Posted on 04/05/2009 8:10:35 PM PDT by betty boop
I am an atheist. I don’t need anyone else to be an atheist. I am comfortable in my own skin no matter what anyone else’s belief. Although I am probably not the norm, I get tired of hearing how ‘bad’ I am. Oh, and as an atheist, I am not likely to follow a BRAND of atheism. It takes all kinds...ALL kinds. Please start appreciating people who are different so that we can find common ground. I probably SHARE more views with religious folks than differ with them. (and yes, I loathe Obama. I am not a troll but I am not a republican either.)
I am not endangering anyone by being atheist. I think Jesus was a very wise and kind man. I just don’t believe he was the son of God (a god, whatever one is comfortable with). That doesn’t mean I expect anyone else to think or believe the same and it serves as NO THREAT to anyone. People’s religious views are personal. Why should anyone attack them?
I respectfully disagree. Seems to me that religion is an egocentric view inherently. But if it comforts someone who has lost loved one or someone who needs fellowship, I wouldn’t begrudge them. I don’t lay claim to all the answers—on the contrary, the religious do.
Yes, I believe a lot of good comes from religion. And I believe a lot of good comes from atheism. You can have it both ways.
“For an atheist to reject religion means only that he has failed to understand it, precisely. A confession of atheism is simply an honest confession of ignorance of any realities that transcend the human ego, nothing more, nothing less.”
Thank you. You saw it the way I intended it anyway...but I tweaked my wording.
I’m curious, and with all due respect, as an athiest, do you believe we have inalienable rights? If so, what makes them inalienable?
Without a divine creator God of the universe, we’re all just random chemical reactions and Hitler’s actions were merely an example of natural selection.
Rather than telling you you’re bad, whatever that means, let me share this from Romans 1:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
And from Psalm 53:1
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,” They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; There is no one who does good.
That “no one” part includes me, and you, and everyone else.
But here’s the good news from Romans 10:
That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Peace, A
I mean no disrespect, but I would ask you to carefully examine the philosophical bases of atheism and reconsider them in the light of reason. The greatest minds the human race has ever produced all found atheism to be bankrupt and unsatisfactory; I suspect that, upon serious reflection, you will as well.
“do you believe we have inalienable rights? If so, what makes them inalienable?”
Yes, I do believe that we have natural inalienable rights. Why? For me, I love my life AND I love people in my life: my family, friends... When you have love, you realize, you wouldn’t want anything to happen to that love or to those loved ones. For me this is the core of my moral code.
I wouldn’t want anything to happen to my family or my friends, so I wouldn’t hurt anyone else’s family or friends. That’s not a cycle I want to be a part of. Hurting another person physically or psychologically teaches others to do the same.
From what I can see, people that don’t get that kind of love in their life, well, they don’t learn that lesson very easy. And they can’t be taught it and I am skeptical with good reason that they can simply be told that God (a god) loves them and expect that to replace human love. They have to experience it. It’s harder for them, I know, but they must respect this inalienable right. There are consequences for the blatant disregard of human life, because crime is a cancer. Domestic violence is a cancer. Hate is a cancer.
So.. I support causes that may seem wishy washy to some, because I truly believe that unless the unloved get loved, they are facing an obstacle that’s going to be pretty hard to overcome. They don’t learn to respect the pain of others.
Of course this is an oversimplification and I am sure you can see how I apply this in all different kinds of ways. For instance, some love isn’t healthy and doesn’t do a thing to ingrain natural inalienable rights. But my overall logic is much the same as a Christian or Jew or Mormon....I just don’t get it from the Bible, it comes from within.
Is that so dangerous?
“The greatest minds the human race has ever produced all found atheism to be bankrupt and unsatisfactory;”
“The greatest minds”: that’s subjective
Bankrupt? how so?
Unsatisfactory? Only if you have to know you have salvation. I don’t need to know that I guess. I have other motives that drive me in this world. Less self-serving motives, IMO. I dunno, I just don’t get that: “unsatisfactory.” Who says?
[[I am not endangering anyone by being atheist.]]
I am referrign to those atheists who are trying to change our constitution, change our way of life, and force everyoen to accept their ‘moral values’- I don’t htink you fall into that category
[[People’s religious views are personal. Why should anyone attack them?]]
Beleive me a great many atheists are doing just that today- I might also add secularists to that category- A prime example of atheists tryign to force their minority view on the majority of Americans who hols the universal moral code in high esteme are people like Michael Neudow who is personally attackign Christian values, and tryign to tear down our constitution and moral values
My post was NOT directed at individual atheists who are content allowing America to be made up of many different faiths or a non faith if one so chooses, like yourself, but rather it was directed at activist atheists and secularists who won’t be happy till our country has denied God and destroyed itself in the process
“resulting in salvation.”
Yes, I don’t need this. I am not interested in what I get when I die. I am only going to make my energy as positive as possible so when it leaves it’s physical vehicle—my body, it is positive energy. Afterall, enrgy is neither gained nor lost.
Even if my energy goes into a lightbulb, I shall burn brightly and happily.
“My post was NOT directed at individual atheists who are content allowing America to be made up of many different faiths or a non faith if one so chooses, like yourself, but rather it was directed at activist atheists and secularists who won’t be happy till our country has denied God and destroyed itself in the process”
Thank you. Believe it or not, I needed to hear that.
I found common ground with conservatives during this election. I am not willing to give that up. Let’s go with it.
Yet somehow, dear brother in Christ, I sense or feel that you would have the time and interest.
Please weigh in if/as you can.
Are you aware that Science is philosophically unsound, proceeding as it does from unproven and unprovable premises?
Might Makes Right.
That 'philosophy' tends to permeate religion too. Do I need to point out a few typical examples?
I would ask you to carefully examine the philosophical bases of atheism and reconsider them in the light of reason.
You are confused. Atheism like Science is not based on philosophy or logic. It is based on evidence or the lack thereof, in the case of religion.
Personally, I don’t like anyone who forces their beliefs or non-beliefs on anyone.
On that note, despite my several posts and the lengthy one, I am not here to convert, I just want to assure you.
[[On that note, despite my several posts and the lengthy one, I am not here to convert, I just want to assure you.]]
Too late- I’ve renounced my salvation, and just hope and pray I’m making hte right gamble and that there is no eternal hell after life- I hated beign secure in the knowledge I’d be with God for eternity- I’m much rather gamble. J/K
There’s no such thing as proof. Evidence perceived via the senses is fallible; for all you know, the Universe is a figment of your imagination, and you are dreaming all of this.
Nothing can be proven in any objective sense; the best we can do is examine the data conveyed to us by our fallible, subjective senses and decide on the basis of faith alone what relationship (if any) these sensory data have to a universe external to and independent of ourselves (if any).
The only things you can know for sure to exist are those things that you directly experience, rather than things you perceive via the senses.
I have nothing to add to nor detract from your beautiful testimony.
May God ever bless your truthful inquiry!
Prove it.
Prove it.
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