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RE: It's time
May 12, 2023 at 4:42 pm
(This post was last modified: May 12, 2023 at 4:50 pm by The End of Atheism.)
(May 12, 2023 at 4:34 pm)emjay Wrote: (May 12, 2023 at 4:14 pm)The End of Atheism Wrote: [...]
How can one not benefit from the belief of being taken care of by a very powerful being ?
I can't speak for everyone of course but in my case, I don't seek that sort of dependence any more. I did while I was a Christian, but now my perspective is very different, based around a kind of Stoic/Buddhist philosophy of not trying to control my environment so much as my own mind. So in other words, no longer constantly praying to a god or any other external thing to change my circumstances... to do that would just seem to create an endless state of 'learned helplessness'... but instead learning to accept whatever comes my way.
While this is a respectable pov, you're being unfair to religious people. Their very religion (I mean any major world religion) teaches them to accept whatever comes their way, with the additional promise of other worldly happiness.
Why not do both ? why not nourish a comforting belief in a caring being, while also doing everything you can to improve your life ?
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RE: It's time
May 12, 2023 at 4:43 pm
(May 12, 2023 at 4:42 pm)The End of Atheism Wrote: (May 12, 2023 at 4:34 pm)emjay Wrote: I can't speak for everyone of course but in my case, I don't seek that sort of dependence any more. I did while I was a Christian, but now my perspective is very different, based around a kind of Stoic/Buddhist philosophy of not trying to control my environment so much as my own mind. So in other words, no longer constantly praying to a god or any other external thing to change my circumstances... to do that would just seem to create an endless state of 'learned helplessness'... but instead learning to accept whatever comes my way.
While this is a respectable pov, you're being unfair to religious people. Their very religion (I mean any major world religion) teaches them to accept whatever comes their way, with the additional promise of other wordly happiness.
Why not do both ? why not nourish a comforting belief in a caring being, while also doing everything you can to improve your life ?
"Finite resources."
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RE: It's time
May 12, 2023 at 4:44 pm
(May 12, 2023 at 4:41 pm)zebo-the-fat Wrote: You seem to think that believing (or not) in a god is something you can choose to do, it isn't. I don't believe that gods exist, that's it, I can't decide that from 9:00 on Monday morning I will believe, it just doesn't work like that. I don't believe in gods for the same reason I don't believe in the tooth fairy or in pixies, if you put a gun to my head I will be very convincing in saying "yes, I believe now!" but it won't really be true, you would need to convince me, people have been trying to do that for the last 68 years, not convinced yet!
I already said I agree with that. Changing your beliefs comes from a succession of small decisions to shift your perspective. I don't want to do preaching here as it seems they have rules against it, but you can easily find tips and long religious exhortations on how to feel grateful to God about good things you have in your life.
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RE: It's time
May 12, 2023 at 4:48 pm
Why the hell would anyone need to learn gratitude to a mystic sky fairy? There is little benefit to such a thing and what arrogance to assume good fortune was specifically for you.
"Change was inevitable"
Nemo sicut deus debet esse!
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RE: It's time
May 12, 2023 at 4:49 pm
(May 12, 2023 at 4:43 pm)Angrboda Wrote: (May 12, 2023 at 4:42 pm)The End of Atheism Wrote: While this is a respectable pov, you're being unfair to religious people. Their very religion (I mean any major world religion) teaches them to accept whatever comes their way, with the additional promise of other wordly happiness.
Why not do both ? why not nourish a comforting belief in a caring being, while also doing everything you can to improve your life ?
"Finite resources."
"nourish a comforting belief in a caring being" shouldn't be an exhausting experience. But anyway people do what they want.
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RE: It's time
May 12, 2023 at 4:50 pm
(This post was last modified: May 12, 2023 at 4:50 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
It really shouldn't..should it....and yet........
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: It's time
May 12, 2023 at 4:52 pm
Quote:"nourish a comforting belief in a caring being" shouldn't be an exhausting experience. But anyway people do what they want.
Wasting a millisecond on such a pointless endeavor is too much effort. When you could be doing actually fulfilling things.
"Change was inevitable"
Nemo sicut deus debet esse!
“No matter what men think, abortion is a fact of life. Women have always had them; they always have and they always will. Are they going to have good ones or bad ones? Will the good ones be reserved for the rich, while the poor women go to quacks?”
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RE: It's time
May 12, 2023 at 4:53 pm
(May 12, 2023 at 4:50 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: It really shouldn't..should it....and yet........ And yet the mere act of doing something so pointless makes it so.
"Change was inevitable"
Nemo sicut deus debet esse!
“No matter what men think, abortion is a fact of life. Women have always had them; they always have and they always will. Are they going to have good ones or bad ones? Will the good ones be reserved for the rich, while the poor women go to quacks?”
–SHIRLEY CHISHOLM
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RE: It's time
May 12, 2023 at 5:00 pm
(May 12, 2023 at 4:53 pm)Helios Wrote: And yet the mere act of doing something so pointless makes it so.
Wow, that's ignorant. Even assuming religious belief is factually wrong, it's certainly not pointless. Religious belief is widespread because it's evolutionarily beneficial : religious people procreate more, they tend to have a strong sense of community, which is also good for survival.
No, religious belief is not pointless, don't make a fool of yourself.
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RE: It's time
May 12, 2023 at 5:02 pm
(This post was last modified: May 12, 2023 at 5:02 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Does being religious make you wanna fuck more than the next guy? I feel like I'm learning alot today about what your religion does to you.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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