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Atheist? Write your poetry here....

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:26:35 +0000

I'll start with a poem I wrote yesterday...

An Atheist's Love Story

There was a man, who was lost,
He searched the world for love,
He was taught to look to heaven,
And pray to the god above,
But he found his life’s completion,
In the eyes of his perfect mate,
He understood all worth knowing,
There were no pearly gates,
The time they had was short,
But beautiful in every way,
They thanked the world of science,
For every extra day.

Hello and praise the power of the atom!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:14:13 +0000

Hello all you fellow sceptical free thinkers.

Nice to find this place....

Andreas

Podcast Ideas

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:35:44 +0000

So I've had an idea to do a podcast for a while with various setups, various people, but things ultimately come up and we don't have the time to get together and plan something, and nothing comes of it.

Then I wondered if it could be organised more successfully here, at Atheist Forums. We certainly have a good place to discuss and plan things, and I think it could strengthen the community even more.

So my current ideas for doing a podcast would be:

A team of 3-4 people who form the main hosts.
The show would be a monthly thing at first, so we aren't putting too much pressure on ourselves. It would be around an hour long.
It would be recorded over Skype and then edited and stitched together for release.
The show would include us discussing recent news, things that were perhaps brought up on the forums, general ideas, etc.
One thing I thought of last night would be a "Better know a member" segment where we have a short 10 minute interview with a member of the forums to find our more about their life and who they are.

Of course, I'm sure everyone can come up with other ideas, but I want to know if anyone thinks this would be a good idea, and whether anyone wants to volunteer to be a host.

Trolololololol - made me smile

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:21:58 +0000

http://trololololololololololo.com/

The best song to listen to when... in a different state of mind.

How many forms of Nihilism do you subscribe to?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:50:52 +0000

Just wondering....

I want to learn more about, and am interested in, nihilism.

I am having trouble finding some good nihilism forums (forums just for nihilism) any thoughts?

EvF

The Vatican Rag

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:17:54 +0000

If you remember Tom Lehrer, you should get a kick out of this. If you've never heard of Tom Lehrer, check it out:

Funny guy! Hope you enjoy it!

Joan of Arc - thoughts?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:28:23 +0000

Ok, so I'm thinking about it, and it's pretty ironic that the religious figures who Joan of Arc said she spoke to are of the same faith that sold her and burned her at the stake. A few years later, the Pope said "woops, my bad" and made her a saint and martyr.

Also, were her actions any more or less valid because she said she had divine intervention?

Marmite

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:48:43 +0000

Just got this through the door..

[attachment=270]

Does nothing exist?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:07:03 +0000

Does the state of nonexistence exist (despite the apparent contradiction?)? Everything exists... but do non-things exist? Or will we hold to the classic view that nothingness does not exist as it contradicts its own existence if it were to exist? But what impact would that have on everything existing?

I'm interested in seeing what you lot have to say on nothing's existence (or lack thereof)

36 Arguments for the existence of god: a work of fiction

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:20:40 +0000

I attended a book reading/discussion between Steven Pinker and Rebecca Goldstein this evening, which was really interesting (thoroughly recommend!). Afterwards, I bought Rebecca's new book: "36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction" and will probably get around to reading it sometime within the next week.

I wanted to know if anyone else has read the book, and if so, what did you think of it? Furthermore, do you think it's a good way of 'promoting' atheism, in comparison to the more direct approach of Dawkins and Hitchens?

Christian Myths and Atheists Lies

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:34:26 +0000

In this thread we will explore the lies and myths many atheists have unwittingly been indoctrinated into accepting. Lies and myths with no basis in fact or truth, lies and myths they passively accept and pass along amongst each other and their new converts. Lies and myths they snobbishly believe makes them more educated than Christians and other religious believers. Lies and myths that show they are victims of disinformation and distortion more than any believer.
With that let us begin

1. Christians are against education

One of the biggest lies perpetuated by atheists. It takes only a modicum of reading and intelligence to realize Christians founded Yale Harvard and Princeton, in fact most of the educational system of the United States was established by Christians.

2. Christians are against science

Many and in fact most scientists have been Christian. Here's a list of 10 I can post the names of at least 30 more influential Christian scientists with the bat of an eye

Nicole Oresme c. 1320-1382 inventor of scientific graphic techniques
Nicholas of Cusa 1401-1464 grappler with infinity
Georgias Agricola 1495-1555 founder of metallurgy
John Philoponus late 6th Century Aristotle's early Christian critic
Hugh of St. Victor c. 1096-1141 theologian of science
Robert Grosseteste c. 1168-1253 reform-minded bishop-scientist
Roger Bacon c. 1220-1292 Doctor Mirabiles
Dietrich von Frieberg c. 1250-c. 1310 the priest who solved the mystery of the rainbow
Thomas Bradwardine c. 1290-1349 student of motion
Johannes Kepler 1571-1630 discoverer of the laws of planetary motion
Johannes Baptista van Helmont 1579-1644 founder of pneumatic chemistry and chemical physiology

3. Christians believed the world was flat

The myth that Christians in the Middle Ages thought the world was flat was given a massive boost by Andrew Dickson White's weighty tome The Warfare of Science with Theology. This book has become something of a running joke among historians of science and it is dutifully mentioned as a prime example of misinformation in the preface of most modern works on science and religion.
He finds himself grudgingly admitting that Clement, Origen, Ambrose, Augustine, Isodore, Albertus Magnus and Aquinas all accepted the Earth was a globe - in other words none of the great doctors of the church had considered the matter in doubt.
What can be stated categorically was that a flat Earth was at no time ever an element of Christian doctrine and that no one was ever persecuted or pressurised into believing it.

