Criteria for evidence of a God.

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You're actually accusing me of being "delusional"?
Child, please.
What exactly have you ever tried that was worth a damn?
If debunking faith (in all it's miraculous forms) is something you enjoy "trying", you have wasted your effort in a spectacular manner.
Congrats!

Your condescending manner is the only childish thing here.



Many things but I fail to see the relevance.



Fighting ignorance and deceit is considered by many to be a noble endeavor.



Yes perhaps I worded that poorly.

Very well lets try this experiment.

God I accept that you might exist and ask that you come into me (whatever that means) and show me that you're real. Oh and the spontaneous manifestation of a cheeseburger would really cinch the deal.

Hmm..

*looks left*
*looks right*

Nothing not even a cheeseburger. Therefore your own proposed methodology has been proven to yield no results and you still have no evidence to support your claim.

Oh and for future reference "Believe me and I will (not need to) prove I'm right." is not a good argument.

Fraya, I have learned many, many thing in my long life. Perhaps the most significant is that where issues of faith are concerned, you either have it or you don't. Arguing the legitimacy of it is pointless.
You have absolutely no interest in faith, religion or a relationship with either.
You have no interest in spirituality.
Yet, you and only you can bring those things into your life.
You are looking for external proof of an internal decision- one that you have not made: One that you probably will never make.
So, if you want a cheeseburger, go get one.
If you want god in your life, invite him in.
But if you want god to hand-deliver a cheeseburger, I think you'll be waiting a very, very long and disappointing time.

Best of luck to you, Fraya.

To you. But then, that is what you choose to believe.

Ok so you can choose to believe the delusion or not I think most of us already know that. I choose not to and feel people are doing themselves a disservice and potentially harming others by doing so. Is that evil?

Potentially.

First, we need to agree to disagree on this: faith does not equal delusion. So for the sake of my argument I need to amend your query:

Ok so you can choose to have faith or not I think most of us already know that. I choose not to and feel people are doing themselves a disservice and potentially harming others by doing so. Is that evil?"

The answer is an obvious no.
The problem lies in trying to intellectualize the faith out of someone, just as it is when someone is trying to force faith into others.
If you believe having faith is harmful- you are certainly welcome to that opinion.
That would be the same as saying NOT having faith is harmful.
I understand your query in that some people put faith above all else, give their life-savings to a mega-church, distance themselves from non-believing friends and family. Yeah- faith can be a costly endeavor for some. But who are we to question the cost of faith? Some people may be happy as anything writing a 10k check to their church- even if they know that money might be going to questionable causes.
Faith is kinda like art- it needs to be expressed. For some it's supporting their church. For others, it's supporting themselves or their community. It's all relative to what your'e willing to do and give.

Good answer, NQ.

Oh, and just to set the record straight: I don't believe in "god" per se. Not the mega-church version, not the "He shall smote thee and bring wrath upon thee" version either.
But I don't believe anyone's faith should ever be questioned- no matter where that faith is directed.
It could be faith (or belief, if you want) in god (or God, whichever), it could be faith in a "higher power" or "universal energy". It could be any number of things, religions, idols or dieties. And if one does not have faith- does not believe in something greater than themselves- that's ok too.

The problem is that relinquishing control of your life and mind to magical thinking and other people is much more potentially dangerous than not doing so.

If you're willing to believe in a magical flying bearded sky man what won't you believe? How far is that from believing and doing everything your told?

It's every individuals responsibility to protect their society from harm so I'm afraid I can't just "not question their faith".

I hope you (eventually) see how slanted your statements are.
No one here but you has alluded to relinquishing control (as perhaps with a cult?) or suggested that god is only a magical flying bearded man (you watch too much Family Guy).
Your talking cartoon analogies and cultism- I'm talking about faith in it's purest, unbiased fashion. Ne'er do the twain shall meet.

What of the person not willing to have faith? Can they believe in anything not seen or touched? And how close is that to simply being apes swinging from trees?

of course it should. faith is the most abused avenue of human behavior.

And that is fine. Just don't expect to get the answers you're looking for or that only make sense to you. Faith is not, nor ever has been about needing proof.
More often than not, people who need proof, don't have faith. People who have faith, don't need proof.

so you're saying that living in a lifetime suspension of disbelief is human?


you obviously need your faith questioned.

I guess that depends on how you define "faith". Faith exploited by mega-church corporations for money is still faith, isn't it?
And actually, I believe love is the most abused human behaviour- but that's just my opinion.

No, I don't think I said that. Sorry if I miscommunicated.

Anyone is welcome to question my beliefs and my faith- but as I said, don't expect to get the answers you want.
Faith is a deeply personal thing and needs no justification for it's existance.