Atheism, theism, pantheism, polytheism and animism thread

Knut

Knut

Troll hunter
S. said:
Brilliant!

Anyone trying to argue with religion has already lost the argument by virtue of the fact that they've lent it some perceived legitimacy by recognising it as being worthy of argument. Our species will not progress through constant debate over the incredibly f**king obvious - you wouldn't argue with a kid who told you he had an imaginary friend, you'd just treat him like he was retarded.
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After having religion shoved down my throat as a teenager and then walking away from it as a young adult. This is by far the funniest thing I have ever heard on the topic. Thank you for making my day.
 
Trigger02

Trigger02

Likes Bikes and Dirt
May be we are just too insignificant to ever understand what happened or why, It is a miracle that something could evolve to be so ignorant as to even invent a god.
 
workmx

workmx

Banned
S. said:
So if you care in the slightest about "atheism" and its importance, move on, let the human race evolve, treat tards like tards, and in time the religious will be viewed with the same mix of pity and disgust as people wearing Unit wifebeaters.
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I seriously suspect that many religious people see atheists as deluded. How could they not see "the glory of god in nature"? How could they risk everything/going to hell by not believing in their god? There are religious people think atheists are amoral and are definitely going to hell (I know 'cause a number of them have told me exactly that).

If I believe in anything, it is human intelligence.

But we have to realise that intelligence can be misdirected and that cognitive dissonance is a very powerful force.

Look at Matt Dillahunty, now a leading atheist activist and broadcaster: he was a fundamentalist baptist, who was studying to be a preacher. He started to study atheism to "save" his atheist room-mate. He was never retarded, just deluded. With time and help from atheists, the delusion slipped away.
 
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workmx

workmx

Banned
Putting aside cognitive dissonance, even an intelligent scientist (my PhD supervisor was one and I knew a few others now) can believe be religious (Note: I am not one of them).

This is because they deal mainly with very different things.

Science can neither prove nor disprove religion, as it deals with the way things are in the physical world. The scientific method can only make sense of phenomena that are present in the physical (material) world.

Religions do make claims about the physical world (but do not have the tools to prove those claims). And such claims are increasing challenged by the scientific method.

Generally religions are at their best when they deal with the way things should be in the non-material world (claims about the afterlife).

An intelligent person may use a scientific method to understand the physical world but then it is of no help in the non-physical world, so they may default back to religious explanation.

Remember too: not all who say they are religious people actually are. It may not be socially acceptable or safe for them to be an atheist. Just because it is not safe to admit that you are atheist does not make you dumb.

Take "The Clergy Project" as an example: it is a community for active and former clergy who do not hold supernatural beliefs. There current membership is 365. That is 365 leaders (preachers/priests/pastors) of religious communities that are unbelievers. Their livelihood, safety and welfare of their families may depend on them continuing to pretend to be believers. If there are 365 religious leaders who are unbelievers, there are likely to be a very large number of ordinary religious people who are too.
 
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zids

zids

Likes Dirt
Benefit of the doubt, which I believe is quite a strong motivator for ALOT of christians. But I thought I'd point things in a more interesting direction
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
S. said:
Brilliant!

In other news, this thread alone is proof that workmx is wrong and PoSM is right. Anyone trying to argue with religion has already lost the argument by virtue of the fact that they've lent it some perceived legitimacy by recognising it as being worthy of argument. Our species will not progress through constant debate over the incredibly f**king obvious - you wouldn't argue with a kid who told you he had an imaginary friend, you'd just treat him like he was retarded, which he clearly is. The same goes for religion - the correct approach to actually educating the world is NOT to argue with morons, it is to treat their contentions with the same kind of violently condescending derision you'd bestow upon any other equally ridiculous concept. Giving any kind of obviously stupid concept enough time to even bother arguing with it is LOSING THE ARGUMENT - not to mention pissing people off. Implicit social pressure is what propagates religious belief, and implicit social pressure is equally capable of disrupting religious belief en masse.

