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(September 20, 2015 at 2:41 pm)robvalue Wrote: That's a great quote RS. Some theists are basically saying they are psychopaths on an invisible leash. I don't believe they really are, but they've been brow beaten into believing it about themselves. It's really sad.
Agreed, and that's exactly how I see such statements.
When talking about famous atheists, we tend to refer to authors and/or scientists, but they're not the only ones out there.
Two atheists I find shockingly intelligent and eloquent in their understanding of the world are Penn Jillette and Marilyn Manson. Every time I read an interview they give, I'm awed.
A Christian told me: if you were saved you cant lose your salvation. you're sealed with the Holy Ghost I replied: Can I refuse? Because I find the entire concept of vicarious blood sacrifice atonement to be morally abhorrent, the concept of holding flawed creatures permanently accountable for social misbehaviors and thought crimes to be morally abhorrent, and the concept of calling something "free" when it comes with the strings of subjugation and obedience perhaps the most morally abhorrent of all... and that's without even going into the history of justifying genocide, slavery, rape, misogyny, religious intolerance, and suppression of free speech which has been attributed by your own scriptures to your deity. I want a refund. I would burn happily rather than serve the monster you profess to love.
September 20, 2015 at 3:02 pm (This post was last modified: September 20, 2015 at 3:04 pm by TheRocketSurgeon.)
Haha! It looks like MM was stoned as fuck when he went on that show.
Addendum: Yep, the Cat got to that point.
A Christian told me: if you were saved you cant lose your salvation. you're sealed with the Holy Ghost I replied: Can I refuse? Because I find the entire concept of vicarious blood sacrifice atonement to be morally abhorrent, the concept of holding flawed creatures permanently accountable for social misbehaviors and thought crimes to be morally abhorrent, and the concept of calling something "free" when it comes with the strings of subjugation and obedience perhaps the most morally abhorrent of all... and that's without even going into the history of justifying genocide, slavery, rape, misogyny, religious intolerance, and suppression of free speech which has been attributed by your own scriptures to your deity. I want a refund. I would burn happily rather than serve the monster you profess to love.
September 20, 2015 at 8:00 pm (This post was last modified: September 20, 2015 at 8:07 pm by Banks.)
(September 20, 2015 at 2:18 pm)Pyrrho Wrote: Hello and welcome!
Hello Pyrrho and thank you
(September 20, 2015 at 3:07 pm)Beccs Wrote: Welcome.
Unfortunately we get our share of religious crackpots here, too.
But when they start flooding peoples inboxes with spam they get flushed with the rest of the turds pretty quickly.
Hey Beccs, yea that one got flushed pretty quickly.
(September 20, 2015 at 2:25 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Hello, Banks.
I for one have no patience with this "be kind to muslims because they'll get upset" horseshit. Still "liberal" muslims are such a rarity that they should be nurtured a bit.
Hey Minimalist,
Yes I shall nurture the shit out of my liberal friend.
(September 20, 2015 at 2:29 pm)Losty Wrote: I personally don't really have a passion for atheism. I have a lot of passion but atheism on its own can be rather boring.
Anywho, I'm really glad to meet you, welcome aboard.
Hey Losty,
Glad to meet you as well, Thank you.
(September 20, 2015 at 2:40 pm)TheRocketSurgeon Wrote: "The question I get asked by religious people all the time is, without God, what’s to stop me from raping all I want? And my answer is: I do rape all I want. And the amount I want is zero. And I do murder all I want, and the amount I want is zero. The fact that these people think that if they didn’t have this person watching over them that they would go on killing, raping rampages is the most self-damning thing I can imagine. I don't want to do that. Right now, without any god, I don't want to jump across this table and strangle you. I have no desire to strangle you. I have no desire to flip you over and rape you."
That is eloquently put by Penn, especially the "I have no desire to flip you over and rape you"
We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.~Carl Sagan
(September 20, 2015 at 2:47 pm)TheRocketSurgeon Wrote:
(September 20, 2015 at 2:41 pm)robvalue Wrote: That's a great quote RS. Some theists are basically saying they are psychopaths on an invisible leash. I don't believe they really are, but they've been brow beaten into believing it about themselves. It's really sad.
Agreed, and that's exactly how I see such statements.
When talking about famous atheists, we tend to refer to authors and/or scientists, but they're not the only ones out there.
Two atheists I find shockingly intelligent and eloquent in their understanding of the world are Penn Jillette and Marilyn Manson. Every time I read an interview they give, I'm awed.
