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A few thoughts from a former atheist

thau

Well-Known Member
Secondly, there are several more questions such as why photographs wouldn't turn out and why not everyone that was gathered to witness this were able to and those are explained away as "oh well, it's just God's way" How convenient.
What do you mean, how convenient? How about, how bizarre? Do you or your scientists have a ready explanation as to why some photographs developed and others did not? Or are you going to blame that on God for being unfair to some picture takers?... and then follow that up by telling Him he still does not exist?

The same goes for the fact a majority of the estimated 20,000 or more there each night see her, yet a number of thousands do not. What of it? Are you holding God to some rule of order He must follow?

Who determined and by what method that it was the virgin mary? In the excerpt, it just asserts that this is the case.
I maintain honest deduction and reason would determine this apparition to be of supernatural origin. And Christian origin. Or just how much of a prankster do you think our God is? That’s either the Virgin Mary bowing to the cross on a Christian cathedral or it’s the devil. I doubt it’s Mary Magdalene or some Buddhist woman.
 

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Thought for the day

“The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holders lack of rational conviction. Opinions in politics and religion are almost always held passionately.”

~ Bertrand Russell

I'm sorry but I can't agree with that. The rational mind is very useful but it has its limits.

The most important things in our lives are not "rational" - love & happiness & kindness & compassion & laughter & gratitude & wonder & awe & imagination 2 name but a few!

You have 2 be literally OUT of your mind 2 experience God!

Direct personal experience is the omly true knowledge. You can think about love all you like. You can read about love. You can imagine what love feels like. But the ONLY way to "know" love is 2 experience it personally. And you'll never manage that by any amount of mental gymnastics of your rational mind.

Once you have that experience of love, everything else seems 2 fade into insignificance. Love is the ultimate reality!

Hey, that might make a good google search!

Namaste
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
'Love' is not what Russell was referring to, unless you see love as 'an opinion'.
Happiness, kindness, compassion, laughter, gratitude and wonder are not opinions either. Not in the sense he meant.

Politics, Religions, Nationalism...any sort of tribalism, really...that's to what he referred. I think it's a fine quote, but that's just my opinion.
;)
 

s2a

Heretic and part-time (skinny) Santa impersonator
Your fixation with what god can or cant do indicates to me that you were never really an atheist.

Free at last!

Obvious;y, I am an evangelist to the core, and my worst (and now exposed) pretense over these many years is to"sell" god like some balm, salve, or libation of better days to come. Thank You.
 
Free at last!

Obvious;y, I am an evangelist to the core, and my worst (and now exposed) pretense over these many years is to"sell" god like some balm, salve, or libation of better days to come. Thank You.

Read the OP skippy. He was always mad at god. God doesn't exsist so as an atheist you would be wasting your emotions for nothing.
 

s2a

Heretic and part-time (skinny) Santa impersonator
Read the OP skippy. He was always mad at god. God doesn't exsist so as an atheist you would be wasting your emotions for nothing.

Awww.

So I'm not just unread and ignorant. I'm stupid too.

Since you are obviously inured to the plurality of "Christians" in the USA, you have secured title to "Most Atheistic Guy in the Universe Ever".

Congrats. You win.

Just allow the few of us remaining to challenge and question such spurious claims as skeptics (albeit as lame/lousy/false "atheists" as example like you).

Please share with me, oh great soothsayer, what my emotions would best lead me to better understand your given and revealing perspicacious truths?

Please?

I need a nap soon.
 
Angry little heathen, aint cha'. Its ok , I sometimes drunk post too.
In fact I'm knocking back a few and relaxing myself. So save the diatribes for the evangelicals. Have a nice nap.
 

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Continuing the theme ...

I love the Ten Indian Commandments - or should I say Native American instead?

Especially the advice 2 give assistance and kindness wherever needed.

Simply search for:

Golden age of gaia ten commandments native american indian

Have a good one!
 

Alceste

Vagabond
It makes me wonder whether they were far better off before civilisation arrived ...
Just different. Much worse for about half, who died, and a few generations during the cultural genocide bit, but to the extent that they have recovered and reestablished their autonomy and traditional justice system, probably. They have choices now that they didn't have before, and access to modern medicine, food surplus, literature and technology.
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Continuing the theme ...

I love the Ten Indian Commandments - or should I say Native American instead?

Especially the advice 2 give assistance and kindness wherever needed.

Simply search for:

Golden age of gaia ten commandments native american indian

Have a good one!

I think it's ridiculous to pretend that over centuries of history of a literal continent-full of nations, there's single "Native American" view on pretty much any issue. The First Nations are just as diverse as the nations of Europe (or Asia, or anywhere else), both between nations and within them.

This "noble savage" caricature, coupled with the implicit assumption in lumping all native peoples together as if there's no meaningful difference between, for instance, the Huron nation and the Hualapai people - or between individual people within these societies - is rather racist.
 
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