Is Atheism Depressing?

[PratchettFan]

I think the vast majority of atheists are under the power of Satan. I feel sorry for them. They don't not believe..they are highly motivated to attack.

And that's sad, because they have been given the opportunity of salvation, and are rejecting it with both hands....and then complain because the world is an unhappy place. The world is unhappy because people reject God.

And I think you are completely wrong. OTOH, I think it is ok for you to be completely wrong.

 

[koshergrl]

I'm not wrong.

And in that, atheism is depressing. I know a lot of atheists who think they have it figured out, and I know they will be begging in the end...which makes me sad.

 

[dblack]

I think the vast majority of atheists are under the power of Satan. I feel sorry for them. They don't not believe..they are highly motivated to attack.

And that's sad, because they have been given the opportunity of salvation, and are rejecting it with both hands....and then complain because the world is an unhappy place. The world is unhappy because people reject God.

And I think you are completely wrong. OTOH, I think it is ok for you to be completely wrong.

But you have to admit, it is kind of sad.

 

[Uncensored2008]

I think the vast majority of atheists are under the power of Satan. I feel sorry for them. They don't not believe..they are highly motivated to attack.

And that's sad, because they have been given the opportunity of salvation, and are rejecting it with both hands....and then complain because the world is an unhappy place. The world is unhappy because people reject God.

So it there a cosmic "pick," like for the softball games in high school PE? Satan picks one, then God picks one, etc?

I was raised Christian, but frankly, I grew out of it. I hold no animosity toward Christians and have no desire to convert people, the way the Atheists do. (I find Atheists to be about the most annoying religion around, always trying to shove their beliefs down everyone's throats.)

I have nothing against Christianity - life simply taught me that it isn't true. I deal in facts in my work and in my way of thinking. I look at evidence, and the evidence disputes Christianity.

 

[Capstone]

You are so far away from the truth it makes you look small. [...]

And you're so far away from dealing with the impetus for my assessment of your God as a "genocidal tyrant" and a "Divine Douchebag" ...it makes your capacity for reading comprehension seem almost non-existent. You see, the aim of posting the link to a list of some of the Biblical atrocities that were supposedly carried out and/or ordered by the God of the Bible was less "HIS" ego than "HIS" genocidal/tyrannical nature. This business involving the "condemn(ation)" of those "with the audacity not to place HIS glorious ass on a pedestal to be worshiped and praised" (or as you might say, "those who've chosen eternal Hellfire" over worshiping your God) was really a stab at the horrific mythology (visa vis the Bible) surrounding the mythical figure you've chosen to worship.

Apart from that, you've also failed to respond WRT the main thrust of my post, which was and still is simply this: I think it might be healthier to face reality without deluding oneself, even if it means dealing with some pretty grim (if not downright depressing) conclusions.

 

[koshergrl]

If he's not real, how can he be a douchebag?

See, this is the problem with so-called "atheists" and ultimately, why I know the power behind them is satan.

They're just pawns.

 

[rightwinger]

I'm not wrong.

And in that, atheism is depressing. I know a lot of atheists who think they have it figured out, and I know they will be begging in the end...which makes me sad.

Atheists will be dying peacefully

You will be left wondering WTF?

 

[Dajjal]

What's the matter with Jesus? Forgiveness? Kindness to neighbors?

The quote was actually mine.

And as for what is wrong with Jesus, the main thing is that he never existed. There is no more evidence of an actual Jesus than there is for an actual Spiderman.

Sorry, but thems the facts. Paul existed, there are LOTS of documents about him - but Jesus? Not so much.... The Sanhedrin didn't bother to document his trial and execution, nor did the Romans, of course Pontius Pilate was NOT the governor of Judea at the time, so that did throw a monkey wrench in the whole thing.

The Pilate letters are from a Novel and the Josephus reference is a long proven fraud by the Catholic Church.

Here are two references to Jesus in Roman writings. In any case there is documentation that exists on Neros persecution of Christians in 43ad
This is a kind of evidence of Jesus existence, since people were willing to die rather than recant their faith, and that was within living memory of Jesus life.

