Atheism in a year

[MechJinx]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: malak
Well your thesis lacks any evidence to support it. In fact, there are lots of instances of evidence supporting the belief in God, all across the world.

Heh... I'm aware that people believe in a deity or deities

In all seroiusness though, the burden of proof lies with believers, not nonbelievers.

Actually, in your OP, you hit the nail on the head why the burden of proof is NOT on the believers, or non-believers for that matter. Believing in a greater being requires a 'leap of faith'. I have faith that God exists and that he listens to my prayers and answers them. I guarantee that I cannot convince you that God exists because I am just a person like you, it is up to that person to exercise faith, the definition of faith being a hope in that which is not seen which is true, that God exists and that instead of odd coincidences and unexplained things happening in the world, they receive confirmation that it is God's efforts here on the earth.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix

Originally posted by: archcommus
Not only that, but you go and tell OTHERS in threads to not post "crap" from the Bible, and then come here and post your sh!t? That sounds pretty hypocritical to me!

He's gotta get that post count up somehow.

Talk about lacking logic.

Well, just one second after I read this thread, I hopped over to the Bible thread, and I couldn't BELIEVE that the same guy was bashing another for posting Bible "crap" and saying it doesn't belong in ATOT. Then why does this? That's the very definition of a hypocrite.

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix

Originally posted by: archcommus
Not only that, but you go and tell OTHERS in threads to not post "crap" from the Bible, and then come here and post your sh!t? That sounds pretty hypocritical to me!

He's gotta get that post count up somehow.

Talk about lacking logic.

Well, just one second after I read this thread, I hopped over to the Bible thread, and I couldn't BELIEVE that the same guy was bashing another for posting Bible "crap" and saying it doesn't belong in ATOT. Then why does this? That's the very definition of a hypocrite.

Welcome to ATOT. You don't need logic or even a fully-functional brain to be "right".

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Gurck
One of the biggest problems facing religion's credibility is the complete lack of evidence supporting the existence of a deity or deities. For the past ten millenia or so religion has been the central focus of most cultures, and yet we haven't a shred of evidence supporting anything supernatural (though evidence does support certain mundane things such as Jesus having existed). Interestingly, roughly ten millenia ago also marks the beginning of widespread agriculture; a far different way of life for us than our hunter-gatherer ancestors had lived previously.

The obvious question is why people would believe in the existence of their god(s) of choice, given the complete lack of supporting evidence. If we hypothesize that it's been passed down, why do those passing it down believe in it?

Like all living organisms, we compete for limited resources. Cooperating for mutual benefit requires a leap of faith; there's no guarantee that giving up something currently will lead to greater future rewards. This is the basis of society though; modern humans give up free time and direct control over many aspects of their lives in order to reap the greater benefits of living in a society. Look back to agriculture and you see a similarity; a farmer sacrifices hunting/gathering for the growing season to instead maintain his crop & help it to grow, reaping greater overall benefit, not to mention the next ~6 months off, or at least with less hunting & gathering to do, more time to ponder & place more importance on his existence, perhaps make up stories about it?

This is the tip of the iceberg, of course, I'd write more but I'd rather discuss it if it comes up and tbh I'd probably have closed the window without having posted anything within 30 seconds if I didn't somehow manage to click post :|

Thoughts? Flames from the hypocrites who hate this but are fine with christian dogma being spewed in OT?

Gurck, I don't get it. It seems that you answered your own question for the purpose of religion, while completely failing to notice that you did so.

As for your 1st 2 paragraphs, anytime you want a logical debate regarding the existence or non-existence of God, I will happily pin you down and beat you in a corner with the logical certainty that both are equally unlikely.

 

[archcommus]

Can Gurck explain his own hypocrisy?

 

[Lorn]

Religion is bad. God is good.

 

[BigToque]

Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix

Originally posted by: archcommus
Not only that, but you go and tell OTHERS in threads to not post "crap" from the Bible, and then come here and post your sh!t? That sounds pretty hypocritical to me!

He's gotta get that post count up somehow.

Talk about lacking logic.

