The Atheist Thread

reply to post by Eryiedes


then why even bring it up?

reply to post by network dude


Probably for the same reason you are posting here right now.
You think it's important.

-Peace-

reply to post by Eryiedes


Maybe you can answer this. It's an honest question. I can see why a christian would want to hound someone about converting and finding God. They feel like they are saving you from some terrible existence of being dry humped by Bealzabub for eternity or something.

But what does an atheist have to gain? What purpose would an atheist have to try to convert anyone?

This is a sincere question.

network dude
But what does an atheist have to gain? What purpose would an atheist have to try to convert anyone?

First of all, a great number of atheists in this thread, and in linked videos, are "doing it wrong." Ridicule and "rubbing their face in it" only galvanizes the fundamentalists and aids in aligning their indoctrination that unbelievers are doing the Devil's work.


It's not a question so much of what do atheists gain, it's a question of what do we all gain from a secular society and world? I tend to think a great deal.

We loose Pre-Judgement
Despite Christianity disavowing judging others, pre-judgement is a compulsive condition of modern Christians… especially of the non-Catholic variety. They often hear it from the pulpit in a variety of ways, and become condition to simply think that way.

We loose hate
Can you name any variety of hate in the world today that does not have some basis in religious doctrine? Hate the Jews. Hate the fags. Hate the blacks (curse of Ham). Hate the Muslims. Hate the Protestants. Hate the Catholics. You'd be exceptionally hard-pressed to identify enduring hate by one group toward another that has a secular basis. And this engrained hate makes it easy to extend it to other areas -- hate the jocks, hate the smart kids, hate the pretty girls, etc.

We gain personal accountability
The Abrahamic religions have an "out" for unsavory behavior, various versions of heaven. Believers engage in all manner of anti-social and outright disruptive behavior toward other human beings with impunity because of the perception that they are doing "God's work" and will be rewarded in eternity. If we become more concerned with what we're doing to others, rather than what we think God would like, then we think differently.

We start listening to each other
This is the most important. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to have rational philosophical discussions with "true believers" who are unable or unprepared to consider a thought process devoid of religious doctrine. This results in often intensely closed minds, outright rejection of new ideas, and sometimes refusal to continue conversing or even refusal to converse with a non-believer.


I could go on… the list can be long. But those, to me, are the top-four.

I think Network Dude and SO understand my prior post on this matter.

The thread is just a running set of videos by various comedians and media personalities performing for the crowd. There is media value in shock, while there is little media value in deep, thoughtful conversation. Thus, the videos are little more than sarcastic and mean spirited jabs at the religious.

There is a deeper conversation to be had here...if only the OP were able to be the catalyst and rise to the occasion. Since I typically only see mean spirited, sarcastic banter from atheists, I am not very surprised. Unfortunately.

Morning,

Stefan Molyneux is one of the loudest voices with respect to atheism, anarchy and philosophy.
That bald head of his certainly holds a lot of information...



-Peace-

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


I am a believer in God, but I agree with your points. I am not a fan of fundamentalism and I respect everyone's choice to either believe, or not to believe. I just don't see why a non believer would even want to make a big deal out of it.

It would be like me making a big deal out of things I don't like to eat. Nobody should care, including me.

network dude
I just don't see why a non believer would even want to make a big deal out of it.

Some may be at a rough spot where zealots caused a problem for them. I can understand that as I was in a very difficult situation, but I was able to get past it without anger… some can't.

I think the biggest thing is attempts to inject beliefs where they don't belong, such as science education in school, and revising history. For example, because of Thomas Jefferson's and Benjamin Franklin's fee-thinking proclivities, fundamentalists are seeking to diminish their mention in history. As an example, while driving the other day, I happened to be listening to Rush Limbaugh who was talking about the greatness of the Declaration of Independence, as authored by John Adams… never mentioning Thomas Jefferson, the primary author.

Since when are religion and atheism the only two options?

Can't anyone simply be an anti-religious nondenominational believer in a higher power based on personal spiritual experiences and individual motivation?

