(December 30, 2014 at 12:02 pm)strawdawg Wrote: I don't think people are atheist because they fear anything. More then likely it's because people with religious views are so obnoxious it's a turn off. Plus there are people that just don't buy the God thing.

I see you learn. I tawt you tawt it was just a silly fad!

(December 30, 2014 at 11:31 am)Stimbo Wrote: Atheism has nothing to do with any fear of religion or religious practices. Atheists on the other hand can be motivated by any manner of factors. I don't get why you're making this so difficult.

Well you know, I do not even know what theism is if that makes the atheist position possible for you. A theists believes in God or gods, let's say. If the concept God is not prior by nature to me how would I know what God is and what the very word God means if I cannot identify with it. Would my first question not be: "you believe in what?" unless the not-visible concept God is already prior to me by nature right from the start?

This would be similar to the sound of galloping horse. If I have never heard this sound before and when I hear this sound for the first time I go to window to see I will soon know what this sound is all about. Once this connection is made, how can you deny me telling you "there goes that horse again" the next time I hear that same sound again?

This then is why I call atheists impoverished believers opposite to which mystics are enriched believers, and I write this only to show that belief does have its own opposite in doubt that sets knowledge apart as an end in itself.

(December 30, 2014 at 1:42 pm)Lambert Wrote:

(December 30, 2014 at 11:31 am)Stimbo Wrote: Atheism has nothing to do with any fear of religion or religious practices. Atheists on the other hand can be motivated by any manner of factors. I don't get why you're making this so difficult.

Well you know, I do not even know what theism is if that makes the atheist position possible for you. A theists believes in God or gods, let's say. If the concept God is not prior by nature to me how would I know what God is and what the very word God means if I cannot identify with it. Would my first question not be: "you believe in what?" unless the not-visible concept God is already prior to me by nature right from the start?

This would be similar to the sound of galloping horse. If I have never heard this sound before and when I hear this sound for the first time I go to window to see I will soon know what this sound is all about.

Once this this connection is made, how can you deny me telling you "there goes that horse again" the next time I hear that same sound again?

This then is why I call atheists impoverished believers opposite to which mystics are enriched believers, and I write this only to show that belief does have its own opposite in doubt that sets knowledge apart as an end in itself.

Theism Lambert is the acknowledgement of god. You acknowledge god you pray to god, you worship god, you love god, you are a theist.

Atheist is the opposite we just don't believe there is a god and there is lack of evidence for a god.

you are a theist.

(December 30, 2014 at 11:38 am)dyresand Wrote: Atheism is the acknowledgement of saying i don't know there is any god and there is lack of a god to prove he exists.
on a scale of 1 to 7 i am a 7 i am a strong atheist there is no evidence of god and a god doesn't exist.

Oh that is right too. There are strong atheist and weak atheist too, I remember that now.

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(December 30, 2014 at 1:15 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Former Catholic myself. Glad I left, but not for any emotional reasons. It simply made less and less sense over time.

Right, same here. Once I knew enough I quit going to church, and now I go with the grandkids again when I am there.

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(December 30, 2014 at 1:45 pm)dyresand Wrote:

(December 30, 2014 at 1:42 pm)Lambert Wrote: Well you know, I do not even know what theism is if that makes the atheist position possible for you. A theists believes in God or gods, let's say. If the concept God is not prior by nature to me how would I know what God is and what the very word God means if I cannot identify with it. Would my first question not be: "you believe in what?" unless the not-visible concept God is already prior to me by nature right from the start?

This would be similar to the sound of galloping horse. If I have never heard this sound before and when I hear this sound for the first time I go to window to see I will soon know what this sound is all about.

Once this this connection is made, how can you deny me telling you "there goes that horse again" the next time I hear that same sound again?

This then is why I call atheists impoverished believers opposite to which mystics are enriched believers, and I write this only to show that belief does have its own opposite in doubt that sets knowledge apart as an end in itself.

Theism Lambert is the acknowledgement of god. You acknowledge god you pray to god, you worship god, you love god, you are a theist.

Atheist is the opposite we just don't believe there is a god and there is lack of evidence for a god.

you are a theist.

Huh? It can be said that my life is a prayer, so why should I deny that and pray only when I go to church?

