prayer is the act of saying something to someone that doesn't exist.
above all else, we need to respect ourselves for, if we don't, we are not capable of respecting others..
thirdly, bow to no one for if they had any respect for you, they wouldn't ask you to bow..
Daniel1555
You call praying stupid because it is speaking to someone who doesn't exist.
How do you know that no god or higher power exists? Can you prove that?
I am an Aetheist. Atheism is a response to an assertion that a higher intelligence/ deity exists.
It is not for me to disprove the existence of the intelligence/deity. It is for those that assert the existence to prove.
prayer is the act of saying something to someone that doesn't exist.
above all else, we need to respect ourselves for, if we don't, we are not capable of respecting others..
thirdly, bow to no one for if they had any respect for you, they wouldn't ask you to bow..
Millie210
Science is the search for the truth - supported by scientifically determined facts.
Science is now delving into the secrets of how the universe came into being. It will find the answer. They have theories and it is now only a matter of time. Most scientists in the UK do not believe that god was the creator of the universe. Whether M-theory will provide an answer or one of the other theories, who knows. I just hope that it will be in my lifetime for I will then die a happy man.
It is claimed that science and religion are not on a collision course. However, that is the proverbial elephant in the room. It will happen because, logically, that's where it must lead. Science isn't going out to disprove god, but that's where it's all going.
The religious folk understand that their time is limited but that they may as well fight to the bitter end. Already, our schools are being infiltrated with 'creationists'. Already, christian forums are locked up tighter than a duck's ass (a little light relief being injected at this point). For example, I now have been banned for life from every christian forum from here to hell and back. Why? For daring to challenge their dogma. Were you aware that christian forums share banned IP addresses? I could circumnavigate their defences but, quite frankly, I can't be bothered.
I was once asked by a creationist what I was afraid of? What was so wrong with teaching creationism alongside evolution theory. I told him that a) my child's time is far to precious to waste having his head filled with unprovable junk and b) If you want to teach religion, so be it. But do it at home or in church. c) I'm not wasting my tax dollars on someone teaching my child hocus pocus illogical nonsense.
Because the religious are now digging themselves in for the last stand and are going to fight every inch of the way, I guess that the irreligious are going to equal extremes and becoming more vocal.
I also think that there's another issue which is muddying the waters and this was discussed on another thread by someone called "My name is not important". She wrote about overhearing a discussion taking place between her son and his wife in which they claimed that the universe being created out of nothing was a preposterous idea (as if a sky pilot that hears all and sees all isn't). It made me realise just how far science has come and just how far it may have left some people behind. For the uninitiated, a universe out of nothing is perfectly feasible and is permissible within the existing laws of physics. Some people may therefore be clinging to religion because it is the soft option because it doesn't involve trying to understand scientific theory.
Just me thoughts ...
please take pity on me someone and help.. i was going to say that i suffer from aspergers syndrome but actually, i've come to rather enjoy it.. no, seriously, i really do have aspergers which is why my posts may seem a little odd to some of you.
ok, they may seem bloody odd to most of you.. my world exists in a binary frame.
things are or they are not.. i know that in the "real world" things might be or might not be as well as are and are not.
Adjusted Knowledge
A few months ago, I couldn't sleep one night. I wasn't feeling particularly well either and was just channel surfing when I came across a TV program which compared the old gods (Rome & Greece etc) with the christian god.
I didn't fully appreciate it at the time due my illness but the more I think about it, and still do today, the better I think the program was. It's a great pity that I can't remember the name of the program.
Basically, it stated that until the 13 Century, when christianity was unfortunately really taking hold in Europe, Man wasn't thought to be afraid of death to the same extent as he is now. Prior to the 13 century, Man just accepted death, well, as part of life, really, if that makes sense. The program insinuated that the fear of death was created by christianity.
Under the old regime of multiple deities, Man went to the 'Afterlife', for want of a better world, when he died. It's what naturally happened. There wasn't an 'Afterlife' for the rich and one for the poor nor was there one for the good and another for the bad. There was just one afterlife and, when you died, that's where you went.
Then, the christards came along and change all that. Now, there were two 'afterlifes'. One was called heaven, where all the good people went and those bad people who could afford to leave the church lots of money and land. The other was called hell where the bad people went and the rich bad people who weren't gullible enough to be taken in by the christards.
So, yes, Man needs to believe in god because he's afraid of death but, it was christianity that created the fear of death in the first place.
prayer is the act of saying something to someone that doesn't exist.
above all else, we need to respect ourselves for, if we don't, we are not capable of respecting others..
thirdly, bow to no one for if they had any respect for you, they wouldn't ask you to bow..
Millie
Yes, we are trying to learn together.
Thanks for reminding me.
prayer is the act of saying something to someone that doesn't exist.
above all else, we need to respect ourselves for, if we don't, we are not capable of respecting others..
thirdly, bow to no one for if they had any respect for you, they wouldn't ask you to bow..
