Athiest Playbook

[ChrisL]

Let's look at the facts. The Christian Bible is not the first book of it's kind. It copies the Torah. It's really not much different at all from the Quran or the Torah. The ONLY reason why this religion (and I am speaking about here in AMERICA) has become moderate is because our secular society has kind of forced it into moderation. Being a modern and enlightened society, we don't take kindly to stoning, torture and other such things. However, relatively speaking, not too long ago these people were burning women at the stake claiming they were witches.

 

[Pilate]

Blind belief in an idea? Sounds familiar, does it not? "God is real. That much is obvious. And if you ask me to prove it, then you are angry!"

What makes you believe that there are gods?

I have no reason to believe that there are any and a natural scientific explanation strikes me as more likely. Your accusation is still totally unfounded. My defense of another's belief (one that I do not agree with) is not proof of me holding that belief.

So, you claim that you are an agnostic/atheist, and here you are arguing FOR the man made religions? Why is that?

I prefer non-religious. I perceive atheism as having become the very thing it sought to break away from. Anyway, in the words of Voltaire, "I disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Atheism simply means that you have no belief in god (s). It doesn't mean anything more than that.

It becomes rather annoying when you have the Holy roller Bible crowd telling you that you are going to burn in hell and be tormented for eternity because you LACK belief and, I would think, a completely "ungodly" thing to do.

In an ideal world that is what it would mean. Regretfully that isn't how things currently are. As for their words, do not heed them, they carry no weight nor worth. If you want to do away with religion it can be done be educating people to think critically.

 

[Pilate]

Let's look at the facts. The Christian Bible is not the first book of it's kind. It copies the Torah. It's really not much different at all from the Quran or the Torah. The ONLY reason why this religion (and I am speaking about here in AMERICA) has become moderate is because our secular society has kind of forced it into moderation. Being a modern and enlightened society, we don't take kindly to stoning, torture and other such things. However, relatively speaking, not too long ago these people were burning women at the stake claiming they were witches.

And I'd disagree since most western nations used to be more religious than they were secular. That's not to say that secularism didn't make them more moderate, but I'd argue that a variety of other factors resulted in the spread of secularism in western nations and that in essence western secularism was born from western nations that were rather religious.

 

[Vandalshandle]

Imagine how much smarter we are today than we were 2000 years ago.

You surely have not proved it in your latest speech.

Here is your problem. You reject ALL eye witnesses if they do not coincide with your own beliefs. How convenient.

What eye witnesses? The 5000 that saw Jesus turn 5 fish and 3 loaves of bread into a feast? That must have been real weak soup.

ALL OF THEM sealybobo.

All 200 miracles in this century --- you doubt every single one of them because you think --- or want to believe ---everybody lies.

Sorry. You can't count Trump getting the nomination as a miracle. That was just plain stupidity. You will also have to throw out Palin getting the VP nomination, for the same reason. I will let you keep Pat Robinson's answered prayer for god to change the path of a hurricane in order to spare his broadcast tower, but it seems kind of "iffy", considering that several people died in it's new path....

 

[Vandalshandle]

Thankfully, I'm not in any cults. I think for myself and logic rules the day!

If you think that today's atheism isn't a cult then I have news for you.

It's not. Lol. Man-made religions on the other hand are cultish.

Only in a more overt manner.

What are you talking about? Lol.

Short attention span? I'm saying that modern atheism is cultish in that much like religions it has preachers, a clergy of sorts, and unfortunately modern atheism has little to do with rejection of a supreme being rather than it does a kind of signaling of "look how smart I am, I watch the Big Bang theory." It has been hijacked by juveniles who seem to forget that all we are are individuals who reject the idea of a supreme being. Atheism does not and has never had any inherent ties to science nor logic. Those are separate and distinct, and yet, modern atheism has managed to develop an almost dogmatic relationship with those entities.

You are on to us! Might as well admit that we meet each month at midnight on a full moon, and chant, while running naked through the woods, while high on drugs, and brandishing broomsticks...

 

[Pilate]

If you think that today's atheism isn't a cult then I have news for you.

It's not. Lol. Man-made religions on the other hand are cultish.

Only in a more overt manner.

What are you talking about? Lol.

