Perth! It's good to see you back, you've been missed.
I'd like to take something Syc said a step farther, in a different direction and offer a counterpoint everyone else.
Quote:
From Syc:
no one can be right when it comes to "Does God exist?"
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Here's the rub on that. If you choose to believe there is no god then you are basing your opinion off faith every bit as much as any christian. The same is true of all religions. Whether you choose to believe it's true or choose to believe it's false. I'm sure you remember my thoughts on faith? Actually, I guess I never went into it that much.
The problem with faith is that you are choosing to treat an opinion as a fact. We don't know who, if anyone, has got it right. You can choose to follow a path provided or form a hybrid of several to make your own. Whatever path you choose it's a choice based on what you want to believe, not what you know. It still comes back to faith.
Consider this though, you don't have to have an opinion. You can admit ignorance of the hereafter and the grand scheme of things outright. You can drop the idea of any form of cosmic balance or universal justice at will. The really amazing part? It won't change a damn thing.
You can apply your experiences directly to decide if something is good or bad, with no old book to advise you. No need to reference anything beyond your own point of view and the point of view of people you consider intelligent and/or insightful.
Look to your own road for guidance. Instead of walking in the moral path of a man you consider great, seek out where he was going. Look for the wisdom in the words of others, but value the wisdom as it applies to you.
You say you "lost" your religion. See the gain, you are more free now than you have ever been. Breathe the air for a bit before you start believing something else you can't prove. Like "There is no God." Try instead, "If there's a god, why should I care?"