Atheism liberated me from pointless thinking,and made my life enjoyable.

[kerner530]

Yes it is hard for other people, but the hopes of a better life after their death is irrational and even more harmful. I agree we should be all lend a helping hand, but giving them a bible is just wrong. How would this help their current situation? I never understood why people were never content with this life.

[Lek]

Yes it is hard for other people, but the hopes of a better life after their death is irrational and even more harmful. I agree we should be all lend a helping hand, but giving them a bible is just wrong. How would this help their current situation? I never understood why people were never content with this life.

Would you be content with scratching around for food every day and living in a cardboard box?

[Whateverist]

To me, spirituality is closely tied to emotion.

"Spirituality" is a bullshit word rooted in mythology and superstition. I have absolutely no value for that word.

But if there was nothing in human experience to answer to 'spiritual' I don't think it would be so popular. I think Tonus is right that it is emotional or perhaps a feeling/intuitive matter. Certainly it has not got much to do with reason.

I can agree that what the word signifies has no attraction for me either without insisting dogmatically that it can have no value for anyone as an objective fact. I wonder if you have the same reaction to the word "mystery"?

[TreeSapNest]

Would you be content with scratching around for food every day and living in a cardboard box?

Lived in a roach infested car once, eaten alive by mosquitos. Didn't think I had it all that bad. No kids or reponsibilities back then. :-) That said:

I never understood why people were never content with this life.

You are blessed as there are challenges in this life you have apparently never faced. It is not ignorance or stupidity that leads to suicide. It's pain and hopelessness.

[Whateverist]

I agree we should be all lend a helping hand, but giving them a bible is just wrong. How would this help their current situation?

That would depend on how soft and absorbent the pages may be.

I never understood why people were never content with this life.

I strongly share this sentiment. Of course, when mental illness saps affect, then the failure to find contentment does not reflect on the individual. Are all Christians depressed to some extent?

[Lek]

"Spirituality" is a bullshit word rooted in mythology and superstition. I have absolutely no value for that word.

But if there was nothing in human experience to answer to 'spiritual' I don't think it would be so popular. I think Tonus is right that it is emotional or perhaps a feeling/intuitive matter. Certainly it has not got much to do with reason.

I can agree that what the word signifies has no attraction for me either without insisting dogmatically that it can have no value for anyone as an objective fact. I wonder if you have the same reaction to the word "mystery"?

Because you don't posses spirituality, you've decided there's no such thing. Billions of people are spiritual, but to you they're either lying or misinterpreting the experience. It goes like this: "Yes. I am spiritual." "No, your not spiritual, liar." "Yes, I experience it daily." "No. Sorry, but what you're experiencing is not spirituality." "But I have a relationship with God." "No you don't. There is no God, so you can't have a relationship with someone who doesn't exist."

[Tonus]

Because you don't posses spirituality, you've decided there's no such thing. Billions of people are spiritual, but to you they're either lying or misinterpreting the experience. It goes like this: "Yes. I am spiritual." "No, your not spiritual, liar." "Yes, I experience it daily." "No. Sorry, but what you're experiencing is not spirituality." "But I have a relationship with God." "No you don't. There is no God, so you can't have a relationship with someone who doesn't exist."

I think that if you ask a dozen people to define spirituality, you'll get 13 or 14 different definitions. I can easily accept many of those concepts, since they refer to emotional or creative states of mind that do not depend on the existence of 'spirit beings.' It is religious people who are more likely to accuse one another of not being spiritual, or not being spiritual enough, or being mislead by wicked spirits. And that is largely because like so many other aspects of religion, spirituality is wide open to interpretation.

[polar bear]

I agree that there is much beauty in the world and we can all enjoy that, but I think you have your rose-colored glasses on. It's much easier for someone that has freedom and is clothed and fed to see the world as a beautiful place. How about those who are living under oppression, living in the streets, scratching around for their next meal? I'm sure that they don't think that the world is a wonderful place. How about those suffering from chronic conditions and diseases or those rotting in prisons because of their political or religious beliefs? We need to step out of our beautiful worlds and lend a hand a hand to those whose worlds are not pretty, and help feed and clothe them. Maybe we could also help them by handing out the lyrics to John Lennon singing "Imagine" or, better yet, we can tell them about the truth of the gospel and they can have hope for eternity.

Holy Shit...did you just say we should pass out the lyrics from "Imagine" ? YES YES YES we agree.
"imagine there's no heaven, its easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky....nothing to kill or die for and no RELIGION too!

