Why Do Athiests

Jeanie

Cosmo wrote:

...
I think that's what most of us believe... that there are several, not just one path towards God. We believe that the Christians and the Catholics and the Jews and the Muslims and the Buddhists and the Scientologists and yes... even the Atheists can follow a path to God simply by being a good person in this life.
And of course... there are those whom disagree. But, at least for me... there is no anomosity. Who am I to say who's opinion or belief is right or wrong... no one assigned that task to me and I'm not knowing enough to know. The only truth I know concerning God and religion is that I don't know and will probably never know. I also know that no one else knows... regardless on how much they believe they do.
peace on Earth... Good will towards ALL men (and women).

I don't think my choosing to try to always be a good person has anything to do with God or athiesm or religion. It is part of who I am, just as brown hair and blue eyes is. I understand that for some people their belief is that they do try to be a good person based on their belief in God. And that's great. But I also don't believe that I am on a path to find God either. At this point in my life I would say that I don't believe that God exists, or that there is "one all encompassing higher power". And like you, I don't feel that it is necessary to answer this question in order to live a good life. Perhaps I will never know if God exists. Perhaps I will. This is an unknown for me at this point. I am happy for those people who have God and do believe. Just as I accept that for some people there is no God and they do not believe.

But it pleases me no end Cosmo to know that you also choose not to fight about it. Because fighting about religion or athiesm seems counterproductive to me if we are all trying to reach the same end. Which I am thinking is unity, peace and love.

deadnothingbetter

Dog Loyal wrote:

Know1, I truly believe that something very bad will happen to you if you continue to believe in Christ. I don't think I'm any better than you, I just want to prevent you from suffering the bad thing that will happen to you for believing the way you do!

I'm not arrogant. I am just absolutely certain that I know what's best for you, and furthermore, absolutely certain that you have no idea what is best for yourself and need me to correct you and set you on the right path as I have determined it.

No, that's not arrogant.

know1, i think what Dog Loyal is doing here is doing the very same thing that he is accusing you for.

Dog Loyal, never in your life have you ever been so wrong in the very moment that you typed those lines above. I believe in Christ and nothing but good things have happened in my life. Hell, I'm even a porn star.

hippiemom

cutback wrote:

i put quotes around 619 commandments.........notice the first result....:)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=as2&q=%22619+commandments%22&btnG=Search

HAHA!

Jeanie

Vedderlution_Baby! wrote:

Man, you're boring. (joking)


about your quote...good quote. Doesnt apply with everything though. Sometimes you just gotta shrug and be like "Damn man. You knew you shouldna said that. Now look. screaming cause you about to get ate by lions."

Well not trying to be boring.

Just hoping that people could be accepting and perhaps focus on their shared views as opposed to frying each other in boiling oil for disagreeing.

And as to the quote, well yes, people do say things that I believe they shouldn't, but I do believe they should still be able to speak. I have the right to accept or reject what they are saying. Just as they do with what I say.
The important thing, I believe, is that no one should be silenced.

pjalive21

to believe in nothing, is to believe in something

Ahnimus

pjalive21 wrote:

to believe in nothing, is to believe in something

To believe nothing, is not to believe in anything.

Cosmo

hippiemom wrote:

HAHA!

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i'm kinda glad they cut out the other 609 Commandments... imagine the size of the stone that guy in Alabama would have needed in order to put the 619 Commandments in that courthouse. I'm guessing that foyer would look like that Rene Magritte painting. http://www.artsender.com/gallery/details.asp?PaintingID=4990
...
Besides... no one follows the Ten Commandments, anyway.

norm

Cosmo wrote:

...
i'm kinda glad they cut out the other 609 Commandments... imagine the size of the stone that guy in Alabama would have needed in order to put the 619 Commandments in that courthouse. I'm guessing that foyer would look like that Rene Magritte painting. http://www.artsender.com/gallery/details.asp?PaintingID=4990
...
Besides... no one follows the Ten Commandments, anyway.

well i might have if someone had told me there were more.....i like to see the big picture..........;)

Cosmo

Jeanie wrote:

I don't think my choosing to try to always be a good person has anything to do with God or athiesm or religion. It is part of who I am, just as brown hair and blue eyes is. I understand that for some people their belief is that they do try to be a good person based on their belief in God. And that's great. But I also don't believe that I am on a path to find God either. At this point in my life I would say that I don't believe that God exists, or that there is "one all encompassing higher power". And like you, I don't feel that it is necessary to answer this question in order to live a good life. Perhaps I will never know if God exists. Perhaps I will. This is an unknown for me at this point. I am happy for those people who have God and do believe. Just as I accept that for some people there is no God and they do not believe.

But it pleases me no end Cosmo to know that you also choose not to fight about it. Because fighting about religion or athiesm seems counterproductive to me if we are all trying to reach the same end. Which I am thinking is unity, peace and love.

...
You're right... people who are nice to other people shouldn't do it looking for a reward in their afterlife... they do it just because it is the nice thing to do. And that character trait has nothing to do with God. Just like Charity... you shouldn't do it for tax write off or to expect something in return... you should just give because someone else needs it more than you do.
I'm not looking for the a ticket to heaven... I'm looking for the truth. Something else I know I will never find. Still, it keeps be busy and I find all sorts of interesting things along the way.
As for the paths towards God... I just think that just because a person believes in a different faith... and wants to find God... no one religion has the answer. Christianity doesn't corner the market on God's love... and neither do any of the other religions. I believe God loves us, no matter which text we go by... or don't go by at all. I think all He wants is for us to be good to each other. That's all.

soulsinging

onelongsong wrote:

the 619 commandments are not in the bible. they are mentioned a few times but they are not written out there. i've said many times that the bible was originated by corrupt men so i'm not sure why you'd mention it to me. you can have morality without the bible; i agree; but only if you follow the 619 commandments. knowingly or unknowingly.

where do these 619 commandments come from then? where are they listed? who wrote them down? did you imagine them out of thin air?

