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Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov Condemnation is perhaps the wrong word, but it does get kind of annoying whenever a thread on religion crops up in here, as an army of atheists storms in saying "anyone who believes in God is stupid and represents everything wrong in the world" - especially when it's inevitably followed by someone pondering whether the world would be a better place without people who have faith in something other than what everyone can see as self-evident.

I do agree, it's a somewhat annoying measure at times, there are a lot of amazing things religion has brought about, and I do not wish to be in a world completely devoid of belief. Every religion I know of has at least some merit, culturally and dogmatically, and I do not wish them struck from the Earth.

We live in a very unstable world and in a vicious society neither fair nor consistent - religion is a part of this, yes, but it is far from the whole of it.

I cannot say for sure whether there is a God or not - my comment before was merely a rise. Evidence can be an exceedingly subjective thing; you can see the universe as proof that something exists, therefore something was created, but to earnestly believe that some creator has assigned the world of humans a variety of differing opinions on how best to appease him or love him or whatever seems an exceedingly insubstantial claim supported by its very ambiguity and appeal to the imaginative nature of human beings in the first place. It is this same imagination which has brought about art and literature and music, but these things exist only for beauty and stimulation - they do not require belief nor faith in order to live up to their full potential because they are fiction. Religion however demands that you invest faith in something that is apparently afraid to let itself be known - it cannot rise to its potential and influence otherwise.

Atheism is not a belief system. Atheists are not trying to convert, nor to consume the ideals of others in some attempt to assert power and influence. Rather, it is a deconstructive mode which seeks to disestablish something which has allowed to be taken far too seriously for far too long. Yes, parallels can be drawn in an attempt to reconcile atheism with other belief systems, but these claims are, at best, merely an exhibition of the very memes and movements which indicate the spread of religion in the first place; Competence, relative as it is, has a transmissive nature that is universal amongst any contagious social logic, including religious... uh, logic.

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Originally posted by Aortik I don't believe you. I have faith that you take the bible at least somewhat literally, and I cannot be wrong because it is my belief. Oh yes, when we are exceedingly critical of everything else, it is all too often mistaken as being discerning and pragmatic, sometimes pedantic - but when the sovereignty and validity of religious powers are called into question, it's absolute hatred and nastiness. Your being insulted by what other people think of your religion is proof to me of your own insecurity, and the fact that you only assign worth to things which agree with your sensibilities is further testament to that. For someone who consistently claims that Christianity is not the religion of fear and violence people seem to conceive it as, you're not doing terribly well for your case by asserting that people become religious out of irrational fear of death and loneliness. But if it's any consolation, I appreciate your reduction nevertheless.

You use a lot of words to say absolutely nothing.

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Originally posted by Alex You use a lot of words to say absolutely nothing.

Perhaps, but you have imaginary friends that you're in love with and publicly defend the existence of. Tee-hee!

Welp, time to go rub off to some Richard Dawkins since he's like, my messiah and stuff.

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

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Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On Perhaps, but you have imaginary friends that you're in love with and publicly defend the existence of. Tee-hee! Welp, time to go rub off to some Richard Dawkins since he's like, my messiah and stuff.

Yet what I bother to type out usually isn't anywhere near as crazy as the stuff you come up with sometimes.

More insecurities on the parts of the atheists it seems. Too frustrated that they cant make any compelling arguments so why bother trying when you can just insult religious people instead?

Weak

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And here I thought that weakness and humility were virtues amongst you people.

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Serenity now serenity now.

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Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On And here I thought that weakness and humility were virtues amongst you people.

Is there any discernible pattern to which username you use in any particular post?

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I'm really not even sure.

I do post from like 5 different computers across 2-3 different places in any given day though - that usually dictates which account I am on.

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Originally posted by Aortik I'm really not even sure. I do post from like 5 different computers across 2-3 different places in any given day though - that usually dictates which account I am on.

I suppose it's a good tactic, to gang up to win an argument.

Too bad creating alts doesn't quite have the same desired effect in real life. A real shame I suppose.

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hey, Halcyon+On+On can be an unholy trinity if he wants!

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Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN hey, Halcyon+On+On can be an unholy trinity if he wants!

Who says he stopped at three?

Maybe he was Moose and wanted to throw the biggest rave ever and since he had no friends he just made a series of elaborate alts that were later (and not much later) revealed?

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