The need for a God in general

Originally posted by rvsakhadeo
So be it ! Emotions are as much a genuine part of human life as cold Reason is. You cannot ignore the need to satisfy that aching feeling in one's heart/that pull towards one's wife/husband ,toward one's mother/father,your kid-- can you? Many millions of humans feel this way also for God.
A story is told that a person tells a saint that he is feeling dow ...[text shortened]...
But,yes,even intellectuals of all walks of life feel an intellectual necessity for God.

“...Emotions are as much a genuine part of human life as cold Reason is. ...”

correct. And, I said nothing to contradict that.
Why should emotions rather than reason be allowed to create your beliefs about reality?

“...You cannot ignore the need to satisfy that aching feeling in one's heart/that pull towards one's wife/husband ,toward one's mother/father,your kid-- can you? ...”

correct. And, I said nothing to contradict that.

“...Many millions of humans feel this way also for God. ...”

Many millions of humans emotionally want there to be a god so they believe that there is a god to satisfy this emotional need. Their belief is not based on reason (even if they convince themselves that it is to hide the delusion from themselves ) but on emotions. That makes that belief an irrational one.

Originally posted by Andrew Hamilton
“...Emotions are as much a genuine part of human life as cold Reason is. ...”

correct. And, I said nothing to contradict that.
Why should emotions rather than reason be allowed to create your beliefs about reality?

“...You cannot ignore the need to satisfy that aching feeling in one's heart/that pull towards one's wife/husband ,toward one's m ...[text shortened]... ide the delusion from themselves ) but on emotions. That makes that belief an irrational one.

Our belief may be irrational and our need to believe in God may be emotional. It does not matter to us. We do not need to prove God to non-believers. It will be a task predestined to fail.

Originally posted by Andrew Hamilton
I think the title of this thread “The need for God in general” is quite apt but perhaps not necessarily for exactly the reason intended; the “need for a God” is a purely emotional need.

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I think the title of this thread “The need for God in general” is quite apt but perhaps not necessarily for exactly the reason intended; the “need for a God” is a purely emotional need.
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Isn't there just as much an emotional need for Atheism by Atheists?

I mean it is kind of cool not believing that there is no ultimate Governor to whom one is accountable. To the Atheist, man is it ! Man is the measure of all things. Man can do whatever, really, and there will be no accounting to a final higher judgment.

That doesn't have an emotional attraction to some people ?
Atheism just as much fills an emotional need for many.

Originally posted by Andrew Hamilton
“...Emotions are as much a genuine part of human life as cold Reason is. ...”

correct. And, I said nothing to contradict that.
Why should emotions rather than reason be allowed to create your beliefs about reality?

“...You cannot ignore the need to satisfy that aching feeling in one's heart/that pull towards one's wife/husband ,toward one's m ...[text shortened]... ide the delusion from themselves ) but on emotions. That makes that belief an irrational one.

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Many millions of humans emotionally want there to be a god so they believe that there is a god to satisfy this emotional need. Their belief is not based on reason (even if they convince themselves that it is to hide the delusion from themselves ) but on emotions. That makes that belief an irrational one.
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Do you think some unbelievers in God have an emotional need to make sweeping, broad brushed generalizations ?

Originally posted by jaywill
[b]==================================
I think the title of this thread “The need for God in general” is quite apt but perhaps not necessarily for exactly the reason intended; the “need for a God” is a purely emotional need.
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Isn't there just as much an emotional need for Atheism by Atheists?

I mean it is l attraction to some people ?
Atheism just as much fills an emotional need for many.[/b]

“...Isn't there just as much an emotional need for Atheism by Atheists? ...”

No. At least not for me and every atheist I know of.
I do NOT want ( “want” emotionally or otherwise) there to be NO god.
Why the hell would I want there to be NO god? That makes no sense.
I DO want there to be an afterlife (because I don't want to ever die) and, if convincing myself of one absurd belief that there is a god means I convince myself or the other absurd belief that there is an afterlife then, surely, if anything, I have a very strong emotional motive to be an theist and therefore a very strong emotional motive to be AGAINST atheism!!!
So I have NO “emotional need” to be an atheist as you imply above but the exact opposite!!!

but what stops me believing that there is a god it the same thing that stops me believing that there is a tooth fairy -reason.

“....Man can do whatever, really, and there will be no accounting to a final higher judgment. ...”

if I wanted to convince myself of the absurd but pleasant belief that is an afterlife and that I would live forever then why would I have to convince myself of the absurd (because it assumes the first absurdity) but unpleasant belief that I will be judged (let alone judged harshly) in such an afterlife?
If this is why I am an atheist then why don't I just simply convince myself of the delusion that there is a god but without any unpleasant delusions such as I will be judged (and possibly harshly at that! ) etc?
-I mean, if I am to convince myself of such absurdities, why does it have to be part of a package that includes the rough as well as the smooth? Why not just the smooth?
If I wanted and did convince myself of such absurdities, then I would have an emotional motive to NOT convince myself that I will be judged even if I have an emotional motive to convince myself that there is a god etc.

There is no logical contradiction or inconsistency in there being a god but there being no judgement in an afterlife.
For this reason, what you imply here doesn't make any sense and is certainly NOT why there are atheists.