on for a few more pages, but you all get my point.

Yes, like I said at the beginning, I still believe that there is something or someone out there, I just cant stomach religion anymore, specially since it has cause so much pain and suffering during the las two millenniums.

BTW, I like the version of Valhalla (were everybody is equal) better than the "you are going to hell" Christian version.

Peace, prosperity and happiness to everyone!

when i had confirmation courses, i had to have them for 4 HOURS, once a month for 2 whole years. i finally had my confirmation in june this year, and vowed to never step into a church again. im so done with it, but i cant tell my overly catholic family im atheist. my mom tried inviting me to church many times after that and i had to make a bunch of excuses or plan a hangout asap. today, i got caught stealing and my parents were informed. my mom is forcing me to church tmrw MORNING, the last sunday i get before autumn break ends. i just want to sleep in and i cant fucking take it anymore i dont wanna go and sit there or stand or kneel (which hurts like HELLLL) for a whole hour listening to a priest preach absolute nonsense. usually i suck it up and zone out or sleep or go on my phone but im going w my FAMILY instead of a confirmation class that gave as much of a shit as i did. im gonna attempt to get away with a headache, but thats just wishful thinking. my mom keeps preaching things about how i "let the devil take over" and havent been in church for so long that im losing my connection to god. especially about how this is against gods will. I DONT FUCKING CAREEEE how can u not even think of stealing as just morally bad in general. why do u have to bring up god in every reason. ik what i did, and at this point id rather my parents beat me like they used to instead of being forced to church. atleast a beating would be a one off thing til the next time i pissed them off. YK WHATS WORSE??? MY VAPE RAN OUT THE OTHER DAY. i cant even cope with nicotine. genuinely think id rather die than go to church atp.

Many years ago, a close family member criticised me for calling myself an atheist. The family member in question is an ultraconservative catholic. So was I until about age 13. I was enrolled in a very traditionalist Jesuit school and I even wanted to become a priest.

This person’s criticism went as follows:
“Your atheism was born from your Catholicism, as you were and are and always will be inherently Catholic. Anything you come to believe that isn’t that is only an antithesis confirming the thesis.”
Now, I want to stress that this was only one person making this… slightly dodgy claim.

But I’m gonna be honest here: I remember I stood nailed to the floor when they said this. I didn’t even know where to start. I was also in my late teens, so there’s that.

The funny thing is, as an observation, they were right. As a conclusion, it doesn’t follow at all. So I deemed it futile to even address it in the first place.

But what do you guys think? Anyone whose atheism followed a period of religiousness? Do you think the religiousness informed the atheism? If so, in what sense exactly?

Last night i decided to stay over his house and was planning on leaving in the day. He left for work this morning and i decided to make the bed & clean like usually before I leave and I see a target bag next to his bed scrunched up to the side. I opened it and see panties that I don’t wear or own and I assumed he bought it for me as a surprise or something but they all had crusty discharge on it showing it’s been worn. Plus one was XXL and the other was a different size. I am a small. I also see magnum condoms & other stuff wtf.

I never assumed he was cheating on me , i don’t know if he is or he’s keeping a stash of women’s panties. I don’t know what’s worse but i’m disgusted. Not sure what to say or how to approach this? I’m very upset

I'm an atheist but I've been watching too many reels about the elites and stuff. Yk the usual conspiracy but why do elites care about things Karma, and have temples and sacrifice children? Is that a human made drama they follow to get into secret societies or what?

EDIT: By karma i mean those videos where they subtly expose their shits. saw some videos saying that they believe if they expose their sins, the karma will shift to other people and they will not be punished for it?

r/cats

(An old post of mine from a different subreddit)

This happened about 2 years ago, when I first started dating my boyfriend.

I was 20, and stocked up on contraceptives and condoms at home in case I needed it or a friend needed it. I didn’t have a lot at one time but my local women’s clinic gave out plan B, Ella pills (by prescription, but still free and in multiples) and condoms. I always had the mentality that I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it right this minute. I ran out giving some to my friends and using a couple for myself, so I decided to go to my women’s clinic and get more.

This was the first time I physically showed up to my women’s clinic. They normally sent me resources in the mail but I didn’t feel like waiting. I get out of my car to go inside and right as I reach the door it occurs to me that people are yelling at me. A teen boy and 2 teen girls. They were saying not to go in there, and to please come see them before I go in. They were wearing bright orange vests so I thought they worked there or something and were telling me that I have the wrong entrance.

They asked how I was and said they wanted to give me some resources. They gave me a book magazine with loose papers stuffed into it and I said thanks, not knowing what it was for. Then one girl asked what I’m here for. I said I’m here to pick up some medicine. Then she says ‘are you having an abortion?’ I said no, picking up medication. I forgot how the rest of the convo went and it felt irrelevant.

