The Athiest Argument

Being, Older than Dirt... gives one some perspective, on this question......
If you are a Believer in a God.... Then you need to live in his Light, and worship, as your God Requires..... to receive his Blessings.....
If you are not.... Then it really makes NO Difference, what you do in this life, as the Great Cosmos, Doesn't give a S**T, and when your Gone, Your Gone.....
It really is as simple as that...... The rest is all semantics..... ..... YMMV.....

 

EZ does it, folks. This subforum is bound to produce disagreements, and we need to be more than usually aware of the potential for verbal fisticuffs.

 

Whenever we hear a religious person become angry (or see it) at the proposition that there is no God, it is a sure sign they are frightened, deep down. This is not something to toy with or relish --for these people, their faith has carried them through the toughest times in life. For many religious folk, their belief system is as much a part of their life as the air they breathe, and it is just as real to them. Just the idea of the absence of their God (this is comical to an Atheist) is enough to short-circuit their cognitive abilities and their emotional processes take over; this is because religious belief is deeply rooted in emotion. To me, there has been no greater emotional story ever told than the pristinely gifted and cherished child of the God so revered by Christians, the death of this man, and his sacrifice for humanity. Perhaps it is because it's the same story from the times of ancient Egypt and even Greek mythology --it locks on to the core of our being and shakes us to the very foundation.

As humans, we are capable of the most incredible feats of love and beauty. We are also capable of the greatest examples of depravity and horror, too. Although the years go on and our civilizations rise and fall, we take these universal truths of the self with us through time on our seemingly endless journey toward the unknown future.

We are each naked and fragile at birth, and we must all die on our own. For the majority of people, it is comforting to believe there is something waiting for us --something more than we have ever received in this life.

For what seems to have been an eternity, humankind has rooted itself in religion, perhaps to keep the peace and instill discipline when there was no other method and to grant reason to any number of life's mysteries. Rulers and Popes have long held power due to the adoption and enforcement of religious dictates; in modern times, people often adopt the popular belief system so they can belong. Religions have raised countless armies and given them courage to face insurmountable odds in the most precarious times. It is still true to this day that the largest army has the tendency to achieve victory, although technology does even the odds a bit. When Hitler's supremely advanced forces went up against the British or the Russians alone, it was a slaughter. And then the allied assault began, with vast numbers of troops from around the world --turning any foe into ash with shear numbers. There were Atheists among the fighters on every side, but the overwhelming majority have always been the religious. It is even said that, in the trenches there are no Atheists. War has a tendency to frighten and shock the individual to such an extent that emotion simply must take over.

The dangers of religion are not the belief itself, it is what we choose to do with those beliefs which become the danger. And even on a strictly personal level, as long as no harm is intended or carried out toward others, religion is rather benign. Again, we come full circle to the anger brought on by fear. When we choose to live in fear, our cognitive thinking, the notion of reason --vanish.

And some people are more pragmatic, less prone to be influenced by fairy tales and beliefs alone. This does not mean an Atheist is more "intelligent" or otherwise supremely enlightened; the aptitude of the religious can excel just as well. Maybe people who do not share belief in a God haven't faced some of the trials and struggles of those who have chosen to believe in a God. Maybe Atheists had a different upbringing than religious people. Maybe it is none of these, and they simply cannot accept anything they cannot see, feel or witness for themselves. I do know that a mind focused firmly on religion as its core belief will never listen to reason --at least not to the extent of absolutism. Something else must occupy the place in the mind which currently fills it with a belief system for a total transition to occur. This is why we may see a person "convert" to another religion. In the past, this was mandated and forced to happen under penalty of death. Today, in the spirit of civilized society within a mostly "free" world, it is a choice.

What fills the mind of an Atheist, in the space where religion resides in others? It is different for everyone. It can be the experience with religion, having been indoctrinated previously, the Atheist could use these experiences to gain new understanding and supplant the beliefs of religion with new ones. These beliefs could be scientific, or they could be spiritual in nature. Not all spiritualism is religious, after all. Also, the mind of an Atheist could be more akin to attaching itself to the Gnostic; having no solid thought process beyond the recognition that there is "a" God.

If we were to take an ounce of water from a glass and replace it with a marble to fill it again to the exact level --the volume remains stable and constant, just as it was. Beliefs are very much the same, they can affect other beliefs and interrelate. Attempting to take out an entire belief system would be about as difficult as trying to remove water from a solid chunk of granite. As humans, we are always seeking answers. Sometimes we look at the endless universe or to this incredible biosphere we call Earth and we are overwhelmed by its magnificence and power. What are we but seemingly just another species trying to survive in the cruelty of nature? It doesn't surprise me one bit to see people incorporating religious belief systems on the chance they can feel assured. Nobody really wants to be alone. We all long to feel loved or wanted or important. And some of us require answers above all else --an answer for everything. To the religious, this alone is enough. And for any who may be wondering, if it isn't included in scripture, that too is an answer.

A belief system is a series of thoughts, each based on fundamental, relational concepts which share a common core belief. Choose your thoughts wisely.

 

They are scared. Truly, deeply frightened.

@ditch witch yeah, don't you hate that? =P

 

Religion should be a very simple thing.... It should be YOUR Personal Relationship with YOUR GOD. What it should NOT be is something that gets BETWEEN, YOU and YOUR GOD. The Holy Books that are fundamental to ANY Religion, are available for ANYONE to read. The ability to Read and Write, is mostly available, to anyone who has the ability, and desire to learn. If you let another Human get between YOU and YOUR GOD, then you open yourself up to the Failings of MEN, and to be Lead Astray, by Evil Intent. If you PAY another Human to be your intercessor, for YOU with YOUR GOD, then you not only fall into the previously described Trap, but you are actually PAYING to be TRAPPED.
Just because someone says they can do this FOR YOU, does NOT make it SO, and how is it that you believe, that it even could be SO. Why would any GOD Omnipotent, setup such a system like that? Inquiring Minds would like to know........

 

Welcome to the politics of belief.

 

I look at the Faith and Religion section as an area for people interested in Faith and Religion to come and discuss topics. Coming into this section to be all knowing on either side of the argument will make both sides sour.

I look at it this way. If we had a Forum called: Going Menstrual, I would assume since it has little to do with my male anatomy, I would have little to contribute or benefit from this section and would therefore avoid all posts in said forum. What I do know is that I hate getting a call saying, "I am out, can you pick them up for me on your way home?"

I read through this thread and am somewhat disappointed at the digression of the subject to the point that it makes the majority on both sides of the "discussion" aka argument seem more like a conversation between Obamabots and Romneybots, just a different topic.

No one, on either side, should feel like they have to run from a forum. Polite, civil discourse will prevail for the benefit of all.

 

Locking for a few days --- If I can figure out the new locking mechanism