Happy Atheist Forum

After listening to The God Delusion for the second time I am again at the part of imaginary friends.I can't help but think maybe God was invented so people would feel special.That God picked them to be his student.I can't help but think of how people get crushes on a celebrity.How they have a fantasy about that celeb (insert name here).Like a woman going to a concert and the singer sees them in the crowd.Out of all of the thousands of people there.How they are choosen out of all others the be the one.Maybe God picks a few people to go to heaven and damns everyone else.If you look you can see it in all religions.Which could be one of the reasons why so many people go with God.To have a connection that some others don't have.Not just because of the whole heaven thing,but for selfish reasons.

Primitive man invented god(s) to explain that which was unexplainable at the time.  Now we have science.  Hurray!  

QuoteYou are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.  You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone else, and we are all part of the same compost pile.

~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 17

Quote from: "MommaSquid"You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.  You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone else, and we are all part of the same compost pile.
 ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 17

I will sign under that. Yup. Any time, any day.  

Quote from: "afreethinker30"After listening to The God Delusion for the second time I am again at the part of imaginary friends.I can't help but think maybe God was invented so people would feel special.That God picked them to be his student.I can't help but think of how people get crushes on a celebrity.How they have a fantasy about that celeb (insert name here).Like a woman going to a concert and the singer sees them in the crowd.Out of all of the thousands of people there.How they are choosen out of all others the be the one.Maybe God picks a few people to go to heaven and damns everyone else.If you look you can see it in all religions.Which could be one of the reasons why so many people go with God.To have a connection that some others don't have.Not just because of the whole heaven thing,but for selfish reasons.

Hmm... nice perspective. I can see your point. I remember some nights I couldn't sleep because I was so excited about God. It was like I was giggling over a crush I had or something. I was so glad because that's how your relationship with Him was supposed to be. I know lots of pastors that give sermons like this (minus the "made up" part). Like how we are so special for God to love us, since we are next to nothing compared to Him. It really boosts your self-esteem and makes you feel special.

Quote from: "MommaSquid"

QuoteYou are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.  You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone else, and we are all part of the same compost pile.

~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 17

Ha I love it! So true...

It makes total sense. Probably explains why people couldn't be happier once they start believing in God - hey, they think someone is finally paying attention to them!

Too bad this feeling of superiority that God listens to what they have to say, among so many people, goes totally against the idea of tolerance and kindness that Christians claim to have.

God makes you special... in the same way some Olympics are... special.  

If you ever doubt the fact that believers think they're special, ask them the following question:

You and 100 people are trapped in the WTC, 10 minutes before it collapses. You all run down the stairs, and each of you find different exits, 100 in all. 99 exits are locked. 1 exit is unlocked. You got the unlocked exit and escaped; everyone else took 110 stories of skyscraper directly to the head.

Was this just chance?



I've asked this, and the believers say God intervened and saved them.

It gets even more confusing when people see other gods thinking that other people are special. In such situations of seeming relativism, the questions "which God is right?" and "who is more special?" rarely appear because the questions themselves have the power to smash the illusions. This thread also underlies some creationist complaints about evolution: being descended from monkeys and apes (who often do unspeakable things in public) ruins that "special" feeling of being "God's chosen one."

Quote from: "curiosityandthecat"God makes you special... in the same way some Olympics are... special.  :D  Aren't we the smart one.You are special too.


I know from the start that God was suppose to be the answer to all.But I think that "special" thing is why he/she/it is still around.When I was little in Sunday school it was always about how God loved you,how he listens to you.But I always thought god was a busy man if he listened to all the people in the world.I think that people just need to feel love no matter where it comes from.I think that has alot to do with children having pretend friends.We all long to have someone in our life that loves us no matter what.And that's what god does,unless you speak against him.Then of course the whole fire and flames thing.

Speaking as a theist, yes, that is part of the attraction of Christianity. The idea that a being powerful enough to create the entire world cares about me on a personal level is, to me, compelling.

Austin Schaefer

Quote from: "AncientToaster"Speaking as a theist, yes, that is part of the attraction of Christianity. The idea that a being powerful enough to create the entire world cares about me on a personal level is, to me, compelling.

Austin Schaefer

Yeah, I can completely understand that. God, this huge, powerful, wonderful, holy thing loves me? Amazing. I was always taught that. It always blew my mind and kept my faith solid.
Then one year, I heard a sermon on how we are less than the scum of the earth and God doesn't love us because we are special because there is NOTHING special about us. God loves us because He is amazing. He created us for His glory, because He deserves it. It kind of killed it for me. But it somehow strengthened my faith... I'm not saying that all believe that or trying to put people down or anything. This just reminded me of that sermon and I'm just describing it.

