<p>To each his/her own. Besides, we do not have to believe in any Supreme Being to live wholesomely and ethically.</p>
<p>woah- is your sn an aaron burr reference?</p>
<p>neat.</p>
<p>Not as neat as the anagram of your SN: "tend a mag, b[iatch]"</p>
<p>wow, you picked up on that. I knew I should have chosen something more subtle.</p>
<p>yes, i'm quite a cryptologister</p>
<p>Khlysty. I believe that before one can be saved, one must sin prodigiously.</p>
<p>I'm agnostic.</p>
<p>Atheist raised in a Catholic household.</p>
<p>creed? It's more like beleiving there is a higher power out there but not knowing what to do about it.</p>
<p>Meestasi - who are you talking to (or what post are you referring to)?</p>
<p>I've been born and raised in a Hindu home, but for the last two years I've woven agnosticism into my Hindu beliefs.</p>
<p>I sense this trend with respect to people who have posted here.... we all usually have been raised with strong religious beliefs, yet over time have lost them either completely or in a considerable degree. I feel compelled to ask why. A notorious Chicago alum, Kurt Vonnegut dealt with this to some extent in his "Cat's Cradle," yet I am largely unsatisfied by the fact that this was not dealt with in greater detail. After all, in order to be a true scientific inquisitor, a true Chicagoan, if you will, is it necessary/correct to, in our display of intelectualism, challenge the existence of God?</p>
<p>felipecocco:
I've noticed the same pattern not only amongst UChicago applicants, but on my debate team. Perhaps atheism/agnosticism requires an open mind and a degree of curiosity perpetuated by intense thought and discussion, considering such beliefs are neither casual nor commonplace (notice I'm not saying theists are close-minded or thoughtless; on the contrary, many committed Christians around me are very accepting and intellectual).<br>
Personally I had always embraced Hinduism so fully that I had never needed to question its underlying basis on a divine existence. But after paring down religion to what I deemed essential, I found God's presence unnecessary for my most basic spiritual beliefs. I've also recently pondered spirituality's chemical basis and science's ability to explain certain mystical phenomena, which further convince me of religion's opposite--maybe man has created God (has anyone read The God Gene?).</p>
<p>Taoist!</p>
<p>(And yes, I'm Caucasian. Whaatev.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
How can so vehemently deny the existence of God, when one has no proof that it does not exist?</p>
<p>Doesn't it take the same faith to deny God, as it takes to proclaim existence of God?
[/quote]
[quote]
I wholly agree. That's perhaps the single largest reason for my faith- because there isn't any proof to substantiate that there is no God.
[/quote]
I find this an extremely weak argument. I could go on for quite a while on why... It's just wrong on so many levels.</p>
<p>I have none. I am an atheist.</p>
<p>That is a terrible argument - the burden of proof is always on the affirmative. Until I see proof that there IS a God, I have no reason to believe in one. NOT the other way around. Just like I don't have a reason to believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Tooth Fairy, Zeus, Thor, Krishna, etc.</p>
<p>The Tooth Fairy? Are you serious? awwwww</p>
<p>It's against my beliefs to argue about religion, but it's soooooo tempting to sin...</p>
<p>Hehe.</p>
<p>Actually, I truly try to steer away for religious friction, especially within religions. I don't always succeed.</p>
<p>You can't rely on proof to affirm or deny the existence of god. EVERYTHING requires faith. Life requires faith. Even with "hard evidence" you still have to make the leap to believe in what's being presented to you, to decide who or what is credible.
Without some degree of faith, you'd have to question absolutely everything to the point where you could no longer function. </p>
<p>A belief in God by default seems like a horrible thing- it's just so hollow.</p>
<p>And I believe in the Tooth Fairy. As an angel, of course.</p>