So I thought I'd go ahead and dive balls first into a topic a little more heavy. There's always a good row between believers and non-believers. Personally, I am Wiccan. Not to say I do not believe in God, just that I don't believe in the standard 'Christian' idea of it. That being said, I get along with most Athiests and Agnostics as well, because my flavor of belief tends to run a little less fanatical and a little less 'God flipped the switch on life'.
I believe in evolution, and natural selection, I just believe that it was all designed by a truly inspired mind. A being so omnipotent, so omnipresent, that he/she can see all the potential for this world, this realm, and any/every other. Can see the could bes, the won't bes, and the must bes, and can interweave them into this chaotic cluster fuck of a tapestry that we call life.
I won't pretend to have read all the arguments on here, I browsed a few. Some were good, most were juvenile. Regardless of whether or not there is a divine being, what we down here have to deal with is people. The people who believe, whatever it is they may believe, and the way they handle themselves.
Personally, I can't stand a Christian who tries to force feed me the bible that they use as a tower shield of bigotry against anything they don't understand or can't agree with. But at the same time, Atheists who act intellectually superior because they 'see the truth of the world' are no better. Either way it's an ego-maniacal jackass trying to shove their opinion down your throat. And while some of us may very well enjoy having something shoved down our throats, that's usually a hard pill to swallow.
I've read some comments which suggest that the occurrence of religious wars is somehow proof that God doesn't exist. But that theory would have to be predicated upon an idea that God takes an active hand in everything we do. Personally, I believe in free will, and the idea that God takes any direct action would impose upon that free will.
Some argue that the mere existence of so many religions, and variations, are proof that no divine entity exists. I say that is some really single minded bullshit. I personally, go by at least three different names, to a variety of different groups of people. My work friends call me one thing, my family calls me another, my significant other calls me something else still, and friends from years gone by use names for me I haven't answered to in ages. But I am nevertheless the same person, the same entity. My existence does not change, though others perception of me might. Why would this be any different? Especially when dealing with an entity that does not present him or herself in any tangible way. But then, with the way that human beings act toward things they don't know, or don't understand, is it any wonder why?
What I find the most intriguing of all isn't the idea of a God, or the lack thereof. It's that with this species based, deeply ingrained idea of just how awesome we are as a race of sentient beings, that we were ever humble enough to even consider the idea that there was something greater than we.
Frankly, I think if God showed up right now and said 'Yo, how's it going? I'm the big G, just thought I'd stop by, see how it's hanging'. We'd all react more or less the same. Skepticism. Denial. Disbelief. Awe. Anger. Retribution.
Before you know it, we'd be trying to blow up God. We may be sentient. We may be intelligent. We may be quite a few things. But ready for this question to be definitively answered? No, we're not.
So in the meantime, how about we go with a much easier outlook. You believe what you want. I'll believe what I want. And so long as we're not hurting anyone (actual hurt, not perceived moral hurt by some right wing nut job who thinks butt sex hurts their soul) let's just live and let live. And we can all keep are egotistical, pride infused opinion shoving to ourselves.
Personally, I'm rather fond of staying quiet, keeping to myself, and reminding myself of just how right I always am. What need have I for you to agree?