(December 30, 2014 at 1:49 pm)Lambert Wrote:

(December 30, 2014 at 11:38 am)dyresand Wrote: Atheism is the acknowledgement of saying i don't know there is any god and there is lack of a god to prove he exists.
on a scale of 1 to 7 i am a 7 i am a strong atheist there is no evidence of god and a god doesn't exist.

Oh that is right too. There are strong atheist and weak atheist too, I remember that now.

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(December 30, 2014 at 1:15 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Former Catholic myself. Glad I left, but not for any emotional reasons. It simply made less and less sense over time.

Right, same here. Once I knew enough I quit going to church, and now I go with the grandkids again when I am there.

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(December 30, 2014 at 1:45 pm)dyresand Wrote: Theism Lambert is the acknowledgement of god. You acknowledge god you pray to god, you worship god, you love god, you are a theist.

Atheist is the opposite we just don't believe there is a god and there is lack of evidence for a god.

you are a theist.

Huh? It can be said that my life is a prayer, so why should I deny that and pray only when I go to church?

Wait.... how could never mind you are a theist you love god so i guess that all that matters to you.

(December 30, 2014 at 1:05 pm)dyresand Wrote: Lambert you are a atheist to every other god except your own.
You are a theist to your own god.

Yes, kind of like a mind of my own, if that is what you means to say.

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(December 30, 2014 at 12:02 pm)strawdawg Wrote: I don't think people are atheist because they fear anything. More then likely it's because people with religious views are so obnoxious it's a turn off. Plus there are people that just don't buy the God thing.

That is exactly why I say that in America you can be an atheist from a distance. And have you ever watched those holy rollers in action on national TV?

And have you ever noticed how they must pray up storm before they get the HS in their midst, so they say, so he can fly the coop again when they are done -- would be a good inference here? And does that not sound a bit crazy to you too?

(December 30, 2014 at 2:18 am)Lambert Wrote:

(December 30, 2014 at 2:08 am)Full Circle Wrote: Not on the list of acknowledged Catholic sects, are you sure?

To tall to measure maybe?

I get the feeling you have no idea what dogmas you are supposed to follow or what flavor of Catholicism you practice.

Might as well start your own dog and pony show.

(December 30, 2014 at 1:17 pm)dyresand Wrote:

(December 30, 2014 at 1:15 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Former Catholic myself. Glad I left, but not for any emotional reasons. It simply made less and less sense over time.

I know how that is... First off when i was a theist i asked my parents and preacher is magic real they were like no it doesn't then i asked how god made everything they said god can speak things into existence and i said like magic...that was one of my first indications something isn't right.

Correct, "essence precedes existence" and that means the thing is created ex nihilo always. It so now is the thinginess of the thing that makes the thing what it is and therefore it is the horseness of a horse that makes a horse look like a horse.

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(December 30, 2014 at 2:20 pm)Full Circle Wrote:

(December 30, 2014 at 2:18 am)Lambert Wrote: To tall to measure maybe?

I get the feeling you have no idea what dogmas you are supposed to follow or what flavor of Catholicism you practice.

Might as well start your own dog and pony show.

Well if Catholics are like sheep it is good enough that the shepherd knows what dogma is all about. Like I wrote here before, all Catholics need to know is that hither and thither they must go and from there only the shepherd needs to see to it that they do.

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(December 30, 2014 at 2:04 pm)dyresand Wrote:

(December 30, 2014 at 1:49 pm)Lambert Wrote: Oh that is right too. There are strong atheist and weak atheist too, I remember that now.

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Right, same here. Once I knew enough I quit going to church, and now I go with the grandkids again when I am there.

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Huh? It can be said that my life is a prayer, so why should I deny that and pray only when I go to church?

Wait.... how could never mind you are a theist you love god so i guess that all that matters to you.

I have no problem with being called a theist, but love God? It is more like love life and religion makes the forbidden fruit sweeter then wine and teaches us how to get away with it too.

Can we run a quick IQ test on this thread? I'd really like to know how far beneath average it is.

(December 30, 2014 at 2:58 pm)abaris Wrote: Can we run a quick IQ test on this thread? I'd really like to know how far beneath average it is.

Not to worry, in my previous post it is actually my brother I am thinking about.