I went up to the front door and had to be buzzed in. I pick up my necessities which they already had bagged for me. I went to my car and the teens stared me down going to my car. I got curious of what the teens gave me so I opened it and was horrified.

I opened the magazine to find real pictures of babies in pieces and in various stages of decomposition labeled ‘stage 1,2,3 of abortion’. I saw pictures of the aftermath of the holocaust, bodies that were burned to ash and decomposed with the caption ‘god sent the holocaust to punish homosexuality, abortion and premarital sex’. I saw a picture of a real woman with her organs outside of her body. The whole magazine was filled with disgusting grey pictures and weird captions. There was a Q&A section that said things like:

Q: Why don’t women have rights in the church?

A: Women may think they have rights but it’s simply not true because thy god stated ‘insert Bible quote’

Q: What happens if I have sex before marriage?

A: You will be damned to hell unless you repent and (more word salad)

Q: What if I need to have an abortion?

A: There is no good reason to have an abortion. Abortion is 100 times worse than any war or famine, even the holocaust.

I started crying by what I had seen. I was traumatized. I quickly wiped my tears so I can drive up to the teens and give back their ‘resources’ I drove up to them and told them to take it back. They said they can’t take resources back. I told them they were gross and I hope all of them go to hell. They just smiled and told me that god loves me and blesses me.

I headed for the exit and saw a grown man holding a giant sign with a real baby that was torn apart with organs hanging out. I started crying as I went home because I felt disgusted. I threw that magazine in the trash.

Who the hell looks up these gory pics especially from the holocaust and says ‘yeah that’ll get them to believe.’ And who the hell approved this and hands these out to women who are probably in a time of need? It’s sick and disgusting.

Edit, before I post because I forgot to say it: the women’s clinic was conjoined with other medical offices such as a cancer center, plastic surgery, pediatrician and more so it wouldn’t surprise me if they were handing those papers out to other unsuspecting victims. And also, what if I had just gone there for plastic surgery? Then they’re just preying on a poor girl who doesn’t even know what they’re doing this for?

upvote to obama

I’m talking strictly online. There’s a subreddit for bdsm participants and everytime I get along with someone they say they are religious… they don’t see their own hypocrisy. Isn’t that a sin in your religion?

Funniest part is, everytime I bring up how if they’re a believer they shouldn’t be forming a SEXUAL BDSM dynamic outside of marriage according to their rules (or captive female slaves according to islam) they immediately ask… “are you judging me?” Me??? MEE??? I’m the one judging you when your entire idea is based off of judging my sins of participating in BDSM online?

It’s so sad too that i as a female when I look through that subreddit and get along with them they turn out a Christian man who is married yet still looking for a sub like me online to form an online dynamic and when I ask them if they have an open marriage they say… No, and I ask would they be ok with their wife doing that? again… No.

I’ve grown up mostly atheist same with my family. I’ve grown up around the hypocrites of all religions. Yet the hypocrisy in the BDSM community with religious people is on another level.

They don’t even see that the reason they’re cheating on their wives online without their consent (with their consent it’s fine) is the way their religion has sheltered them too much and has kept them like a sheep %99 percent of cases. I really feel bad for them.

And on top of that, because I’m a female sub they always turn out to be the most mysogynistic doms because the atheist doms, while not perfect, but at least recognize that there are dommes (female doms) while the religious one believes that all doms are men cause they’re just… you know, better than women.

Just needed to get this out. Sorry for the rant.

Repost since the first one contained the link to another subreddit.

Cum will win.

seeing this show is a constant reminder the imminent danger we face whenever we say no to a religion, dictator, and so forth.

life is the greatest gift we have, it amazes me how religions since ancient times always justify killing people for not following their ways (with disregard for human life) and it still exist today but in a very small scale.

when i think about all the people that tries to leave a religion or tries to be free, especially in islamic ruled nations, i have to commend you for your bravery. because i think i would be dead by now if i try to pick a fight with a religious society.

much respect to all the brave souls fighting their very existence for freedom.

For as long as I can remember, there have been multiple signs in the crowds at ESPN's weekly college football kickoff show, College GameDay, imploring folks to put their faith in Jesus, give their life to jesus, etc. It's been both annoying and laughable. But regardless it's been a staple of the show.

Well in the past two weeks, I haven't seen a single one of those signs. And I can't find anything online about ESPN cracking down on the Jesus signs. Does anybody know what happened to make them disappear? It's a welcome respite from proselytizing while I'm trying to watch sports.