From the annals of the Roman historian Tacitus. Annal 15:44

15.44.2. But, despite kindly influence, despite the leader's generous handouts, despite appeasing the gods, the scandal did not subside, rather the blaze came to be believed to be an official act. So, in order to quash the rumour, Nero blamed it on, and applied the cruellest punishments to, those sinners, whom ordinary people call Christians, hating them for their shameful behaviour.
15.44.3. The originator of this name, Christ, was sentenced to torture by Procurator Pontius Pilate, during the reign of Tiberius, but although checked for a moment, the deadly cult erupted again, not just in Judaea, the source of its evil, but even in Rome, where all the sins and scandals of the world gather and are glorified.


Pliny the Younger
Pliny was the governor of the Roman province of Bithynia, in present-day Turkey. In about 112 AD, he wrote (in Epistles X.96) to the emperor Trajan, asking for advice on how to deal with the Christians in his province, because he was executing so many of them. Pliny wrote:

'They were in the habit of meeting before dawn on a fixed day. They would recite in alternate verse a hymn to Christ as to a God, and would bind themselves by a solemn oath, not to do any criminal act, but rather that they would not commit any fraud, theft or adultery, nor betray any trust nor refuse to restore a deposit on demand. This done, they would disperse, and then they would meet again later to eat together (but the food was quite ordinary and harmless.)

 

[koshergrl]

No, I really won't.

If I'm wrong, I'll die peacefully as well (unless a so-called "atheist" has a say in my demise)...there will be no "wtf"....

If there were an opportunity for wtf, then it's because I am right...in which case it won't be me that is surprised.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Atheists will be dying peacefully

I doubt that.

The prospect that everything you have ever done, felt, experienced, built, etc. will be gone - not even your memory of it will exist. Nothingness robs any hint of meaning from a life so extinguished. You're a smug troll playing a game on the internet, but the reality of such a belief can only lead to despair at the end.

You will be left wondering WTF?

I doubt it. I would think those with a strong faith will never know they were wrong. How could they if they cease to exist?

 

[rightwinger]

No, I really won't.

If I'm wrong, I'll die peacefully as well (unless a so-called "atheist" has a say in my demise)...there will be no "wtf"....

If there were an opportunity for wtf, then it's because I am right...in which case it won't be me that is surprised.

WTF did I waste all this time worshipping something that is not true?

 

[rightwinger]

Atheists will be dying peacefully

I doubt that.

The prospect that everything you have ever done, felt, experienced, built, etc. will be gone - not even your memory of it will exist. Nothingness robs any hint of meaning from a life so extinguished. You're a smug troll playing a game on the internet, but the reality of such a belief can only lead to despair at the end.

You will be left wondering WTF?

I doubt it. I would think those with a strong faith will never know they were wrong. How could they if they cease to exist?

How so?

it is just like closing a book when you are done reading it

 

[Uncensored2008]

Here are two references to Jesus in Roman writings. In any case there is documentation that exists on Neros persecution of Christians in 43ad
This is a kind of evidence of Jesus existence, since people were willing to die rather than recant their faith, and that was within living memory of Jesus life.

From the annals of the Roman historian Tacitus. Annal 15:44

15.44.2. But, despite kindly influence, despite the leader's generous handouts, despite appeasing the gods, the scandal did not subside, rather the blaze came to be believed to be an official act. So, in order to quash the rumour, Nero blamed it on, and applied the cruellest punishments to, those sinners, whom ordinary people call Christians, hating them for their shameful behaviour.
15.44.3. The originator of this name, Christ, was sentenced to torture by Procurator Pontius Pilate, during the reign of Tiberius, but although checked for a moment, the deadly cult erupted again, not just in Judaea, the source of its evil, but even in Rome, where all the sins and scandals of the world gather and are glorified.


