Explain atheism

[scoobysnack]

Yes the us government is quite heavy handed with its propoganda these days.

Have you read anything on mk ultra? Creepy shit

Wrote a response but it didn't get posted for some reason...

Yes I have researched MK ULTRA, and MK NAOMI. We should start a thread on that.

Cathy O'Brien and her experience in it wrote a book Trance Formation of America.

Something interesting I came across was the National Anthem video that used to play on TV stations back in the day at the end of the days programming:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDsI-zk6gfE

The subliminal messages that appear are:

TRUST THE US GOVERNMENT
GOD IS REAL GOD IS WATCHING
BELIEVE IN GOVERNMENT GOD
OBEY CONSUME OBEY CONSUME
REBELLION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
WORSHIP CONSUME OBEY BELIEVE
BUY ULTRA BY NAOMI

[Old Baby]

Hi everyone,

Just joined, and I'm interested in learning about all cultures and belief systems. I'm curious what atheism means to you personally. Also why you don't believe in religion, and what you have to say about it.

You can find my story in other places on the forum.  I was indoctrinated from birth, but I accidentally became an atheist when I decided that reason would bear out my beliefs.  In approaching my faith with reason, I began to cast off doctrinal tenets that didn't make any logical sense and peel away layer after layer of nonsense, thinking all along that I would find God underneath.  Instead, I found that I had uncovered an empty black hole.

[scoobysnack]

That's wise, scooby. So welcome and have fun here!

Thanks Alex, 

Although there's some disagreement with the socratic paradox, it goes something like I know that I know nothing, which is what a wise person would conclude. Not saying they know nothing, but the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know and fully understand. Which is why gathering all the information is the best way to form a conclusion, and even then we all have to admit it's based on what we personally know at the time, not all that is known or possible. Even the collective consciousness is limited. Hope we can bounce ideas off each other and expose ourselves to that which we don't yet know.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Wow. I didn't think anyone took subliminal messaging seriously any more.

Boru

[Thumpalumpacus]

Hi everyone,

Just joined, and I'm interested in learning about all cultures and belief systems. I'm curious what atheism means to you personally. Also why you don't believe in religion, and what you have to say about it.

My atheism is simple: I don't have faith. I don't believe in things without evidence. That takes gods out of the equation.

As for religion (as opposed to faith), I reject it on the grounds that it was man's early attempt to explain the unknown, subsequently high-jacked to control the credulous.

[Old Baby]

Thanks for everyone's replies. I think all on here consider themselves truth seekers, as I do, which is partly why I joined the forum for discussion. I would say perception of reality is a sum of ones experiences, which is why we all have a different perspective, and come to multiple conclusions. I myself have come to believe there is a god, and spiritual realm based on my research, but I'm not here to judge anyone, just have dialog with fellow free thinkers.

I've researched a lot of psycological warfare, psyops, perception management techniques to control people and drive them through propaganda to reach the desired conclusions. So I understand how the masses can be manipulated for various reasons. Even all the propaganda directed at us here in the US, for us to go along with the government and powerful people and lobbies to keep us in line. There is a hell of a lot information out there, but I think all of you on this board desire information, rather than just accept what a religious leader or book tells us what to believe. I look forward to future civil discussions. Like I said I'm interested in learning all perspectives of people to become more aware of everything so I can form a conclusion based on as much information as possible. I think it's important to receive the full spectrum, to be well rounded, as opposed to narrow minded and have a confirmation bias.

That's interesting.  My mind isn't closed to such things.  I just have not found sufficient reason to believe in them.  I've been reading today about studies conducted on volunteers who subjected themselves to clinical death and then reported what they perceived in this state after being resuscitated.  It's pretty fascinating.  I would like to believe that our consciousness somehow survives after we die, but evidence is insufficient thus far to make a believer out of me.

[scoobysnack]

Thanks for everyone's replies. I think all on here consider themselves truth seekers, as I do, which is partly why I joined the forum for discussion. I would say perception of reality is a sum of ones experiences, which is why we all have a different perspective, and come to multiple conclusions. I myself have come to believe there is a god, and spiritual realm based on my research, but I'm not here to judge anyone, just have dialog with fellow free thinkers.

