minx Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 my question is not rhetorical. i was interested in the answer, KK. i quoted gforce b/c my question was directed at him. yes it was in public for all to see but you didn't even bother to answer the question. of course, i will answer your question. although the answer should be obvious. i would like to have waited until g-force answered my question but since you've raised the challenge: the answer is: nothing. atheism has done nothing for me. how could it? it is not a belief system or a religion or anything other than a description. it describes my lack of belief in a deity. what exactly would you expect a description to do? in a broader sense, my lack of belief forces me to be very self reflective and self reliant. i've got no one to blame but myself. i don't see things that happen in my life ...good or badd... as god's will. they're my doing and i'm responsible for them. i end up in the mountains in the middle of the storm...oh shit. it's not god's will. it's the weather. i'm either prepared to survive and cope with it or i'm not. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Nietzsche: God is Dead! God: Nietzsche is Dead! Quote
Seahawks Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 let me just add that i am truly fascinated by religion. the truth is that i WANT to believe. i'm in some ways envious of those that do believe. it would be so nice to have that crutch when things suck. that's how i see religion, a tool for those less fortunate, as a coping mechanism when trama happens, as survival too for the day to day grind. unfortunately, no matter how hard i try, i just can't "believe", don't have "faith" in "god", haven't been able to find it real in any way. perhaps by my inability to buy into the story of some unseen deity/creator, i cheat myself out of those perks. i keep thinking that someone, somewhere will say something that helps me understand and believe in religion. instead, i'm plunged further into my atheism each time i encounter these discussions. i find myself more and more in the camp that doesn't believe that faith will help us through the bad times. i don't believe that there is a heaven when you die, nor a hell. i don't believe that religion will give me peace when things are difficult or help me find the answers. i don't believe some diety has predetermined my fate. i certainly think that saying that "god won't give you more than you can handle" is bunk. i believe that i have to figure out how to solve my own problems. that i can irrevocably screw things up and no amount of prayer is going to fix it. i believe that people get more than they can handle all the time and head right off into the deep end. i believe when things suck, they just suck and the only comfort to be had is getting through it. i believe dead is dead. Wow. Can't figure out if your being really open or baiting. If your being real, which I wonder. How about people that are completely 100% dead. No brain activity nothing. Come back from the dead and tell about and after life. How would explain that if dead is dead??? They are 100% brain dead no waves. Quote
minx Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Nietzsche: God is Dead! God: Nietzsche is Dead! ahh...isn't that cute. kk types out an overplayed and trite bumper sticker. kk--fatal flaw in that little scenario is that we know Nietzche existed. all we know about god is that you believe in it, making god no more real than any other figment of your imagination. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Nietzsche: God is Dead! God: Nietzsche is Dead! ahh...isn't that cute. kk types out an overplayed and trite bumper sticker. kk--fatal flaw in that little scenario is that we know Nietzche existed. all we know about god is that you believe in it, making god no more real than any other figment of your imagination. you'll find out if God is real or not someday. Quote
JosephH Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Since you ask, 'Satan' is as infantile a concept as the 'tooth fairy' except of course, people don't use the 'tooth fairy' as an excuse to demonize and murder people. Quote
minx Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 seahawks, i'm being genuinely open, knowing that my opinion on the topic will act as bait. i'm not sure i've ever actually seen documentation of brain dead people coming back. i know that a few folks that they had very limited function, in comas, have come back. People with no pulse/heartbeat do make it back from time to time. 'spose it could be true. however, i'd be inclined to credit the recovery it to the medical professionals not god. i'm pretty sure this isn't happening to someone who keels over dead in their living room. Quote
The_Rooster Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Every hear of throwing your pearls in with swine? Didn't they pass a law about you not being able to do that the little farm animals anymore? Yeah, I hope so. My friend Matilda, the barnyard turkey, fell into the pig pen last week. We never saw her again. Quote
minx Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Nietzsche: God is Dead! God: Nietzsche is Dead! ahh...isn't that cute. kk types out an overplayed and trite bumper sticker. kk--fatal flaw in that little scenario is that we know Nietzche existed. all we know about god is that you believe in it, making god no more real than any other figment of your imagination. you'll find out if God is real or not someday. as will you. the good news is that if you're right, i'll be pleasantly surprised. the bad news is that if i'm right, you won't even get to be disappointed. Quote
Seahawks Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 seahawks, i'm being genuinely open, knowing that my opinion on the topic will act as bait. i'm not sure i've ever actually seen documentation of brain dead people coming back. i know that a few folks that they had very limited function, in comas, have come back. People with no pulse/heartbeat do make it back from time to time. 'spose it could be true. however, i'd be inclined to credit the recovery it to the medical professionals not god. i'm pretty sure this isn't happening to someone who keels over dead in their living room. Not talking about brain dead coma people (like healing) but people who die and there brain activity is 100% dead coming back. Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Atheism has done a lot for me. a) It's helped me appreciate my limited time here more. b) It's helped me realize that all we have is each other. c) It's helped me appreciate the value of truth over comfort. d) It's helped me hang around with a smarter, funnier, and more spirited group of people. e) It's helped me relax. I don't have waste my energy being offended all the time by things that don't really matter. f) It's helped preserve my life on occasion, by making me realize that its up to me and only me to get myself out of the occasional tight spot. g) And finally, it's helped me appreciate what I believe is the true value of Jesus and his message of hope, without all the hocus pocus. Quote
