"God is an Imaginary Friend" Athiest Billboards in Denver-

Originally posted by isaac7777
Thats actually very, very insulting. Very condescending too. And how can you say religion will be the fall of man, when an atheist does something like this? Atheism* will be the fall of man, because it allows for no morality.

edit on 25-1-2012 by isaac7777 because: (no reason given)

It's equally insulting to say that an Atheist has no morals because they don't believe in a personal sky daddy. Ask an Atheist where their morals come from... go on.. we'll be waiting.

If you need an invisible God to give you morals, that says more about you and your character than it does to those who know how to take personal responsibility for their actions. There is no ritual hand movement to wash away our sins. No, we deal with our "sins" ourselves like real adults.

It saddens me that people attack generalities, even here on ATS.. a place that people laud as being 'open minded'. The idea that someone would use logic like..

ALL CHRISTIANS DO THIS.. and ALL ATHEISTS BELIEVE THIS.. is a little more than sickening.

I am an Atheist. I do not attack anyone for their faith, but I have little patience for it. I do not care about what you think is going to happen to you when you die, nor do I care about how you practice your religion AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC SPACE.

I feel that this billboard is the beginning of a dialog in that it will open the eyes of people that only see what they want to see with little regard to how others feel. I am not interested in having "God" billboards up and down the highways, nor am I all that interested in having "No-God" billboards on the highways. However, the First Amendment of the Constitution states that people can say what they will as long as it isn't infringing on the rights of others, and I am -perfectly happy- with that set up.

People are bringing this debate to a place it doesn't need to go.

It is ultimately a First Amendment issue, and as such, I do not understand why any group feels it is okay to put up a Pro-God message, but not the opposite. I understand that it may be outside of your belief system, but tolerance is mandatory in the public sector.

I tolerate you. You tolerate me. This is how it works. When it doesn't things get ugly.. like a lot of the opinions in this thread.

reply to post by Myollinir

If you truly want to discover God for yourself, you need to seek Him out personally. And not with a cynical mind

Been there, done that, found nothing. I was raised a Christian and sought God not just with a non-cynical mind but with an already BELIEVING mind. Lot's of warm and fuzzy profound feelings while heart-felt prayers were lifted to a God I firmly believed was there but never any evidence of God in all that time. Never anything concrete or outside my own indoctrinated mind.

If you like I can tell you all about my deconversion in detail but I'd rather not derail the thread by posting it here.

reply to post by Titen-Sxull


Very well said This is EXACTLY what happened with me. I could not go on believing in somethin thay has shown me NO proof whatsoever of its existence. It was much the same feeling when I stopped believing in santa clause

I think there is "sufficient proof" of a phenomenon that goes on that we do not understand. I will not make an entire post on this as i do not want to take this to far off.

Paranormal events are recorded.

If there is paranormal / or estranged things that people are capable of doing , why can God not be real? He tells you what it is that gives them these abilities.

In my opinion. Paranormal activity proves to "me" that God is a very real possibility and that i am making the right choice , but that is my opinion.

Originally posted by AllUrChips
reply to post by Titen-Sxull

 

Very well said

This is EXACTLY what happened with me. I could not go on believing in somethin thay has shown me NO proof whatsoever of its existence. It was much the same feeling when I stopped believing in santa clause

Me too. It was my search for God that led me to the truth - - there is no god.

Originally posted by Annee

Originally posted by AllUrChips
reply to post by Titen-Sxull

 

Very well said

This is EXACTLY what happened with me. I could not go on believing in somethin thay has shown me NO proof whatsoever of its existence. It was much the same feeling when I stopped believing in santa clause

Me too. It was my search for God that led me to the truth - - there is no god.

We are all free to follow our own thoughts to their conclusion, and rightly so. The actual point of faith is belief without proof - if you have proof you no longer need faith.

If putting faith in something you cannot find proof of is something you cannot comprehend or feel comfortable with, then I'd suggest a conspiracy site is the last place you should be in the first place as by their very nature, many of the things on here are at best backed up by a very spurious level of proof and most are opinion and supposition only, yet they all ask people to believe - strange that, isn't it?

God is All. God is Life Itself. God is beyond the images within Its Self-Knowing. God is All That Is, It is Being Itself and Self-Being. There is nothing else and no other. All religions, ideas, atheists, theist, all thoughts, imaginings, dreams, form, matter, is included within this One Light of Eternal Isness (Godhead All).

