Religious and Atheists.... they're all the same. They all believe in something they can't prove. Religious people take other people's values and principles and that's that. They don't even think. They choose the religion that fits their needs. Religion is like a social assistance for intellectual pauvrety. It's for those who don't know what to think, what they want, so they just choose one of these ''packs of values''.
Agnostics think about the existance or the unexistance of a God. They don't need a religion to tell them how to think and how to act. They set their own values, and they think, instead of following the herd.
THOUGHTS? I dunno but I feel like I'm gonna get flamed to death
Timesplitter14
I've got an idea for your Bible. It will be a cover with a single page inside bearing a picture of a man shrugging his shoulders in a "Beats me!" manner.
Edit: This is meant to be a lighthearted, jocular post. There is no offense intended.
[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]I don't believe they think anymore than the other groups....just because someone thinks differently than you does not mean they don't think.:roll:Wolf7040
Exactly, they think within the realm of which they were introduced. If you were born in the wild, and left there to live up and grow from unaware youth (somehow.) You would not believe in Jesus Christ, no one ever told you about him, "Jesus who?" Their thinking within the realm of which their shown, Christianity, (among with other religions) would not exist if someones parents didn't tell kids about it.
That's one of the things that baffles me about religions. If faith is God's gift, then why did they have to send missionaries all over the world in order to spread their religion? All people would be born with faith in the same god if he actually did exist. God(at least in the way that he is described) is clearly man-made.
Theism - The belief in the existence of a god or gods.
The prefix "a" means "without" Thus, atheism literally translated means without theism. An atheist is someone who does not have a theistic belief system.
When it comes to the question of whether or not you believe in god, there are only two possible answers. You are either a theist or you are an atheist. There is no middle ground.
Agnosticism is not an option, because agnosticism is an epistemological position. It deals with whether or not the knowledge of gods existence can be known or not. It does not have anything to do with whether or not you actually believe in god. A person can believe that the knowledge of God's existence is impossible to know, and still believe that God exists.
If you do not believe in God or you do not believe in gods, for whatever reason, then you are an atheist.
[QUOTE="SolidSnake35"]I prefer not thinking about it at all. It works for me...jerami
Me too! It's not that I don't believe in god....it's just not that I believe in him....I remain neutral and attend church to keep a normal social status
Wha..? You attend church to keep a normal social status? For who? Why in the world would you attend church for any other reason than the belief that you hold? That is such a waste of time.
And not thinking about it? How can you not think about it? I would think anyone who truly believes in God or a certain religion would always be thinking about it and always questioning it. How could you not, and just not think about it?
My God man, that's a bit scary to hear you guys state that. That to me is like knowing what was going on in the Holocaust and just going along with it to "keep a normal social status" while "not thinking about it".
To believe in religion by those reasons is dangerous.
Wha..? You attend church to keep a normal social status? For who? Why in the world would you attend church for any other reason than the belief that you hold? That is such a waste of time.
And not thinking about it? How can you not think about it? I would think anyone who truly believes in God or a certain religion would always be thinking about it and always questioning it. How could you not, and just not think about it?
My God man, that's a bit scary to hear you guys state that. That to me is like knowing what was going on in the Holocaust and just going along with it to "keep a normal social status" while "not thinking about it".
To believe in religion by those reasons is dangerous.
Rekunta
From what I can tell, he merely goes to church because he/she likes to be social. I don't think this is a fairly uncommon thing.
[QUOTE="crucifine"][QUOTE="SimpJee"][QUOTE="dragonlife29"][QUOTE="SimpJee"]Belief requires at least some form of evidence, there has been none in support of god, not even a single piece of evidence to even HINT that there is a god. This leads me to atheism because since there is no evidence, why should I even consider the possibility of there being a God or some existential being? There you go. SimpJee
Isn't the idea of God's existence (or nonexistence) based on hints, though? Isn't the Bible just one big collection of alleged hints?