Short attention span? I'm saying that modern atheism is cultish in that much like religions it has preachers, a clergy of sorts, and unfortunately modern atheism has little to do with rejection of a supreme being rather than it does a kind of signaling of "look how smart I am, I watch the Big Bang theory." It has been hijacked by juveniles who seem to forget that all we are are individuals who reject the idea of a supreme being. Atheism does not and has never had any inherent ties to science nor logic. Those are separate and distinct, and yet, modern atheism has managed to develop an almost dogmatic relationship with those entities.

You are on to us! Might as well admit that we meet each month at midnight on a full moon, and chant, while running naked through the woods, while high on drugs, and brandishing broomsticks...

You might as well address my points.

 

[Vandalshandle]

It's not. Lol. Man-made religions on the other hand are cultish.

Only in a more overt manner.

What are you talking about? Lol.

Short attention span? I'm saying that modern atheism is cultish in that much like religions it has preachers, a clergy of sorts, and unfortunately modern atheism has little to do with rejection of a supreme being rather than it does a kind of signaling of "look how smart I am, I watch the Big Bang theory." It has been hijacked by juveniles who seem to forget that all we are are individuals who reject the idea of a supreme being. Atheism does not and has never had any inherent ties to science nor logic. Those are separate and distinct, and yet, modern atheism has managed to develop an almost dogmatic relationship with those entities.

You are on to us! Might as well admit that we meet each month at midnight on a full moon, and chant, while running naked through the woods, while high on drugs, and brandishing broomsticks...

You might as well address my points.

Well, I started to read your posts, but got to laughing so hard about us atheists being a "cult", that I spilled my Dr. pepper all over my keyboard, and now have to strike the keys one at a time with tissue dabbed in Formula 409. Kind of slows me down.

 

[sealybobo]

Imagine how much smarter we are today than we were 2000 years ago.

You surely have not proved it in your latest speech.

Here is your problem. You reject ALL eye witnesses if they do not coincide with your own beliefs. How convenient.

What eye witnesses? The 5000 that saw Jesus turn 5 fish and 3 loaves of bread into a feast? That must have been real weak soup.

ALL OF THEM sealybobo.

All 200 miracles in this century --- you doubt every single one of them because you think --- or want to believe ---everybody lies.

Yea, like the miracles Pope John Paul did? He didn't perform any miracles. But ask Catholics they'll tell you he did

 

[sealybobo]

This OP is literally the reason I refer to myself as non-religious instead of atheist. Because atheist always seems to entail some smarter than thou condescending mentality. Just let theists practice and talk about their religions in peace. I may think it's silly but they're not hurting me and I'm not going to waste anyone's time by bothering them.

.

I may think it's silly but they're not hurting me and I'm not going to waste anyone's time by bothering them.

there's a reason they are not hurting others presently and it has nothing to do with you.

.

So I took a look out of my window at the world, and sure enough, you were right! An inquisitor was right outside my house! After flogging me for hours I confessed my sins...and then I woke up and realized that the inquisition has been gone since well before any of us were born. I take it though that this is some kind of revenge thing for you, huh?

If it weren't for the religious folks living in secular cultures, they would still be forcing their beliefs upon us any way they could. That's the only difference between Christians and Muslims.

So in return you feel a need to push your ideas on others then? Clever atheists, so mature and so intellectual and yet you can not overcome the vice that is childish vindictiveness.

We debate you passionately and in the end don't care what you believe.

We don't get offended when you don't agree with us but you take it personally when we point out your God is imaginary.

Now if I really truly believed I was going to heaven and you not, why would I feel anything other than pitty for you? And if you refused to listen I would never get defensive.

And don't you guys see "you'll go to hell" is basically cohersion

 

[BreezeWood]

.

If you want to do away with religion it can be done be educating people to think critically.

as though religion is not the consequence of critical thought throughout the ages but the byproduct of those who have usurped its elements for their own personal gain - atheist.

.

 

[sealybobo]

Whatever dude. I do NOT believe you. You are a religious person. That much is obvious.

Blind belief in an idea? Sounds familiar, does it not? "God is real. That much is obvious. And if you ask me to prove it, then you are angry!"

What makes you believe that there are gods?

I have no reason to believe that there are any and a natural scientific explanation strikes me as more likely. Your accusation is still totally unfounded. My defense of another's belief (one that I do not agree with) is not proof of me holding that belief.