StevenSeagal Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Not talking about brain dead coma people (like healing) but people who die and there brain activity is 100% dead coming back. Well you haven't come back yet, so I'd say there's no evidence so far. Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 (edited) there brain activity is 100% dead coming back. No better self description was ever uttered on this forum. Edited February 13, 2007 by tvashtarkatena Quote
Jim Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 I like this religion: http://www.venganza.org/about/open-letter/ And their explanation is just as plausible as the Christian thing. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 my question is not rhetorical. i was interested in the answer, KK. i quoted gforce b/c my question was directed at him. yes it was in public for all to see but you didn't even bother to answer the question. of course, i will answer your question. although the answer should be obvious. i would like to have waited until g-force answered my question but since you've raised the challenge: the answer is: nothing. atheism has done nothing for me. how could it? it is not a belief system or a religion or anything other than a description. it describes my lack of belief in a deity. what exactly would you expect a description to do? in a broader sense, my lack of belief forces me to be very self reflective and self reliant. i've got no one to blame but myself. i don't see things that happen in my life ...good or badd... as god's will. they're my doing and i'm responsible for them. i end up in the mountains in the middle of the storm...oh shit. it's not god's will. it's the weather. i'm either prepared to survive and cope with it or i'm not. Those of us who believe in God - whether it is Yahweh, Jesus, Allah, or whatever derive some benefit from that faith. If you don't believe, you derive no benefit from trying to "fake it". There's nothing I could write here to convince you that God exists. Most people of faith question whether God exists as well at some point or another. Respect my beliefs and I'll respect yours. Don't mock mine and I will not mock yours. I'm not going to try and convert you. We'll all find out who was right someday. Quote
Dechristo Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 the bad news is that if i'm right, you won't even get to be disappointed. missing disappointment is bad news? Quote
Seahawks Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Not talking about brain dead coma people (like healing) but people who die and there brain activity is 100% dead coming back. Well you haven't come back yet, so I'd say there's no evidence so far. Coming from a guy that sits with Carrot top. lol Quote
StevenSeagal Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Do you keep that picture taped to the ceiling above your bed Seahawks? Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Nietzsche: God is Dead! God: Nietzsche is Dead! ahh...isn't that cute. kk types out an overplayed and trite bumper sticker. kk--fatal flaw in that little scenario is that we know Nietzche existed. all we know about god is that you believe in it, making god no more real than any other figment of your imagination. you'll find out if God is real or not someday. as will you. the good news is that if you're right, i'll be pleasantly surprised. the bad news is that if i'm right, you won't even get to be disappointed. if you're right, and then nothing matters. one question: have you ever seen someone die - I mean been there when it happens. this seems to form a very strong opinion for people (both ways) Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Respect my beliefs and I'll respect yours. Don't mock mine and I will not mock yours. I'm not going to try and convert you. We'll all find out who was right someday. I respect your beliefs. I just don't respect you. As for your last sentence, we either will or we won't, and that, right there, is what divides our thinking. Quote
foraker Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 the bad news is that if i'm right, you won't even get to be disappointed. missing disappointment is bad news? it is if you enjoy schadenfreude Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 the bad news is that if i'm right, you won't even get to be disappointed. missing disappointment is bad news? and many believers may die and be disappointed when they meet a God that then tells them how much they got wrong. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Respect my beliefs and I'll respect yours. Don't mock mine and I will not mock yours. I'm not going to try and convert you. We'll all find out who was right someday. I respect your beliefs. I just don't respect you. As for your last sentence, we either will or we won't, and that, right there, is what divides our thinking. who cares. if this were real life, I'd avoid you like the plague. Quote
Seahawks Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 Respect my beliefs and I'll respect yours. Don't mock mine and I will not mock yours. I'm not going to try and convert you. We'll all find out who was right someday. I respect your beliefs. I just don't respect you. As for your last sentence, we either will or we won't, and that, right there, is what divides our thinking. You don't respect his beliefs. Why lie? Quote
Dechristo Posted February 13, 2007 Posted February 13, 2007 the bad news is that if i'm right, you won't even get to be disappointed. missing disappointment is bad news? it is if you enjoy schadenfreude That would be missing someone else's disappointment, not your own. Quote
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