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Atheism (pg. 4)
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| ta_wilson |
i suppose i would be called an atheist
i do not beleive in god, nor any higher being for many reasons:
1. the obvious, why should i, what proof do i have
2. i am self centered i guess u would say, i dont like to think that i am not in control of my own life
3. the blind faith that these religious types (no offense intended) show never ceases to disgust and amaze me....it seems that the whole reason they worship this deity is because they have been told to by their parents and their parents before them....they beleive in god because (this is my opinion) they are insecure and need to beleive in something. when ever i am asked about my faith and i tell them, people seem to think i am some sort of animal. (i live in a town of around 3000 people, so they town is very religious (mostly Catholic and Luthern)...when i ask them why i should, and what proof they have of this god of theirs, they give me a whole bunch of bull about the bible and and crying statues and such...i cant understand them...
this said, i have always had an interest in the religion of the celts, druids, that kind of stuff. to me it seems to make the most sence out of all the various faiths, and that fact that it is more or less dead also seems to interest me....gotta go now, maybe i will ad to this later
tw |
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| raverchikadee |
| My opinion about the topic of religion tends to get me into more trouble than what its worth but in my opinion to each is own. I dont have a specific religion that i believe in. I have looked into many religions and have attended many religious events whether it was a catholic, buddism, jewish, muslim, or a specific kinda of christian event. I believe in all religions. Each have a good point to them. I cant say that i believe in a higher being but i think that the theories that lead to such thing are quite interesting. I believe that evolution is a phenomenal theory of how human beings where developed because by looking at the way people act and look now a days i can see how we resemble primates. I cant say that i believe in a "heaven" or a "hell" because i havent experienced it first hand. But its a possibility. The way the earth is as of right now especially here in american i think i have encountered as close as i could ever get to "hell" as it is descibed. I think that Karma is a possibility as well. But personally this is how i think. I cant say i believe in a satan .. i believe in energy. Positive and negative energy that i know for sure everything has. i think that some people tend to have positive energy and some people have neg. energy. I beleive that there is life after death.. where exactly i dont have the right to say since i have not been there yet. I believe in meditation. Its the way i can find the inner most part of me. Its what helps me get through my day. I dont meditate and pray. I meditate and relieve stress and just let my feelings out. There i can focus on life with out any distractions. I guess if i had to choose a religion i think that buddism would be the one i would do. even though i am not to to to to familar with its teachings and such .. i think its the best that can descibe as to what i believe in the most. I think that "religion" was brought about to give society something to believe in because with out something to believe in whats the point in living. Some people find it easier to believe in jesus, or budda, or mary, or who ever it may be. i dunno i think i am so opened minded about things in life that i have seen so much and basically think that anything is possible. I never become closed minded about others opinions on religion or what have u. I think that who knows whats the right decision and who is the actual "god". each religion believes in that the world is going to end or there is life after death etc. but who is to say what is the right religion. no one knows. what if u are christain and u sped ur whole life believing that jesus is going to come and he doesnt. basically what makes u think that other peoples religion is wrong compared to yours?? u dont know neither do they. But they believe in it. I think that religion is what u make it. religion is something that you believe in. |
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| hypronix |
I thought of quoting raverchikadee, but then I'll also atack another subject...
so, (for raverchikadee), why not forming Ur own religion, that takes only what's good of the other? (well, that's pretty much what U have done though..) I know what U mean, cuz I'm in the same situation, I avoid telling too many ppl what I believe, so they won't flame me... just wouldn't understand my point of view... because it's normal to believe in a God... but hell with it! my dad knows my point and agrees with me, so does my girlfriend... and I guess my mom could go for that too...
regarding the theory of evolution (Darwin's), I don't believe in that either. I mean it works for all animals besides human... the difference is too big to even consider a missing link. I read someplace we might be failed experiments of extraterestrial life forms... it might be plain bull, or not. no one knows that. but I don't believe in the theory of evolution. the Bible? as being a metaphorical writing, it might hide clues related to our origin... so "God" can be something that created us... as an alien civilization. I could see many similarities between Jesus's life and reported alien sightings.. as of what happened and like that.