Well, just one second after I read this thread, I hopped over to the Bible thread, and I couldn't BELIEVE that the same guy was bashing another for posting Bible "crap" and saying it doesn't belong in ATOT. Then why does this? That's the very definition of a hypocrite.

Welcome to ATOT. You don't need logic or even a fully-functional brain to be "right".

lmao

 

[JulesMaximus]

Religion helps the weak minded come to terms with their own mortality.

 

[Platypus]

I didn't read this thread but I hate gurck so I'm posting to say: go fvck yourself gurck.

 

[dsfunk]

wtf?

a farmer gets 6 months off?

bullshit or I'm going to take some agriculture classes at the community college and buy some land

 

[MechJinx]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Religion helps the weak minded deal with their own mortality.

Nice troll comment.

I could say the same for atheists, they refuse to belive in God so they don't have to deal with the possibility of there being consequences to their choices here on earth. hehe j/k Sorry for feeding the troll....

Atheists are people too and are free to have their beliefs much as I am allowed to have my beliefs in God.

If you aren't gonna make an intelligent post, don't post at all.

 

[UbiSunt]

Weak-minded people like Antony Flew?

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: archcommus
If you're that concerned with others believing something that makes no sense to YOU then it's time to start looking at your own life.

It's not that what they believe makes no sense. I understand fully what they believe. However, it makes no sense THAT THEY BELIEVE IT with no proof whatsoever.

If you're going to believe in God, then I'm just curious as to why. I would like to know what in the world would make you believe something like that when there is no proof to support that belief.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: MechJinx

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Religion helps the weak minded deal with their own mortality.

Nice troll comment.

I could say the same for atheists, they refuse to belive in God so they don't have to deal with the possibility of there being consequences to their choices here on earth. hehe j/k Sorry for feeding the troll....

Atheists are people too and are free to have their beliefs much as I am allowed to have my beliefs in God.

If you aren't gonna make an intelligent post, don't post at all.

Nice flame.

I stand by my post. Eat me if you don't like it or agree with it.

 

[cavemanmoron]

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Religion helps the weak minded deal with their own mortality.

That's not true at all. Only a suicidal fool does not fear his mortality to some extent.

Religion exists for exactly the valuable reason that Gurck said it did. It gives otherwise short-sighted people (which is almost everyone if you think about it) a reason to make necessary short-term sacrifices in order to acheive necessary long-term gains. It asks people to think outside themselves and their petty wants and focus on the greater good of the whole. Why do you think that the symbol of virtually all religions for thousands of years was the ritual sacrifice? That first-born sheep (typical the strongest of the herd) that the herder sacrificed could have fed his family and put clothes on his back, but he sacrificed it believing that God would reward him with an greater flock.
Then look at the teachings of Jesus, where He asked people to expand this philosphy into being kind and giving to everyone. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12, NIV). In essense, He was asking people to sacrifice their short-term negative and destructive emotions in order to acheive the long-term gain of peace and love on earth for everyone.

Now... look at our evil work today, with short-sighted greed and pettiness and destruction, and ask yourself what the "atheists" have gained for us in sacrificing the religious teachings of the ancients.

 

[Lorn]

I have no factual evidence to support my belief in God. I have no miracles that have touched my life that I can credit to God. The trees on this earth and the sun and the moon don't tell me that a God is here. I believe in God because he ties the irrefutable (sp) universal elements in humanity, life and wisdom together. No man-made scripture can tell me truth. Truth is logic. God is logical, be it an IT or a HE or a SHE or even a force. There is an undeniable wisdom put into this universe and each and every human being. For me, that is God... and I love God because of that.

 

[MechJinx]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: MechJinx

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Religion helps the weak minded deal with their own mortality.

Nice troll comment.

I could say the same for atheists, they refuse to belive in God so they don't have to deal with the possibility of there being consequences to their choices here on earth. hehe j/k Sorry for feeding the troll....

Atheists are people too and are free to have their beliefs much as I am allowed to have my beliefs in God.

If you aren't gonna make an intelligent post, don't post at all.

