One More Time For The Teens...My Heroes Are:

[Cammmpbell]

Bill Maher, Hitchens, George Carlin, Albert Einstein,Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson. That's not bad company:

"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own--a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human fraility. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism. It is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life perpetuating itself through all eternity, to reflect upon the marvelous structure of the universe which we can dimly perceive, and to try humbly to comprehend even an infinitesimal part of the intelligence manifested in nature." ~Dr. Albert Einstein~

"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding" ~Thomas Jefferson~

"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my church." ~Thomas Paine~

“When we talk about values, I think of rationality in solving problems. That’s something I value. Fairness, kindness, generosity, tolerance. When they talk about values, they’re talking about things like going to church, voting for Bush, being loyal to Jesus, praying. These are not values.” ~Bill Maher~

"God Is Not Great!" ~Christopher Hitchens~

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Bill motherfucking Mahar?



You ruined a perfectly good list by putting Bill Mahar on a list with Hitchens and the others. Disgraceful.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

You're a severely fuclked up person there Cammmpbell.

 

[Dajjal]

At least one of those quotes may be taken out of context. Thomas Paine may have been explaining he had spiritual beliefs outside of church doctrine.

My own mind is my church." ~Thomas Paine~

 

[Dajjal]

Einstein made a mistake when he said conciousness will continue for all eternity, because as we know this universe will end, and it will take all life with it.

"It is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life perpetuating itself through all eternity"
Einstein.

 

[Barb]

Einstein made a mistake when he said conciousness will continue for all eternity, because as we know this universe will end, and it will take all life with it.

"It is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life perpetuating itself through all eternity"
Einstein.

We don't know any such thing. Some may believe, others may speculate, still more at the tippity top of the food chain may push beliefs they don't adhere to themselves, for example: Leo Strauss' Philosophy of Deception | Alternet

Many neoconservatives like Paul Wolfowitz are disciples of a philosopher who believed that the elite should use deception, religious fervor and perpetual war to control the ignorant masses.

According to Drury, Strauss had a "huge contempt" for secular democracy. Nazism, he believed, was a nihilistic reaction to the irreligious and liberal nature of the Weimar Republic. Among other neoconservatives, Irving Kristol has long argued for a much greater role for religion in the public sphere, even suggesting that the Founding Fathers of the American Republic made a major mistake by insisting on the separation of church and state. And why? Because Strauss viewed religion as absolutely essential in order to impose moral law on the masses who otherwise would be out of control.

At the same time, he stressed that religion was for the masses alone; the rulers need not be bound by it. Indeed, it would be absurd if they were, since the truths proclaimed by religion were "a pious fraud." As Ronald Bailey, science correspondent for Reason magazine points out, "Neoconservatives are pro-religion even though they themselves may not be believers."

"Secular society in their view is the worst possible thing,'' Drury says, because it leads to individualism, liberalism, and relativism, precisely those traits that may promote dissent that in turn could dangerously weaken society's ability to cope with external threats. Bailey argues that it is this firm belief in the political utility of religion as an "opiate of the masses" that helps explain why secular Jews like Kristol in 'Commentary' magazine and other neoconservative journals have allied themselves with the Christian Right and even taken on Darwin's theory of evolution.

because "Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.”

Napoleon Bonaparte

...WE don't know any such thing.

 

[Gadawg73]

Herschel Walker, Lewis Grizzard, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Vince Dooley

 

[Mad Scientist]

"I can't imagine it so therefore it doesn't exist".

 

[Barb]

"I can't imagine it so therefore it doesn't exist".

No, therefore it might or might not exist, but nobody knows.

 

[Avatar4321]

First, Bill Maher and to some extent Hitchens would be bad company.

Second, just because you've selected that group of people to be your heroes, doesn't mean they would want anything to do with you. So they aren't necessarily your "company"

 

[Avatar4321]

"I can't imagine it so therefore it doesn't exist".

No, therefore it might or might not exist, but nobody knows.

Because, of course, you know exactly what everyone else knows. Even better than they do. Because not a single person on earth can possibly know something that you don't know. Do you realize how absurd that argument is?

