New theistic chew toys wanted!

[The Architect Of Fate]

I have a childish view of everything. 

That tragic 

It's what keeps me close to God, and away from negative bullshit like porn, sex, and drugs.

There is nothing wrong with sex

[Peebothuhlu]

I have a childish view of everything. 

That tragic 

It's what keeps me close to God, and away from negative bullshit like porn, sex, and drugs.

There is nothing wrong with sex

If there's something wrong with Ahriman's kind of sex?

Clearly they are having the wrong kind of sex.



Not at work.  

[Spongebob]

Nothing wrong with the occasional chemical brain alteration either. You just have to be very careful.

[vulcanlogician]

If your belief in God brings you happiness, Ahri, I'm cool with that. IMO, it's one of the valid reasons to believe.

From the perspective of the religion itself, happiness is not a valid reason.  If the Christian god is who the Bible says he is, then that's the only justification.  God is who god says god is and that god demands adulation from humans.  There's absolutely nothing in the Bible that remotely suggests god will make you happy if you believe in him and follow his commandments.

Well, I don't take orders from the Bible. My policy is: if believing in God makes someone happy, that makes it a reasonable thing to do.

It's not something that could ever make me happy. The potential falseness of the belief would be like a pebble in my shoe. And I'd want to remove that pebble (as I indeed have). Other people, it seems, don't have that issue. It brings them comfort and joy to believe. I say: "Cool, man. I don't think you're justified in holding the belief. But at least you're happy."

[Spongebob]

My position is quite similar. To each his own. But due to the pervasiveness of religions and its tendency toward domination and control, I really can't stand it. So I realize its a personal right but I don't approve or recommend it.

I don't think the question of happiness has much to do with religion. It had nothing to do with my rejection of certain Christian beliefs or my eventual movement toward atheism. Much like my preference for the Lambda tuning method versus Zeigler-Nichols. Lambda just makes more sense and works better. Has nothing to do with happiness.

[vulcanlogician]

My position is quite similar.  To each his own.  But due to the pervasiveness of religions and its tendency toward domination and control, I really can't stand it.  So I realize its a personal right but I don't approve or recommend it.

I don't think the question of happiness has much to do with religion.  It had nothing to do with my rejection of certain Christian beliefs or my eventual movement toward atheism.  Much like my preference for the Lambda tuning method versus Zeigler-Nichols.  Lambda just makes more sense and works better.  Has nothing to do with happiness.

I do think religion can serve a role in making a sad person happy. This is argued for by William James in Varieties of Religious Experience. I found his argument convincing. Mind you, he doesn't argue that religion is necessary for happiness. But he does argue that the contingent world gives some people the shaft... or that there are rarified depressive states. In these instances, belief can be instrumental in carrying one from unhappiness to happiness. He is careful to point out that there ARE other ways... he just argues that belief is one tool in that toolbox.

I'm also curious if you have any opinions about nontheistic religions (such as Taoism). Just curious what your perspective is there.... as an aside...

[The Grand Nudger]

Sure, I keep strange and seemingly random items because they provide me with a sense of calm.  I have a respectable collection of devonian fossils - owing to the rock wall and creek cutting through my property.  My house is also free of evil spirits.

As for the hard liquor - no need to hide it in front of me, I'm not your god - I won't be judging you for it.  I feel like we're losing the pulse, though.  Is there any valuation or human tick that you wouldn't expect another person to share with you if those people didn't hold your beliefs about a god?

It's my opinion that these beliefs we might hold about value and the nature of being - even of being, proper... are wildly overdetermined.

Happiness. But that's just my perspective.

No, it's not, this is pointless.  You just acknowledged that there are happy people in the world who don't believe in your god.  Your perspective, is that you wouldn't be happy. I suppose it's a dead end. No one can think of anything a person can only get from a belief in god.

[GUBU]

Even though I’m fairly certain he was just practicing his apologetics on us, I will say I always enjoyed getting into it with SteveII. He always gave 100%.

I got an apologist vibe from Steve, too. But the fact we don't outright name him an apologist says something about how much restraint he used in that regard. Definitely a grounded intellectual who knew how to respect logic.

Not at all the steveii I interacted with. He was only interested in regurgitating the same few stale apologetics arguments and rarely, if ever, discussed the matter in hand, let alone logically or intellectually.

[Ahriman]

Happiness. But that's just my perspective.

No, it's not, this is pointless.  You just acknowledged that there are happy people in the world who don't believe in your god.  Your perspective, is that you wouldn't be happy.  I suppose it's a dead end.  No one can think of anything a person can only get from a belief in god.

How about peace of mind? The idea that a transcendent "someone" is watching over you, is very comforting. Most of the atheists I've dealt with, seem to have an inner struggle taking place within them, that renders them incapable of finding true, metaphysical rest. Even the happy atheist girl I know, is very promiscuous, to the point of absurdity.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I have a childish view of everything. 

That tragic 

It's what keeps me close to God, and away from negative bullshit like porn, sex, and drugs.

There is nothing wrong with sex

(Bold mine)

Unless you do it right.

Boru