I don't believe in religion, but I absolutely believe in a higher power.

Look at us, look at this planet, the animals, the rest of the freakin' solar system, mathematics, quantum mechanics, the secrets of the universe (to quote Alex Jones, lol), the complicity of life and existence itself...

You can not POSSIBLY think that we're the only things here.

The highest of intelligent beings? Dumb little semi-smart power-hungry chaotic somewhat evolved primates who do nothing but hurt one another out of greed and anger? Humanity has its amazing points, and they surprise me sometimes... but we can't be the top of the food chain.

There's no way in hell.

There is SOMETHING above and beyond us.

Who the hell knows what it is, but its there.

Maybe there is one being that is God, or maybe life itself is God.

Maybe the idea of Yin and Yang is God, forever keeping the world in balance between good and evil.

Maybe science is God, and the construction of cells and atoms, the basis for all items and all life, the things that carry the power of all of our existence, are God.

Maybe all of the above is God.

But WE are not God.

The ninth Doctor from Doctor Who said it best;

"Half the world's too fat, the other half's too thin... and you lot just sit back and watch television."

All my beliefs said, I usually don't have a problem with non-believers unless they ridicule me for referencing a higher power. And most atheists I know do this.

I don't appreciate being called an insane, brainwashed bigot and being lumped together with Westboro bastards just because I believe that, in some form or another, there is a God.

I also find it humorous that non-believers tend to use science and logic in their arguments, yet when it comes to God, science is completely stumped. We cannot physically prove the existence of a higher power, true, but you all can't prove that it DOESN'T exist.

And by means of my own brain, my personal science and logic, I've come to the conclusion that you'd have to be rather foolish not to think there's more out there than us. God? Aliens? Other human societies? Who the hell knows.

There were societies before us, most definitely.

Did you know how advanced technology was around Noah's time, before the flood?

They've even found evidence of this... weird round plugs that look nothing like ours.

That's another argument altogether, though.

Point is, there's a lot more out there than we see in front of us.

That's not to say you need to pay your church and bash homosexuals...

That's just to say you ought to expand your mind a bit to consider that a higher power isn't all that religions have painted it up to be.

Oh, and try not to bash believers so much.

It doesn't make you science-and-logic folks look any smarter.

It just makes you look like angry children, bashing people who believe differently than you...

Kinda like all the Christians that you hate so much.

XxNightAngelusxX
Since when are religion and atheism the only two options?

Can't anyone simply be an anti-religious nondenominational believer in a higher power based on personal spiritual experiences and individual motivation?

I don't believe in religion, but I absolutely believe in a higher power.

Look at us, look at this planet, the animals, the rest of the freakin' solar system, mathematics, quantum mechanics, the secrets of the universe (to quote Alex Jones, lol), the complicity of life and existence itself...

You can not POSSIBLY think that we're the only things here.

The highest of intelligent beings? Dumb little semi-smart power-hungry chaotic somewhat evolved primates who do nothing but hurt one another out of greed and anger? Humanity has its amazing points, and they surprise me sometimes... but we can't be the top of the food chain.

There's no way in hell.

There is SOMETHING above and beyond us.

Who the hell knows what it is, but its there.

Maybe there is one being that is God, or maybe life itself is God.

Maybe the idea of Yin and Yang is God, forever keeping the world in balance between good and evil.

Maybe science is God, and the construction of cells and atoms, the basis for all items and all life, the things that carry the power of all of our existence, are God.

Maybe all of the above is God.

But WE are not God.

The ninth Doctor from Doctor Who said it best;

"Half the world's too fat, the other half's too thin... and you lot just sit back and watch television."

All my beliefs said, I usually don't have a problem with non-believers unless they ridicule me for referencing a higher power. And most atheists I know do this.

I don't appreciate being called an insane, brainwashed bigot and being lumped together with Westboro bastards just because I believe that, in some form or another, there is a God.

