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Roll Call: TOTA Atheist Thread (pg. 15)
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| DJ_Elyot |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jem_hadar
That was a fantastic post and im glad you decided to take the time to post it here! Really, i like the way you tried to explain a whole load of facts and from a neutral sounding stand point.
Cheers ~Jem~ |
I just try to be tolerant. I think everyone needs to work on that, both atheist and theist. Atheists get annoyed at theists who blindly place their lives into the hands of a set of unjustified beliefs and ideals, but that's no worse than an atheist who simply denies the existance of god because they've never seen it with their own eyes.
It's unfair, and in fact a logical fallacy, to discount the beliefs of others out of ignorance. If you're an atheist, like myself, then maybe you should examine why 3/4 of the world disagrees with you (3/4 being an unjustified, blindly-guessed, meaningless numerical figure).
Unicorn fallacies work both ways. Somebody who has never seen a unicorn cannot claim that one exists, but I can't claim that unicorns don't exist just because I've never seen them either. There simply exists the possibility that unicorns exist, and the argument can never be won by either side when argued from strictly sensual knowledge.
Note that my use of the verb "see" in the above paragraph refers acquiring any direct or indirect sensual evidence of any kind. ie: if I found unicorn fossils or unicorn tracks or something, then perhaps that would constitute sensual data that would support the existance of unicorns.
I don't doubt the stories of Edgar Cayce and such (I really haven't researched them enough to form my own opinion), but they still don't prove the existance of god. An atheist can still believe in Edgar Cayce's powers of astral projection without contradiction. In fact, meditation is practiced by many zen buddhists, who don't believe in god (at least not in the sense that western religions do). |
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| Cyrus King |
| quote: | Originally posted by Chris T. Dot
First off, no, I don't believe the piece of toast was anything worth even paying attention to. |
But what could have made that devine shape?? It MUST have been GOD!!!!!!!
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Next, calling the people I listed crack heads shows nothing but disrespect to people who have helped thousands. Until you can prove these people to be frauds, which would go against thousands of first hand experiences which were documented, don't comment with such stupidness. You're telling me that whoever Edgar Cayce helped really never was sick and just made everything up? I'm sure that 40 000 cases were all just made up right? :rolleyes: And don't ever call him an opportunist, the man never charged money for his readings and never set out to make a profit. Nor was he some evangelist trying to scheme people. He was just like the rest of us and never asked for the gift he was given. |
Please read the wikipedia link i posted up and then see what is thought of the man. There were many gullible people in the 50's, and prior to that. THe majority of the people back then couldnt fathom the fact that we were from the same lineage as apes. Out of all the explanations that can be used to describe how casey came up with his answers (whether right or wrong) is the SOLE one that he was "gifted" with powers????
Give me a break :rolleyes:
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Tell me, would any of you atheists, if you had the chance, go and actually talk to Slyvia Browne and see for yourself whether she's for real or not? Or would you just brush off the opportunity for fear that maybe she would prove you wrong and shatter your current belief system and view of this life? I personally don't find athiests as open-minded as some of them claim, because keeping a mind open to the possibly of a supernatural and spiritual world isn't that far fetched.
It's funny how some of these solid examples of the supernatural exist yet the typical responce when addressed with these are: "ya, padre pio and edgar cayce must have been frauds, etc etc etc" without anyone ever being able to prove it and just ignoring facts from thousands of people who experienced these "gifted people" first hand. |
I cant even beelive that you would make the assumption that she is actually "gifted" with powers that would "shatter" our beleif system.
This woman is a in joke. I watch montel williams when shes on it just to LAUGH at her and her generalized answers.
For example. A woman (a stupid one like the rest of the audience was) asked a question about her father who used to be a teacher. "What was he doing in heaven"?.. she asked. Sylvia's answer was "hes up their teaching the children that come into heaven"
AHHAHAHHHAHAHA... What a CROCK OF SHIIIIIIIIIIIIITE!!!!!!!
Or how about this one
"Sylvia.. i was driving my car one day and a bullet flew into the back area of my car where my daughter was sitting. It should have hit her head but it didnt. Later that day.. my little daughter said she saw something when the window shattered.. she said she saw an....."
And before the woman could finish her comment Sylvia says "An angel"
And the woman starts to get teary eyed and says "yes.... an angel.... thank you "
AHHAHHAHAHAHHAH.... honestly... humans are so dumb. No wonder religion has survived so long. |
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| SurrJRS |
Hrm...
I don't believe in one all powerful being, and I personally find most organized religion a big turn off. I do however have much respect for the convictions of other people, as long as they don't use their religion as a means to persecute and infringe on the beliefs and wellbeing of others. Unfortunately religion is filled with contradictions, so asking for such a thing is apparently asking too much. And besides, who am I to decide what is right or wrong, etc? Religion is a great conundrum indeed!