I am free to have an opinion. it might be outrageous. it might seem foolish, or just stupid. there R yet so many sides of it... the truth, we might not have even thought of it, imagined it! |
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| raverchikadee |
"failed experiments of extraterestrial life" i have never thought of that. It could be true as well. The reason as to why i do consider darwins theory of evolution is because primates and humans have lot of similarities. Not all but some. Alot of people over look that theory because they dont want to be derived from a money or an ape. BUt u know what i have seen many monkeys and apes that are so much smarter than some of the humans i have encountered..lol. In a way to be like them isnt to bad. They dont believe in a "higher power" they just live their lives. It took me a long time to acutally come to believe that its a possibility that darwins theory may be true. Although I still think that it needs to be researched and proven a little more to get me to fully believe. But as far as what you were saying about the failed experiments.. i wouldnt put that pass anything. they way our society is modern human beings could have been created by some extraterestrial life. They could be watching us at this very moment probably wondering what the hell have they created? but anyway. As far as sharing ur opinion about religion especially the way we believe is hard. I alot of people consider me to be athesit when i am clearly not. I just dont have a specific religion. My fiance is the first person that i have ever met to have the same opinion and beleifs as i. Its awesome because we share so much and talk so much about current events and religion and such. Further more i think that this thread is probably one of the better ones i have seen so far and thanks for posting it. I think that people need different outlooks on life no matter hwat it is.. because maybe they are uncertain about themselves and what they believe in and just need to talk about it to actually find what it is that really believe in.
Jamy aka Raverchikadee! |
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| KaNoS |
Most of the post here attack religion, not god.
I considered my self and atheist about 1 year ago, but i found god again. I used to thought like you, many times i still do. "God is the dope of the poor", "god was invented by man", "religion causes only trouble", "the genesis has been proved wrong", etc..
But as some have pointed, religion is made by man, there are bad priest, priest that promote a fear to god and claim that their religion is the only true religion, there are good priest, the ones that promote love, and that they dont really care if u believe in their religion or another religion, as long as u believe in god.
The ancient text cause a lot of trouble too, because they are old, simple as that, and their are not written in literary way. They dont mean that the things are written there, happend exactly like that. "And then he created the animals", that could easily mean the evolution, just resuming 3.5 million years in one phrase, it doenst mean that animals suddely appear.
God is also like love, how can you prove u love ur mother, or your sister, or ur wife? huggin is not enought prove, nor the way u watch them. its all about the way u feel, and with god is the same, u dont see him, u feel him, by doing good actions, maybe bad actions, maybe listening music.(i believe god is everything, not only good, he is good and evil, those definitions change so much from person to person, that is ultra hard to say something is definitly wrong.
So i just say, dont deny god, just because the world tells u to, or because technology tells u, im almost sure that everyone in point in his life, wanted to believe, but they didnt just because of that. i used to be like that.
If u believe in god, and he doesnt exist, u dont lose anything. |
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| Trancewave |
Whoa, this topic and some of the responses are way to deep for me. Here's my 2 cents on all of this.
If you believe in God, good, knock yourself out but don't try to convince me to believe in it and that it exist just because you do. I will never be judgemental on what one person believes in, at the same time I think it's foolish to believe in something without any solid proof. The way I see it if you believe in something like this, nothing will ever change your mind.
All I got to say is if you choose to believe in God, do so but don't do it because others tell you to, that's ridiculous. Be your own person. I don't ever look to any "higher being" to guide me in life, I hold my own self responsible for everything I do. |
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| agi |
| quote: | Originally posted by Izzy
this is something the frustrates me, and not only when it comes to religion. for god's sake (excuse the pun) when it comes to matters like these please dont take it becuase someone told you so... go out re-search the topic, learn all you can, soul search, and then come to a conclusion. then i have full respect to whatever you belive in. but not when someone told you too. if god told you that you would go to heaven by being a mortyr for your religion by killing innoccents would you do it? |
I've been taught the religion for all my life in school, going to the church and by my family around me. When you are born your parents take an oath for you that you will follow the teachings of Jesus but I had to renew these vows myself at my confirmation when i was 11 and could make up my own mind, it is obvious that you know very little about the Catholic religion as it is strongly built around the family and it dosen't mean that you follow that whatever you told. Maybe what i said previously gave the wrong impression of my faith nut don't insult me again with such a poor comment.
anyways peace |
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| agi |
| quote: | Originally posted by Dj O'Callaghan
I've been raised a Catholic my whole entire life, raised in the way of throwing bricks at Protestants j/k, |
Did you live down the road from me ? LOL Catholic in Northern Ireland almost means your obliged to hate Protestants, sad but true.
