Can Atheists Imagine?

[Sonic247]

I kind of know what he is saying though, there's a girl at my work and she is a sweet girl, but I talked to her about her beliefs, she said she was raised Christian but became pagan. One day when I saw her I asked if she was going home for the day she said she was and I was like, oh well that's good. She said "sometimes" and I said something pretty inappropriate, but I just had a feeling I was right and said, does you're stepdad get drunk and hit you're mom and stuff. She said he did. Now keep in mind this is the same person that was raised Christian, that kind of hypocrisy can hurt someone so she found something else. But I alway tell people the only one you can count on to not let you down is Jesus.

 

[MaddLlama]

Many folks who found Paganism used to go to Christian churches and were turned off by organised religion. You could say they were drove away. They began a search for something that suited them and found Paganism. The internet has been very useful for folks of like mind to meet.

Because I evangalise to Pagans on their death bed. Not against their will, most that find out that I used to be Pagan are willing to have a spiritual conversation with me.

I still don't understand what this has to do with anything.

 

[PureX]

If you are right that there is no after life, you won't know your right, but if your wrong about this, you will have an eternity to think about your decision.

No I wouldn't. I'd acknoweldge that I was wrong and then think about something else.

 

[Reverend Rick]

No I wouldn't. I'd acknoweldge that I was wrong and then think about something else.

Like pain and torment? You all don't think this is even possible do you?

 

[BFD_Zayl]

Like pain and torment? You all don't think this is even possible do you?

mmmmm, not really.

 

[Reverend Rick]

mmmmm, not really.

Thats what I thought. Thanks for taking it the way it was intended.

 

[PureX]

Like pain and torment? You all don't think this is even possible do you?

The truth is that we have no idea what is possible or impossible in a realm that we have never visited and that supposedly is not governed by any laws that we have any understanding of or say in.

What you're talking about is an imaginary scenario. A "what if". Well, what if what? What if the Heaven's Gate people were the only ones who got it right and Jesus really was waiting for us in that space ship behind the Hale-Bop comet? What if the Hindus were the ones who got it right and we have to keep coming back here time and time and time again, until we finally get our karma right? What if, what if, what if, ... the what ifs are never-ending.

We can't live our lives by 'what ifs', because there's no end to them. We have to live by what little truth we have. We are here. We have some choices. These choices will define who we are as individuals, as we make them. And that's about all we know. If we needed to know more then that, well then, somebody screwed up. And it wasn't us. And we can't do anything about that.

We humans don't get to be "right". The best we can ever do is just be honest. If God expects us to be "right" then he's the one that screwed up, not us, and that's his problem. If God wants to punish me for his screw-up then there's nothing I can do about that, either. But I can't play the 'what if' game. It's infinitely long and ultimately goes nowhere.

 

[Jaymes]

Actually we would still be pretty well of if another religion was right, if it was Mormonism for example we would probably still end up in the terrestrial kingdom or maybe the tellestlial, the only one that would condemn us would be Islam and some forms of Satanism.

Well, you'd better hop on that conversion boat! After all, you'll be pretty screwed if they're right.

 

[Sonic247]

No I know I'm right about that, Muhammed and Jesus are two diffrent people and anyone claiming to be a better prophet than Jesus who doesn't even keep his own commandment is not living up to his own teaching. And Satanism? Actually Idon't even know if they would condemn us or if there really is even a hell to them, just renouncing Christ is a requirment for joining the group. I was just pointing out that most religions are based on self righteousness, so as long as the person lives morally they will be okay no matter what they believe.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Like pain and torment? You all don't think this is even possible do you?

I'm a pro-wrestler, so I have become thoroughly aquianted with it. I don't have to imagine too hard of what the Biblical hell would be like.

 

[mr.guy]

...if your a true Atheist, you rejected this thought for a reason. Perhaps the reason is, Heaven and Hell cannot be proven. Not believing in something that cannot be proven really has more merit than believing in something that cannot be proved.

I'm not sure there is much ranking or devoutness to the atheistic mindframe; that is to say, no "true atheist" need be "reasonable" to come to his/her conclusion. Just my opinion, though.

In light of this, i would further propose that the insinuated "rejection" of the afterlife, more specifically a prescribed afterlife is more distastful or unfeasable as a stand-alone concept than a blanket religious dismissal.