I believe if you go through life doing what you honestly feel is right in your heart, you can't go wrong.
If there really is a merciful and forgiving God at the end of the white light, he would understand the great religious dilemma we face. Those who did their utmost to be good people throughout their life would most likely be looked upon favorably.
So, put me down for agnostic I guess... I like the definition:
Agnostic:
1) Somebody who believes that it is impossible to know whether or not God exists.
2) Somebody who doubts that a particular question has a single correct answer or that a complete understanding of something can be attained. |
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| b4k-oz |
| quote: | Originally posted by SurrJRS
Hrm...
I don't believe in one all powerful being, and I personally find most organized religion a big turn off. I do however have much respect for the convictions of other people, as long as they don't use their religion as a means to persecute and infringe on the beliefs and wellbeing of others. Unfortunately religion is filled with contradictions, so asking for such a thing is apparently asking too much. And besides, who am I to decide what is right or wrong, etc? Religion is a great conundrum indeed!
I believe if you go through life doing what you honestly feel is right in your heart, you can't go wrong.
If there really is a merciful and forgiving God at the end of the white light, he would understand the great religious dilemma we face. Those who did their utmost to be good people throughout their life would most likely be looked upon favorably.
So, put me down for agnostic I guess... I like the definition:
Agnostic:
1) Somebody who believes that it is impossible to know whether or not God exists.
2) Somebody who doubts that a particular question has a single correct answer or that a complete understanding of something can be attained. |
Awesome! I like your definition for Agnostic. I suppose in a way, I'm Agnostic too. Even though I believe in the power of one's personal energy to bring us happiness which, as I said earlier, is kinda like a New Age belief...I'd have to say that yes...I am agnostic.
OK Jem_hadar I've decided that I fall more into the catagory of Agnostic :gsmile: |
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| SurrJRS |
| quote: | Originally posted by b4k-oz
Awesome! I like your definition for Agnostic. I suppose in a way, I'm Agnostic too. Even though I believe in the power of one's personal energy to bring us happiness which, as I said earlier, is kinda like a New Age belief...I'd have to say that yes...I am agnostic.
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A very good page defining exactly what an agnostic is, and answering some common questions:
http://www.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/humftp/...ll/agnostic.htm |
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| kabelicious |
| Agnostic with pagan tendencies - i.e. nothing is more divine than untainted nature. |
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| Jem_hadar |
wow. :eyespop: massive influx of agnostics! :happy2:
-jem- |
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| starsearcher |
Yeah I'm an agnostic too :happy2:
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| Spankmeister |
This thread has amused me...
Many very young people that are 'bulletproof and invincible' and are their own 'higher power' have spouted off..
First of all, I highly doubt that every professed 'athiest' is truly a athiest....
Secondly, an agnostic is someone that believes in a higher power, but doesn't subscribe to any organized religion...not one that hasn't thought about it..
Just one simple question I have to ask....
Can anybody explain in scientific terms the thing that is 'Love'...
What makes you 'love' someone and not 'love' someone else...I am talking about the romantic/butterflies in your stomach/sick feeling when you just can't get enough of someone else.
AS for me, I lived many years being my own God...I was the center of the universe and it was all about me. As years have passed, many things that I cannot and don't wish to explain have happened in my life. I do not subscribe to any organized religion. My spiritual beliefs can be summarized in one statement...
"There is a GOD, and it isn't me"
Where GOD, can stand for Good Orderly Direction, or Higher Power or whatever the hell else you want to put in there...
I am not naive or arrogant enough to think that I have complete control over EVERY aspect of my life. Nor do I think that I don't have control over ANY aspect of my life. We all have choices and there are so many things that we have no control over.
I would be interested to hear Xavier's thoughts on a higher power before and after he went to the Doc's.... |
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| starsearcher |
Well Agnostic really means that God could or exist but there's no real proof for his existance nor there is a proof for him not existing...so basically I'm one of those that say "maybe...but maybe not". So far I'm leaning more towards the maybe not...and it's not neccessarily because I feel invincible.
Sometimes the insanity of it all bothers me though...and i don't mean people who believe in god but those who say that anything and everything that happends to them is god's will (the ones that push to the rediculous extreme, beyond reason). Back in the old days, before science everything was attributed to god...the good things, and bad things, and the ugly things...today many people seem to still live by that notion. For example last night I was watching the show The Contender and the guy was praying to god the whole time before the fight saying that god will decide whether he wins or loses and he feels that god will be with him. The guy got knocked out, and all he had to say is that it was god's plan for him not to win. Like seriously, :wtf: like that bothers me. No disrespect to anyone but COME ON!
*sigh* anyway...there ya go! |
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