Nice flame.

I stand by my post. Eat me if you don't like it or agree with it.

Well, then I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I hope you change your mind someday since I don't think that belief in atheism or religion makes a person weak-minded.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Religion helps the weak minded deal with their own mortality.

That's not true at all. Only a suicidal fool does not fear his mortality to some extent.

Religion exists for exactly the valuable reason that Gurck said it did. It gives otherwise short-sighted people (which is almost everyone if you think about it) a reason to make necessary short-term sacrifices in order to acheive necessary long-term gains. It asks people to think outside themselves and their petty wants and focus on the greater good of the whole. Why do you think that the symbol of virtually all religions for thousands of years was the ritual sacrifice? That first-born sheep (typical the strongest of the herd) that the herder sacrificed could have fed his family and put clothes on his back, but he sacrificed it believing that God would reward him with an greater flock.
Then look at the teachings of Jesus, where He asked people to expand this philosphy into being kind and giving to everyone. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12, NIV). In essense, He was asking people to sacrifice their short-term negative and destructive emotions in order to acheive the long-term gain of peace and love on earth for everyone.

Now... look at our evil work today, with short-sighted greed and pettiness and destruction, and ask yourself what the "atheists" have gained for us in sacrificing the religious teachings of the ancients.

Why do you need to believe in a god in order to make sacrifices?

 

[0roo0roo]

that makes no sense at all considering history and the destructive nature of religion.

even bees and ants know to make sacrifices for the good of the group. its adaptive, not religious.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: malak

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Why does religion prevail? I think every needs something to believe in. Whether its the Biblical God, math, shoelaces or jellybeans. Everybody needs to have faith. Without faith, life is empty. So why attack religion if it hasn't done anything bad to you? Why try to convince people God doesn't exist? Just let them have faith in something.

I'm sure the OP has faith is SOMETHING. Everybody does.

He has faith in that he will die one day and cease to exist. Pretty depressing if you ask me.

and whats wrong with that kinda faith? thats pretty much what I beleive, i dont feel i live a depressed life, actually things are quite good currently

there IS only 1 absolute truth in the world and that is that we are all going to die someday

 

[UbiSunt]

what about taxes?

 

[Lorn]

Originally posted by: UbiSunt
what about taxes?

Only in America. Unless you want to look at taxation symbolically.

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: MechJinx
I could say the same for atheists, they refuse to belive in God so they don't have to deal with the possibility of there being consequences to their choices here on earth.

No, see, that's where you get things messed up. Since there is no proof, we don't believe in it. If I were to tell everyone that purple elephants existed and you said they didn't - by your logic - then you're just not willing to accept that it's true. C'mon. Seriously.

Also, don't tell yourself that Atheists don't believe in god because it's most convenient for them or because it helps them avoid worrying about consequences. MOST ATHEISTS REALLY DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD! We're not just telling ourselves to not believe in God. There was never any convincing involved. That's like saying I'm just telling myself that chocolate chips don't contain HIV. I don't have to TELL myself anything because there's no reason for me to believe - and more importantly no facts to back up - that chocolate chips have HIV in the first place.

 

[MechJinx]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: malak

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Why does religion prevail? I think every needs something to believe in. Whether its the Biblical God, math, shoelaces or jellybeans. Everybody needs to have faith. Without faith, life is empty. So why attack religion if it hasn't done anything bad to you? Why try to convince people God doesn't exist? Just let them have faith in something.

I'm sure the OP has faith is SOMETHING. Everybody does.

He has faith in that he will die one day and cease to exist. Pretty depressing if you ask me.

and whats wrong with that kinda faith? thats pretty much what I beleive, i dont feel i live a depressed life, actually things are quite good currently

there IS only 1 absolute truth in the world and that is that we are all going to die someday

Then, I have an honest question to ask you, no sarcasm intended. If you truly believe that when you die, that's it, why believe in laws of the land? Why not do everything in your power to make your life as enjoyable as possible and screw what anyone thinks about it or how it adversely affects people that you don't know? Do you believe in mercy and sharing? I am honestly curious...