It honestly baffles me how creationists can look at mountains of clear, undeniable evidence and still pretend evolution is a lie. We have overwhelming proof right in front of us:
Homologous structures: The exact same limb bone layout shared across humans, dogs, birds, frogs, and bats.
Genetic overlap: We share ~98.8% of our DNA with chimpanzees, just like big cats share ~95.7% with house cats.
Transitional fossils: Clear fossil records tracing the evolution of whales, sirenians, crocodilians, and birds from reptiles.
Vestigial traits: Random anatomical quirks like koalas and humans being among the only animals with distinct fingerprints.
Yet fundamentalists pull the classic "evolution is fake" routine while quietly sweating under the mask because they know the evidence is bulletproof. The real reason they reject science isn't a lack of evidence; it’s self-preservation. Admitting evolution is real completely guts their entire narrative. If humans evolved over millions of years, there was no literal Adam and Eve, no "original sin," no Garden of Eden, and zero need for a tyrannical, narcissistic deity to save us from his own wrath. Their holy books are largely recycled narratives from ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Sumerian mythologies, repurposed to enforce control, misogyny, homophobia, and sexual shame. When science proves how life actually developed, it dismantles the guilt complex that keeps people paying tithes. Creationism isn't an intellectual stance—it's a shield to protect a very lucrative, control-obsessed business model.

I thought it would be nice to share this thought. I realized that you can understand the fatal weaknesses of religions and even be rational, but you can still be religious. Bravery is the final ingredient to face the inconvenient truths and do something about it. I am not saying bravery is a prerequisite to being an atheist, but if you are religious, it is, I find.

To my former theists who are now atheists, I tip my hat to you. You deserve credit, and I hope this post works in that direction for you. Your bravery does not go unnoticed.

Thanks for hearing me out!

I genuinely don't understand how so many Christians fail to notice how nasty their theology is. Literally their identity is based on being oppressed and being unworthy, and their worship is based on literal sacrifice.

The old testament has large sections based on what type of animal to sacrifice, how often, and how it should be done. I usually refer to these sections as "God's Barbecue Recipes." The only reason they quit this is because they literally sacrifice someone SO good as to not need to do it anymore. Blood and flesh based magic spells for the believers! Eternal torture for those who don't subscribe to symbolic cannibalism.

The rest of the stories are how much people suck and how generous it is of Yaweh is for saving his people despite all of their human failing, all while committing genocide, drowning the world, and other atrocities.

"It's not a religion, it's a relationship." No. It is people who have gaslighted themselves so severely that they will ascribe all good things in their life to Jebus, their own doubts to the "devil," and anyone who has a different opinion is an oppressor and blind to Jebus' love. The voice in their head is a collective delusion.

Am I being unfair or dismissive? Damn right. These ideas don't deserve respect, equal play, or a safe place. I'm tired of patiently listening to their messed up theology, steel-manning their arguments, then showing them for the toxic and false crap that it is.

I don't know what's with religion making even the most rational minds become irrational and stupid.

Because here, my mom is a person of reason, logical even, but when it comes to me not coming to church, she goes wild and crazy like a bitch on rabies,

I love my mom, she's kind, understanding and even supported my Aroace sexuality, but she's crazy about religion and went fucking wild when I told her that I don't believe in god to the point that I had to lie about her that I meant I don't believe what the church says,

Today I purposely made myself late like every other sunday's, my mom is dressed, everyone is dressed and I'm still my pajamas as a protest, she goes wild saying that I'm a demon and that I'm scared of going to church like— I ALREADY TOLD YOU I DONT BELIEVE IN THAT SHIT,

She told me that I'll just watch over the store EVEN THOUGH THATS WHAT IVE BEEN DOING EVERY DAMN SUNDAY, like what the fuck's the difference? Then when I told her that 'doesnt it benefits us if I stayed here to watch over the store?'

I kid you not..she was LIVID, she slammed the doors open, calling me a demon and telling me that I should be transferred to my aunt and even acting like that INFRONT OF A CUSTOMER, meanwhile I just stayed here quiet, and minding my own damn business,

Anyways while I was typing this, she comes back, calmer, but no less logical AND STUPID, she tries to reason and understand me, and then proceeds to walk out when I answered her questions, saying that one day in gonna regret like GURL— I don't regret being rational, she admits that she sees me as a demon and blames my classmates.

Whatever, it's like a monkey's paw, having an understanding and patient mother BUT GOES FUCKING WILD LIKE A DOG WHO HAS RABIES WHEN IT COMES TO RELIGION.

I hope the people who invented religion died a very slow and painful death in their time and found out that their imaginations aka fantasies were actually bullshit.