Pliny the Younger
Pliny was the governor of the Roman province of Bithynia, in present-day Turkey. In about 112 AD, he wrote (in Epistles X.96) to the emperor Trajan, asking for advice on how to deal with the Christians in his province, because he was executing so many of them. Pliny wrote:

'They were in the habit of meeting before dawn on a fixed day. They would recite in alternate verse a hymn to Christ as to a God, and would bind themselves by a solemn oath, not to do any criminal act, but rather that they would not commit any fraud, theft or adultery, nor betray any trust nor refuse to restore a deposit on demand. This done, they would disperse, and then they would meet again later to eat together (but the food was quite ordinary and harmless.)

Both are quotes about Christians, not Christ.

Again, you can find NOTHING that documents Jesus in Roman OR Hebrew records.

Jeshua - Jesus, was a common name, but as for the Messiah from Nazareth? Well, there isn't even any record that Nazareth existed. Josephus listed all the towns of Galilee, but somehow failed to note Nazareth. Looks like Nazareth was inserted in the 2nd century to fulfill a prophecy from Joel.

 

[Uncensored2008]

How so?

it is just like closing a book when you are done reading it

When I close a book, I have the memory of the story and the knowledge gained.

We are talking about making the book never exist - once read, all trace that it ever was is gone.

Blink - it not only is no more, but never was....

 

[dblack]

[
Actually, no. You can see in this thread the rants against the maniacal genocidal blah blah blah....the anger towards a God they reject, claim doesn't exist, based on their belief that he's a mean guy who shouldn't allow us to reap the consequences of our own stupidity.

It's schizo. If you don't believe he exists, what's with the anger?

If you're angry with him, how can you say he doesn't exist?

Ahh.. I see the problem. Your conflating anger toward religious people (or at least religious people who do immoral things in the name of their religion) with anger towards gods. We're not angry with your god, we just don't think it's real.

We, some of us at least, are angry with people who do asinine things in the name of religion.

 

[Capstone]

If he's not real, how can he be a douchebag?

In very much the same way The Grinch (you know, the one who stole Christmas) or any other fictional douchebag can still be a douchebag: in a mythological way.

[...]See, this is the problem with so-called "atheists" and ultimately, why I know the power behind them is satan. [...] They're just pawns.

Funnily enough, this is one of the more common problems among religious theists: any and all explanations will ultimately appeal to the very mythology that underlies their worldview.

 

[dblack]

How so?

it is just like closing a book when you are done reading it

When I close a book, I have the memory of the story and the knowledge gained.

We are talking about making the book never exist - once read, all trace that it ever was is gone.

Blink - it not only is no more, but never was....

The book analogy reflects my views on the mind, and the 'afterlife' pretty accurately. A book is a temporal recording of a story. But the story doesn't cease to exist if the book is burned. As long as other books hold the text, or the story is 'recorded' in the minds of intelligent beings - or even encoded into computer data - it continues to exists, continues to interact and affect the world. People are similar.

 

[rightwinger]

How so?

it is just like closing a book when you are done reading it

When I close a book, I have the memory of the story and the knowledge gained.

We are talking about making the book never exist - once read, all trace that it ever was is gone.

Blink - it not only is no more, but never was....

If you wrote a good book during your lifetime it will be loved forever. Some books are quickly forgotten after they are finished

No book goes on forever

 

[jillian]

No....the entire bible.

Where did I stone anyone? *yawn*. What a completely irrelevant edit that was.

the torah IS the entire bible.

the other comment was a bible reference in terms of what one is told to do...

 

[Uncensored2008]

The book analogy reflects my views on the mind, and the 'afterlife' pretty accurately. A book is a temporal recording of a story. But the story doesn't cease to exist if the book is burned. As long as other books hold the text, or the story is 'recorded' in the minds of intelligent beings - or even encoded into computer data - it continues to exists, continues to interact and affect the world. People are similar.

Very few of us will be remembered past a couple of generations. Our children and grandchildren will remember what they perceived of us. But what it is to be you, will cease to exist at the moment of your death.