There is no god

hedonist

Since coming back to this thread this morning and then digesting it on the way to work...once again must say that I have no disrespect toward anyone who has faith or doesn't...live your life as seen fit and leave others alone.

If we all do that, who is anyone to mock?

It does make me sad, though, to essentially call those with religion rubes. Got the wool pulled over yer eyes, ya numbnuts!

One aspect on the personal front - in all I've come to learn of the Holocaust, I never read of Jews trying to shove anything upon anyone. Their religion was precious to them and most practiced it in peace and with genuineness.

Were they dumbasses for adhering to something they believed in, even willing to die for it? My father's parents were both sent to concentration camps, where my grandmother died. For being of "a" religion. Others for being gay. Handicapped. Gypsies. Other...undesirables.

She wasn't deaf or blind or dumb or born to follow (to quote one of my favorite songs, quite fitting here). She held to something intrinsic to her, and I'm thankful my father also held those beliefs until he died.

One thing that strikes me...much as Judaism was a part of my father, he always respected my questioning of a god; in fact, he encouraged it. Never with spite, never with ridicule. He just knew that "belief" can't be forced.

Also...being religious and intelligent aren't mutually exclusive.

Godfather.

how many times and ways will some of you keep conviencing your selfs that you don't believe in God ? this and gun threads are rehashed every couple months or so and it's just about as exciting as watching paint dry,what are some of you so afraid of that you hide your selfs from faith ?

Godfather.

BinFrog

Godfather. said:

how many times and ways will some of you keep conviencing your selfs that you don't believe in God ? this and gun threads are rehashed every couple months or so and it's just about as exciting as watching paint dry,what are some of you so afraid of that you hide your selfs from faith ?

Godfather.

I'm not afraid of anything...I'm quite comfortable in my non-faith.

hedonist

Godfather. said:

how many times and ways will some of you keep conviencing your selfs that you don't believe in God ? this and gun threads are rehashed every couple months or so and it's just about as exciting as watching paint dry,what are some of you so afraid of that you hide your selfs from faith ?

Godfather.

Yeah, I'd echo the frogman, GF. I don't really give a shit who does or doesn't believe, or why. OK, in the spirit of sharing ideas, I do. I'm just not big on the talking smack side of things, no matter the view.

lukin2006

Godfather. said:

how many times and ways will some of you keep conviencing your selfs that you don't believe in God ? this and gun threads are rehashed every
couple months or so and it's just about as exciting as watching paint dry,what are some of you so afraid of that you hide your selfs from faith ?

Godfather.

Not afraid of anything ... I know a scam when I see a scam and religion is a scam and to my knowledge there is 0 evidence that god exist ... but religion says "thats why its called faith" all the while they got their hand out asking for some $$$.

To quote George Carlin religion is the greatest bullshit scam going.

myoung321

I have no disrespect toward anyone who has faith or doesn't...live your life as seen fit and leave others alone.

I agree, but I tend to not respect people that are deeply religious. In all honesty, I believe only weak minded people are religious to start with..In most cases, it was programmed into them at an early age, regardless of the religion.

I mean seriously, just look at the history of "rewrites" of the bible and why... The powerful used it to control the underclass with fear... FEAR OF GOD... Kings were chosen by GOD... yea okay.. Look at how most of the stories of the bible were "copies" of Sumarian texts that are much much older..

Plus how did that religion work out for Ancient Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Myans, Aztecs, the list is long of those that prayed to invisible gods and their societies crumbled under the weight of nonsense and myth.... etc etc....

I find it humorous that religious people will easy scoff and laugh at god/s of history as myth and nonsense when they have no more proof of their god than a man living in 500BC that prayed to Zeus or Poseidon... After thousands of years..it's still nonsense for the weak minded..

BinFrog

hedonist said:

Since coming back to this thread this morning and then digesting it on the way to work...once again must say that I have no disrespect toward anyone who has faith or doesn't...live your life as seen fit and leave others alone.

If we all do that, who is anyone to mock?

That's a line i try to tread carefully, and I admit I do not always get it right.

I try to respect those who are religious, especially if their hearts are in the right place. I respect your beliefs even more if you can HONESTLY (few can) and truly say that you've questioned your faith and then decided it was still something that you wanted in your life. Many believers will say they questioned their faith at some point, but very, very few actually have.

But i do honestly and truly believe this world would be so much better if religion just disappeared. Far too many people use it as a crutch, and far too many people are hurt and destroyed in its name.

brianlux

One of my all-time favorite P.J. lyrics is from "Faithful":

M.Y.T.H. is
Belief in the game controls that keeps us in a box of fear
We never listen
Voice inside so drowned out

Religion is so often those controls that keep people boxed up by fear. Listen to what's inside, the song says, to your own voice that has been drowned out. A personal faith that does not infringe on the rights and well being of others is fine. An organization of any kind- especially something as unproven as a religion- that keeps people boxed up by fear, that suppresses, that kills and destroys, that subjugates and separates and annihilates- that is evil.

