Are Atheists Mostly Left Brained?

reply to post by ewokdisco

a study was completed that showed 98% of card carrying atheists dont like disco. eg,trust your OWN experiences only.

Please expand on this unless it is meant as a joke, and yes it is a little funny!

I think it was meant to show how ridiculous statistics can be. Goes along the same line of:

99% of cancer patients have drank milk. Could milk be a contributing factor to cancer?

reply to post by ExistenceUnknown

I think it was meant to show how ridiculous statistics can be. Goes along the same line of:

99% of cancer patients have drank milk. Could milk be a contributing factor to cancer?

Thank you!

It is always about the variables.

That was very interesting. About people who are only left brain...it generally shows that they don't have the 'human' feelings the right ones do such a compassion, honesty, ect;. Of course the 'people' are not the ones who created GOD. He created everything and people as they did not exist when GOD started creating.

Originally posted by MatrixProphet
reply to post by Amagnon

 

The concept of truth has destroyed much of the possible knowledge that mankind could aspire to know. The loss of this knowledge is an horrific crime - and one in which we have all been guilty.

Thank goodness not all would agree. There is truth and then there is truth. I am glad that it hasn't stopped medical advancement!

Opportunity for discovery has been lost because it was never looked into - because it didn't fit with the 'accepted' view. Einstien's theory of relativity for example shut down a whole range of alternative physics - I think it (relativity) may be shown at length to be unsupported in application.

We have learned a great deal from past philosophers and men of knowledge. Do we now think that the earth is square? Have we gone from it being flat, to round, to now square?

There ARE truths that we can sink our teeth into.

I think you missed my argument here. You assert the earth is round and not flat - that's fine, but everyone saying it doesn't make it true. Everyone used to say it was flat.

The earth is a sphere is a piece of knowledge - and if you consider it true then you discount any other possibility. Theories have validity through application - if the earth is a sphere can be applied, by putting a satellite into orbit for example, then it has validity with respect to putting satellites into orbit. Passing that test does not make it true.

For this reason I avoid any belief, or system of beliefs - regardless if it is religious, scientific, moral or social.

Are you atheist or agnostic? These are labels, and if you use one of them then you subscribe to the beliefs associated with them.

I don't ascribe to any set of beliefs. Many people would call me an atheist, and others would say I'm agnostic - regardless, my thought processes are entirely alien to most people - I don't use a belief model, I use a knowledge/understanding framework.

When you convert a piece of data into truth - you destroy its context, reference to its source and eliminate further testing of its validity within differing frames of reference.

In other words - when you find truth, you stop looking. When you encounter data that conflicts with it, it is discarded as false - often unconsciously - you don't even get a conscious chance to test the new data for validity - because your unconscious mind has already made the decision.

I find that many who express the thoughts that you have are those who have been disillusioned by what you have been involved in. My advice would be to do the opposite of what you are doing now.

I think you missed the boat here - I don't use this method of thought, I am pointing out how flawed it is.

Meaning: change this thinking and be willing to explore areas that you would never think to explore earlier. You are buying into a trap of mediocrity. The greatest minds never truly give up. They keep searching. You just haven't found that which stimulates you enough to gain more conviction.

Conviction gets you through life rather than mediocrity or redundancy.

I have extremely powerful convictions - that are not based on beliefs - rather they are based on what I consider to be an extremely well established foundation of knowledge and understanding. Mediocrity arises when you believe what everyone else does. I am unusual - I believe nothing that anyone else does, because I don't hold any beliefs at all.

I am smart enough to know to analyze what works for me and what doesn't. Nothing is written in stone. This you have to get over. Otherwise, you will become hopeless and helpless. But again, its a choice. You will never convince me of your wisdom. I have walked too many roads to know that there is SOME truth and little truth to what you are saying.

It sounds like you have been very disappointed in life, welcome to my world. Discover another one!

I don't want to go into my lifestyle too much, but its a hell of a life! I retired at age 35 (4 years ago) - I travel, study, write, experiment and sleep with beautiful women Hard to feel depressed under those conditions

My purpose was to illustrate how truth works. If you search for understanding, not truth - then you will always continue to search - as I do.

That you were able to change your mind and let go of beliefs is admirable - however, you could go further in discarding beliefs.

I had a similar experience to you - getting out of a controlling cult at age 15 - and I spent a year alone, in which time I thought and began checking all my beliefs and asking myself if they were useful and valid or not. It began to dawn on me then that I could keep on discarding with impunity - in fact the more I questioned why I had such and such a belief, the sillier the answers were - because everyone thinks that, because I learned it in school, because someone in authority told me so etc.

