Atheists...

[Holiday20310401]

Does anybody here see any potential that a divine being with a separate entity has on the universe as far as we know it?! Ofcourse not. If so, plz point it out, what a revelation it would be indeed.
I mean, what is the moral consensus for God's existence relying upon 'faith'
I guess I'm not tuned with most people I know who see false potential as having meaning, like blind assertion to irrationale reasoning.
I don't know what I am b'c there seems to be mixed definitions for atheism. I just think that God's meanings have truth and should be carried out and define what humanity should strive for, but do not require a separate entity or symbol to call them real, that only adds to the immorality that has been caused.

[SantaMonica1369]

If you're completely nonaligned in your belief, not believing in a God or any other higher deity, its completely within itself, and only that. By that I mean that we are not a religion, therefore we are nothing in the subject. We aren't a catagory because we don't need to be. There is nothing that defines us. You may say our lack of belief does, but that's nothing. It doesn't count. Its like a flat out 0 or infinity, the colors white or black, a baseline. There is no need for throwing a complicated deffinition on it or trying to put it in a catagory, because it has no specific points that define it. More, a lack of specific points. The athiests that reject God, I can see being catagorized. But those that don't give a hoot either way? Why catagorize them?

[Khethil]

Originally Posted by SantaMonica1369

If you're completely nonaligned in your belief, not believing in a God or any other higher deity, its completely within itself, and only that. By that I mean that we are not a religion, therefore we are nothing in the subject. We aren't a catagory because we don't need to be. There is nothing that defines us. You may say our lack of belief does, but that's nothing. It doesn't count. Its like a flat out 0 or infinity, the colors white or black, a baseline. There is no need for throwing a complicated deffinition on it or trying to put it in a catagory, because it has no specific points that define it. More, a lack of specific points. The athiests that reject God, I can see being catagorized. But those that don't give a hoot either way? Why catagorize them?

Yea, no one lies to be pigeonholed, particularly with some of the negative overtones words tend to carry.

The way I look at it is this: Words help us communicate. If someone were to ask (for example) "Hey, how does Bill look at religion?" it's much easier to say "He's agnostic" rather than "Well, he's nothing on the subject. He's not completely non-aligned on the belief, not believing in god or any higher deity. He isn't a category because he doesn't need to be. It's like a 'zero'".

Just has to do with defintions helping us communicate. That's all, but I share your feelings on being categorized per say (especially when a definition doesn't quite fit".

... hoping this helps.

[SantaMonica1369]

Originally Posted by Khethil

Yea, no one lies to be pigeonholed, particularly with some of the negative overtones words tend to carry.

The way I look at it is this: Words help us communicate. If someone were to ask (for example) "Hey, how does Bill look at religion?" it's much easier to say "He's agnostic" rather than "Well, he's nothing on the subject. He's not completely non-aligned on the belief, not believing in god or any higher deity. He isn't a category because he doesn't need to be. It's like a 'zero'".

Just has to do with defintions helping us communicate. That's all, but I share your feelings on being categorized per say (especially when a definition doesn't quite fit".

... hoping this helps.

Yeah, that does help, and that is true. Although that then just leads me to wonder, why do we have to bother debating these things at all? How much religious info doesn't need to be said unless we're asked to elaborate?

[OntheWindowStand]

Originally Posted by Khethil

I love it! Simple, honest questions that have simple, honest answers. I hope not to offend any honest believers out there, but my answer is straightforward and from the heart.

For me, there's just no reason to believe something so silly - one would think in the 3rd millennium that we'd be past such dumbness. Humans have such capacity for love, sharing, fellowship and discovery. As long as we hold to ancient myths, the longer we'll stay divided and at arms length to our brothers and sisters. Beliefs in god have the potential for giving great comfort to the individual, but they hurt our species in numerous ways.

Nice question. I hope my response is well-received.

Everyone has a god saying you believe there isnt one means you think you are your own god

[SantaMonica1369]

No, it says you're independent of religious beliefs.

[OntheWindowStand]

Originally Posted by SantaMonica1369

No, it says you're independent of religious beliefs.

LOL atheism is a religion

[Aedes]

Originally Posted by OntheWindowStand

atheism is a religion

Hardly... it's a lack of belief that can be arrived at many different ways. In and of itself atheism is not predictive of ANY other affirmative or negative belief; atheism does not have a type of "practice"; atheism does not have a doctrine; and atheism does not have a tradition. Atheism isn't a 'system' of beliefs -- it's a specific lack of belief in a specific concept, and one cannot generalize further based on that alone.

[OntheWindowStand]

Originally Posted by Aedes

Hardly... it's a lack of belief that can be arrived at many different ways. In and of itself atheism is not predictive of ANY other affirmative or negative belief; atheism does not have a type of "practice"; atheism does not have a doctrine; and atheism does not have a tradition. Atheism isn't a 'system' of beliefs -- it's a specific lack of belief in a specific concept, and one cannot generalize further based on that alone.

\

It takes faith to be a atheist and there is more to it then lack of belief of god. Followers of atheism often try to convert people like other religions it hates other religions like other religions do. It holds many of the same characteristics of a religion "set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs." In the quotes is the definition of religion. Atheism concerns the cause, nature and purpose of the universe. It also has a moral code. It states no god which still falls under the second point of the definition as well. This is because ones disbelief in any god has identical effect on someone that might believe in a number of other "gods". And that effect is that it changes there way of living, thinking and their view on life.

[PursuitOfReality]

Originally Posted by OntheWindowStand

\

It takes faith to be a atheist and there is more to it then lack of belief of god. Followers of atheism often try to convert people like other religions it hates other religions like other religions do. It holds many of the same characteristics of a religion "set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs." In the quotes is the definition of religion. Atheism concerns the cause, nature and purpose of the universe. It also has a moral code. It states no god which still falls under the second point of the definition as well. This is because ones disbelief in any god has identical effect on someone that might believe in a number of other "gods". And that effect is that it changes there way of living, thinking and their view on life.

Huh, how does it take more faith? This is impossible for all atheists, because not all atheist try to convert people. I know I don't care if you believe in a god or not. I do care if your "moral" codes leaks into my life by rule of law or other forced means. I'm against all moral codes btw! Hasty generalizations make you look very foolish. I didn't read your entire diatribe(not worth my time), so I probably missed other nonsense you spewed.

Now onto the OP, I feel like I became an atheist instinctively. I was unable to believe in the stories my mother taught me from the Bible and she had to tell me they were just moral stories. I did believe in that god, but I asked a lot of questions when I was young. I must of been agnostic Christian early on. I became an atheist at 12 because nothing worked and the Bible never made sense to me. Prayer never worked, god never talked to me, and I never had a spiritual experience as the religious describe the phenomena.