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Don't be an atheist

gnomon

gnomon

Well-Known Member
lew0049 said:
I would be interested to hear from an atheist on this thread, what make you not believe in God?
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What God? Which mythological being are you talking about?

Ea, Gaia, Bhagavan, Vishnu, Ahura Mazda, Marduk...

despite efforts of modern spiritualists conceptions of God are not the same. There are remarkable differences between worshiping Marduk and worshiping Jesus.
 
Jaymes

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
lew0049 said:
I would be interested to hear from an atheist on this thread, what make you not believe in God?
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What makes you not believe in the Invisible Pink Unicorn?

I've seen no reason to believe in either. It's not that I actively disbelieve in him, it's just an absence of belief.
 
rojse

rojse

RF Addict
I think that the idea of God is merely a culturally confined phenomena. No belief in God has arisen independently in two distinct areas, the only exchange of ideas has been through cultural mixing.

Surely any God worth his salt could cross a mere desert or sea?
 
L

lordjord

Member
Fredx10 said:
Don't be atheists, people. Atheism is a trap. To be an atheist, to be "against god," implies that there is a god for you to be against. You are indeed acknowledging the very concept that you abhor. Atheism can only be understood within the umbrella of theism. You are buying into theism in your effort to disavow it. "I don't like tomato soup" acknowledges the existence of tomato soup.

What to do instead? Do nothing. Don't BE anything but yourself. If you're going to join a bunch of so-called "atheists," you might as well just go to church.
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i agree with you completly. i dont even like using the word "god" because if i do im acknowledging that there is such a thing
 
Jaymes

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
lordjord said:
i agree with you completly. i dont even like using the word "god" because if i do im acknowledging that there is such a thing
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That's like saying that if I say "an invisible purple gnome controlling my thoughts and actions is sitting on my shoulder" I am, in fact, acknowledging such a thing exists. :areyoucra
 
lilithu

lilithu

The Devil's Advocate
Seyorni said:
Why does atheism necessarily imply the existence of God? I don't believe in Mother goose, Thor or Spider-Man, but I don't think my lack of belief implies anything.
And how is atheism a trap? Atheism is no sort of restraint. The harm in it escapes me.

I can confidently assert that I do not, and never have, believed in Lord Omnifac. I'm pretty sure you have never believed in Him either (especially inasmuch as I just made Him up). Does our a-omnifac-ism somehow imply His existence?

An atheist doesn't necessarily disbelieve in God. Atheism, essentially, is more a lack of belief than a disavowal.
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Whether strong or weak, the word invokes the very concept it is negating.

You clearly haven't read George Lakoff's "Don't think of an elephant." ;)
 
rojse

rojse

RF Addict
My point was that the Bible arose only in the European area. None arose in areas that were separate from Europe, such as America, Australia, New Zealand, or the numerous islands within the Pacific made their own edition of the bible until the European colonists invaded, and spread the word of the Lord. Not even the countries connected by land, such as South Africa or China, got their own version of the bible.

A good proof to me of God existing would have been independent copies of the bible arising in different, unconnected areas. If a different edition of the bible arose in the Americas, or Australia without European influence, that would be a good proof for god. A copy did not even arise in China or India, and all that separated them from Europe was landmass. Sure, the copies might have been somewhat different, but surely the stories such as the creation story, or the Genesis story would have been the same.

Surely all of the peoples of these countries deserved Christian salvation, too? Or is it, as I think, a European phenomena that has spread due to European conquest?
 
Kungfuzed

Kungfuzed

Student Nurse
rojse said:
My point was that the Bible arose only in the European area. None arose in areas that were separate from Europe, such as America, Australia, New Zealand, or the numerous islands within the Pacific made their own edition of the bible until the European colonists invaded, and spread the word of the Lord. Not even the countries connected by land, such as South Africa or China, got their own version of the bible.

A good proof to me of God existing would have been independent copies of the bible arising in different, unconnected areas. If a different edition of the bible arose in the Americas, or Australia without European influence, that would be a good proof for god. A copy did not even arise in China or India, and all that separated them from Europe was landmass. Sure, the copies might have been somewhat different, but surely the stories such as the creation story, or the Genesis story would have been the same.

Surely all of the peoples of these countries deserved Christian salvation, too? Or is it, as I think, a European phenomena that has spread due to European conquest?
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So, what do you think of the Book of Mormon then?
 
rojse

rojse

RF Addict
I do not know much about the book of Mormon, but thank you for reminding me of it.

However, this book was revealed, or written, depending on your perspective, after European contact with America, and the fellow that first penned the Book of Mormon had knowledge of the Bible and it's stories. Where was the book of Mormon before European contact?

Even should we both accept the Book of Mormon, what about all the other countries that spent centuries without the word of God while Europe did? Examples I would give would be Australia, New Zealand, North and South America, and many of the Pacific Islands. They only got the book after European colonization.
 
L

lew0049

CWebb
gnomon said:
Simple fact! Were you there prior to Planck Era to tell us what was going on?

There is a vast difference between being an atheist and believing in nothing. Of course, depending upon the particular atheist.
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If only I knew what Planck Era was I would respond to that one, but I'm assuming 25 yrs might not cut it, haha.
Regardless though, I didn't need to be around to understand that there was a definite beginning. It cannot simply be stated that the universe "formed" from nothing. Someone used "matter" in another post, but how was matter formed?
 
rojse

rojse

RF Addict
I do not believe in Santa Claus, nor the Easter Bunny.

Does this mean I acknowledge their existence?
 
Jayhawker Soule

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
lew0049 said:
Regardless though, I didn't need to be around to understand that there was a definite beginning.
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Really? It could be argued that the concept of "a definite beginning" is relatively new. It's not there in Plato (Demiurge) or Aristotle (Prime Mover), and it's arguably not there in Genesis. Perhaps you're just sharper than they were ... and perhaps not. ;)
 
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