The devil

nadadeturbe, wrote:

"Caleo, there are things I don't understand but beauty and the appreciation of beauty is, I believe, a gift from God."

Appreciation of beauty needs to be tempered with appreciation of reason which is also a gift from God.

Fleurpepper

nadateturbe

GrannyRose15 the world would not be very meaningful to me without my faith.

I do find this very sad. But that is OK. It is your life, private, and I am glad your faith gives you meaning.

As long as you agree that it should be totally separate from the running of the country, its Laws, education, etc.

Why do you find this sad? Why do you think not believing in God makes your life more meaningful?

Caleo, there are things I don't understand but beauty and the appreciation of beauty is, I believe, a gift from God.

Apparently the rainbow was originally discovered in 984 AD by Ibn Sahl of Baghdad. No mention of catastrophic forest fires and I doubt there was any urban pollution.

Nadateturbe, I mean beauty can fool you into thinking it's also good.

So there are no beautiful sunsets without these things?

Nanadeturb, would you still attribute a colourful sunset to God once you knew it was caused by a catastrophic forest fire, or urban pollution?

Thank you Smileless2012.

No that is not what you said nadateturbe as the quote Blondiescot has used clearly shows, so I don't understand why it's been suggested that you did.

Blondiescot

nadateturbe

GrannyRose15 the world would not be very meaningful to me without my faith.

So you think the world isn't meaningful now to those of us who have no faith?

That's not what I said!

And it's not sad at all. Looking at a beautiful sunset means so much more to me when I believe in a creator. "Then sings my soul...." Thinking it happened by accident doesn't mean much.
I would not tell you I feel sad for you.

Great post absent

PS Granny Rose, university admissions are far more liberal than they were when I was younger. You don't have to be bright to be a student now. The overall educational level of graduates reflects the intake of undergraduates, not the principle of tertiary education which does not change.

Granny Rose wrote:

"Interesting that you think there is a correlation between time spent in full-time education and overall education level. I'm afraid from what I have seen of young university graduates the connection is tenuous at best."

Educational activity to tertiary level is one of the main variables that contribute to the education of individuals and demographics. Tertiary education is not the only variable; others include parenting (family culture) housing, and health.

No God doesn't have Agency over us as individuals Wyllow, neither does the devil.

GrannyRose15

^Time for religion to become a private matter- and all the above institutions to be freed, and become secular.^

I do wonder what such a world would look like, Fleurpepper.

I imagine it as a world without hope. A dull, colourless endless struggle against life's miseries. Rather like East Germany before the wall came down. Or maybe some of Russell Davies's dramas.

How do you imagine a world without religion? Or maybe, more to the point, how do you imagine a world without faith?

Sorry, had not seen that earlier post.

And no, not at all like East Germany (and I lived in the concrete jungles of East Berlin just after the wall came down- wow it was BLEAK).

Why would it be? For me, full of joy and colour, and tolerance, and people of all faiths and none, respecting each other, supporting each other.

I've never ever said I wanted a world without religion btw? Where. I said it should be a private matter, and that Governement and all linked institutions should be freed from religious influence.

nadateturbe

GrannyRose15 the world would not be very meaningful to me without my faith.

I do find this very sad. But that is OK. It is your life, private, and I am glad your faith gives you meaning.

As long as you agree that it should be totally separate from the running of the country, its Laws, education, etc.

nadateturbe

GrannyRose15 the world would not be very meaningful to me without my faith.

So you think the world isn't meaningful now to those of us who have no faith?

Smileless2012

It's true for Christianity, Judaism and Islam Wyllow which I probably should have said in my post.

I know many Christians who do not believe in the devil nor that God has Agency over us as individuals.

However I do understand those who think it shouldn't influence politics etc.

GrannyRose15 the world would not be very meaningful to me without my faith.

Caleo

The older generation is on the whole not as well educated as younger people, although there are exceptions. For one thing, the younger people spend longer in full time education.

Interesting that you think there is a correlation between time spent in full-time education and overall education level. I'm afraid from what I have seen of young university graduates the connection is tenuous at best.

Time for religion to become a private matter- and all the above institutions to be freed, and become secular.

I do wonder what such a world would look like, Fleurpepper.

I imagine it as a world without hope. A dull, colourless endless struggle against life's miseries. Rather like East Germany before the wall came down. Or maybe some of Russell Davies's dramas.

How do you imagine a world without religion? Or maybe, more to the point, how do you imagine a world without faith?

It's true for Christianity, Judaism and Islam Wyllow which I probably should have said in my post.

I think there’s inherently good in most people, some are angels in disguise but also great evil and no conscience in others.

Sadly, quite a few people of all ages are not trained in critical thinking. Let's hope the younger generations are trained in sceptical methods and post-enlightenment thought.

So us older folk are incapable of reasoning. Okay.