So if you care in the slightest about "atheism" and its importance, move on, let the human race evolve, treat tards like tards, and in time the religious will be viewed with the same mix of pity and disgust as people wearing Unit wifebeaters.
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In theory, I agree, but in reality, religion HAS been granted relevance and legitimacy. Left unchecked, like it was for so long, it infiltrates every part of life, and shapes the world around us and the decisions made on out behalf.
Fight the tards, I say!!
 
zids

zids

Likes Dirt
I think this is a good place to ask; any especially good philosophy books around? Along the lines of 'different thinking'
 
Matt H

Matt H

Eats Squid
So I had a pamphlet in the letter box today from the "Revival Fellowship". Had a flick through it for giggles and was absolutely disgusted by a claim that their baptisms have cured cancer. How the fuck can they seriously say this shit? On their website they claim to cure all kinds of things, even including HIV/AIDS. I know someone dying from a terminal illness, and I can't even how it would feel to know that there's medically nothing to more that can be done. The fact that religious organisations like these are cashing in on the hopes of the terminally ill is absolutely fucking disgusting and have no place in civilized society.


Here's the website: revivalfellowship.org/

:help:
 
Spike-X

Spike-X

Grumpy Old Sarah
Matt H said:
So I had a pamphlet in the letter box today from the "Revival Fellowship". Had a flick through it for giggles and was absolutely disgusted by a claim that their baptisms have cured cancer. How the fuck can they seriously say this shit? On their website they claim to cure all kinds of things, even including HIV/AIDS. I know someone dying from a terminal illness, and I can't even how it would feel to know that there's medically nothing to more that can be done. The fact that religious organisations like these are cashing in on the hopes of the terminally ill is absolutely fucking disgusting and have no place in civilized society.


Here's the website: revivalfellowship.org/

:help:
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Burn their fucking church to the ground. Arseholes like this have been responsible for HIV+ people dying in the UK.

I'm completely serious. Shoot them in the fucking face, see if their God can fucking cure that.
 
for those about to rock

for those about to rock

Likes Dirt
I don't agree with those Revival Fellowship folk, religion and believeing in it wont heal anything. But, turning to religion at such a time when ones life is in the balance and the outcome is primarily out of their control isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sure, it wont miraculously cure you, but it can provide some solace and comfort at the time. Maybe believeing that it isn't the end and is just another beginning is a way to cope with the situation. I am not saying it would help everyone, but it's possible. Again, that crap being preached by the Fellowship is terrible and the worst part is, there are people out there who actually believe it is genuine. But people also believe in gravity and evolution and that's all just a bunch of baloney....
 
Spike-X

Spike-X

Grumpy Old Sarah
for those about to rock said:
I don't agree with those Revival Fellowship folk, religion and believeing in it wont heal anything. But, turning to religion at such a time when ones life is in the balance and the outcome is primarily out of their control isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sure, it wont miraculously cure you, but it can provide some solace and comfort at the time. Maybe believeing that it isn't the end and is just another beginning is a way to cope with the situation. I am not saying it would help everyone, but it's possible. Again, that crap being preached by the Fellowship is terrible and the worst part is, there are people out there who actually believe it is genuine. But people also believe in gravity and evolution and that's all just a bunch of baloney....
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If you think gravity is baloney, go jump off a building, see how you go.

There's nothing wrong with having a bit of a pray, in addition to actual medical treatment. However, these imbeciles are going out and telling people, "Throw away your medicine, the magical man who lives in the sky will make your cancer and AIDS all better!"

Vile.
 
Spike-X

Spike-X

Grumpy Old Sarah
rone said:
I think this belongs here:

View attachment 247178
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In the interest of fairness, the Taliban represent actual Muslims about as much as those 'God Hates Fags' people represent true Christians. I have it on good authority from Muslims who actually know what they're talking about that their religion is just fine and dandy with girls and women getting all the education they want.
 
thecat

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
Spike-X said:
If you think gravity is baloney, go jump off a building, see how you go.

.
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What if it is baloney and the only reason we think its real is that we live on a bulging disk that is accelerating up through space at 9.98m/s/s ?
 
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