It's not necessarily a matter of
1)-"there's no definitive proof of god, thus i shan't beleive"
But perhaps (in some cases)
2)-"you want me to beleive what?"

You may have noticed that some atheists respond more directly (or venomously) to specific religions, perhaps flagging that which they have experience with. Others, i think, may just be demonstrating honest incredulity; we've not all been knee-deep in christians all our lives, and the implication that our denial of such concepts is at odds with the larger social fabric doesn't seem to universally apply.

Bear in mind that we ALSO likely reject countless other dieties and myths similarly, not necessarilly just yours.

Go back in time 600 years ago. People thought the world was flat. If you lived in that time with the same mindset you have today, you cannot deny that you would have believed the world was flat because it could not be proven the world was round at that time.

I fully aknowledge that i probably think many wrongheaded things regarding the nature and truth of the universe, nor do i think myself foolish for being ignorant of what is currently undiscovered.

I WOULD resent, in such a situation, the threat of eternal torment based on a 'guess' as to whether or not the earth was flat.

If you are right that there is no after life, you won't know your right, but if your wrong about this, you will have an eternity to think about your decision.

It's very generous of you to give us such a stretch to ponder what will be very quickly evident. Beats the open book test by a long shot.

 

[kmkemp]

Go back in time 600 years ago. People thought the world was flat. If you lived in that time with the same mindset you have today, you cannot deny that you would have believed the world was flat because it could not be proven the world was round at that time.

Just as an aside, there were many people who knew the earth was round 600 years ago. The whole 'Columbus discovered it was round' deal is just a common day myth.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Just as an aside, there were many people who knew the earth was round 600 years ago. The whole 'Columbus discovered it was round' deal is just a common day myth.

True. Most people knew the earth was round. All Columbus did was find the wrong bit of land and put a nail in the coffin for the "world is flat" argument.

 

[Gentoo]

Many folks who found Paganism used to go to Christian churches and were turned off by organised religion. You could say they were drove away. They began a search for something that suited them and found Paganism. The internet has been very useful for folks of like mind to meet.

Because I evangalise to Pagans on their death bed. Not against their will, most that find out that I used to be Pagan are willing to have a spiritual conversation with me.

I still don't understand what this has to do with anything.

I don't either...

 

[mr.guy]

So far as what i can extrapolate from the OP, that means you're lacking imagination.

 

[The Mad Hatter 2002]

Because I evangalise to Pagans on their death bed. Not against their will, most that find out that I used to be Pagan are willing to have a spiritual conversation with me.

Rick, the fact that you claim to have been a pagan is truely amusing. You couldn't have know much about paganism or you wouldn't have been able to revert back into such a limited understanding of the universe as christianity provides. But again, I do understand why many who do venture away from that mentality and run back with their faith stronger and renewed....Fear.... It is a much tougher existance to truely learn your path to spiritual evolution than it is to sit back and let a church and a book give you simplistic guidelines than make you feel safe. To each their own, everyone is at different stages of their spiritual evolution. You are obviously a younger spirit due to your mentality and path. My only advice for you now, keep an open mind and spirit and one day the truth will appear to you.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Rick, the fact that you claim to have been a pagan is truely amusing. You couldn't have know much about paganism or you wouldn't have been able to revert back into such a limited understanding of the universe as christianity provides.

Thanks for the insult and condesending attitude. You dont have a clue about me.

But again, I do understand why many who do venture away from that mentality and run back with their faith stronger and renewed....Fear.... It is a much tougher existance to truely learn your path to spiritual evolution than it is to sit back and let a church and a book give you simplistic guidelines than make you feel safe. To each their own, everyone is at different stages of their spiritual evolution. You are obviously a younger spirit due to your mentality and path. My only advice for you now, keep an open mind and spirit and one day the truth will appear to you.

I don't need your advice. I am over a 1/2 century old. Have a great life.

 

[mr.guy]

I don't need your advice. I am over a 1/2 century old. Have a great life.

Hey, c'mon. Where's your imagination?

 

[Gentoo]

So far as what i can extrapolate from the OP, that means you're lacking imagination.

Contrary to how much I'm participating on this thread, I'm a theist

 

[Reverend Rick]

Hey, c'mon. Where's your imagination?

LOL, I hear you. It's hard to be told who you are and what you have done by someone less than half your age. I'm not going to get in a urination contest, but I hardly dabbled in Paganism which is off topic and just what I deserve for getting on a tangent.