I also find it humorous that non-believers tend to use science and logic in their arguments, yet when it comes to God, science is completely stumped. We cannot physically prove the existence of a higher power, true, but you all can't prove that it DOESN'T exist.

And by means of my own brain, my personal science and logic, I've come to the conclusion that you'd have to be rather foolish not to think there's more out there than us. God? Aliens? Other human societies? Who the hell knows.

There were societies before us, most definitely.

Did you know how advanced technology was around Noah's time, before the flood?

They've even found evidence of this... weird round plugs that look nothing like ours.

That's another argument altogether, though.

Point is, there's a lot more out there than we see in front of us.

That's not to say you need to pay your church and bash homosexuals...

That's just to say you ought to expand your mind a bit to consider that a higher power isn't all that religions have painted it up to be.

Oh, and try not to bash believers so much.

It doesn't make you science-and-logic folks look any smarter.

It just makes you look like angry children, bashing people who believe differently than you...

Kinda like all the Christians that you hate so much.

edit on Xx41810131PM121 by XxNightAngelusxX because: (no reason given)

that is called "deism". you believe there is something unspecified that fills the role of god.

that is me. But a disclaimer: it is entirely possible that this is just ego and psyche combining to keep us from giving up all belief. So it may be prudent to keep the mind in a "not made up" state. Just for the sake of honesty.

ETA: an example of a logical issue you need to work through: why do you mention Noah? And the Flood?

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

that is me. But a disclaimer: it is entirely possible that this is just ego and psyche combining to keep us from giving up all belief. So it may be prudent to keep the mind in a "not made up" state. Just for the sake of honesty.

Yeah, that helps with keeping one's self out of denial when big unexpected things pop up in life.

ETA: an example of a logical issue you need to work through: why do you mention Noah? And the Flood?

That doesn't have much to do with anything here. There's some evidence that some vast, roughly estimated time era when Noah apparently lived was even more technologically advanced than ours. There isn't solid proof, but considering how long people have been on the planet, I think it'd be rather curious if our recent industrial age was the very FIRST one in humanity, ya know?

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


I have had dealings with the over zealous, but it usually doesn't anger me. I usually look at them with the same wonder as I do the squirrel who had already made it to the other side of the road, but for some unknown reason, felt as if he had to try to make it back while the wheels were turning. In fact, I cringe the same way when you hear the inevitable, thump, thump.

Religion, or lack thereof, is a personal thing. Personal to each individual. I could never explain why I believe what I do or why to anyone's satisfaction of proof, and I am sure a non believer has their reasons why they feel as they do.

It seems that all that is fine when kept to one's self, but when one tries to force another to empathize with them, it tends to go awry.(IMHO)

reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX


Noah is a biblical character. He may be a real historical person. Then again, so may be Paul Bunyan.

reply to post by network dude


Who said I was "converting" people?
In fact I went out of my way twice to say that's not the purpose of this thread.
So I have no idea how to answer a question that's asking me why I am doing something that I am not doing.

-Peace-

Evening,

How about a little "tete-a-tete" with an atheist and the head zeitgeister himself?



-Peace-

Morning,

Time for a little reality check on the subject of television...



-Peace-

bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by XxNightAngelusxX

 

Noah is a biblical character. He may be a real historical person. Then again, so may be Paul Bunyan.

Same can be said about Jesus himself. Everyone believes he was a real historical person too, but none of us can say, because none of us were there.

Its just a theory.

Bits and pieces of the Bible happen to correspond with the theory, too.

None of us are to say for sure, but things like this, and this, and this make me wonder... we can't be the only advanced society humanity's ever managed to create.

Like I said... humans have been around HOW long?

What are the odds that we're the first ones to have an advanced technological industrial age?

Sorry for getting off topic, guys.

Here's an interesting call to action...



I'm not too crazy about anything with an "ism" attached on the end of it but the message is sound.

-Peace-

reply to post by Eryiedes


Amazing video there.

reply to post by boymonkey74


The last one seemed to leave me with the feeling it was a commercial but this next one isn't.
A History of Disbelief...







-Peace-