Quote from: "AncientToaster"Speaking as a theist, yes, that is part of the attraction of Christianity. The idea that a being powerful enough to create the entire world cares about me on a personal level is, to me, compelling.

Austin Schaefer

Not just the world, the entire universe.

You weigh probably about 150 pounds. Humanity weighs about 900,000,000 lbs. The observed universe weighs about 6,600,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That's a pretty inefficient creator.

Quote from: "MommaSquid"Primitive man invented god(s) to explain that which was unexplainable at the time.  Now we have science.  Hurray!  

I agree.

this thread is just on the verge of getting really deep. gonna have to move it to philosophy.

QuoteYeah, I can completely understand that. God, this huge, powerful, wonderful, holy thing loves me? Amazing. I was always taught that. It always blew my mind and kept my faith solid.
Then one year, I heard a sermon on how we are less than the scum of the earth and God doesn't love us because we are special because there is NOTHING special about us. God loves us because He is amazing. He created us for His glory, because He deserves it. It kind of killed it for me. But it somehow strengthened my faith... I'm not saying that all believe that or trying to put people down or anything. This just reminded me of that sermon and I'm just describing it.

Yeah, I've heard it put that way before too. There's some merit to the idea--I think the reason God loves us is ultimately because His own nature compels him to--, but it's always seemed a bit silly to me to say that who I am doesn't have anything to do with that. It seems more like it's that He loves me because I'm me, warts and all, and He loves me for his own glory. If you see what I mean.

Austin Schaefer

Quote from: "AncientToaster"

QuoteYeah, I can completely understand that. God, this huge, powerful, wonderful, holy thing loves me? Amazing. I was always taught that. It always blew my mind and kept my faith solid.
Then one year, I heard a sermon on how we are less than the scum of the earth and God doesn't love us because we are special because there is NOTHING special about us. God loves us because He is amazing. He created us for His glory, because He deserves it. It kind of killed it for me. But it somehow strengthened my faith... I'm not saying that all believe that or trying to put people down or anything. This just reminded me of that sermon and I'm just describing it.

Yeah, I've heard it put that way before too. There's some merit to the idea--I think the reason God loves us is ultimately because His own nature compels him to--, but it's always seemed a bit silly to me to say that who I am doesn't have anything to do with that. It seems more like it's that He loves me because I'm me, warts and all, and He loves me for his own glory. If you see what I mean.

Austin Schaefer

We are made in his image therefore to love himself he must love us.  Maybe god has some self esteem issues.

I made myself special. You made yourself special. We're all special people. Special people all the time. Special people on my mind. Special people brown and white. Special people getting all uptight.

Sorry, I was listening to Beck this morning.

How much happier can you be than realizing that a supernatural being thinks you're special?

When you come to the conclusion that you're special in and of yourself, when you make the choice to see that your life is amazing - regardless of what anyone else or anything else might think - you surpass any meaning an outside party could ever inscribe on your existence.  Be your own god.  Create your world shaped by your own thoughts.  Construct your own meaning.  It's far more interesting and fulfilling than saying "God made me to praise him in his glory."

Quote from: "AncientToaster"

QuoteYeah, I can completely understand that. God, this huge, powerful, wonderful, holy thing loves me? Amazing. I was always taught that. It always blew my mind and kept my faith solid.
Then one year, I heard a sermon on how we are less than the scum of the earth and God doesn't love us because we are special because there is NOTHING special about us. God loves us because He is amazing. He created us for His glory, because He deserves it. It kind of killed it for me. But it somehow strengthened my faith... I'm not saying that all believe that or trying to put people down or anything. This just reminded me of that sermon and I'm just describing it.

Yeah, I've heard it put that way before too. There's some merit to the idea--I think the reason God loves us is ultimately because His own nature compels him to--, but it's always seemed a bit silly to me to say that who I am doesn't have anything to do with that. It seems more like it's that He loves me because I'm me, warts and all, and He loves me for his own glory. If you see what I mean.

Austin Schaefer

Yeah, I get you. We had a discussion in small groups after the sermon (which was a week-long video sermon) and we came to that conclusion.

Quote from: "Willravel"I made myself special. You made yourself special. We're all special people. Special people all the time. Special people on my mind. Special people brown and white. Special people getting all uptight.

Sorry, I was listening to Beck this morning.