Peace |
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| Izzy |
agi, sorry if it sounded like i was insulting you, in no way was that the case and im sorry if it may have come out like that. i was glad to read that you made up your own mind when it came to your religious preferance. i totally respect you and your views.
that is not always the case, numerous times around me i have met people who have never even questioned what they were brought up with. i think that is wrong. there is a whole world out there meant to be explored and to be ask questions about, and as i originaly said that after one has been exposed and can make a judgment then i have total respect in them. |
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| acidfast7 |
I am an Athiest. Due to the fact that I see evolution in the form of selective pressure every day at the molecular level. In my OPINION evolution and creation are at odds with each other. Personally, I don't understand how an individual believing in creation can be an objective scientist. But I digress...
| quote: | | 1)the world is just too complex to happen by chance, our bodies are perfect examples of it cause it is sooooooo complicated, that i believed that a Higher Being ie. God created us. |
I don't see the relevance of chance within evolution. Evolution is driven by energy minimization. Are you referring to a chance mutation in an organism's genome as "chance"? If so, I would argue that what you refer to isn't "chance" ... all of the machinery responsible for genome replication allows for a degree of randomness, or errors in replication. The "chance" is built into the ingenious system. It's allows for random mutations to propagate and for the environment to dictate which organisms "survive".
I also make the argument that we are encountering "reverse evolution" due to advancing medical technology. Every person with a heritable mutation that is "saved" by theraputic treatment and in turn procreates, in some respect hasn't been "selected" against and increases the incidence of that mutation within the population. Do I think we should withhold treatment, NEVER. Do I believe in a "perfect race"? NO! I am just proposing an argument that we will eventually reach an asymptotic point of evolution. Are we there yet? Perhaps. Who knows?
| quote: | | 2)The so called fossil theory, we have old fossils but we seem to have a gap in the theory and it has never been found and never been explained. Also if we decended from monkeys and stuff, wouldn't there be fossil in the process of changing like humans with monkey tails and stuff. |
While the "fossil theory" is interesting, I don't find it as conclusive as genome sequence analysis. Also, based on your tone concerning our descendency "from monkeys and stuff" it appears that you are appaled by this. I had several discussions with people upon the release of the tandem human sequencing projects. Most people can't believe that they only differ less than 2% from several species of monkies. It upsets them! That makes me sad. Science is very misunderstood, due to the inadequecy of the "scientific community" to connect with the general populous.
By the way, I would challange you to illustrate a "gap" in the predicted evolutionary systems based on highly conserved rRNA or cytochrome sequences. Those "missing" fossils possibly existed at one time, perhaps not now, or they may be yet "undiscovered".
Please excuse any typographical/grammatical errors and/or general confusion. I haven't slept in 24hrs as I am presenting a review of aerobic/anerobic respiration and photosynthesis focused on its impact on evolution. Life started in the deep sea at hydrothermal vents giving off IR radiation. Photosynthtic bacteria used inorganic ions as final electron acceptors to produce the oxygen in the atmosphere. Just my theory ... but I digress ...
Glad to talk about it some more, let me know...
Roger. |
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| tu_face |
| quote: | Originally posted by Miss Proximus
katholics detest christians, |
dont know if anyone has pointed this out yet (havent read all 4 pages) but catholics are christians... u r prolly getting mixed up cuz of the in Ireland... catholics vs protestants.. they are both parts of christianity, that have slightly different beleifs :)
i am not a christian, because i think that all the stuff in the bible that is supposed to have happened with all the miracles that jesus performed and so on are just ludicrous. how the hell is he gunna turn water into wine without distilling it with grape juice & yeast first?? how did he feed the thousands with a loaf of bread and a haddock?? an more importantly, if this god does exist, why dont these miracles continue to happen? why did god let his son die?? jesus supposedly died for us all.. but what did his death gain??
i guess ive said enough to on christianity... which puts near enough all the mainstream religions out of the picture too cuz they are near enough the same, except buddahism which is probably the most realistic one.. but i cant be doing with all the meditation etc...
science pretty much explains everything for me :) this is why i am an atheist
p.s. im not trying to offend anyone who is religious, this is just my opinion :) |
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| raverchikadee |
| That is so tru.. but u know what ... You would be suprised to see and hear how most catholics dont call them selves "christians" they say that they are catholic. They think that is a difference.. which there is .. because in catholosism they believe in mary as well as jesus.. and they talk about the saints as well. Were as in the "christian" world such as baptist presbertian or non- denominational they focus more on "god" and "Jesus". and as for not believing in the bible.. i myself have a hard time with that as well. I look at the preachings and teachings that are in there and all the stuff that was supposed to happen hasnt happened.. the millium.. the year 2000 the world was supposed to basically come to an end in the computer age. and look nothing happened. And i also have a hard time understanding it.. i think that if it was ment for me to understand then it would have been in plain clear words. Not put in words that i have to go to church and have someone interpret them for me. because they might mix it all up. anyway thats all for now. |
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