Have you read Penn Jillette's book "God, No"? He's hilarious.
Hello Noob! As a not-quite-as-Noob, I can say that. Welcome! I'm sorry you got such an an intense welcome warning from one of the board theists. Not all of the theists here are that crass. That aside, I'll think you find this forum to be stimulating and quite fun.
(September 20, 2015 at 8:14 pm)Mermaid Wrote: Have you read Penn Jillette's book "God, No"? He's hilarious.
No I haven't, but I wish I had. Didn't even occur to me he'd be an author.
A Christian told me: if you were saved you cant lose your salvation. you're sealed with the Holy Ghost I replied: Can I refuse? Because I find the entire concept of vicarious blood sacrifice atonement to be morally abhorrent, the concept of holding flawed creatures permanently accountable for social misbehaviors and thought crimes to be morally abhorrent, and the concept of calling something "free" when it comes with the strings of subjugation and obedience perhaps the most morally abhorrent of all... and that's without even going into the history of justifying genocide, slavery, rape, misogyny, religious intolerance, and suppression of free speech which has been attributed by your own scriptures to your deity. I want a refund. I would burn happily rather than serve the monster you profess to love.
(September 20, 2015 at 11:50 am)Banks Wrote: Hello Everyone ,
I hope everyone is well. I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and let you why I am here. I was out with my wife, best friend and her boyfriend. It was a good time until we
brought religion into the conversation. I am a atheist and my best friends boyfriend is a Muslim. In regards to the actual conversation I wont say much unless your interested. The point
here with no outlet for me to express my atheistic views I bombarded a liberal Muslim with intense and provoking comments. After getting home, my wife implored me to "take it down a notch" when I speak about my views because of my passion. I didn't burn any bridges, which is a good thing but I made a pact with myself to not bring up my non-theist views unless provoked. My hope is to be humbled by learning where others passion for atheism comes from. I would like to converse with many of you as possible.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post and be well.
Welcome, Banks!
You want to know where our passion for atheism comes from?
There are different categories of atheism; and varying degrees of "passion" attached to it.
Personally,
I was raised in a devout Baptist home. I rebelled.
Eventually, I arrived at a point where I realized that the idea of "god" isn't really what bothers me,
....so much as the idea of Religion and Dogma.
God may or may not exist. (I can't know, so I don't care).
The point is,
Religion doesn't serve God.
Religion serves Religion.
So, for me, personally,
my "passion" is really more about Anti-Theism: Opposition to Religion.
However, I can choose to be civil to Theists.
If a Theist chooses to open the subject with me,
how I respond depends on the situation.
(I don't know how much you want to read, so if you are interested in continuing,
click the "Show Content" button to see more of what I wrote):
If they just met me, through an acquaintance, for example,
and try to eventually open the topic,
I'll probably put them off, politely,
out of respect for our mutual acquaintance.
I'll tell them that I don't discuss my religious beliefs. Full stop.
They can talk if they want to, but I won't respond.
If pressed for an answer, i'll repeat that I don't discuss it,
as many times as it takes,
until they get the idea.
I am actually quite willing to discuss it,
but I'm just trying to show courtesy for everyone affected.
However, if Theists from my old church come knocking at my door,
trying to get me back into the fold,
I will show them no mercy.
They think they act with good intentions,
so they will think my hostility is unwarranted.
But their act is the hostile one,
and the fact that they don't realize that,
is not my problem.
They need a wake-up call,
and they came to the right place for it.
I consider their act of specifically trying to recruit me as a hostile one
because their ideology is highly fluid and open to interpretation
and can be very dangerous,
plus it is ultimately unsubstantiated theories
being passed off as undisputed truths.
Anywhere else in life and we'd call it false advertising.
In any event, welcome to the Forum and I hope you'll find it helpful!
(September 20, 2015 at 2:47 pm)TheRocketSurgeon Wrote:
(September 20, 2015 at 2:41 pm)robvalue Wrote: That's a great quote RS. Some theists are basically saying they are psychopaths on an invisible leash. I don't believe they really are, but they've been brow beaten into believing it about themselves. It's really sad.
Agreed, and that's exactly how I see such statements.
When talking about famous atheists, we tend to refer to authors and/or scientists, but they're not the only ones out there.
Two atheists I find shockingly intelligent and eloquent in their understanding of the world are Penn Jillette and Marilyn Manson. Every time I read an interview they give, I'm awed.
Haven't read Penn Jillette as of this point, but will try to, ASAP.
I love hearing Manson talk. He's very pithy, perceptive, and funny.
