(August 17, 2023 at 9:34 pm)MarcusA Wrote:

(August 17, 2023 at 9:31 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: I used to say that I wasn't religious enough to call myself an atheist. That has changed as I paid more attention to religion's abuses. Choirboys with XXX rectums? Seriously? The cassock doesn't hide the boner.

But the Church is against homosexuality...

Priest: "If I said I was against your homosexuality would you hold it against me?"

(August 17, 2023 at 9:34 pm)MarcusA Wrote:

(August 17, 2023 at 9:31 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: I used to say that I wasn't religious enough to call myself an atheist. That has changed as I paid more attention to religion's abuses. Choirboys with XXX rectums? Seriously? The cassock doesn't hide the boner.

But the Church is against homosexuality...

Officially, yes. But who has the fanciest dress in Rome? The Pope.

(August 17, 2023 at 10:45 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote:

(August 17, 2023 at 9:34 pm)MarcusA Wrote: But the Church is against homosexuality...

Officially, yes. But who has the fanciest dress in Rome? The Pope.

That may be so, but there is a shop around the corner from the Vatican. 
And I have red (cardinal) socks from there. 
If you would like some too, I can find the address.

(August 17, 2023 at 9:01 am)Ahriman Wrote:

(August 16, 2023 at 6:48 pm)Gwaithmir Wrote: “The only position that leaves me with no cognitive dissonance is atheism. It is not a creed. Death is certain, replacing both the siren-song of paradise and the dread of hell. Life on earth, with all its mystery and beauty and pain, is then to be lived far more intensely: We stumble and get up, we are sad, confident, insecure, feel loneliness and joy and love. There is nothing more; but I want nothing more.” (Christopher Hitchens) 

Not sure why you wouldn't want to live another life if you enjoy being alive. Reincarnation is a real thing. God is real too but only the truly simple-minded are going to have any real faith in Him, which is fine for them.

The burden of proof lies on he who alleges. Religious people should know that I’m perfectly willing to believe in god(s), ghosts, mediums, demons, angels, spirits, channeling, miracles, horoscopes, astrology, psychics, Ouija boards, the supernatural, and anything else for that matter as long as they adhere to one proviso: Prove it! Don’t give me speculation, guesses, hopes, dreams, wishes, desires, beliefs, faith (or appeals to faith), or indoctrinations. Don’t give me one-time-only, non-repeatable, non-testable events. Don’t give me internal alterations in one’s psychology or physiology that can’t be tested observed, or demonstrated, only felt or believed. And don’t give me effects that can’t be clearly related to the supposed cause.

I have no objection to believing in a god as long as proof based upon a rational standard of knowledge is forthcoming. Is that too much to ask? But surely theists can’t expect me to adopt their beliefs on the basis of what has been presented thus far. Every “proof” I’ve heard and every piece of evidence I’ve seen for the existence of god(s) is easily countered by rational evidence and arguments to the contrary. No convincing evidence for the existence of any deity has ever emerged. But I’m more than willing to listen to theistic arguments or view theistic evidence as long as cross-examination is permitted. As conditions now stand, theology rests far more on superstition and faith than upon facts and reason.

(August 18, 2023 at 7:04 am)Gwaithmir Wrote: I have no objection to believing in a god as long as proof based upon a rational standard of knowledge is forthcoming. Is that too much to ask? But surely theists can’t expect me to adopt their beliefs on the basis of what has been presented thus far. Every “proof” I’ve heard and every piece of evidence I’ve seen for the existence of god(s) is easily countered by rational evidence and arguments to the contrary. No convincing evidence for the existence of any deity has ever emerged. But I’m more than willing to listen to theistic arguments or view theistic evidence as long as cross-examination is permitted. As conditions now stand, theology rests far more on superstition and faith than upon facts and reason.

Theology rests on explaining the evidence away, even the "evidence" contained within their own scripture.  One way of doing that is changing the meaning of words on the fly.  We sent five probes into interstellar space and they never bumped into the "firmament" that has the sun and moon and windows for rain?  Well, Raqia doesn't really mean "that which is stamped or beaten out"...as though it were metal, no, Raqia always meant a thin layer of air all along.  Atheists just refuse to accept that.

(August 17, 2023 at 9:32 pm)MarcusA Wrote:

(August 17, 2023 at 8:27 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: I don't see my atheism as a matter of fighting faith. My atheism is a simple statement about my own lack of faith, nothing more, nothing less. What am I banging my head against?

You say this, and then immediately contradict yourself.

You confuse commentary for polemics.

(August 17, 2023 at 9:54 am)Ahriman Wrote:

(August 17, 2023 at 9:51 am)h4ym4n Wrote: How do you know?

Your conscious existence will last forever, your consciousness will always exist in some form or another. Your mind cannot fathom non-existence and so it simply won't happen.

Consciousness is a product of a correctly functioning brain. Without the physical substrate of the brain, there is no brain function, without brain functions there is not consciousness.

Please tell us how a consciousness can exist without a brain? And not just useless blathering, evidence and valid and sound logic, too.

Remember, there was a time that the human mind could not fathom quantum mechanics.

(August 18, 2023 at 11:00 am)Simon Moon Wrote: Remember, there was a time that the human mind could not fathom quantum mechanics.

"If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics.” - Richard P. Feynman

I will be an an atheist until someone comes up convincing evidence for a god or gods (that's what convincing means) ... not happened yet, not sure I will live long enough to see any such evidence!

(August 17, 2023 at 8:45 pm)LinuxGal Wrote:

(August 17, 2023 at 10:56 am)Ahriman Wrote: Fine by me. A life with God is a sweet life indeed.

A life with God is a life walking on eggshells.  First naughty word or impure thought and a trapdoor opens under your feet leading straight to Fire Lake.

Not true at all. I've said and had a nautical fuckton of naughty words and impure thoughts and I'm still being cared for, by a God who loves me.