(October 1, 2014 at 6:29 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Yeah..and chances are atheism disturbs you for reasons entirely unrelated to atheism - meanwhile...I'm just going by what you've decided to share -in this thread-. I'm not writing you off because you believe differently, I'm not even writing you off because you upheld the rights of despots and tyrants the world over with a single sentence. I'm simply making sure that this doesn't slip by, greased by pious indignation and appeals to some mutual respect that you cannot possibly maintain after that single remark (not that you stopped there.......ffs).

Oh! Ok I get it. Didn't realize we were appealing to a mutual respect.

Also no, atheism itself I find scary. The idea of no God in ways depresses me. But again, I don't want to open that discussion up and derail the thread, so I'll leave the topic alone from here on out.

Well, we're talking about this now, so go on. Threads deviate all the time.

Gotta admit, I'm extremely curious. Whats scary about the idea of "no god"?
(notice, right off the bat, that many here will tell you that this is not atheism - just so it doesn't come as a surprise.)

(October 1, 2014 at 7:39 am)Bibliofagus Wrote: Thing stopped evolving? Heh. Guess it's time to lose my assets in pharma and agriculture then...

Hello I'm talking about humans, giraffes, lions, tigers, most mammals. Give me an example of a mammal that has evolved recently or even in the last 5,000 years. I should have been more specific, my apologies. What happened to the penguin? The fly, mosquitoes, all those bugs and bacteria. They all have a purpose. I'd love to kill every mosquito ever, extinct. If I did it would break the circle of life. The circle of life is astronomically too complex for me not to believe intelligence was involved. I just don't make many assumptions about what, IT, is. I just see the Intelligence.

(October 1, 2014 at 7:39 am)Bibliofagus Wrote: The guy claiming this thinks jebus died to put an end to crucifixion.

I am not a Jesus freak. It's a reasonable theory. Nobody gets crucified anymore, I don't like the death penalty but they have even made it more humane; if that's what you want to call it. More civil Countries have banned it altogether.

(October 1, 2014 at 7:39 am)Bibliofagus Wrote: Has it occured to you that maybe I don't think I am that smart, but that I do think you are just plain thick?

Not agreeing with you does not make me thick. I'm sure we are passionate about many common problems.

Man y'all don't even know me. You're making assumptions about me and assuming it has A$$ in it for a reason.

It doesn't matter whether or not god/s exist. What matters is living lives we can be proud of. Standing up for what's right. Humans need to take the responsibility for this suffering world we call home. God/s are not up there puppeteering.

Life is a gift no matter where it came from.

I'm just tired of everybody fighting over gods and money. It's making life harder not easier. I'm not saying not to be atheist, be what you want I don't give a flying rats a$$. It doesn't mean you can break the rules of good manners. We learn those for a reason!

If you want PEACE you have to be PEACEFUL. I can not be any more clear about that.

(October 1, 2014 at 6:56 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Gotta admit, I'm extremely curious. Whats scary about the idea of "no god"?
(notice, right off the bat, that many here will tell you that this is not atheism - just so it doesn't come as a surprise.)

Then let me rephrase, I find anti-theism to be depressing for myself. If I was anti-theistic, I wouldn't enjoy the meaningless, or lack purpose. And then the imminent nothingness that swallows us up as the end.

I find that Christian-ideas makes me a better person toward others (i.e. - I care about other people's happiness, I'm passionate about human rights, etc.), whereas without them I would be a rather depressing individual to be around (I wouldn't feel passionate toward others, I'd isolate myself, etc.). Says more about what I need than what I am. Even if there actually was no God, at all, I would still be a Christian so that at least I can be happy and share happiness with others.

Oh Lord help us, rogue is back.

I don't see anything in there that should frighten you about atheism or anti-theism Hez.....plenty that ought to frighten you about yourself though. I manage to find meaning and purpose, I'm passionate about my friends and family (strangers and drifters) - just a generally happy guy.... So clearly neither atheism nor anti-theism is the operative bit - if all of this would just disappear for you if god were to disappear. You might want to see somebody about this bud. Faith can be fickle, if any of this is remotely true you're going to have to be pretty damned careful with your life.

At least you didn't go full on "if there were no god nothing would stop me from skullfucking infants with a boat paddle", so I guess there's that.

(October 1, 2014 at 8:30 pm)Rogue Wrote: If you want PEACE you have to be PEACEFUL. I can not be any more clear about that.

Well considering that you started this thread by asking us the level of morality of a pacifist who never killed a fly yet who's teaching have either backed up or incite a huge part of this world's most warlike and violent conflicts I dare to disagree.

True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice. ~ Martin Luther King

And the ideal of justice without the guts to fight for it, it's just a bunch of empty words.

(October 1, 2014 at 8:51 pm)Rhythm Wrote: I don't see anything in there that should frighten you about atheism or anti-theism Hez.....plenty that ought to frighten you about yourself though.

Well I didn't mean to describe it as "scary", I meant to re-phrase it as "depressing". But assuming your question to instead be:

"I don't see anything in there that should [depress] you about atheism or anti-theism Hez.....plenty that ought to [depress] you about yourself though."

-I will say that you're right. It's my personal response to anti-theism.

(October 1, 2014 at 8:51 pm)Rhythm Wrote: I don't see anything in there that should frighten you about atheism or anti-theism

Those who staked their selfworth on their own foolishness is right to fear anything that would recognize their foolishness for what it is.