This All Inclusive Living Presence is the very same Hereness and Nowness of our Awareness. Awareness is the action of this All Inclusive Diving Being which is all there is, and there is nothing else. Everything arises within The Awareness of This One Divine Infinite Totality. There is no other, there is only the appearance of 'otherness'.

If you want to understand and shift your perspective from the old invalid objective view to the more subjective metaphysical and more honest view of what of God it, you can read this little book titled 2+2=Reality

You can find it as free gift here: www.williamsamuel.com...

' God is spiritual and not material. The principle of arithmetic is not material either. It cannot be seen or weighed on a scale. It cannot be felt or picked up by the hand.

God is omnipresent. You can understand the all-presence of God by contemplating the omnipresence of arithmetic. The principle of arithmetic is everywhere, isn't it? Two plus two is four right where you are this minute. So is everything concerning the principle of arithmetic. It is all at the top of Mount Everest and under the waters of the sea. If one were on the moon or at the bottom of a well, the principle of arithmetic would be there too. There is no place in the universe one can go to escape the principle. It is everywhere, every bit, perfectly present; nowhere is it the least bit absent.'

He goes on to explain this so we can understand it very clearly, and then when you 'get it' you no longer get stuck in the mistaken view of what God is---but you realize God Is Real and Is really being Totality Itself in and as all that we are and all that is.

I hope you all read it, it will help you out of these mistaken concepts that cause so much grief and confusion.

Originally posted by AllUrChips
reply to post by wlord

 

Just remember: More wars have been fought, and more blood has been shed from religion, than atheism. That tells me religion will most certainly be the downfall for human kind.

Point of interest though is that Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and many mass murderous leaders were Atheists.

I do think that religion can be and is a dangerous concept in many circumstances, the Mid East specifically along with Zionism and Christian Fundamentalism in America.

Collective Egoism is always dangerous. And religion encourages men and women to see themselves as part of a "special" group. Like football fans or "pride" racialists.

And "God" is an imaginary friend since their is no evidence YET of "His" existence. Not one single piece, shred, drop. If someone has empirical evidence please email it to me.

Originally posted by PaxVeritas

Originally posted by AllUrChips
reply to post by wlord

 

edit on 26-1-2012 by something wicked because: (no reason given)

Originally posted by PaxVeritas

Originally posted by AllUrChips
reply to post by wlord

 

Just remember: More wars have been fought, and more blood has been shed from religion, than atheism. That tells me religion will most certainly be the downfall for human kind.

Point of interest though is that Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and many mass murderous leaders were Atheists.

I do think that religion can be and is a dangerous concept in many circumstances, the Mid East specifically along with Zionism and Christian Fundamentalism in America.

Collective Egoism is always dangerous. And religion encourages men and women to see themselves as part of a "special" group. Like football fans or "pride" racialists.

And "God" is an imaginary friend since their is no evidence YET of "His" existence. Not one single piece, shred, drop. If someone has empirical evidence please email it to me.

edit on 26-1-2012 by PaxVeritas because: (no reason given)

On your last paragraph, let me repeat the concept of faith which I think is troubling some on here "The actual point of faith is belief without proof - if you have proof you no longer need faith."

Just curious as to what ANY of the posts between this one and my last one have to do with the OP.

Can anyone tell me?

Ehh they paid for the billboard so they can put up whatever stupid crap they want. I always wanted to have a billboard that was just black and in white letters the words "I know where you live Dave" on it. Just to mess with all the Daves in the world.

As for "Standing up against religion" I grew out of that already. Its an exhausting battle that no one ever wins. You can't change a persons beliefs, the person themselves is the only one that can. More often than not it doesn't matter how much logic or reasons you throw at someone it doesn't matter they just have to come to it themselves.

Another thing is as someone who isn't spiritual or religious in the slightest I still have trouble calling myself an atheist because it almost like joining another religion. These "you're not alone" billboards proof that point, why do Athirst need to come together and talk about how they don't believe in something? Half the time I don't care what a person beliefs in as long as they're a decent person I call them friend.

Originally posted by Mcupobob
Ehh they paid for the billboard so they can put up whatever stupid crap they want. I always wanted to have a billboard that was just black and in white letters the words "I know where you live Dave" on it. Just to mess with all the Daves in the world.

I love it. I have had similar thoughts. I kind of think that is the point of the black billboards with the white "God quotes" on them. God is watching, that kind of thing.