I didn't stop - I looked hard - really hard, and got rid of EVERY belief. Then I thought about it, and tried to decide if I should rebuild a new set of beliefs - I decided see what would happen if I tried NOT to hold any beliefs. I did create 5 commandments for my life though - which are still valid.

Over the next 25 or so years my understanding of the value of my philosophy demonstrated itself to me - additionally I was able to more fully conceptualize what I had done - and understand the nature of truth.

My philosophy is certainly not defeatist or disillusioned as you say - it is incredibly empowering. With your mind free to explore anything and everything - you can achieve a higher level of morality, one that is based on understanding. When your mind is completely free of belief and truth, then you will see things as they are - not as you want them to be, not as you think they should be - but as they are.

You will see a world that is totally alien to the people who live in it - walking around in an unknowing state.

I encourage everyone to look at their beliefs, and find out WHY they believe them. That's a simple exercise - and can uncover surprising answers.

[edit on 20-5-2009 by Amagnon]

reply to post by Amagnon


Actually you didn't say anything that I don't relate to. But life experience can enter the picture and can create new realities. I am an alien in an alien land, and have been so for a couple of decades, if not for my entire life, for I knew I never fit in, anywhere.

The 3 realities:

There is my reality.
There is your reality.
Then there is the way it REALLY is.

What my philosophies were in my 30's are very different than in my 50's. It is never the destination but rather the journey that is important.

I will leave you with this thought:

"A spiritual awakening is when your spirit aligns with God's reality."

Now you can take what you want from this or leave it behind, but it has broad significance.

You are at the time in life where "the ladies" and such, are in itself, still a learning experience (you are not old after all, and many men say it takes their entire adult life to understand women- if they are lucky). Hopefully, a fun one!

[edit on 20-5-2009 by MatrixProphet]

reply to post by ZenaV

That was very interesting. About people who are only left brain...it generally shows that they don't have the 'human' feelings the right ones do such a compassion, honesty, ect;

I know many atheists who have a lot of compassion. But if anyone works dominately out of their left brain, studies show that they tend to have more difficulty in intimate relationships and in making emotional connections with others. The more analytical the person - the more rigid and less intimate emotionally they MAY be.

It is the point of my thread to say that this would explain why so many have blocks in their thinking regarding a God or Creator. Yet, we exist, and life did start, but I find that they will go out of their way to avoid God being the start of this life or spark (abiogenesis). This I find intriguing in a human behavioral way.

I keep asking "why not?" They then give a list of prejudices as long as your arm, but no one answers it in a scientific way, yet their scientific leaders would tend to agree with me!

How ironic!

reply to post by The Killah29


This is an interesting topic..

Where someone was on about mushrooms its interesting that they are only 1 oxygen molecule from being the same make up as '___'..

I'm pretty sure I don't need to expand on '___' for you guys but anyway, that's what gives hallucinations and such things in near death experiences, also administered during sleep.. but unfortunately such a massive dose is administered to your brain by your pineal gland that we don't remember the 'trip' so to speak.

This to me is the single most interesting thing I have ever found, it's completely natural (present in all animals and plants I believe) pushed into your body by the pineal gland every night during REM sleep.

The reasons for it being pumped into your body during near death experiences and right before you die is completely beyond me, but it is the sole most interesting and confusing substance known to man in my opinion.

Apparently substances like alcohol, cigarettes calcify your pineal gland, but there are ways to decalcify this gland so that the experiences are more intense.

Last little fact.. the pineal gland in reptiles (not sure if this is upto the present) is almost a fully developed eye with lens and retina.


Sorry guys one more thing to add while I was looking.. Had a look at a couple of studies to do with melatonin, and that it is linked to the bodies aging process, as the pineal gland calcifies it decreases the amounts of melatonin distributed into the brain, I don't know the possible implications of de-calcifying your pineal gland and keeping melatonin levels up but would this help prevent against some of the signs of aging? Maybe some of the problems linked specifically to age? Alzheimers etc?

[edit on 21-5-2009 by ItsallCrazy]

Originally posted by MatrixProphet

It is the point of my thread to say that this would explain why so many have blocks in their thinking regarding a God or Creator. Yet, we exist, and life did start, but I find that they will go out of their way to avoid God being the start of this life or spark (abiogenesis). This I find intriguing in a human behavioral way.

