Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Happy
I know this can be a touchy subject and I really appreciate your intelligent discourse on it, even if you don't agree with me. The matter of faith: I am pretty sure you and I have "faith" in one thing or another. Based on our experience we have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow... We don't know the sun will rise, but we expect it will based on our experience. The faith in "God" is harder because we lack direct experience of Him/Her according to our expectations. We want to conceptualize God according to our desires. We create an image of Him/Her. If you want, substitute the "Truth" for "God," this will help the discussion. I have faith in Truth. I can't define it, but I know Truth is true and that you and I are part of it. The peril isn't faith, its expectations. Brother, take a deep breath (or toke) and know that you do not walk alone, despite the horrors of this world. Expectations are relics from the past. The past is the problem b/c we chain ourselves to it and have "faith" in it to establish our future. It doesn't exist! Thanks, MH
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We all know (or at least I THINK we know) that religious faith is a different concept from expectation based on experience. Fact is, nobody has come back from the dead to confirm that any of the claims of religion are true. There is absolutely no evidence that a supreme being exists - it's based on religious faith. I believe that it's genetic - you either believe in fairy tales, or you don't. Since so many nonbelievers have been wiped out by the believers, the resulting gene pool has put Atheists in the minority.

Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Happy
I love George Carlin RIP. He did a lot of good and was funny as hell. He said a lot of things that resonated with me. I watched the link above again and what he is talking about is organized religion, which is bullshit for the most part. I think God himself is an even bigger fan. George was anti-establishment, stood up for the underclass and challenged our illusions about this world. God Bless him and you. Thanks, MH
As a comedian George Carlin wasn't funny, IMHO, but he was not a believer in religion. I do not think he would have cared for anyone saying, "God bless", regarding him. Besides, he's dead and even if invoking this phrase was capable of doing something, it's too late.

Stories of gods and devils are like fairy tales for children, and in this regard my childhood ended a long time ago.