GOD - Do we need Him ?

The world as we see it today is riddled with problems. Rapes, murders and other atrociuos acts against humanity are all but common. The world is torn apart by war. But is there a common thread that links most of these? Forget Africa or Iraq or Afghanistan, jihad has become an all too common word, there seems to be no end to the Israel and Palestinian conflict, Tibet is reeling under oppression... there just seems to be no end. How can this be stopped? Where is God when you need Him? Where is this 'great omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent' dude and why doesn't He do something? Which brings us to the Epicurean argument ::

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?

A rather telling argument in my opinion.

The fact that most atheists try to put forward is this - There is no need to believe that a big magician living in the sky exists and will put things straight. Why should a person need God to follow a morally correct life? With the scientific data available today, we can accurately explain all that we see and how it all came to be. Documented evolutionary proof rules out any 'intelligent design' theories. What cannot be overlooked is the overwhelming lack of evidence about the existence of god. Even if we assume that god exists, there should be a physical impact on the universe which there isn't. The argument that god or his work has no impact in our universe just reinforces the uselessness of worshipping him.

The main problem that atheists have with religion is that it stops people from asking questions. In today's world, all religion does is hinder progress. (The Roman Catholic Church claims that usage of condoms is a mortal sin.) When the world, especially Africa, is reeling from AIDS, such a proclamation surely is plain stupid and nonsensical. Some countries in Africa have, believe it or not, a 70% AIDS affliction rate. This is nothing but plain preposterous and a shame on all human knowledge. I mean in an age when we pride ourselves to be "intellectuals", how can anyone be so dumb as to not recognise facts ?? Speaking of the Roman Catholic Church, you sometimes cant help but feel the Pope , no offence meant to anyone, could have carved out a very respectable living as a stand up comedian. A man who can call a worldwide press conference in 1989 ( yes NINETEEN EIGHTY NINE) and can unblinkingly proclaim that the world is NOT flat is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Today the only group of people more discriminated against than atheists are homosexuals. You've got to ask why? Every person has the right to choose his or her way of living be it sexual or religious orientations. We should learn to respect the views and opinions of others. In religion answers are not open to question, rather religion thrives on non inquiry. The fact that people need the concept of hell and punishment to be morally correct is an insult to human dignity.

You can disbelieve in the existence of a supernatural magician and still believe in music, still believe in art, and still believe in the sanctity of life.

If you ask "why is there something rather than nothing?" or "what came before the big bang?" and you answer "God", belief in that God makes no difference to your daily life, or to morality and responsibility, nor does it cause people to band into groups, exclude outsiders, commit atrocities or justify wars. Believers frequently claim that rejecting belief in God would lead people to immorality, murder and mayhem. What little research there is so far suggests quite the reverse. A recent study comparing developed nations showed that the more religious nations also had higher rates of murder, suicide, teenage pregnancy and violent crime - precisely those behaviours that most religions prohibit. In an age when science has answers to most questions, the belief in an extremely perfect being to have created us is absolutely irrational because if you think about it who, by the way, created the creator? Because if someone created the creator, then that someone must be greater then the creator. But then someone must have created the guy who created the creator, who has to be, logically, even greater... and this goes on.

Douglas Adams : "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?"

I feel every person should be allowed to decide upon his religious orientation. As Richard Dawkins has said, we are (atleast 99% of us are) believers of some religion which we did not choose but were born into. To say that I am a Hindu is probably incorrect, what should be said is that I was born to parents who are hindu. Every school asks a child is religion. Well is it not ridiculous to imagine that a kid would have a definite viewpoint on this subject?

My last post was supposedly a bit random, well this one has a clear theme and is not about being funny. I feel this is an issue that must be faced by everyone. What I've regularly observed is that as soon as religion becomes involved we throw logical thinking out of the window, which is the worst thing we can do, for once we let our analyzing power get clouded there is no saying what might come to pass. The views expressed are solely mine and no harm is meant to any persons sensibilities though all comments and views on this issue are welcome.