I keep asking "why not?" They then give a list of prejudices as long as your arm, but no one answers it in a scientific way, yet their scientific leaders would tend to agree with me!

How ironic!

I don't think most atheists go out of our way to disprove God. We just don't agree with many aspects of organized religion. God may very well be behind everything we think we know. No amount of evidence will ever disprove the existence of God. Scientists only fit found evidence to a model. If that model doesn't agree with the Abrahamic idea of creation, it doesn't disprove God. It disproves the literal Abrahamic idea of creation.

Originally posted by ItsallCrazy
reply to post by The Killah29

 

This is an interesting topic..

Where someone was on about mushrooms its interesting that they are only 1 oxygen molecule from being the same make up as '___'..

I'm pretty sure I don't need to expand on '___' for you guys but anyway, that's what gives hallucinations and such things in near death experiences, also administered during sleep.. but unfortunately such a massive dose is administered to your brain by your pineal gland that we don't remember the 'trip' so to speak.

This to me is the single most interesting thing I have ever found, it's completely natural (present in all animals and plants I believe) pushed into your body by the pineal gland every night during REM sleep.

The reasons for it being pumped into your body during near death experiences and right before you die is completely beyond me, but it is the sole most interesting and confusing substance known to man in my opinion.

Apparently substances like alcohol, cigarettes calcify your pineal gland, but there are ways to decalcify this gland so that the experiences are more intense.

Last little fact.. the pineal gland in reptiles (not sure if this is upto the present) is almost a fully developed eye with lens and retina.


Sorry guys one more thing to add while I was looking.. Had a look at a couple of studies to do with melatonin, and that it is linked to the bodies aging process, as the pineal gland calcifies it decreases the amounts of melatonin distributed into the brain, I don't know the possible implications of de-calcifying your pineal gland and keeping melatonin levels up but would this help prevent against some of the signs of aging? Maybe some of the problems linked specifically to age? Alzheimers etc?

Funny you mention this, as this is one way I know Paul of the NT is a fake. Paul describes a very physical encounter. Not to mention describes it completely different 3 times, and none of the 3 are true.

Numbers 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

Also of note is the number of times it is said - god is within, the kingdom of heaven is within. Jesus even talks about the "mind's eye".

Of course, none of this is mentioned in traditional Christianity. Because they enter not, and do not allow others to enter either.

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

You'd be surprised what the bible says when you actually understand it rather than the garbage religion tells you.


[edit on 21-5-2009 by badmedia]

reply to post by ExistenceUnknown

I don't think most atheists go out of our way to disprove God. We just don't agree with many aspects of organized religion. God may very well be behind everything we think we know. No amount of evidence will ever disprove the existence of God. Scientists only fit found evidence to a model. If that model doesn't agree with the Abrahamic idea of creation, it doesn't disprove God. It disproves the literal Abrahamic idea of creation.

This is because YOU are reasonable! Look around on threads and tell me if you really think you are right in generalizing atheists as not wanting to disprove God.

Hehehe, it would be a good object lesson for any atheist. It is the REAL reason I did this thread because I was sick of the chanting!

I will reiterate: I have learned a lot from many of my atheist friends on ATS (yes, I have them as friends). I rarely hear any of them admit that they can learn from us. Especially those of us who are non-religious.

Actually, list me the names of those scientists who do believe in a power with consciousness that totally discount the creation account, please? It is really the Adamic account and not Abrahamic account.

Here is the clincher: I think both are possible! I just don't buy into the evolution theory without a power with consciousness. Occam's makes sense to me in this area of science and God. The simplest answer is usually the most accurate.

No one can answer where did consciousness come from especially randomly and by chance. So the natural conclusion for those without prejudice would be a power that is greater than evolution. One who could actually have created evolution or the first couple, or both!

Wouldn't the joke be on everyone religious (including atheists) if The Gods did both? Or not! What is important is to recognize that we don't have all the answers and to be willing to NOT make a religion out of our prejudicial conditioned beliefs.

I throw all religion into this category and atheism is just as much of a religion as orthodoxy, along with Buddhism in which neither of you believe in God and yet are called a religion.

Is this not reasonable:

Throw out all religious beliefs and writings.
Throw out all child abuse relating to religion.
Throw out all conditioning relating to religion.
Throw out any prejudice regarding God.
What is left?

Here is where using abstract right brain reasoning along with science, man can work together to really discover the cosmos and its "Sources," without prejudice. This would be eye opening and freeing.

reply to post by MatrixProphet


I think the basic problem is that people look for god "out there". I notice atheists always refer to god as a "fairy in the sky". Which goes to prove they look and believe that god is "out there".

