The Atheist belief is sad indeed.

[Gloone]

It felt very...interesting.
The fact that at one point I will no longer exist does not make me sad. I'm not sure why. My reaction is more along the lines of "You only go around once, so grab all the gusto."

Gusto = anything that I find pleasing?

 

[Nepenthe]

I think it is just one of those things that didn't occur naturally so it isn't going to happen unless they have a life changing experience.

What does this mean?

 

[Nepenthe]

Gusto = anything that I find pleasing?

Google makes a pretty good dictionary if you don't know the definition of a word.

 

[Gloone]

Google makes a pretty good dictionary if you don't know the definition of a word.

Google is a waste of time when there are actual atheist around that use it.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Since there are no scientific methods to test for a God, all atheists are acting on a hunch. Unless they are privy to scientific data they are keeping to themselves.

I disagree. You can test for gods all day long. They won't conclusively tell you whether any god exists or not, but they can point one way or the other.

 

[Alceste]

OK folks, this is not an attack thread. Some of my favorite RF members are Atheists. Actually, most are. That said, I want to address the Atheist mindset.

Most Atheists I know came from religious families. They could be looked upon as religious pioneers if you will. Not being an Atheist myself, I guess I am wondering about the emotion one would have to experience when you first decide there is no God.

Is it like realizing there is no Santa Claus? I doubt it. When we have that realization we still get gifts and celebrate Christmas.

Are there true Atheists out there, or are some Atheists just closet Christians who want to look trendy and cool but would pray if their plane was crashing?

The Atheists who would not pray in this instance, these are the folks I want to have a dialog with. The true Atheist if you will. What did it feel like when you realized there was no god? As you are aging, how does it feel to believe that when you die, it is all over? Does that make you sad?

I never believed in any god/s as far as I can recall, although we went to church every Sunday. I even sang in the choir. It just didn't "take" I suppose. I found the sermons so boring I can't remember a single thing I was told in all those years. The choir was interesting, but that was because of the music. I didn't notice or care what the lyrics were saying - I'm just very musical. Sunday school was mostly doing stained glass windows out of tissue paper and glue.

Anyway, it didn't feel like anything, I suppose, since there was no actual rejection - just a failure to ever be convinced in the first place. I didn't believe in Santa either, for that matter.

I'm curious, if your plane was crashing, what on earth would you be praying for? A painless death? Or do you think God could somehow teleport you out of mortal danger? It would not occur to me to pray if I were in that situation, or any other I can think of. I really don't think anybody is listening, so it would be an utterly pointless exercise, even as an emotional placebo. If a friend of mine is ill, I am more likely to show up with a bowl of hot soup than privately pray for their return to health.

 

[Nepenthe]

Google is a waste of time when there are actual atheist around that use it.

idgi.

 

[Gloone]

idgi.

Okay I guess if you are not an atheist then it doesn't apply to you.

 

[Nepenthe]

Okay I guess if you are not an atheist then it doesn't apply to you.

I am an atheist. I still am not sure what you meant by "Google is a waste of time when there are actual atheist around that use it."

 

[Gloone]

I am an atheist. I still am not sure what you meant by "Google is a waste of time when there are actual atheist around that use it."

You are the one that told me to use Google. Is there someone else at your keyboard typing. Maybe it is god.

 

[Sententia]

OK folks, this is not an attack thread. Some of my favorite RF members are Atheists. Actually, most are. That said, I want to address the Atheist mindset.

Most Atheists I know came from religious families. They could be looked upon as religious pioneers if you will. Not being an Atheist myself, I guess I am wondering about the emotion one would have to experience when you first decide there is no God.

Is it like realizing there is no Santa Claus? I doubt it. When we have that realization we still get gifts and celebrate Christmas.

Are there true Atheists out there, or are some Atheists just closet Christians who want to look trendy and cool but would pray if their plane was crashing?

The Atheists who would not pray in this instance, these are the folks I want to have a dialog with. The true Atheist if you will. What did it feel like when you realized there was no god? As you are aging, how does it feel to believe that when you die, it is all over? Does that make you sad?

I remember when I learned there was no santa claus. I lived in a house for the first time in my life. I found out I had cancer but neither me nor anyone else in my family knew what that meant. I got my little sister and brother up when I heard my drunk *** step dad making waaaay too much noise. We sat on the stairs and watched our parents put the presents under the tree. We listened to their conversations.

I was 7 and my sister was 5 and my brother 3. *Sigh* I watched them cry. I was ******. I brought them back upstairs and tucked them in and went to bed the angriest I had probably ever had been and I was only 7.

In hindsight it had little to do with me.

Meh.

That is very different from my experience with finally deciding I was an atheist. I find your statement odd though...

My plane is crashing and if I'm a true atheist then I wouldn't pray to god. I would do what in your mind?

Remember how upset and annoyed I was all the time when I first came here? Perhaps some of the early threads are gone now but I tend to harp on points long after most people seem to care to the point of it sounding like fingernails on a chalk board....

Even if you do not it doesn't matter... This is just a rather insulting argument.

Are there true Atheists out there, or are some Atheists just closet Christians who want to look trendy and cool but would pray if their plane was crashing?

Excuse me? What if I happen to be a closet Hindu or Islamist? What if I am closet "Ra-ist" or Satanist? Why is it closet christian? Your christian god is like slightly newer then Scientology's aliens and you think they are off their rockers while believing in the slightly older fantasy. What do they call that?

If my plane was crashing why would I waste time praying? Would a christian waste time praying to Thor, Satan or Zeus?

Would a christian consider it a waste of time to pray to Lord Ra their entire life but then still wonder how an atheist feels who considers it both a waste of time to pray to Lord Ra and Lord Jesus?

