Posted on 12/17/2008 10:04:34 AM PST by NewMediaJournal
“At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” — The Freedom From Religion Foundation
During this time of giving, no person of good will can read the statement quoted above without offering a gift that improves its ironically poor use of reason. Here, then, is one that its authors may find more useful than the usual solstice fruitcake:
“Because no empirical evidence has been discovered to verify the existence of any non-physical reality; we reject all metaphysical notions, including the precepts of religion.” — The FFRF
Happily, all is not lost if the authors relegate the gift to the special nook reserved for solstice ties; for as the statement stands, it serves the purpose of letting us know how the approach of the winter solstice affects the stream of consciousness of the Foundation’s members.
More important, however, it reminds us of the arrogant, angry, simplistic attitude toward religion held by materialist liberals; and it prompts us to consider the raging hypocrisy exhibited by these latter-day Spinozas hell bent on experiencing Baruch’s oxymoronic “intellectual love of God.”
(Excerpt) Read more at newmediajournal.us ...
““Because no empirical evidence has been discovered to verify the existence of any non-physical reality; we reject all metaphysical notions, including the precepts of religion.” — The FFRF”
like, the existence of matter??
We Christians will never prove God.
The atheists will never prove there is not a God.
So, I really do not care what they think (or not think).
The Age of Reason became the Reign of Terror. It ends with a guillotine.
This is the time of year to set aside differences and extend well wishes to all.
To that end I say to all my Democrat Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
To My Republican Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
“wish” implies metaphysical activity. I am offended. Please revise your statement.
/sarc
Fabulously said! Now I’m going to have to get bigger Christmas cards in order to fit that all in!
Hmmm...kind of like the difference between the US Constitution and the European Union Constitution.
Very revealing.
Has any empirical evidence been discovered to verify the existence of reason?
The age of reason gave us the constitution. There wasn’t much reasonable about the french revolution.
Bingo! In order for Reason to be valid it must stand outside the physical world. Atoms cannot reason. If materialism is true then "reason" (and all thought for that matter) is, as explanied by C.S. Lewis, simply the epi-phenomenon which accompanies chemical or electrical events in a cortex which is itself the by-product of a blind evolutionary process.
This article does a great job of pointing out the utter futility, foolishness and hypocrisy of an atheist attempting to interject morality into their stances on issues.
Basically, they’re saying that using our instruments that only measure things within the “box” that is our reality,
we cannot measure anything outside that box, so we must assume there is nothing outside the box.
I see no empirical evidence of the existence of The Freedom From Religion Foundation.
“At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” — The Freedom From Religion Foundation
...... FFRF sound like gaia worshipers......
Wow, that was terrific.
If there was proof, there would be no need for faith. So I guess it all works out.
Au contraire! Did not the Revolutionaries in France ditch Christianity in favour of worship of the “Goddess of Reason”? An oxymoron if ever I heard one, although at least they were honest in their paganism.
we cannot measure anything outside that box, so we must assume there is nothing outside the box.
That's very sharp: The rationalist's skepticism about the limited nature of our perceptions winds up contradicting him: If there's a "box" constrained by our ability to perceive (and I would agree there is), then how can we reasonably assume there's nothing beyond our perceptions?
Especially when you consider that we know, without a doubt, that there are many things which exist outside our perception. At least, we have a well-established track record of discovering stuff we couldn't sense before.
How about Ultraviolet light? How about radio waves (RF radiation)? How about Gamma Rays? How about Alpha Particles? How about bacteria? How about atoms?
Every one of those things existed quite happily well before man had the ability to detect or measure them. They didn't require man's observation or belief to exist.
Given that scientific history is full of phenomena of various kinds which were previously outside the capabilities of man to detect, and yet existed all along, why do scientists get all huffy at the proposition that this trend should continue?
Ya...stupid people tend to say such things. I for one do not claim their stupidity as being particularly valid.
http://www.oikos.org/radcon.htm
The box is ever changing as it is defined to be its namesake, your thoughts of it defines in a sense what it truly is and further what can and can't be measured (perception is limited by understanding just what it is to perceive, call it semantics... but its much more then that in our world of rigidly defined borders). I advise you all to not live in the box as that's indeed why the world is so messed up to begin with. We're all too limited by our narrow world views and further subjected to our own experiences and furthermore we lose objectivity while claiming to be such. Objectivity is all but lost to us, but for the sake of us all we need to attempt, to be as objective as possible even if it proves to be impossible. Think with a pack like mentality for the good of us all, either through the use of religion all being children of god and thus we all need cooperation and forgiveness just as jesus taught, or through humanism... practice what is best for us all.
In other words we're all ultimately screwed by our perceptual limitations and the only way break them is to expand the box or not live in one entirely which ultimately leads to insanity (trust me on this one lol). Compromise is needed in this ever increasing diverse world, however never compromise your ideals whatever they are.
I claim to neither be affiliated with the left or right (i’m very conservative with my approach to politics however very liberal with freedoms), those that are religious or those that abstain, not an easy path to follow and more so not one many will take as most will think it leaves to a loss of foundation... however i tend to equate reason with objectivity, and assaults on aethiests or those that are religious don't do any good to any of us as i can prove both are fundamentally flawed in several ways... both are lies with many truths in them.
If you learn anything from an aethiest learn to be empowered through yourself and not reliant on a god and further subject to its beliefs with little independence of thought. Man is flawed man wrote the bible albeit through god but nevertheless through a flawed being in essence making some of it flawed (i mean not to offend and that is but the tip of the iceberg in the bible debate which barely goes to substantiate its sordid history and basis see horus).
If one can learn anything from jesus is that we need to live together, be tolerant of other ways of life/beliefs (which most atheists lack in their self righteous zeal)... and further that we have all sinned, are imperfect beings and need to seek repentance for our sins (not saying through god, but not saying without one its a choice i’m not willing to make for anyone but myself). God is where you see it and further how you define it. For those that are religious you can talk to an aethiest about the origin of the universe and pose the question where everything originally came from... intuitively we know everything comes from something therefore something always required a predecessor which leads to a paradox and leads to god through numerous ways.
May god bless the world if he/she/it does exist. Furthermore if god (it) doesn't exist may we endeavor to bless ourselves through reason, community, objectivity, moral guidance, a strict code of ethics, repentance for our crimes (sins if you will, nobody is perfect), etc... in all the way god seeks to compensate us through our belief in him/her/it.
Never judge a man till you've worn his shoes... Fostering hatred only leads to more hate and further perpetuates it even more. I can give a million reasons to hate atheists as i can christians and those of any other religion. Those who hate the most need the most love and understanding, dare i say if hitler was loved more we wouldn't have had to deal with the atrocities that resulted, if he had greater understanding and been afforded/facilitated greater understanding most certainly it wouldn't have occured.
Call me naive but hope, understanding, forgiveness of myself and others have never betrayed me. Apply the same to humanity and you can't go wrong.
A bit or a rant if must say so myself hopefully not considered to off-topic. Only the perceptual schtuff is directed at you samuraiscot, the rest is rather meandering... however i hope it leads to at least some degree of challenging yourself and your beliefs and further expanding the box. BTW AJA are my initials, and 1984 is the year i was born not to confuse it with the book/movie.
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