It seems to be one of the only places where we look for the creator within the creation.

We don't look for Bill Gates and the programmers who wrote the windows OS inside our PC's do we? You can look, but you aren't going to find them. Does that mean they do not exist?

Are you going to find Leonardo Di Vince in the oils of the last supper painting? No.

Are you going to find the men who built your house inside the wood and drywall? No.

But for some odd reason, we look for the creator of the universe, "out there" in the creation. And then people proclaim - Ah hah! told you he wasn't real! Which is the same logic as saying Bill Gates isn't real because he's not in your windows OS.

And even though it is plainly stated that god is within and not "out there", people from both sides still see it that way.

reply to post by badmedia


Yes, we agree.

It is like the whole God Module theory. There may be truth to it and that would be interesting. But when this same concept that could have good qualities to it is used to explain a mental health disorder, then we have cognitive distortion. Trying to find an excuse for God to NOT exist - while we can discover (using our right brain) that He does indeed exist.

"Out there" is again a function of looking for data outside ourselves while the answer is within.

Good illustration using Bill Gates! Thanks!

Weak Analogy Fallacy

reply to post by miragezero


Yes, using weak analogy fallacy - is a weak analogy!

If all else fails; pick on semantics, eh?

Originally posted by miragezero
Weak Analogy Fallacy

www.answers.com...

1. Similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar.
2. A comparison based on such similarity. See synonyms at likeness.

They are used for giving an understanding about something. What does that taste like? Oh it tastes like chicken! Thus an analogy used to give understanding. No where did that imply that what they were eating is chicken, aka the extra property.

Would you have been happier if I had given you a dogmatic view instead? I'd be willing to bet if I had, then you would have made some comment into that, which only goes to prove it has nothing to do with your claim but the topic itself. In other words, enjoy your blinders.



[edit on 21-5-2009 by badmedia]

Originally posted by MatrixProphet

Is this not reasonable:

Throw out all religious beliefs and writings.
Throw out all child abuse relating to religion.
Throw out all conditioning relating to religion.
Throw out any prejudice regarding God.

Well - I'm certainly not religious, but if you mean literally 'throw out' religious writing I would be profoundly upset. There is a lot of history and use in those writings from a knowledge point of view.

The beliefs you can definitely throw out - in fact throw out all your beliefs, make a clean house and keep it clean by not allowing any more beliefs to come in.

Originally posted by Amagnon

Originally posted by MatrixProphet

Is this not reasonable:

Throw out all religious beliefs and writings.
Throw out all child abuse relating to religion.
Throw out all conditioning relating to religion.
Throw out any prejudice regarding God.

Well - I'm certainly not religious, but if you mean literally 'throw out' religious writing I would be profoundly upset. There is a lot of history and use in those writings from a knowledge point of view.

The beliefs you can definitely throw out - in fact throw out all your beliefs, make a clean house and keep it clean by not allowing any more beliefs to come in.

I think it's just a matter of things being in their proper places. When people elevate a book as to being the actual word of god and such an authority, then things are not in the proper place. IE: the pharisees sit in the seat of moses.

I like the bible alot for the understanding it gives. It speaks alot of truth. But people take it too far.

Matthew 7

28And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

29For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Put the foundation of your house above the roof and it will fall. Put it in the right place, and it's very sturdy.

reply to post by Amagnon

Well - I'm certainly not religious, but if you mean literally 'throw out' religious writing I would be profoundly upset. There is a lot of history and use in those writings from a knowledge point of view.

I am obviously saying this as an exercise, but not a permanent one for those who cannot see beyond the God = religion blinders.

The beliefs you can definitely throw out - in fact throw out all your beliefs, make a clean house and keep it clean by not allowing any more beliefs to come in.

I think you are talking semantics here? What do you define as beliefs (since this seems to be a stickler for you)?

I have done exactly that! I have thrown everything out, started from scratch and moved forward.

reply to post by badmedia


Well, looking for Bill Gates in your computer and looking for God in the universe seems to be a fair analogy, and if it then we can interpolate it.

Not many people claim that Bill Gates personally fixed their software, or that he spoke to them through their software and gave them secret messages that disappeared after writing, or that they simply thought about Bill Gates every day and they got a free software upgrade while they were sleeping, or that when they had a crash it rebooted with a brand new upgrade that had never been seen anywhere before, or that Bill Gates installed all software on all computers 6 days ago - and before that there was no software.