" I don't know if Christianity is true (it was a long time ago!), but by engaging with it as a possibility, I connect to my community and to something beyond myself." This is from a philosopher, Philip Goff's, bio page.

Where does this feeling of wanting something greater than yourself come from?

Do all humans have this feeling? Is it something that we are born with?

What does Christianity or any other religion has to say about this? Didn't Neo and Morpheus have this feeling in the Matrix movie? :cool:
 
Religion branched out from more earthly pursuits to do with this feeling. It is the feeling which drives these things on and is not limited to Christianity -

I think it derives from the subconscious realization that we are more than what we think we are, and this is translated into a feeling by the conscious personality.
 
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Religion branched out from more earthly pursuits to do with this feeling. It is the feeling which drives these things on and is not limited to Christianity -

I think it derives from the subconscious realization that we are more than what we think we are, and this is translated into a feeling by the conscious personality.
Good point. I wonder how many atheists would agree that they have this feeling, and if so, if it leads them to have doubts about atheism.
 
Call them what they really are.

Materialists.

It helps deal with confusion which arises from arguments which are not solely based in lacking belief in gods
I think that's wise to do William. It's common to hear some atheists say that they simply lack belief in Gods, as opposed to saying that God does not exist, but then their views tend to go beyond what you'd expect from a lack of belief.

I remember questioning if a lot of negative atheists don't want to claim positive atheism because of a stigma. If their arguments suggests God doesn't exist, then why not just take the leap to positive atheism?
 
For me the accepting of this 'something more than myself' idea was a natural part of my overall human experience from as early as I consciously remember.

I took it to available places - such as Christianity and spirituality and materialism and found no connect therein. Whatever 'it' is, it responds unexcitedly to structured organized image-inducing say-so's, and floats aloof of such attempts to corral and/or deny that it exists.

In more recent times I have come to understand it as the overall 'mind' of the universe which 'suffered' fragmentation, becoming 'minds' within its own creation, but is also involved in a defragging process of said minds, and partially succeeds in relation to religion/spirituality but the work continues in relation to the next phase individuate consciousnesses experience as part of this defragging continuum.
 
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I have the craving for a God to turn to. When I can get into a religion, it's so comforting to just turn problems over to God. He's sort of a super-parent, knowing and being able to do a lot more than our human parents ever could.

But in time, honesty always gets in the way of continuing with a religion I don't totally believe. I say a prayer for the ability to believe or forgiveness if I'm wrong, and try to just go on my way.
 
I have the craving for a God to turn to. When I can get into a religion, it's so comforting to just turn problems over to God. He's sort of a super-parent, knowing and being able to do a lot more than our human parents ever could.

But in time, honesty always gets in the way of continuing with a religion I don't totally believe. I say a prayer for the ability to believe or forgiveness if I'm wrong, and try to just go on my way.
Religion is definitely helpful, and I'm even thnking that it's unmatched, when it comes to its ideals which speaks towards life's purpose. Imagine being told that you're living life just to reproduce and continue human survival. That seems so dull and basic, and I may as well live like the non-human animals that also just eat, sleep, and reproduce. But if you say that my actions are tied to the Universe, or there's a spiritual dimension to it, then that alone sparks a lot of hope and interest.

At present I am watching/listening to this video.

I'll take a peek at that as well. Thanks for the reference.
 
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I'll watch it too, in the assumed time known as "later," when I have the time to thoughtfully consider it. I just wanted to throw 2 coins in the fountain (sorry, just pennies). Something more than 80% of people in the world have a religion. It must serve some need--or maybe it's even true. Sometimes I go try another one just because of that statistic.
I agree it's a more meaningful way to live than just as a biological mechanism that's born without being consulted, plays, suffers, dies, and ceases to exist in any way.
Pure hedonism turns out to be empty, for me.
 
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