Who are happier -- Christians or Atheists?

Quote: FrGamble

I'll ask Him for you.

That's another thing. They were right that
when you talk to god in prayer, it's normal.
When god talks to you, it's schizoid. Tell
people Jesus talks to you all the time and
you'll be shunned. Or worse.

Jesus speaks to me all the time through His Word, through His Church and the sacraments, through nature, through others, in my conscience and personally and directly in my heart and soul through prayer.

I hope you won't shun me, or worse?

Quote: FrGamble

Jesus speaks to me all the time through His Word, through His Church and the sacraments, through nature, through others, in my conscience and personally and directly in my heart and soul through prayer.

That's not the speaking I was referring to
and you know it. Some people claim to
have actual conversations with him. Why
not, he's alive and well according to those
who say they know.

Some people claim the universe just popped into existence without a creator or even worse that the universe always existed, if we don't call those people crazy than why should we for those who say they speak to God?

Quote: FrGamble

or even worse that the universe always existed,

Takes no leap of faith to believe that. Just
be quiet for a few minutes and you'll feel
it. Very comforting.

Quote: Evenbob

Takes no leap of faith to believe that. Just
be quiet for a few minutes and you'll feel
it. Very comforting.

Dude, who sounds brainwashed again?

Quote: FrGamble

Dude, who sounds brainwashed again?

There's no doctrine or dogma or scripture
attached to silence. No belief prerequisite,
no baptism, no rituals. No brainwashing.

Quote: FrGamble

Some people claim the universe just popped into existence without a creator or even worse that the universe always existed,

Some people recognize these possibilities and admit we don't know how, when or even whether the universe began. Hell, as of today we don't even know what the vast bulk of the universe is made of, and by that I don't even mean dark matter or dark energy. The vast majority of the universe is spacetime, and we've no idea what that is.

Also, having seen many things develop (stars, planets, mountains, rivers, living beings, etc.) and come into being without any evidence of any kind of creator, the natural assumption is that there is no creator at all.

Finally, suppose there is a creator. Why would it be a deity made up by a Semitic tribe 5500 years ago? Maybe Satan created the universe, maybe I did and don't remember it (that would be just like me), maybe you did and are too modest to admit it, maybe it was an interuniversal consortium and the rent will be due next month, maybe we did when the universe ended a trillion quadrillion years from now but don't know it.

Quote: Nareed

and come into being without any evidence of any kind of creator, the natural assumption is that there is no creator at all.

People hate mysteries, they love to fill
in the blanks with preposterous theories.
That's what superstition is all about. They
think they see a creation, as opposed to
something that's been here forever.

The natural assumption is, when you see
something like a universe, that's apparently
very old and very self sustaining, the assumption
is that it's been here forever. You really have
to go a few steps to assume somebody or
some god created it. And you have jump a
mountain to believe some god created it for
you. The ego of man is what has no limits, not
the universe..

Quote: Nareed

Also, having seen many things develop (stars, planets, mountains, rivers, living beings, etc.) and come into being without any evidence of any kind of creator, the natural assumption is that there is no creator at all.

Without asking where the matter of these things came from we can also ask where did the consistent laws that govern the coming into being of everything from stars to rivers. Everything points to not only a creator but a spiritual, all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal, creator.

Quote:

Finally, suppose there is a creator.

Easy to do because there is.