I've researched a lot of psycological warfare, psyops, perception management techniques to control people and drive them through propaganda to reach the desired conclusions. So I understand how the masses can be manipulated for various reasons. Even all the propaganda directed at us here in the US, for us to go along with the government and powerful people and lobbies to keep us in line. There is a hell of a lot information out there, but I think all of you on this board desire information, rather than just accept what a religious leader or book tells us what to believe. I look forward to future civil discussions. Like I said I'm interested in learning all perspectives of people to become more aware of everything so I can form a conclusion based on as much information as possible. I think it's important to receive the full spectrum, to be well rounded, as opposed to narrow minded and have a confirmation bias.

That's interesting.  My mind isn't closed to such things.  I just have not found sufficient reason to believe in them.  I've been reading today about studies conducted on volunteers who subjected themselves to clinical death and then reported what they perceived in this state after being resuscitated.  It's pretty fascinating.  I would like to believe that our consciousness somehow survives after we die, but evidence is insufficient thus far to make a believer out of me.

Cool, well my objective is to share what I've learned from 15 years of research on various subjects so readers can learn what I have found out, and to also learn from others of what they have researched. The goal for all of us should be, to be exposed to information so we can form a conclusion and get closest to the truth as possible. I'm not afraid for my beliefs to be challenged or changed, as that's what this experience is all about. I'm open to what others have to say so I can grasp concepts yet unknown. Keep in mind the conclusion you come to today will be different from what you form years from now. The older I get, the more that becomes true.

I've done a lot of research into near death experiences which changed the way I look at life, and plan to create a thread about that to discuss with others soon. Again I'm not here to force my ideas on others, just get the dialog going so we can all input our perspective. I would hope we can all reciprocate that respect on to another.

Look forward to talking further old baby.

---

Wow.  I didn't think anyone took subliminal messaging seriously any more.

Boru

Whether people take subliminal messaging seriously is up to the individual and debatable to be sure. The fact that it's been used in the past and being used now is verifiable. Mainly through marketing and branding it's used but the effects are unknown. The fact that it's still being used must mean that some people do believe it can work and worth the effort at least. There are a lot of examples out there. Even neuro linguistic programming (NLP) is used today, but again it's effectiveness is questionable. One day I was having a garage sale and someone stopped by after seeing a bumper sticker on my car, wanting to talk about his work in NLP. The guy seemed nervous and wanted to meet in person instead of over email because the government work he was involved in. I didn't meet him since it seemed sketchy, but it's out there, and a lot of times added to speeches or messages for the public.  

Here's just one video of subliminal advertising. There are so many countless examples out there to view.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZn4rYhxosE

[Aegon]

That's wise, scooby. So welcome and have fun here!

Thanks Alex, 

Although there's some disagreement with the socratic paradox, it goes something like I know that I know nothing, which is what a wise person would conclude. Not saying they know nothing, but the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know and fully understand. Which is why gathering all the information is the best way to form a conclusion, and even then we all have to admit it's based on what we personally know at the time, not all that is known or possible. Even the collective consciousness is limited. Hope we can bounce ideas off each other and expose ourselves to that which we don't yet know.

Wouldn't ignosticism be the fairest conclusion if you were to go off that?

Welcome, btw

[ignoramus]

Out of curiosity, did you once post on the Star Trek.com forums?

Just being nosey.

I logged on there when Enterprise aired to express my disgust at the series!
Probably under Username Jimniki or unimatrix01

Most from memory begrudgingly agreed with me.

[scoobysnack]

Hi and thanks for the welcome! I've never heard of Ignosticism, and had to look it up from wiki:

"Ignosticism is the idea that the question of the existence of God is meaningless, because the term "god" has no unambiguous definition. Ignosticism requires a good, non-controversial definition of god before arguing on its existence."

Honestly not quite sure how to interpret that. I suppose I would have to post a good argument of God in another thread, which I plan to do at least to get a discussion going so we can all form a conclusion. How it's received by the forumites is up in the air, but this is a place of discussion, so I'll take on that challenge. What drives me and changed my life is near death experiences of all people, from atheists to Christians, Muslims, gay people etc. The point is to get the full spectrum from all people. I also understand the whole DMT effect as an explanation, but personally don't feel that explains away the experience as just a hallucination, which I'll describe further.