Cosmo

cutback wrote:

well i might have if someone had told me there were more.....i like to see the big picture..........;)

...
I think some of those Commandments are the ones about the burnt offerings to the temple if your dog crapped on your neighbor's lawn and junk. OneLongSong should know since he is the one that abides by them. I can't find anything on the internet that lists them out.

lucylespian

Something to do with the wars, the oppression, the rape, pillage and torture, teh current wave of terrorism, the tendency to impose threir views and judgements on all and sundry, you know, shit like that.

gregkitefan

I usually don't visit this forum, but this topic interested me.
I'm an atheist. My girlfriend is not. She goes to church every Sunday.
I always wake up before she goes and kiss her goodbye.
I never ask her why she is going and she never asks me to go.
I respect her ideas and she respects mine.
We get along great and are very happy together.
This is all that really matters in life.

soulsinging

know1 wrote:

I see. You're assigning your own ...or at least an alternate connotation for "I feel sorry for them". I'm not doing it from a position of arrogance. I truly believe something very bad will happen to them and I'd like to be able to prevent it. I don't think I'm better than anyone else whatsoever. I just want to prevent people from suffering something that I believe will happen. I don't understand how that's arrogant.

becos people don't want your help. have you ever had disability training? rule number one when you see a blind person on the street: you don't pity them, talk down to them, or just walk up and grab them by the arm and start pulling them across the street. if you feel it is your role to help, you approach them and say "excuse me sir, i know sighted guy technique, would you like assistance?" if they say yes, there are steps, if they say no, you walk away. but just becos they are blind does not make them pathetic or pitiable. to talk to them that way is offensive to them. to assume you have superiority and should simply help them becos you can see is offensive to them. you ASK if they want help, you dont assume they need it becos they cannot see what you see. and IF you help them you don't talk about how sad you are that they are blind. they know they're blind, they dont need you to make them feel bad about it.

same here. you assume that you know more than an atheist, and becos of this you feel you are entitled to tell them what to do and they should be grateful you deigned to help them and feel srry for them. that is arrogant on your part and offensive to them. they know they are an atheist and if they want your "compassion" they will ask for it. but to assume they need it and to tell them you think their state of affairs is so sad and pathetic is rude and offensive. you'd never think about saying such things to a blind man. "i feel so sorry for you, your life must be so empty without sight, here, let me help you becos clearly you need it and are lost without me." yet this is exactly what you are saying you do to atheists out of compassion.

Dog Loyal

deadnothingbetter wrote:

know1, i think what Dog Loyal is doing here is doing the very same thing that he is accusing you for.

Dog Loyal, never in your life have you ever been so wrong in the very moment that you typed those lines above. I believe in Christ and nothing but good things have happened in my life. Hell, I'm even a porn star.

Oh, good Maude! I was being totally facetious when I wrote that. I didn't think anyone here was so freaking dense that they'd have to have it explained for them.

But, since apparently some people don't recognize sarcasm even as it hits them like a cold dead fish in the face, here we go: I paraphrased Know1's position so that he'd see how arrogant it seems when someone tells you that they know what is best for you and assumes that you can't possibly know what is best for yourself.

Christian porn star, eh? Well, whatthefuckever. We've all gotta make a living, I'm sure you can twist your line of work to be glorifying Jesus somehow.

Dog Loyal

soulsinging wrote:

you assume that you know more than an atheist, and becos of this you feel you are entitled to tell them what to do and they should be grateful you deigned to help them and feel srry for them. that is arrogant on your part and offensive to them. they know they are an atheist and if they want your "compassion" they will ask for it. but to assume they need it and to tell them you think their state of affairs is so sad and pathetic is rude and offensive. you'd never think about saying such things to a blind man. "i feel so sorry for you, your life must be so empty without sight, here, let me help you becos clearly you need it and are lost without me." yet this is exactly what you are saying you do to atheists out of compassion.

You totally get it, Soulsinging. I love you for that.

Bu2

You just gave all of us the perfect analogy. BEAUTIFULLY said!!!!!!!

gue_barium

cutback wrote:

i put quotes around 619 commandments.........notice the first result....:)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=as2&q=%22619+commandments%22&btnG=Search

Hahahahaah!!!

deadnothingbetter

Dog Loyal wrote:

Oh, good Maude! I was being totally facetious when I wrote that. I didn't think anyone here was so freaking dense that they'd have to have it explained for them.

yes and after your last post you failed to read my sarcasm as well. i oughtta slap you for that. j/k

anyways... this conversation is so old and boring. let's talk about girls and dating and stuff.

have any of you ever noticed why girls never turn to look at you at a stop light? not like i'm a pervert or anything but damn. they never bother turn and look at you. what's up with that? where is it that they come up with "love at first sight"? don't they ever think that maybe at a stop light is a great spot for this opportunity?

Dog Loyal

They don't turn to look at me unless they're lesbians.