You mean to say there's no concrete proof. Right? I don't see the Bible as being any kind of evidence whatsoever, or a hint. I see it as fiction, because the material has no base in reality. I meant just what I said, from all I've read seen or heard, I haven't seen even a mere hint of proof (concrete or otherwise) of the existence of god. This lead me to the conclusion that there isn't one. I also don't know how anyone could come to any other conclusion, which is why Agnostics confuse me heh. I'm agnostic, because I believe in superior beings, but not gods. I don't believe in there being a perfect image of man or any ultimate truth. There will never be any ultimate truth. But, I do believe there are things out there that are superior to humans. Aliens, or even other humans. Whatever being exists in the dimension above ours. Who knows? You can prove that there isn't any evidence of God, but you can't prove to me that there aren't superior beings. We don't know enough for there to be an answer to that. Maybe when the new telescope goes up? This is where I'm confused about Atheism. Wouldn't that mean you are an Atheist? Because you don't believe in one or a couple beings that just popped up and decided to create us, correct? Therefore you're an atheist. Also, there is no evidence of some superior being, so why believe in them until some kind of evidence shows up?
Sorry for resurrecting this one, folks.No, atheists deny anything (at least religiously) that does not have proof of existence. I am open to possibilities. I believe there is other intelligent life out there, (with as many planets and stars as there are, there is no denying (yet) that there could be life) and that they could be better than us. And although this does not include all atheists, many of them want to limit the religious freedom of others. Sometimes this is good (evangelicals) and sometimes this is cruel (there have been a series of lawsuits regarding roadside memorials in my state. Denying someone something that is vital to their grieving process is not cool).
In addition, I've used some mind-altering substances, which have changed how I view metaphysical things like this. My conclusions are only understandable if you've lived my life, that's really what it comes down to. I'm too cheerful to be an atheist, anyways.
Sorry for resurrecting this one, folks.No, atheists deny anything (at least religiously) that does not have proof of existence. I am open to possibilities. I believe there is other intelligent life out there, (with as many planets and stars as there are, there is no denying (yet) that there could be life) and that they could be better than us. And although this does not include all atheists, many of them want to limit the religious freedom of others. Sometimes this is good (evangelicals) and sometimes this is cruel (there have been a series of lawsuits regarding roadside memorials in my state. Denying someone something that is vital to their grieving process is not cool).
In addition, I've used some mind-altering substances, which have changed how I view metaphysical things like this. My conclusions are only understandable if you've lived my life, that's really what it comes down to. I'm too cheerful to be an atheist, anyways.crucifine
What does intelligent life on other planets have to do with whether or not there is a god? Even if there is life out there, and that life is more intelligent than us, that does not make them gods. I'm really not sure what argument you are making.
As far as the lawsuits that you are talking about, the reason that people are against it is because it was state sponsored. This violates the seperation of chruch in state that is inherent in our constitution.
I'm atheist, but I really respect agnostics. It's really the only logical choice, but atheism is the second most logical. And I want to firmly believe something, rather than just dodge the issue.Zeke129
[QUOTE="quiglythegreat"][QUOTE="Mr_sprinkles"] atheist. 'A' means no, and 'theism' is the belief in a god. Look up the definition of atheism. dude he's right. agnostic a - without gnostic - knowledge
I'm atheist, but I really respect agnostics. It's really the only logical choice, but atheism is the second most logical. And I want to firmly believe something, rather than just dodge the issue.Zeke129
To ponder is not to dodge. We will inevitebly ponder endlessly about truth and our existence.
Religious and Atheists.... they're all the same. They all believe in something they can't prove. Religious people take other people's values and principles and that's that. They don't even think. They choose the religion that fits their needs. Religion is like a social assistance for intellectual pauvrety. It's for those who don't know what to think, what they want, so they just choose one of these ''packs of values''.
Agnostics think about the existance or the unexistance of a God. They don't need a religion to tell them how to think and how to act. They set their own values, and they think, instead of following the herd.
THOUGHTS? I dunno but I feel like I'm gonna get flamed to death
Timesplitter14
Well I agree with you that most belief structures hide behind their assurance that their logic is flawless but I don't think people choose religions based on whats convenient for them. If that were the case then most Christians in Africa would simply convert as opposed to being slaughtered by Muslim radicals (no offense intended to anybody who is apartd of the Muslim religion). People have infact gone out of their way for their beliefs and most of them are more than willing to die for them. Back to the point, agnostics aren't people who choose not to follow the crowd Imo. They are just a bunch of people who are to cowardly to take one side or another. "well i know something made us but im not quite sure what that is so I'll wait till I'm 80 to choose". Either that or they want to believe in god but don't want to commit to anything.