So, you claim that you are an agnostic/atheist, and here you are arguing FOR the man made religions? Why is that?

I prefer non-religious. I perceive atheism as having become the very thing it sought to break away from. Anyway, in the words of Voltaire, "I disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Even if what they are saying is wrong?

What does it mean to be a theist? Does it mean you know 100% for sure God(s) exist? No it does not. Unless you are claiming you met one of course but most people admit they believe or have faith there is a God.

So in contrast, an atheist doesn't claim to know either. You'd have to be a God yourself.

Anyways, this is what theists don't understand. Us atheists don't know EITHER!

But yet the bible claims to be a fact and Christians want to talk about when he visited or sent his son. Then they get offended when we call bullshit

 

[Meriweather]

Aware? Think about it. You don't have a clue how we got here. You didn't back then and you don't now. The same questions you didn't have the answers for back then, you still don't have.

But then there are the questions like, "what is thunder?". They used to think that was god. So over time the god concept or hypothesis has actually gotten smaller.

And then consider around 10,000 years ago men made up that God visited them. They had to because people weren't buying into the god concept. Maybe there is and maybe there isn't one. It was hard to get people to join their religions so they had to lie and say god visited. And we've been believing that ever since.

It's not like humans are that much smarter than we were 10,000 years ago. Maybe some of us are but not the masses. The masses don't know how to make a car, turn oil into gas, rub two sticks together, put a space ship on the moon. We like to think we are smarter than our ancestors but only about 5% of us are actually intelligent. The rest of us are sheep. Same sheep that bought into organized religions thousands of years ago.

People used to think the sun was a god to be worshipped. This makes more sense to me than a god made in our image. They prayed for it to return every night it went away. The night was scary. So they prayed to the SUN. Today we pray to the SON.

Who, exactly, had a God of Thunder? Certainly not everyone. Some of the polytheistic believers did/do. Since then, there have been further revelation of God. Just as humanity's understanding of science has grown, so has the understanding of God. Sure, some people's understanding of science is almost nil--but then again, some people's understanding of God and theology is at an equally low level.

 

[sealybobo]

Aware? Think about it. You don't have a clue how we got here. You didn't back then and you don't now. The same questions you didn't have the answers for back then, you still don't have.

But then there are the questions like, "what is thunder?". They used to think that was god. So over time the god concept or hypothesis has actually gotten smaller.

And then consider around 10,000 years ago men made up that God visited them. They had to because people weren't buying into the god concept. Maybe there is and maybe there isn't one. It was hard to get people to join their religions so they had to lie and say god visited. And we've been believing that ever since.

It's not like humans are that much smarter than we were 10,000 years ago. Maybe some of us are but not the masses. The masses don't know how to make a car, turn oil into gas, rub two sticks together, put a space ship on the moon. We like to think we are smarter than our ancestors but only about 5% of us are actually intelligent. The rest of us are sheep. Same sheep that bought into organized religions thousands of years ago.

People used to think the sun was a god to be worshipped. This makes more sense to me than a god made in our image. They prayed for it to return every night it went away. The night was scary. So they prayed to the SUN. Today we pray to the SON.

Who, exactly, had a God of Thunder? Certainly not everyone. Some of the polytheistic believers did/do. Since then, there have been further revelation of God. Just as humanity's understanding of science has grown, so has the understanding of God. Sure, some people's understanding of science is almost nil--but then again, some people's understanding of God and theology is at an equally low level.

I used to believe in God. The more I know the less I believe. I went to church recently because my mom died. Every time I found myself in a religious situation I felt silly. It's all wishful thinking.

I don't need to think I'll see my mom again. I am grateful her parents had her and she lived a good life and had me. She's lucky she was born and so am I. The universe is 14 billion years old. You're lucky if you get 100.

I see why its important to my dad though so I go along.

I would never tell someone their religion is a lie and stupid in person. That'd be rude. I come to usmb to talk about God, politics and sex. The three taboo subjects. If you get offended just sign out

 

[Meriweather]

I used to believe in God. The more I know the less I believe.

I'm thinking that's the problem in a nutshell. What if what you know is not God?

 

[sealybobo]

I used to believe in God. The more I know the less I believe.