As for "Standing up against religion" I grew out of that already. Its an exhausting battle that no one ever wins. You can't change a persons beliefs, the person themselves is the only one that can. More often than not it doesn't matter how much logic or reasons you throw at someone it doesn't matter they just have to come to it themselves.

Another thing is as someone who is spiritual or religious in the slightest I still have trouble calling myself an atheist because it almost like joining another religion. These "you're not alone" billboards proof that point, why do Athirst need to come together and talk about how they don't believe in something? Half the time I don't care what a person beliefs in as long as they're a decent person I call them friend.

The big reason for "You are not alone" billboards is support. (Though I would like to stress.. this is NOT one of the You are not alone billboards, this has a much more pointed message.) There was a big "It gets better" campaign last year for kids getting bullied in school, focusing on homosexuals, but also in general. I don't think you are saying something like that should not have happened because not all kids get bullied, right?

Originally posted by Mcupobob
Ehh they paid for the billboard so they can put up whatever stupid crap they want.

Why is it stupid?

The Christian Right continues to try to push their agenda on non-Christians and especially in government - - in every way possible - - including billboards.

I do not see anything stupid in Atheists making their presence known publicly to all of society.

Originally posted by something wicked

On your last paragraph, let me repeat the concept of faith which I think is troubling some on here "The actual point of faith is belief without proof - if you have proof you no longer need faith."

1) Easter Bunny
2) Santa Claus
3) Tooth Fairy

"Faith" is nice. Logic and fact get things done and give answers.

Originally posted by Annee

Originally posted by Mcupobob
Ehh they paid for the billboard so they can put up whatever stupid crap they want.

Why is it stupid?

The Christian Right continues to try to push their agenda on non-Christians and especially in government - - in every way possible - - including billboards.

I do not see anything stupid in Atheists making their presence known publicly to all of society.

The message itself is kind of stupid if they are trying to make their presence known. The message is not geared at Atheists, it is geared toward Theists. Atheists already believe God is imaginary, so the billboard does little for them. It would have been a better message if it had been a more positive approach.

Originally posted by PaxVeritas
Originally posted by something wicked

On your last paragraph, let me repeat the concept of faith which I think is troubling some on here "The actual point of faith is belief without proof - if you have proof you no longer need faith."

1) Easter Bunny
2) Santa Claus
3) Tooth Fairy

"Faith" is nice. Logic and fact get things done and give answers.

edit on 26-1-2012 by PaxVeritas because: (no reason given)

edit on 26-1-2012 by PaxVeritas because: (no reason given)

Ok, yeah, well that's like your patron saint the R of P being the next president with actually no manifesto to give you anything, go ahead, drink the same kool aid, but kid yourself you are achieving something BUT WAIT, that's faith isn't it?

Originally posted by Annee

Originally posted by Mcupobob
Ehh they paid for the billboard so they can put up whatever stupid crap they want.

Why is it stupid?

The Christian Right continues to try to push their agenda on non-Christians and especially in government - - in every way possible - - including billboards.

I do not see anything stupid in Atheists making their presence known publicly to all of society.

Actually there is a difference, whether you think it's important or not. Many on ATS would say Atheists are not a group, they share nothing but a lack of belief in a divine creator. That is a little like saying I don't agree with a colour called peuce - sure disagree with my colour choice, but I struggle if that means it should attract a following.

Originally posted by something wicked

Originally posted by Annee

Originally posted by Mcupobob
Ehh they paid for the billboard so they can put up whatever stupid crap they want.

Why is it stupid?

The Christian Right continues to try to push their agenda on non-Christians and especially in government - - in every way possible - - including billboards.

I do not see anything stupid in Atheists making their presence known publicly to all of society.

Actually there is a difference, whether you think it's important or not. Many on ATS would say Atheists are not a group, they share nothing but a lack of belief in a divine creator. That is a little like saying I don't agree with a colour called peuce - sure disagree with my colour choice, but I struggle if that means it should attract a following.

I am an Atheist - - I know what Atheist means. It means lack of believe in a deity. That is all it means.

Atheist philosophy is something else. That is how each individual interprets and adjusts their life to being Atheist. Atheists are individuals - - there is no doctrine to follow. Your analysis has no basis.

I became Atheist after 60 years of searching for truth of god - - - resulting in lack of belief.

America is a secular government. God believers have a real problem with that - - and have had a stranglehold on this country for too many years. They are losing their power and they don't like it.