Atheists
- Thread starter matty1001
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DrEvilmonki
Active member
Only if you take the bible to be a literal document (which some do of course
). Again there are many who see the bible as a book of parables which tells a devine thruth through stories.Torn blue sky
New member
Funny you should say that, my mums a practicing catholic so I used to get dragged screaming to the church every sunday. I remember sitting there thinking \"Iv\'e heard this one before! Iv\'e got better things to do matey!\".
Then again I was only 5 odds. Still doesn\'t wash with me. I just don\'t understand religion at all! I think it\'s got more to do with craving a mareiarchal figure and needing something to believe in to validate their existence...very sad
Then again I was only 5 odds. Still doesn\'t wash with me. I just don\'t understand religion at all! I think it\'s got more to do with craving a mareiarchal figure and needing something to believe in to validate their existence...very sad
\"...I get worried when people start considering \'liberal\' as something intrinsically wrong, or at least a little bit wacky and not worth the attention. Poor form Tolerance! \"
@ reverend - good point, I should clarify. Spurlock\'s work that I have seen so far has a \"liberal\" bent, not in the sense of \"right or wrong\", but more in the \"right or left\" political sense. I\'m not making a moral judgement - I think his points tend to land left of center, and I generally agree with those points, although I suppose it would depend on the topic being discussed. I agree everyone is entitled to their own viewpoints, but they shouldn\'t ram them down everyone else\'s throat. His show is interesting in that he tends to throw these polar opposites together and then waits for the fireworks.
@ reverend - good point, I should clarify. Spurlock\'s work that I have seen so far has a \"liberal\" bent, not in the sense of \"right or wrong\", but more in the \"right or left\" political sense. I\'m not making a moral judgement - I think his points tend to land left of center, and I generally agree with those points, although I suppose it would depend on the topic being discussed. I agree everyone is entitled to their own viewpoints, but they shouldn\'t ram them down everyone else\'s throat. His show is interesting in that he tends to throw these polar opposites together and then waits for the fireworks.
DrEvilmonki
Active member
Originally posted by Torn blue sky
Funny you should say that, my mums a practicing catholic so I used to get dragged screaming to the church every sunday. I remember sitting there thinking \"Iv\'e heard this one before! Iv\'e got better things to do matey!\".
Then again I was only 5 odds. Still doesn\'t wash with me. I just don\'t understand religion at all! I think it\'s got more to do with craving a mareiarchal figure and needing something to believe in to validate their existence...very sad
I have to disagree; but before I do I will explain my background. I was raised a Catholic, went to Catholic schools until I was 13 and was even an alter boy (helps the priest through mass for any who don\'t know).
BUT coming into my teen years started to question my beliefs and have ended up agnostic with atheist tendancies!
However I have many friends who are religous. I attended youth groups throughout high school simply because my friends were involved (and we had many very enjoyable arguements about religion and god).
Not one of them used religion as a crutch, all of those who I called (and call) friends were very strong minded, including Graham who had a doctorate in Mathmatics and studied black holes for a living.
Again I would suggest that people don\'t judge every religous person based on your own narrow experience.
Duende
New member
Wow, this is the best religious discussion thread ever! Intelligent posting, minimal ranting. This thread could be used as an example of how people with varying views can rationally discuss a sensitive topic without lecturing or fanaticism.
I haven\'t watched the video in the first post yet (I\'m at work), but hopefully I will when I get home later. I\'ve have never like Bush as President, and consider his quotes an example of his ill-concealed intolerances.
I have no problems with anybody\'s religion except if they want to foist thier religion on me. I can respect Christians, so long as they as like Christians (I\'ve seen way too many hypocrites), Pagan, Wiccans, Atheists, Agnostics, Buddists, Shintos, etc. Just leave your desire to make converts at my doorstep, thank you. As I told somebody once, \"you live in your fantasy world and I\'ll live in mine.\"
Way to go, cmon\'ers!
-Duende \"Proud to be a Heathen\"
I haven\'t watched the video in the first post yet (I\'m at work), but hopefully I will when I get home later. I\'ve have never like Bush as President, and consider his quotes an example of his ill-concealed intolerances.
I have no problems with anybody\'s religion except if they want to foist thier religion on me. I can respect Christians, so long as they as like Christians (I\'ve seen way too many hypocrites), Pagan, Wiccans, Atheists, Agnostics, Buddists, Shintos, etc. Just leave your desire to make converts at my doorstep, thank you. As I told somebody once, \"you live in your fantasy world and I\'ll live in mine.\"
Way to go, cmon\'ers!