All
Should I apologise for this thread descending into a them v's us fest?
No, I believe not. However, I'm willing to discuss it.
IMHO, this sort of dialogue is long overdue. I and others like me have tried to have a dialogue with religious folk on their forums but, no matter how polite we are, once they realise we are atheists, we get kicked off and receive a life time ban. This forum, bless it, is one of the few that will allow discourse between believers and non-believers to take place.
prayer is the act of saying something to someone that doesn't exist.
above all else, we need to respect ourselves for, if we don't, we are not capable of respecting others..
thirdly, bow to no one for if they had any respect for you, they wouldn't ask you to bow..
Daniel1555
There's not much in this world that we can know for certain. But, the probability that god exists is looking mighty slim.
It was claimed that god created the heavens and the Earth 6,000 years ago and made Man in his own image. Only plonkas believe that nonsense now. That's the problem with claims. If they get disproved then the house of cards begins to collapse.
Also, my apologies, because of my Aspergers, I can only think in terms of black and white. I can talk in terms of probabilities but it doesn't really have any meaning in my brain.
prayer is the act of saying something to someone that doesn't exist.
above all else, we need to respect ourselves for, if we don't, we are not capable of respecting others..
thirdly, bow to no one for if they had any respect for you, they wouldn't ask you to bow..
Watchtower-Free
Priceless.
prayer is the act of saying something to someone that doesn't exist.
above all else, we need to respect ourselves for, if we don't, we are not capable of respecting others..
thirdly, bow to no one for if they had any respect for you, they wouldn't ask you to bow..
SoCal101
I am amused how some atheist are always attacking those who believe in a God or higher-self. Can't they just leave those alone who believe and stop attacking them or insulting their practices? Those who do the attacking obviously have real issues themselves.
For far too long, christards and the like didn't allow atheists to have their say. They tortured, raped and murdered them throughout history. Christards murdered between 100 and 200 million souls on their rampage through history. That doesn't include the additional millions of souls that they "only" raped, tortured and enslaved. Not bad for a sect that proclaims, love and peace, eh? Even Hitler only managed to murder 10 million souls. How does it sound when put into that perspective - to know that christards are 10 times more evil that even Hitler was?
Now, christards want to spread their stupidity and illogical superstition into schools in the shape of the "god created everything" nonsense.
It has been estimated that religion has set back science by at least 100 years.
I don't mind what an individual does. I really don't. But, when religion affects education, laws and the next generation of unsuspecting 'jesus fodder', then it's time for Atheists to speak out. This is long overdue.
christianity, and religions in general, has been the worst thing that has happened in Man's history. It's about time that Man grew up, cast this Bronze Age Myth nonsense into the waste paper bin of history and moved on.
please take pity on me someone and help.. i was going to say that i suffer from aspergers syndrome but actually, i've come to rather enjoy it.. no, seriously, i really do have aspergers which is why my posts may seem a little odd to some of you.
ok, they may seem bloody odd to most of you.. my world exists in a binary frame.
things are or they are not.. i know that in the "real world" things might be or might not be as well as are and are not.
Adjusted Knowledge
Got to go out now. However, I would like to continue this discussion if I may.
Talk later.
please take pity on me someone and help.. i was going to say that i suffer from aspergers syndrome but actually, i've come to rather enjoy it.. no, seriously, i really do have aspergers which is why my posts may seem a little odd to some of you.
ok, they may seem bloody odd to most of you.. my world exists in a binary frame.
things are or they are not.. i know that in the "real world" things might be or might not be as well as are and are not.
Adjusted Knowledge
I feel that I must apologise for my last post. It could be taken as if I am being unhelpful. I'm not. The problem is that there is this wealth of information out there. Some is well researched. Some less. so. However, just because something is less well researched doesn't make it wrong and because something is well researched doesn't make it right either. If the research is biased and/or the documents suspect, then so will be the research.
Tacitus tells us a little about jusus and christians in AD 116. From what I've read, I think that Tacitus is genuine. However, what was his source? He tells us not. At best, Tacitus can only be considered a tertiary source, even at best. I'm not saying that Tacitus was lying but, it is possible that what he wrote was unwittingly based on lie.
Josephus also tells us about jesus in AD 93/94. From what I've read, I think that the original Josphus text was genuine. I also believe that the text relating to jesus was an insert by early christians. Regardless, it's still a secondary source, even at best.
I could go on but, at the end of the day, the evidence that jesus lived an earthly life is flimsy. Basically, even at this point, even with all of our technology, we do not have a definitive answer. It pains me to say this but it all comes down to 'probabilities'. I hate that word. It hurts my brain but that's where we are at.
The more wide the view I take of this whole area, the more convinced I get that god, jesus and the babble are the biggest hoax in Man's chequered history, PROBABLY. However, we must all seek our own truth because, at the end of the day, belief is a personal thing. That's why I suggest you do your own research and come to your own conclusion.
The great pity in all of this is RELIGION - One of Man's greatest mistakes.