 

[Alceste]

Religion gives me comfort. If it is false comfort or not does not matter.

Chocolate gives me comfort, and it doesn't boss me around.

It does matter to me whether my beliefs are true or false. With my skeptical / apophatic mind-set, I tend to be suspicious even of things that are "obviously" true. IOW, generally don't accept any factual claim without seeing references to a large body of credible research to back it up. Given the enormous effort I need to put into believing anything at all, I've got no time left over for claims that are both extremely implausible and completely unprovable.

Nevertheless, I have no fear of death. It makes no more sense to me to fear the vast expanse of time that will pass after my death than it does to fear the vast expanse of time that occurred before my birth. In fact, I spend very little time contemplating the endless amount of space-time that exists outside the limited sphere of my awareness, but the time I do spend contemplating it is generally marked by awe, intrigue and wonder rather than fear.

 

[dogsgod]

Chocolate gives me comfort, and it doesn't boss me around.

It does matter to me whether my beliefs are true or false. With my skeptical / apophatic mind-set, I tend to be suspicious even of things that are "obviously" true. IOW, generally don't accept any factual claim without seeing references to a large body of credible research to back it up. Given the enormous effort I need to put into believing anything at all, I've got no time left over for claims that are both extremely implausible and completely unprovable.

Nevertheless, I have no fear of death. It makes no more sense to me to fear the vast expanse of time that will pass after my death than it does to fear the vast expanse of time that occurred before my birth. In fact, I spend very little time contemplating the endless amount of space-time that exists outside the limited sphere of my awareness, but the time I do spend contemplating it is generally marked by awe, intrigue and wonder rather than fear.

That's how I see it too.

 

[atanu]

When there was a gun in my face, I made a point of saying my last words; "I love you, Gwyneth Paltrow." When I stood on the side of the road as these gang-bangers tried to do us in a drive-by; I laughed and took another swig of my beer. "Jeez, these mofos can't shoot." When they told me it's cath lab or death, I looked at my Gwynnies on my arm; took a ride upstairs. Laughed there, too. "What do you mean, groin camera; how can you tell me that's not going to hurt?"

So. Paltrow is your God.
...

 

[dust1n]

I find it sad that anything you would be happy about would make me feel worse. Just as anything that goes right in my world affects you in a negative manner. I guess we both can take comfort in at least one of us is happy all the time.

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
- Tim II 3:12

 

[gnomon]

Since there are no scientific methods to test for a God, all atheists are acting on a hunch. Unless they are privy to scientific data they are keeping to themselves. Oh I know they pull the old "cant disprove a negative" spiel, but science is not in the habit of forming premature conclusions about the unknown. So I suppose those who boast that they have science on their side, are the first to abandon it so they can hold to an opinion that massages their fancy.

What we call rational grounds for our beliefs are often extremely irrational attempts to justify our instincts. -Huxley

Hunch?

Are you acting on a hunch that aliens did not create human beings and deposit them on this Planet?

Are you acting on a hunch that fire breathing dragons do not Exist?

Are you acting on a hunch the othrr religious beliefs different from yours are Wrong?

 

[Sunstone]

In fact, I spend very little time contemplating the endless amount of space-time that exists outside the limited sphere of my awareness, but the time I do spend contemplating it is generally marked by awe, intrigue and wonder rather than fear.

Awe, intrigue, wonder, and horniness. Don't forget horniness.

 

[Sunstone]

OK folks, this is not an attack thread.

So much for my input, then.

Most Atheists I know came from religious families. They could be looked upon as religious pioneers if you will. Not being an Atheist myself, I guess I am wondering about the emotion one would have to experience when you first decide there is no God.

Is it like realizing there is no Santa Claus? I doubt it. When we have that realization we still get gifts and celebrate Christmas.

Are there true Atheists out there, or are some Atheists just closet Christians who want to look trendy and cool but would pray if their plane was crashing?

The Atheists who would not pray in this instance, these are the folks I want to have a dialog with. The true Atheist if you will. What did it feel like when you realized there was no god? As you are aging, how does it feel to believe that when you die, it is all over? Does that make you sad?

I feel lucky to be alive. The odds of me -- or of anyone -- existing are incredibly small. But this life is enough.

I'm insufferably happy. I only know one or two people as happy as me. But this life is enough. I neither expect nor demand more -- and maybe that has something to do with why I'm happy.

 

[JustWondering]

Since there are no scientific methods to test for a God, all atheists are acting on a hunch. Unless they are privy to scientific data they are keeping to themselves. Oh I know they pull the old "cant disprove a negative" spiel, but science is not in the habit of forming premature conclusions about the unknown. So I suppose those who boast that they have science on their side, are the first to abandon it so they can hold to an opinion that massages their fancy.

What we call rational grounds for our beliefs are often extremely irrational attempts to justify our instincts. -Huxley

You're right. The most rational position is held by those who freely admit they don't know. Anyone who makes claims that they KNOW the TRUTH about the universe, where it came from and if there is anything after death are full of it. Period. Thats my take on it. People believe in all kinds of crazy things. Not too long ago a couple of people were arrested in Phoenix because they thought they were vampires and tried to drink someones blood. Someone believing that an invisible universe creating being is going to whisk them away to a magical paradise for all eternity after they DIE is just as silly to me as someone believing they are a vampire. Just seems like a lot of fantasizing and wishful thinking to me.

 

[Father Heathen]

Pascals Wager isn't a good way to convince anyone to look toward religion, but it still has some valid components.

No, it doesn't. It's based on the premise that Christianity is the only alternative to atheism, which is obviously false.