Have your faith. Believe in God or fairies or trees or rocks and rock stars or stars. Just don't tell me what to believe.

hedonist

God and religion can be separate, no?

myyoung321...fine by me to consider religious people weak-minded. Two off the top of my head - MLK and Maya Angelou (hell - my own father and his family) - haven't struck me as small-souled or puny in thought.

But...this is where I say it's OK to think this way of many good and generous people (well, aside from the perceived chink in their armor). I know / believe what I do, and get others don't. I accept it.

Doesn't mean I won't speak my mind where I see fit, but in the end, your view, my view - the words and thoughts make little difference.

That said, I've seen many honorable deeds from religious, atheists and agnostics alike.

chadwick

hedonist said:

God and religion can be separate, no?

this right here is the bee's knees
thank you, hedonist

chadwick

higher power is not any religion
god is higher power than all bullshit religions mankind has invented, this is not god/higher power
please think about this

so you all believe the planets & sun/stars & all this vastness is just a playground for gases & funky liquids & hard as fuck stones & metals all floating around scratching their asses?

thanks but no thanks

a simple thunder storm means almost nothing but a bad day to alot of people.
what does the phrase 'mother earth' mean to you?
i believe many could not give two shits about what this means

myoung321

hedonist said:

God and religion can be separate, no?

myyoung321...fine by me to consider religious people weak-minded. Two off the top of my head - MLK and Maya Angelou (hell - my own father and his family) - haven't struck me as small-souled or puny in thought.

But...this is where I say it's OK to think this way of many good and generous people (well, aside from the perceived chink in their armor). I know / believe what I do, and get others don't. I accept it.

Doesn't mean I won't speak my mind where I see fit, but in the end, your view, my view - the words and thoughts make little difference.

That said, I've seen many honorable deeds from religious, atheists and agnostics alike.

I have no issues with you having faith in whatever you wish. That's is your right as a individual.

What I don't understand ...and hey maybe this is my weak mind..haha
Is the need to believe in an all powerful all seeing deity when you live in an age when Science shows you not only the universe you live in, but more universes than can be counted that unknown numbers of beings could live in.. Belief in a religion that only a short time ago told followers that we were the center of the universe, the sun revolved around the earth and daughters should be treated commodities or questioning anything could get you killed because satan was obviously in you..... the stupid list goes on and on....

It's 2014... We don't need to ask invisible deities for help... We need to take responsibility for humanity as humans and put the remaining fairytales in the history books.. Pretty much every conflict on earth has something to do with religion..When will we put away childish things?

hedonist

chadwick, mother earth...I love that term. It's where we - life - comes from, what loves and nurtures us, what challenges us in every sense, what shows us life isn't fair.

Reminds me of Push Me Pull Me.

"I'm like an opening band for sun" - we sure are.

myoung, I have no faith, per se. I'm agnostic - freely admit I don't know either way and likely never will. I'll admit there are parts of some religions I don't agree with, but am not so bold as to color them all - nor the people who practice them - as nefarious or stupid.

I don't know...I've seen in this forum and out here in the real world people on both sides of the issue making fun of or dismissing the other.

Again, assuming people practice or not in peace, why it'd be necessary to put down others who see things differently?

Anyway, and unfortunately, a conversation about god turned into one about religion. I still see the two as separate. And for the most part, I don't see the need for either being a negative, if they provide comfort, strength, direction, etc.

(and maybe it's easier to ask god for help in the most difficult of times, rather than asking it of ourselves...even if that help does ultimately come from within. It's their road to walk as they best can, not mine)

chadwick

hedonist said:

chadwick, mother earth...I love that term. It's where we - life - comes from, what loves and nurtures us, what challenges us in every sense, what shows us life isn't fair.

Reminds me of Push Me Pull Me.

"I'm like an opening band for sun" - we sure are.

myoung, I have no faith, per se. I'm agnostic - freely admit I don't know either way and likely never will. I'll admit there are parts of some religions I don't agree with, but am not so bold as to color them all - nor the people who practice them - as nefarious or stupid.

I don't know...I've seen in this forum and out here in the real world people on both sides of the issue making fun of or dismissing the other.

Again, assuming people practice or not in peace, why it'd be necessary to put down others who see things differently?

Anyway, and unfortunately, a conversation about god turned into one about religion. I still see the two as separate. And for the most part, I don't see the need for either being a negative, if they provide comfort, strength, direction, etc.