 

[Barb]

"I can't imagine it so therefore it doesn't exist".

No, therefore it might or might not exist, but nobody knows.

Because, of course, you know exactly what everyone else knows. Even better than they do. Because not a single person on earth can possibly know something that you don't know. Do you realize how absurd that argument is?

The difference between verifiable fact and belief is something you can't wrap your head around?

So be it.

 

[The Irish Ram]

Cammmpbell, you forgot your father Satan, who feeds your hate and who keeps understanding from you......

 

[The Irish Ram]

“When we talk about values, I think of rationality in solving problems. That’s something I value. Fairness, kindness, generosity, tolerance. When they talk about values, they’re talking about things like going to church, voting for Bush, being loyal to Jesus, praying. These are not values.” ~Bill Maher~

None of which he possesses.

 

[Avatar4321]

No, therefore it might or might not exist, but nobody knows.

Because, of course, you know exactly what everyone else knows. Even better than they do. Because not a single person on earth can possibly know something that you don't know. Do you realize how absurd that argument is?

The difference between verifiable fact and belief is something you can't wrap your head around?

So be it.

It's verifiable that you have no freaking clue what anyone else knows or doesnt know.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Bill Maher, Hitchens, George Carlin, Albert Einstein,Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson. That's not bad company:

"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own--a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human fraility. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism. It is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life perpetuating itself through all eternity, to reflect upon the marvelous structure of the universe which we can dimly perceive, and to try humbly to comprehend even an infinitesimal part of the intelligence manifested in nature." ~Dr. Albert Einstein~

"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding" ~Thomas Jefferson~

"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my church." ~Thomas Paine~

“When we talk about values, I think of rationality in solving problems. That’s something I value. Fairness, kindness, generosity, tolerance. When they talk about values, they’re talking about things like going to church, voting for Bush, being loyal to Jesus, praying. These are not values.” ~Bill Maher~

"God Is Not Great!" ~Christopher Hitchens~

I think you need to look up the word hero. The only people on that list that ever risked thier life and/or freedom for his beliefs were Jefferson and Paine, and they both actually would have thought you were incredibly stupid for arguing that their quotes proved anything about the existence of God.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

"I can't imagine it so therefore it doesn't exist".

No, therefore it might or might not exist, but nobody knows.

Not in the mind of the OP, he actually knows it doesn't, despite the complete lack of evidence to support his position.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

No, therefore it might or might not exist, but nobody knows.

Because, of course, you know exactly what everyone else knows. Even better than they do. Because not a single person on earth can possibly know something that you don't know. Do you realize how absurd that argument is?

The difference between verifiable fact and belief is something you can't wrap your head around?

So be it.

Are the only facts that are valid the ones you consider verifiable? Does the fact that a guy in Africa stubbed his toe, but cannot prove it to you, mean his experience is invalid?

 

[Cammmpbell]

Bill motherfucking Mahar?

You ruined a perfectly good list by putting Bill Mahar on a list with Hitchens and the others. Disgraceful.

Thanks for not quoting my post!

Bill Maher, Hitchens, George Carlin, Albert Einstein,Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson. That's not bad company:

"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own--a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human fraility. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism. It is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life perpetuating itself through all eternity, to reflect upon the marvelous structure of the universe which we can dimly perceive, and to try humbly to comprehend even an infinitesimal part of the intelligence manifested in nature." ~Dr. Albert Einstein~

"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding" ~Thomas Jefferson~

"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my church." ~Thomas Paine~

“When we talk about values, I think of rationality in solving problems. That’s something I value. Fairness, kindness, generosity, tolerance. When they talk about values, they’re talking about things like going to church, voting for Bush, being loyal to Jesus, praying. These are not values.” ~Bill Maher~

"God Is Not Great!" ~Christopher Hitchens~

 

[Glensather]

You know who's cooler than them?
Neil deGrasse Tyson. Bill Nye. Carl Sagan. Stephen Hawking. Bill Gates. Steve Jobs. Alan Turing.

None of them are heroes. But they're good role models. And they're brilliant.