I'm thinking that's the problem in a nutshell. What if what you know is not God?

Let's just put it this way. Not one part of me believes believing God exists matters. You choose to worship whatever got you here your way and let other people believe or not believe as they want.

Unfortunately that includes Muslims and atheists

 

[Meriweather]

Let's just put it this way. Not one part of me believes believing God exists matters. You choose to worship whatever got you here your way and let other people believe or not believe as they want.

Unfortunately that includes Muslims and atheists

I married an atheist, so "letting" others has nothing to do with my previous question to you. What if what you know is not God?

 

[Clement]

You are completely missing or ignoring the point. The point is that humans existed for a very long time before "religion" existed. They had no idea about a God.

How do you know that?

Because someone had to be the first one to come up with the concept of God. If no one told you about God what age do you think you would have come up with the God hypothesis?

There was a time when primitive man came up with the God concept, we just don't know when because it happened before recorded history

No one person came up with the idea of a god. Every culture in the world has some notion of a supreme being, and they always have.

And you know that how?

Simple fact. Someone had to come up with the idea first. If no one ever told you about God it would take you years before you invented a God.

At one time humans didn't even talk. When they started it was "ug, sex, eat, cold, mad, happy". It wasn't till later that humans imagined a creator.

You aren't born religious silly

and... you... know... that... how?

Simple fact: no one person came up with the idea of a supreme being, every culture has had it. It's not a debatable point. If one person came up with the concept of "God", point him out to me. Show me where you got your information from.

 

[ChrisL]

How do you know that?

Because someone had to be the first one to come up with the concept of God. If no one told you about God what age do you think you would have come up with the God hypothesis?

There was a time when primitive man came up with the God concept, we just don't know when because it happened before recorded history

No one person came up with the idea of a god. Every culture in the world has some notion of a supreme being, and they always have.

And you know that how?

Simple fact. Someone had to come up with the idea first. If no one ever told you about God it would take you years before you invented a God.

At one time humans didn't even talk. When they started it was "ug, sex, eat, cold, mad, happy". It wasn't till later that humans imagined a creator.

You aren't born religious silly

and... you... know... that... how?

Simple fact: no one person came up with the idea of a supreme being, every culture has had it. It's not a debatable point. If one person came up with the concept of "God", point him out to me. Show me where you got your information from.

Link? I'm sure some cultures did have god (s). That doesn't mean they were ever real though. People have a need to explain that which they cannot understand, and back then, explanations for earthquakes, volcanoes, droughts, and just about everything were attributed to god (s).

Interesting point, how do you know which god (s) are real?

 

[ChrisL]

Aware? Think about it. You don't have a clue how we got here. You didn't back then and you don't now. The same questions you didn't have the answers for back then, you still don't have.

But then there are the questions like, "what is thunder?". They used to think that was god. So over time the god concept or hypothesis has actually gotten smaller.

And then consider around 10,000 years ago men made up that God visited them. They had to because people weren't buying into the god concept. Maybe there is and maybe there isn't one. It was hard to get people to join their religions so they had to lie and say god visited. And we've been believing that ever since.

It's not like humans are that much smarter than we were 10,000 years ago. Maybe some of us are but not the masses. The masses don't know how to make a car, turn oil into gas, rub two sticks together, put a space ship on the moon. We like to think we are smarter than our ancestors but only about 5% of us are actually intelligent. The rest of us are sheep. Same sheep that bought into organized religions thousands of years ago.

People used to think the sun was a god to be worshipped. This makes more sense to me than a god made in our image. They prayed for it to return every night it went away. The night was scary. So they prayed to the SUN. Today we pray to the SON.

Who, exactly, had a God of Thunder? Certainly not everyone. Some of the polytheistic believers did/do. Since then, there have been further revelation of God. Just as humanity's understanding of science has grown, so has the understanding of God. Sure, some people's understanding of science is almost nil--but then again, some people's understanding of God and theology is at an equally low level.

Oh really? How has an understanding of a god that cannot be seen or examined in any way developed? I think what you mean is that the things that used to be attributed to god (s) have been proven to actually be caused by completely natural events and therefore no longer the works of god (s)?

 

[Vandalshandle]

Speaking for myself, I really don't have anything against Catholic priests. I just don't want my son dating one.