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Atheists same as religious extremists
August 31, 2011 at 8:07 am
Okay not really wanting to create ruptions on my third post, but im going to throw it out there all the same.
It seems to me whenever there are debates online or on t.v, there seems to be a habit amongst fundemental religious preachers, to state everything they as fact. I.e this is the way it is because "god says it is" and there is no room for movement.
However at the same time, there are religious people who do believe there is room for interpretation and use religion in a good way. It is their faith that helps them with their lives.
It seems to me in debates, atheists generally view anyone with religious views with the same contempt irrespective of their interpretation of their particularly religion. There seems to be a very slight mockery at the very least, or out right hatefuleness at the most. It seems sometimes Atheist hold their viewpoint, in the same regard as fundamentalists, in that they are 100% right. Could it be that atheism is wrong and religion is right?
None of us can be 100% certain at all. It may just be that we are all wrong, or partially right. Or both sides are partially right. I believe in evolution and science, but I beleive there is no such thing as fact. I believe what is "fact" is only fact until disproved.
So what im asking is, why is it many atheists hold their view to be fact, when in essence atheism in itself is just anothery theory/viewpoint. It may be infallable just like religion may be. I know I may be generalising, but surely others have noticed this too?
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RE: Atheists same as religious extremists
August 31, 2011 at 8:26 am
"There have to be some FACT facts!" - Lewis Black
No, seriously, I don't have anything to contribute yet. I haven't had enough coffee. I'm only posting to subscribe to this thread because the subscribe button still isn't working. Have fun with this one, Rhythm.
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RE: Atheists same as religious extremists
August 31, 2011 at 8:29 am
(This post was last modified: August 31, 2011 at 8:30 am by Faith No More.)
Yes, some atheists do tend to state their beliefs as fact, and they are known as 'strong' or 'gnostic' atheists. 'Weak' or 'agnostic' atheists, such as myself, only claim to know that the specific gods created by man are false, but for varying different reasons are unsure on the existence of a deist god.
While I do disagree with gnostic atheists on the ability to know for a fact there is no god, I don't consider it to be the same as a theist saying there is a god, because the gnostic atheist's position is based on science, reason, and evidence, while the theist's position is based on an ancient book and wishful thinking.
(August 31, 2011 at 8:26 am)thesummerqueen Wrote: Have fun with this one, Rhythm.
What about me?!?
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
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RE: Atheists same as religious extremists
August 31, 2011 at 9:09 am
(August 31, 2011 at 8:29 am)FaithNoMore Wrote: (August 31, 2011 at 8:26 am)thesummerqueen Wrote: Have fun with this one, Rhythm.
What about me?!?
I don't consider you a hound dog baying after all the squirrels in the yard. 
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RE: Atheists same as religious extremists
August 31, 2011 at 9:16 am
(August 31, 2011 at 9:09 am)thesummerqueen Wrote: I don't consider you a hound dog baying after all the squirrels in the yard.
I'm definitely more of a chiuaua here on these forums, but every once in awhile I let out my inner wiener dog(wiener dogs love to chase squirrels).
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
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RE: Atheists same as religious extremists
August 31, 2011 at 9:33 am
(August 31, 2011 at 8:07 am)TeslaTrooper Wrote: None of us can be 100% certain at all.
I don't know any atheist who thinks they are 100% right... Whereas, I have met plenty of theists who think they are.
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RE: Atheists same as religious extremists
August 31, 2011 at 10:26 am
Can we have a "This shit AGAIN?" smiley?
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RE: Atheists same as religious extremists
August 31, 2011 at 10:29 am
You we're bad, beating our children to death for disobediance, stonings, etc.
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: Atheists same as religious extremists
August 31, 2011 at 12:09 pm
(August 31, 2011 at 10:29 am)Rhythm Wrote: You we're bad, beating our children to death for disobediance, stonings, etc.
Were you drunk when you typed this?
TeslaTrooper Wrote:However at the same time, there are religious people who do believe there is room for interpretation and use religion in a good way
These people are known as cherry pickers and they say they use 'religion in a good way' but no they actually use it to suit themselves.
How can an atheist or anyone for that matter argue against such people when their views can be so different. Atheists often argue against the 'fundamentalists' because they seem to be the only bloody ones who can at least agree on what their holy book says.
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RE: Atheists same as religious extremists
August 31, 2011 at 12:26 pm
My view as an atheist is that we are all born atheist. Do we have magical visions of jesus or "god" in our heads when we reach a state of consciousness? No we do not. Those stories are implanted into our minds by people who have read a certain book. A book wrote by man using man created language. There is nothing mystical or magical about the bible at all. Now if the book floated around and flew threw walls and the information in the book could be transferred to your brain instantly then it might have some magical properties. But the FACT is, it was a book wrote by man based on previous writings of man before him. If we don't know about jesus when we are born, how are we suppose to save ourselves from hell? Did all native Americans and all humans before christ all go to hell by default because they did not know of the "great" book. No they did not. They died, their bodies ceased to be a living organism on how we define living. They decomposed back into the earth and started the cycle of energy conservation all over again.
We use our minds to define the physical properties of this universe, we take what we can actually see touch smell and hear to make rational observations about the world around us and how we should interact with it.
"...the illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world."
- Carl Sagan
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