-Duende \"Proud to be a Heathen\"
DrEvilmonki
Active member
Nah probably not. But you Will be going to hell! lol:evil:
If anyone is offended then I would suggest they need to take a humour pill rather than you having to change your sig
Torn blue sky
New member
No Matty, coming from a catholic background I have to agree with you lol
But if you take that kind of lightherted comment seriously there has to be an issue. Personaly I couldn\'t care less if someone plastered \"Torn blue sky is a complete wanker\" in their sig, so i\'m prolly not one to comment :]
For the record I stand proudly at Duende\'s side as a heathen :yes: Even if he does inch away bit by bit lol
But if you take that kind of lightherted comment seriously there has to be an issue. Personaly I couldn\'t care less if someone plastered \"Torn blue sky is a complete wanker\" in their sig, so i\'m prolly not one to comment :]
For the record I stand proudly at Duende\'s side as a heathen :yes: Even if he does inch away bit by bit lol
Torn blue sky
New member
My bad. Typo? :redface:
For the record I love the sepheroth avatar...Please don\'t hurt me!
For the record I love the sepheroth avatar...Please don\'t hurt me!
Originally posted by Avicenna
No, that does have a name, I just cant remember it at the moment... we learnt about it when discussing theories of creation at university. But it doesnt solve anything - if they are \'just\' aliens, who created them? It focuses the creation question from one planet to another
Agnostique I believe.
And, funny enougth got a magazine that\'s on atheisme in my mailbox today
(well it\'s a documentary the monde does periodicaly on religions, and this time it appears it was on atheisme). And it would seem they are in minority, in France anyway. The majority, all ages included seem to be religious people who don\'t take actively part in their faith, because they are either culturaly realted to their religion ( seems to me that\'s the case for a lot of jews since judaisme as a lot of cultur in it), or because they jsut don\'t have enougth devotion. Interestingly, their seems to me more atheists in the 18-30 range than in older age groups. And more atheists in higher education and \'white collar\' people.
Anyway, haven\'t had much time to persue it in details, but should make for an interesting read
EArkham
Necromancer
Be cautious when using statitistics to try and figure out what\'s minority and what\'s majority.
A lot of the census organizations have a strong bent toward one side or the other. For example, one of the church-sponsored ones (sorry, can\'t remember who, it was over a year ago I read the polling) categorized Shinto, Taoism, and other Asian religions as \"Athesist.\"
Not to say that the church organizations are the only ones to do this, because athesist groups have done the same.
A lot of the problem lies in categorization. Prime example of this is Scientology and Jedi. Both were wholly conceptualized, fictional religions that have gained followers, yet one is considered legitimate while the other is not. There are also issues with subcategorization: Would Baptist or Methodist count as a seperate religion or as simply \"Christian\"?
There\'s also inherent prejudice of the census takers, the difficulties of overcoming language barriers to get accurate answers, and the difficulties of even reaching some of the more remote areas.
So really, when determining how many followers each faith or non-faith has, we\'re left with generalities.
Hm, okay, that was a bit of a ramble. So here\'s the Lama Llama:
Kep
A lot of the census organizations have a strong bent toward one side or the other. For example, one of the church-sponsored ones (sorry, can\'t remember who, it was over a year ago I read the polling) categorized Shinto, Taoism, and other Asian religions as \"Athesist.\"
Not to say that the church organizations are the only ones to do this, because athesist groups have done the same.
A lot of the problem lies in categorization. Prime example of this is Scientology and Jedi. Both were wholly conceptualized, fictional religions that have gained followers, yet one is considered legitimate while the other is not. There are also issues with subcategorization: Would Baptist or Methodist count as a seperate religion or as simply \"Christian\"?
There\'s also inherent prejudice of the census takers, the difficulties of overcoming language barriers to get accurate answers, and the difficulties of even reaching some of the more remote areas.
So really, when determining how many followers each faith or non-faith has, we\'re left with generalities.
Hm, okay, that was a bit of a ramble. So here\'s the Lama Llama:
Kep
In my opinion there is a vast difference between the majority and the norm. Beeing part of a minority dosn\'t make it abnormal.
Silly exemple, but would you say it\'s abnormal to play golf or to rockclimbe ? Not the majority though. Same goes with pretty much everything.
Not making a disctinction between the both can lead to very dangerous thoughts, racisme would be a good exemple. Definetly not saying that is your case but that is why in my opinion differenciating the two is important.
I have no probleme beeing in a minority I would have a probleme beeing called abnormal.
Silly exemple, but would you say it\'s abnormal to play golf or to rockclimbe ? Not the majority though. Same goes with pretty much everything.
Not making a disctinction between the both can lead to very dangerous thoughts, racisme would be a good exemple. Definetly not saying that is your case but that is why in my opinion differenciating the two is important.
I have no probleme beeing in a minority I would have a probleme beeing called abnormal.
you read it as \'abnormal\' thats not how it was written:
To me that does not read as being \'abnormal\' at all, especially combined with the comment about it being an \"irrational argument\". For me this removes all of the negative connotations that you are so worried about