What does intelligent life on other planets have to do with whether or not there is a god? Even if there is life out there, and that life is more intelligent than us, that does not make them gods. I'm really not sure what argument you are making.
As far as the lawsuits that you are talking about, the reason that people are against it is because it was state sponsored. This violates the seperation of chruch in state that is inherent in our constitution. Decessus
I specifically stated earlier that I don't believe in gods, I believe the intelligent life out there may or may not have the power to control us by means of force or otherwise. They may be benevolent, they may have qualities unheard of on this planet (lifespan, that kind of thing)
As for the roadside memorials, not all of them were crosses. They were trying to take down flowers and photographs and just things in general.
I specifically stated earlier that I don't believe in gods, I believe the intelligent life out there may or may not have the power to control us by means of force or otherwise. They may be benevolent, they may have qualities unheard of on this planet (lifespan, that kind of thing)
As for the roadside memorials, not all of them were crosses. They were trying to take down flowers and photographs and just things in general.crucifine
What fascinates me about your stance is that athiests generally don't believe in gods because of a lack of proof....but are more than willing to believe in life on other planets without any proof whatsoever. Very contradictory thinking.
CAN ANYONE prove to me there isn't a teapot floating in an elliptical orbit between Mars and Earth? No. Can you prove to me God exists? No. So... uh... God = Teapot. Also agnosticism is anyone's best bet.
I'm atheist, but I really respect agnostics. It's really the only logical choice, but atheism is the second most logical. And I want to firmly believe something, rather than just dodge the issue.Zeke129
I don't dodge it.....I just choose to ignore it all & believe what I want.......works for me :D
I deny the gods of organized religion, but not the divinity. Something must have triggered something so everything happened to be. What it is, I do not care, since the only chance I can think of getting to know is to die. I'm to young to die. :)
[QUOTE="crucifine"] I specifically stated earlier that I don't believe in gods, I believe the intelligent life out there may or may not have the power to control us by means of force or otherwise. They may be benevolent, they may have qualities unheard of on this planet (lifespan, that kind of thing)
As for the roadside memorials, not all of them were crosses. They were trying to take down flowers and photographs and just things in general.LJS9502_basic
What fascinates me about your stance is that athiests generally don't believe in gods because of a lack of proof....but are more than willing to believe in life on other planets without any proof whatsoever. Very contradictory thinking.
That's because the theory 'life on other planets' doesn't contradict with itself or anything else. Unlike the various religions we have.
That ofcourse doesn't mean anyone really knows if there's alien life out there. It's an assumption.
What fascinates me about your stance is that athiests generally don't believe in gods because of a lack of proof....but are more than willing to believe in life on other planets without any proof whatsoever. Very contradictory thinking.
Apenoot
That's because the theory 'life on other planets' doesn't contradict with itself or anything else. Unlike the various religions we have.
That ofcourse doesn't mean anyone really knows if there's alien life out there. It's an assumption.
It's still unproven. Read any religion argument and it's the proof that is important. It's a contradiction. I don't personally care what others believe.....but as I said...it fascinates me....the duality of thinking. From what we know of planet conditions, however, it is a contradiction.
Religious and Atheists.... they're all the same. They all believe in something they can't prove. Religious people take other people's values and principles and that's that. They don't even think. They choose the religion that fits their needs. Religion is like a social assistance for intellectual pauvrety. It's for those who don't know what to think, what they want, so they just choose one of these ''packs of values''.
Agnostics think about the existance or the unexistance of a God. They don't need a religion to tell them how to think and how to act. They set their own values, and they think, instead of following the herd.
