(July 27, 2016 at 12:27 pm)mh.brewer Wrote:

(July 27, 2016 at 12:05 pm)Whateverist the White Wrote: You know I think of religious believe as going hand-in-glove with political conservatism.  Obviously that would make you the outlier.  Does that ring true to you in general?

Are you thinking that of all the religious or just the wack job ultra right thumpers?

No, I actually imagine conservative intelligentsia (a hypothetical I'm willing to entertain at least while talking with you) probably hold nuanced religious beliefs. I think they hold them in such a way as not to impede their economically driven projects. I'm sure there are plenty of the religiously whacked who are conservative politically too, you know the whole 'moral majority' lot.

(July 27, 2016 at 12:27 pm)mh.brewer Wrote: Yes, I'm definitely on the outside. Been that way most of my life. My beliefs, or lack there of, are specific to me, I'm guessing that are are for you also. In the political liberal arena do you not separate yourself from the herd on some issues? Are all the political liberalists areligious?

Oh sure, I think liberalism has at times edged toward simplistic take-from-the-rich to pay for everything. I'm in favor of a progressive tax and find that entirely fair. But I also think government should seek to establish an environment in which business can flourish. So you need a balance.

(July 27, 2016 at 12:27 pm)mh.brewer Wrote: Is Hillary an atheist?

Sure would like that to be true of anyone we get as president, wouldn't you?

Not exactly sure what was the final straw, just an accumulation of a great many reasons - too many to list here. One of them was the mournful sound of people rejoicing in church. Everyone just seemed downright miserable the whole time...

(July 27, 2016 at 1:03 pm)Whateverist the White Wrote:

(July 27, 2016 at 12:27 pm)mh.brewer Wrote: Are you thinking that of all the religious or just the wack job ultra right thumpers?

No, I actually imagine conservative intelligentsia (a hypothetical I'm willing to entertain at least while talking with you) probably hold nuanced religious beliefs.  I think they hold them in such a way as not to impede their economically driven projects.  I'm sure there are plenty of the religiously whacked who are conservative politically too, you know the whole 'moral majority' lot.

(July 27, 2016 at 12:27 pm)mh.brewer Wrote: Yes, I'm definitely on the outside. Been that way most of my life. My beliefs, or lack there of, are specific to me, I'm guessing that are are for you also. In the political liberal arena do you not separate yourself from the herd on some issues? Are all the political liberalists areligious?

Oh sure, I think liberalism has at times edged toward simplistic take-from-the-rich to pay for everything.  I'm in favor of a progressive tax and find that entirely fair.  But I also think government should seek to establish an environment in which business can flourish.  So you need a balance.

(July 27, 2016 at 12:27 pm)mh.brewer Wrote: Is Hillary an atheist?

Sure would like that to be true of anyone we get as president, wouldn't you?

So, this is what I'm hearing.

Mark: rational conservative
Mark: rational democrat

Atheist in the white house, not in my lifetime. I'll continue to dream.

I took "philosophy of world religion" in college and actually learned about all the other religions that existed in the world. After that, the idea that only one was the "right" one seemed absurd beyond any justification. I walked into that classroom at the beginning of the semester a Christian, and I walked out agnostic.

To answer the threads question. At some point I noticed that I never cared and could just as well make it official by calling myself an atheist.

Never joined.

Well I've never been a christian but if it interest you, I left religion Islam when I found there is not a single atom of evidence for its claims. I didn't even bother to find evidence for other religions, I can tell they're all bullshit. Also the odds are against religion. Research has shown non religious people are in general a bit more intelligent, more rational and non religious kids were more empathetical/less selfish. Why would God make his people inferior? So the theistic forms of a deity are ruled out and deism (a non interactive God) is also just a claim pulled out of ones ass, but if there really is a deistic form of God, it's the most irrelevant God there can be.

what pisses me off the most is that god literally does NOTHING to make the world a better place, and every time i try to - i get thrown under the bus. For example i made a guide in a video game with the sole purpose of helping new people with the things i struggled with that i wish i had been told (it wasn't for profit or anything, and i spent hours writing it up), and all i got was negative feed back because i mentioned certain classes were better than others - and it just pissed me off so much it makes me say if god can fix the world and chooses not to, why the hell am i just getting screwed over and over for nothing? So i think it's about time i just become self centered like most everybody else, i realize even science proves that life is survival of the fittest so people like me who think against the grain frequently seem to get screwed over. At least the best thing about life is that it isn't forever and its a good thing that atheism proves we stop existing after we die, cus if this god's world, his heaven probably sucks balls too. And i know deep down the christians know they are full of shit, they used the bible as an excuse to be condescending dicks.

though in all honesty, i feel like christianity is on its last leg, because i can go into into any MMO and ask who believes in god? and 99% of the people will say "wtf? aint no god niggaaaa!!" - so its like most people are atheist these days anyways, or maybe christians are learning to keep quiet, which is good too i guess. so at least i can die happy knowing that god was a piece of shit who didn't give me enough support (even though other christians always bragged about how much god helped them get a hot wife, nice job, etc), and his religion deserved to die, and i got to live in this moment of history when his shit religion started to die/died.

(July 27, 2016 at 4:22 pm)Rextos Wrote: So i think it's about time i just become self centered like most everybody else, i realize even science proves that life is survival of the fittest so people like me who think against the grain frequently seem to get screwed over.

Atheism can't help you stop caring about people. Neither is atheism about being an asshole. To achieve those things you just have to look within.

(July 27, 2016 at 4:22 pm)Rextos Wrote: if this god's world, his heaven probably sucks balls too.

(July 27, 2016 at 4:22 pm)Rextos Wrote: And i know deep down the christians know they are full of shit, they used the bible as an excuse to be condescending dicks.

You know, you just might be good atheist material.

(July 27, 2016 at 4:22 pm)Rextos Wrote: though in all honesty, i feel like christianity is on its last leg, because i can go into into any MMO and ask who believes in god? and 99% of the people will say "wtf? aint no god niggaaaa!!" - so its like most people are atheist these days anyways, or maybe christians are learning to keep quiet, which is good too i guess.

Ya got me lolling out loud. Wait. Gotta breath. Okay, go ahead.

(July 27, 2016 at 4:22 pm)Rextos Wrote: so at least i can die happy knowing that god was a piece of shit who didn't give me enough support (even though other christians always bragged about how much god helped them get a hot wife, nice job, etc), and his religion deserved to die, and i got to live in this moment of history when his shit religion started to die/died.

Slow, gradual questioning of what I was reading/hearing . . . years of gradual realizations that what was being taught just made no sense.  Then in the middle of an Easter Vigil, I abruptly realized that I just couldn't buy ANY of it.  And more reading on atheism has clarified the unbelief further.