Well at least they got a little more than a slap on the wrist, very little.

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:07:18 +0000

A conviction for those faith healing nut jobs in Oregon. 16 months, it should have been 16 years.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/arti...QD9EAQKG00

Evidence God Exists

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:15:02 +0000

First and foremost, I would like to define the word evidence. In speaking to atheists, this is always a point of contention, and too much time is spent on discussing whether or not what I’ve provided is evidence rather than on the real subject. Below are the dictionary definitions of the word…

ev·i·dence /ˈɛvɪdəns/ Show Spelled [ev-i-duhns] Show IPA noun, verb,-denced, -denc·ing.
–noun

1. that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof.
2. something that makes plain or clear; an indication or sign: His flushed look was visible evidence of his fever.
3. Law. data presented to a court or jury in proof of the facts in issue and which may include the testimony of witnesses, records, documents, or objects.

Note the terms ‘ground for belief’ and ‘an indication or sign.’ If a meteorologist discovers that rain in one region is evidence of something, and the lack of rain in another region is evidence of something else, and from these observations he forms a theory, then what he has observed is in fact evidence. What I’m about to provide is no different. I have made an observation about something that is real and tangible around us. Therefore, what I am providing is in fact evidence. Basically, I am claiming that there’s evidence all around us that God exits.

I should note that while I believe in God, I am not an extreme bible belt fundamentalist. I believe in evolution, and I am not unique in this. Roughly 40% of Christians in America believe in evolution. We just see it as part of God’s plan. The point is that I’m not here to argue against evolution, but to argue for the existence of God.

I will always speak to you in a civil manner. Atheists, who pride themselves as being intellectually superior to believers, should be able to provide intelligent arguments without profanity and name-calling. Light bantering and snide comments are okay; sometimes that’s part of the fun. But any disrespectful responses will be immediately ignored, regardless of how intelligent your point is.

Atheists love to use the word ‘refuted’ a lot. Just because you say my argument has been refuted doesn’t mean it has been. I warn you that I am a tough cookie, and I’ll likely have an answer for just about anything you post. So if you’re easily frustrated, perhaps you should not participate in this discussion.

Without further ado, here’s the evidence: Humans are the only species, out of millions of species, which have evolved into an intelligent life form. Other species live pretty much to eat and sleep -- survival. If our evolution were only a result of natural selection, shouldn’t other species, or even just one, have evolved into intelligent beings after millions of years? But the fact is that no other species have been able to develop science, literature, art, music and intelligent thought process as humans have. Isn’t this evidence that God exists?

Yes it is, and for several reasons. For one thing it corroborates what’s written in the bible, which is that God created man in his image, and that animals are inferior. But to truly understand why my evidence points towards a deity one needs to be able to appreciate the grandness of this gift that is human intelligence. And you have to ask yourself, why are we the only species, out of millions, that have achieved this type of intelligence? Evolution is about natural selection, but shouldn’t at least one other species, out of millions, have benefited from intelligence? I think so. And there would be a myriad of other intelligent species if there were no God. If you can appreciate the grandness and uniqueness of human intelligence, then you’ll understand why only humans were given this gift, and you'll know why what I've outlined here points to a God.

Hybrid

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:34:27 +0000

One of Hybrid's remixes.

EvF

Time in a bottle: Scientists watch evolution unfold over 40,000 generations!

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:56:03 +0000

Short article from Michigan State University on a study of 40,000 generations of the bacterial E. coli beginning in 1988. Here's some evolution happening within your lifetime!! And perhaps in your own body.....

http://news.msu.edu/story/6993/

William Orbit

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:32:46 +0000

Water From A Vine Leaf

EvF

FREE KINDLE

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 11:47:16 +0000

Amazon has a new beta program for a free Kindle to operate on your computer or I-phone.

Link

What do believers say when you ask or tell them..

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:29:56 +0000

1. What happens if the religion you're believing in is wrong? Since there are more than the one God you're believing in. Don't you think it's a waste of time praying when you have no idea what might be the truth?
2. Don't you think heaven would be extremely boring after 5 billion years of being there, and still having forever left? It may be paradise but everything gets boring in the long run.
3. Who created God?
4. Why does God let bad things happen to good people?
5. The reason you don't commit horrible crimes, is it because you're afraid to be smited by God or because you think it's morally wrong?
6. If no one created God, why can't we say no one created the world?

I can guess what believers would answer to a few of these questions but I'd like to hear others opinions. And obviously some are more extreme than others.
Post more statements/questions if you have any .

Donation Drive

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:42:54 +0000

The "lease" on our old server has expired, which means we are free to abandon the contract at any point and get a new server. The current server costs £40 (~$60) a month which is far too excessive. The company I'm tempted to go with (flosoft.biz) is owned by a friend of mine and he can get us a FlexServ package for around £18 a month instead.

So those who can do math will have realised that we need to raise £216 (~$327) to fund the site for the next 12 months.

Obviously none of you are obliged to donate; this site will always remain free and ad-free, but if you like Atheist Forums, want to see it continue, and want to lift the burden off my personal savings then please think about donating.

I've added a crude counter to the top of the site (which you can hide if you really want to), and all current donations we've had have been added to the total. I'll update this every time the site gets a donation.

-Thanks

An introduction to die for!

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 03:13:05 +0000

Ok so perhaps not to die for... but now that I have your attention!

I'm basically the guy, from the Northern regions of England, who tries his hardest to run /AtheistChurch on twitter (I'd link, but I'm not trusted enough for that yet! )

Hi everyone!