Beautiful song, what he is saying is that with out all of the hating religions we would have no war...duh

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sorry I got off track...thanks, Lek.

Religion brings fear and uncertainty. When something bad (general term) happens religious people want to know why. Is it their god punishing them? Is it their evil one messing with them? Is it their god teaching them a lesson?

I have been through some pretty tough shit over the past 10 years with religion trying to help me. I spent my whole time worrying why this was happening, trying to figure out what I did wrong or what I need to learn. My pastor even suggested we cast out the demons in my life (didn't do it).

Can bad things and good things just happen? Why do we need to praise god or be fearful of him for every damn thing that occurs in our freakin life. It is what it is, deal with it and move on.

[Esquilax]

Because you don't posses spirituality, you've decided there's no such thing. Billions of people are spiritual, but to you they're either lying or misinterpreting the experience. It goes like this: "Yes. I am spiritual." "No, your not spiritual, liar." "Yes, I experience it daily." "No. Sorry, but what you're experiencing is not spirituality." "But I have a relationship with God." "No you don't. There is no God, so you can't have a relationship with someone who doesn't exist."

If the claimant is unable to demonstrate his proposed phenomena, if it relies solely on his say so, while he exists in a world in which thousands if not millions or billions of other claimants make claims of a similar nature that are nevertheless conflicting with his own, if all we have to go on is personal experience that we ourselves do not have, what reason to we have to entertain the claim at all?

This, by the way, is the same logic that we use to identify mental illness; the mentally ill are another group of people who believe things based on personal experience that are not demonstrable too. You're just lucky that your specific claim has a shield of cultural acceptability around it, Lek.

[Lemonvariable72]

I agree that there is much beauty in the world and we can all enjoy that, but I think you have your rose-colored glasses on. It's much easier for someone that has freedom and is clothed and fed to see the world as a beautiful place. How about those who are living under oppression, living in the streets, scratching around for their next meal?

And funny how jesus could feed 5000 with a little bread and fish.

I'm sure that they don't think that the world is a wonderful place. How about those suffering from chronic conditions and diseases

You mean the ones your god created?

or those rotting in prisons because of their political or religious beliefs?

Odd you should mention that, given that your religion not only condemns people for critical thinking but sentences them to hell. Furthermore history and the present day news tells us that whenever you christers have the ability, you like to throw gays and non belivers in prison too.

We need to step out of our beautiful worlds and lend a hand a hand to those whose worlds are not pretty, and help feed and clothe them.

I whole heartedly agree, but i wonder why does your god not lead by example? And no rising from the dead and a few cheap tricks don't count.

Maybe we could also help them by handing out the lyrics to John Lennon singing "Imagine" or, better yet, we can tell them about the truth of the gospel and they can have hope for eternity.

Except the gospel isn't true and even if it is your just selling them on the idea of a celestial north korea. Hell if their in north korea or some other regimes your basically taking advantage of their lack of critical thinking skills and authority ruling mindset and endangering their lives so you can "spread the good news" like a good little christer. Except in the context of a omni-all god like the christian reaching out to me the idea of using humans to spread the word is fucking retarded. But I digress.
Here is a idea though, instead of selling on a religion that is inherently divisive and oft manipulated by power seekers, Why don't we find some common ground amongst many creeds? Well lets see, most of us want a brighter future, and most what the best for their children. Hey, instead of selling our favorite religion why don't we get everyone working for the idea of a better tomorrow?

---

But if there was nothing in human experience to answer to 'spiritual' I don't think it would be so popular. I think Tonus is right that it is emotional or perhaps a feeling/intuitive matter. Certainly it has not got much to do with reason.

I can agree that what the word signifies has no attraction for me either without insisting dogmatically that it can have no value for anyone as an objective fact. I wonder if you have the same reaction to the word "mystery"?

Because you don't posses spirituality, you've decided there's no such thing. Billions of people are spiritual, but to you they're either lying or misinterpreting the experience. It goes like this: "Yes. I am spiritual." "No, your not spiritual, liar." "Yes, I experience it daily." "No. Sorry, but what you're experiencing is not spirituality." "But I have a relationship with God." "No you don't. There is no God, so you can't have a relationship with someone who doesn't exist."

No actually, I usually get them to ask god something "What is the most effective way to cure cancer." After all if he is real and loves us, then surely he rather see us cure cancer then die a slow and agonizing death.