(and maybe it's easier to ask god for help in the most difficult of times, rather than asking it of ourselves...even if that help does ultimately come from within. It's their road to walk as they best can, not mine)

very seperate

chadwick

in my way of thinking & feeling-out-others, i believe i would be hard pressed to find anyone with zero faith in anything. you all have faith & alot of it

you have faith in yourselves, friends & family, yes?
faith in pearl jam & other musicians you enjoy, yes?
you have faith in sunlight & moonlight

show me a person with not one tiny fraction of faith
you'll be having a dead person in your arms, yes?
"here is your person w/ no faith, what is my prize?"

even brianlux had faith in KFC until he fell on his head. he still has faith in a billion other things i bet. (like his books/authors & wife)

josevolution

Godfather. said:

how many times and ways will some of you keep conviencing your selfs that you don't believe in God ? this and gun threads are rehashed every couple months or so and it's just about as exciting as watching paint dry,what are some of you so afraid of that you hide your selfs from faith ?

Godfather.

It's the same way you are afraid of all Muslims , immigrants , Gays , lesbians .....I'm not afraid of a God that i don't believe in at all .....I'm afraid of loosing my Children ,wife , parents .....

dignin

In other news....the world is round, water is wet and the sky is blue.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Godfather. said:

how many times and ways will some of you keep conviencing your selfs that you don't believe in God ? this and gun threads are rehashed every couple months or so and it's just about as exciting as watching paint dry,what are some of you so afraid of that you hide your selfs from faith ?

Godfather.

Are you kidding me?

I'll frame it this way: I don't mean to be disrespectful, but it is fair to say you are probably one of the most intolerant people on this board (with your gay bashing and open distaste for Muslims).

If there is a God... and he takes you into his holy kingdom because you announce and practice your faith... and some kinder, gentler person that doesn't ritually worship him is left to burn in Hell... then you can have him.

With that aside... why are you afraid to question your religion? Have you ever stopped to think that the idea of God and religion might just be a hoax? Have you ever stopped to think that the mythology you were sold when your mind was impressionable is just a little far fetched? When is the last time we have seen a good, solid miracle other than a picture on the internet of someone's Cheerios forming the face of Jesus?

evsgjamm

lukin2006 said:

PJ_Soul said:

God is a man-made fairytale that people believe in and even kill and/or for. It's pretty crazy. Probably the strangest thing about human society.

agree

Next to tight pants

evsgjamm

BinFrog said:

JWPearl said:

Those who put faith in God and abide by his rules are the ones that survive the end of the world and are rewarded and I believe this...but everyone has a free choice to believe or not to, each to their own.

If there is a god, which I do not believe there is, and if there is a heaven, which I believe even less in (if that's possible), then I do not want any part of an afterlife where one's acceptance is based simply on belief and faith. "Screw everyone else" eh?

I choose to live my life based on common sense and a good core of morals, not folklore and mores passed down through centuries of generations and eventually written down...a few thousand years ago, misinterpreted again and again until parts of it completely contradict other parts and have pretty much no relevance to modern life. (Let me add: I have no problems at all with some parts of the holy books, like the 10 commandments...but I don't need a "holy" book to tell me that murder is evil or that nailing my neighbor's wife is probably a bad idea)

In my mind, and I mean no disrespect to believers, it is very freeing to realize exactly what religion is. When my eyes opened up, I couldn't walk away from my faith fast enough. Modern day religions started in an era with an extreme lack of education among the masses. When the ruling class realized it was even easier to keep the masses at bay by "explaining" the world around them in terms of god(s) and heaven/hell and submissiveness, it became even easier to rule. If you speak out, you're going to hell. If you rise up, you're going to hell. If you question them, you're going to hell. This was their life. This was all they knew. They "knew" they would be rewarded in the afterlife, so just suck it up while you're alive. Those in power live in a lap of luxury, knowing full well what they are doing.

Sometimes I am astonished that the masses haven't left religion behind at this point. We've come to far, and I just see religions, and especially organized religions, as this truly archaic and outdated system. For example, the bible outlaws: homosexuality, eating pig, eating shellfish, clothing that exposes too much skin, mixing fabrics in your outfit, short hair, shaving off your beard, tattoos, working on Sundays (do you like football?), psychic readings (silly I know, but it's still banned), defending your husband in a fight (want to lose a hand? defend your husband and you'll get your hand cut off), cursing at your parents (thou shalt be killed if you do), women speaking in church (not a peep!), sex before marriage.

That's just a sample. Yet people still cling to these books and these ideals. I simply don't get it. We've come so far as a species, but still cling to these thoughts and stories from centuries ago.

haha. yeeeeee hawwwww. That's a sic post! Could you imagine hearing someone in power say that on CNN and FOX news? A breath of fresh air!