What do you believe and why?

I find that a good place to start is finding out what you believe.

I believe the bible. I believe it because it is credible, and rings true to my sense of human nature and knowledge of life.

There are other reasons but those were my initial ones.

I am a hard polytheist. I believe that all the gods are distinct beings that actually exist. I base this on personal experience. I am also an animists and engage in ancestor worship. 

I am liking the layout here. Simple which is best. Anyways, i'm a fictional realist... or at least, that is the closest philosophy i can find that can describe my beliefs.  

Side notes: I will be on debate island mainly by the looks of it. I wish this had more users bc i am liking it, but if you guys want to catch me i will sorta be there... i am hating the layout but there are some things that are cool. Either that or a wait for the dead DDO to become undead. 

Hey PW, 

I live in Ghana as you may know. They have animists and engage in ancestor worship here. In fact, much of their animism has fused with Christianity so that it has become neither.

But it is interesting to see people actually practise ancestral worship and really believe it.

Do you believe in a literalist view on the bible or more as a collection of helpful allegory?

I may be remembering incorrectly but I thought we had discussed at least one hypothetical deity that you do not believe in. 

Has that changed?

It was hard at first because it seem awkward to talk to the dead as it's not kosher in the US per Christianity there. The people I have known and love are all Christian so my grandmothers and grandfathers don't come around when I work at my altar for my dead or make offerings. The ones that do come around from way back. It's been interesting.

Nope. Deities exist they are not made up by people who simply want to make fun of theism.

Funny thing is... in my belief, even the FSM "could" be real. It all hinges on if there is a person "willing" to become the FMS. If there are people willing to manifest as such a creature... then, if i stay consistent with what i believe... then the FSM is out there, somewhere, too. 

How do you tell the difference between genuine deities and those which are made up?

I am skeptical of the multimeter hypothesis but if it is credible then there must be one universe with an fsm and if he exists in one universe then he may well exist in all universes.

Well someone going, hey I made this up helps. Like Hubbard or Henderson. A good example of a what I would call a legit religion that isn't ancient is Crowley/Thelema.

Well not all universes since it doesn't exist in ours. If we are going with my belief, there is only as many as someone's choice to become one. If no one is willing to become the FSM, then it doesn't exist. There is also "accidental manifestation" and/or "unconscious manifestation" where it could happen according to my belief... so that would also be a factor. Just make sure the FSM isn't the last thing on your mind before you die. Lol. 

What is multimeter hypothesis? Did you mean multiverse? 

Mine is a combination of the multiverse hypothesis and fictional realism. Therefore, everything we have thought of as fiction could exist in one of these universes. 

Ok so there are those religions that seem obviousmy made up but how can we be certain that some of the religions that are not as obviously fictional are not made up? 

Consistent, individual experiences that are common among those in and out of the main religious body. Experiences and common stories independent of those who have read the faith's sacred text. Most outside a cult will identify with a cult. Those outside a religion my have experiences like those in a religion. Those with no cultural influence should be able to experience the gods outside their own culture, location and scope of reference.      

Technically it exist here. Just as fictional satire. 

So we cannot actually determin objectively if any god(s) outside our personal experience really exist unless we are prepared to accept anecdotal testimony from individuals who are arguably being effected by strong emotional states?

No one has to do anything. Spiritual experiences belong to individuals. But if you convey it to someone who has had similar experiences it takes on a context. And if people who have had similar experiences decide to meet to discuss them forming consistency  . Those experiences can then become shared via ritual and other means. That is how religions come into existence. 

Ok fair enough.

Moving on do you believe that any god(s) exist that humanity has never experienced and had no knowledge of?

Yes I think there could be gods we on Earth don't know about

How can we be certain in that case that some of these undiscovered gods do not correspond to the gids you consider made up or fictional? 

I am not sure what I believe, other than in a personal God who cares about our moral behavior. God is probably the creator as well.

Good to hear from you janesix. What leads you to believe that god cares about our morals or that his ideas of morality coincide in any way with ours?

From an experience I had. I am certain God was showing me everything I did wrong.