THOUGHTS? I dunno but I feel like I'm gonna get flamed to death
Timesplitter14
Nope your wrong. In fact a lot of religous types are heavily involve din highly intellectual activities that help to shape their religion. Hermaneutics for example (people who pore over the bible looking meanings in the original language that could have been missed and toehr such things). A lot of religous people choose their religion based on what they want to be allowed to do. Some of the most prominent philosophers of our day are religous people. Also you've clearly never actually taken a course or spent a year poring over a book such as The Summa Theologica, which attempts in many ways to prove the existence of god (It's wirtten by St. Thomas Aquinas and he spells it with a lower-case g, but he has a whole section explaining why he thinks that should be done.) Agnostics have one thing going for them. Agnosticism is based on a valid and sound logical statement. That cannot be denied. Although I personally wrote a dissertation on the flaws of agnosticism and I'm not a big fan. Seems to me that agnostics are just too scared of philosophy of god.
What fascinates me about your stance is that athiests generally don't believe in gods because of a lack of proof....but are more than willing to believe in life on other planets without any proof whatsoever. Very contradictory thinking.
LJS9502_basic
That's because the theory 'life on other planets' doesn't contradict with itself or anything else. Unlike the various religions we have.
That ofcourse doesn't mean anyone really knows if there's alien life out there. It's an assumption.
It's still unproven. Read any religion argument and it's the proof that is important. It's a contradiction. I don't personally care what others believe.....but as I said...it fascinates me....the duality of thinking. From what we know of planet conditions, however, it is a contradiction.
Ugh....you kids are all the same.Somebody makes a statement about God and you counter them with a statement about religion. Religion has no place in this thread. We're talking about God; not religion BIG DIFFERENCE
It's still unproven. Read any religion argument and it's the proof that is important. It's a contradiction. I don't personally care what others believe.....but as I said...it fascinates me....the duality of thinking. From what we know of planet conditions, however, it is a contradiction.
Ugh....you kids are all the same.Somebody makes a statement about God and you counter them with a statement about religion. Religion has no place in this thread. We're talking about God; not religion BIG DIFFERENCE
Ugh...newbies. One....I'm not a kid. Two....read the actual post before spouting off incorrect assumptions. I said "religion argument" ...if you weren't new then perhaps you would understand the reference. :roll:
[QUOTE="Apenoot"] That's because the theory 'life on other planets' doesn't contradict with itself or anything else. Unlike the various religions we have.
That ofcourse doesn't mean anyone really knows if there's alien life out there. It's an assumption.
LJS9502_basic
It's still unproven. Read any religion argument and it's the proof that is important. It's a contradiction. I don't personally care what others believe.....but as I said...it fascinates me....the duality of thinking. From what we know of planet conditions, however, it is a contradiction.
That's why I said saying there's life on other planets can only be an assumption. Nobody can claim it is so, but that is what happens with religion (ppl being absolutely sure there is a God). If anyone says he's a 100% sure there is alien life out there, I'd want prove aswell.
And duality of thinking... Everybody reasons the way that suits him or her best :) Unfortunatly that's a given.
And duality of thinking... Everybody reasons the way that suits him or her best :) Unfortunatly that's a given.
Apenoot
One should be logical in all thinking. I don't change my logic or values to suit the topic. I base my conclusion on using consistent logic and thought.:)
I'm atheist, but I really respect agnostics. It's really the only logical choice, but atheism is the second most logical. And I want to firmly believe something, rather than just dodge the issue.Zeke129
Isn't everyone Agnostic in a way? I believe in God, ,but I think about the weak possible that their isn't a God, but I believe there is. There is a little "Doubting Thomas" in everyone, even the strongest religious people or the strongest atheists.
[QUOTE="Zeke129"]I'm atheist, but I really respect agnostics. It's really the only logical choice, but atheism is the second most logical. And I want to firmly believe something, rather than just dodge the issue.Xbox360gamer1
Isn't everyone Agnostic in a way? I believe in God, ,but I think about the weak possible that their isn't a God, but I believe there is. There is a little "Doubting Thomas" in everyone, even the strongest religious people or the strongest atheists. That's a really good point.
And duality of thinking... Everybody reasons the way that suits him or her best :) Unfortunatly that's a given.
LJS9502_basic
One should be logical in all thinking. I don't change my logic or values to suit the topic. I base my conclusion on using consistent logic and thought.:)
Like I said, my conclusions could only be reached if you've seen the world through my eyes. They aren't exactly logical, but it makes complete sense to me. I may not be getting the entire thing across, partially because I can't really find the words for it. I do believe in gods, but I don't believe that they actually are gods...it's kind of tricky.
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