So you ask for an opinion and tell me that my opinion is worthless. In an opinion thread nonetheless. Not believing in something that YOU believe doesn't exist is just as stupid as someone who believes in something that doesn't exist.

YOU are worthless. Not I.

 

You know "k" .. i AM IMPRESSED .....

 

NOT FAIR 'K' ........... thats 2 impressives in one thread. :rose:

 

So what you're saying is that because I and other atheists hold to the idea that when this life is finished, there is nothing more that means that we must deceive ourselves that this life is pointless? If that's the case, that's bollocks. Just because I'm going to die does not make me enjoy this life less. You can't enjoy a sunrise just because after a few hours, it's going to set? You can't enjoy a really good movie just because you have to see the credits roll at the end? You can't enjoy a summer vacation because after three months school starts again?

To go along with Kimi's quote, life does not have a great cosmic meaning, some larger purpose in the grand scheme of the Universal machinery, but it has meaning to us as individuals. I think the problem for you is that you don't think that's enough. You think if there's not some divine purpose then everything is meaningless and that is an entirely subjective opinion. You've no grounds to condemn all atheists, agnostics, free thinkers, secular humanists, etc. with the same nihilistic brush because you think in such painfully black and white terms.

The atheists I've met believe in just about everything a theist does except the existence of god. You're basically saying a person can't take joy in life if they don't believe in magical sky fairies. We believe in love, family, mom's apple pie, bbq, football, charity, the betterment of ourselves and our society and culture, porn, fast cars and hot women, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days. The only point where we disagree with theists is that god makes such a position possible and that if there wasn't a god giving us those ideas we'd be raping, murdering and pillaging our guts out until we destroyed the world completely.

To give you one example of the charity and good will of the non-believers, go to a site called Kiva.org and hit the community tab and take a look at the first group that shows up with the most contributions.

What assumptions are you referring to that can be refuted by experience. You're constantly putting forth generalities in support of your very specific ideas and I'm afraid that just won't do.

-S-

 

Funny how whenever a person of faith wants to talk about it they always say you need an open mind. Which, in layman's terms, means that there is no there there, if you know what I'm saying.

-S-

 

When people say that all the answers are in the book - I know that they have never sat down and actually read it, they just rely upon the leaders of their church to spoon feed it to them, and tell them what to think and feel!

 

"I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of Him."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez

 

"Even if God did not exist, religion would still be holy and divine.
God is the only being who, to govern, not not even exist."

- Charles Baudelaire

 

Religion is the best exercise of imagination...

 

i sort of agree with what you are saying. i think of all religions as a way to controll society.

 

Rubbish. I have absolutely no interest or belief in a hanging curve bal, whatever that may be.

 

(In case anyone is suffering from an irony deficiency that last post ofmine was a joke. I agree witht he principle of what Shake says, although some of the specifics are a liitle different for me. Cricket and proper football would replace most of his sporting references, for example).

I'm still interested in how a belief in a God makes the act of living more worthy than it would otherwise be. I don't think the OP explained this beyond the feeling that it obviously must be, which isn't a view I agree.

So I would STILL be interested in little more explanation of that point.

Having said that, and given that I asked this near the top of page one, I don't expect there's a decent answer any more now than when my question was ignored then.

 

Saw Jim Baker(thought he was dead) hawking end of the world back packs the other day. Only two hundred and fifty dollars. Guess they're for those that are left behind at the time of Rapture.

 

Wow...any ball hit THAT far ought to have a stewardess on it.

 

There is some truth to that. I grew up rising early for cartoons and kid on weekends and always hoped that my parents would not wake up in time for church. Sometimes they didn't.

I usually wake up early on weekends, unless I have a gig where I came home late and then I may sleep in a bit. I miss church not out of laziness, but lack of sleep. I believe in God and and go to church most of the time. But, when I get busy doing other things on sunday mornings, like camping, I have to miss church sometimes. I still try to pray when I can, even though I may not always be in Church.

I have no problem with church because I see it as self control more than I see it as others controlling me. Sometimes, a Priest lectures me about how I should vote or how much money to give, but that doesn't happen very often. Besides, I am used to lectures which I get from my boss at work and Professors at school all the time anyway. In the end, it's my decision what to do. I am an adult.

 

Not necessarily Kimi........

The atheist claim gets shot down in flames when an answer to the reason as to WHY there is life on earth gets asked.

 

If there is a god where is he/she/it. You cannot prove he exists and as you keep telling me he exists it is your job to prove it not mine to disprove.


http://www.asktheatheists.com/questions/57_why_the_teapot

 

I knew I could count on you. :rose:

-S-

 

It appears that my initial read on the situation was correct. He shot his load in his first post and hasn't been able to come up with anything suitable since then. He could surprise me, but he's so misinformed and ignorant about so much already that I'm not optimistic.

-S-

 

Religious people have no more idea about "why" than atheists do. Go ahead -- tell me why, from a Christian perspective, any of this happened.

But in any event, you missed the point. I was just feeding ShakeZula a semi-appropriate response to his plagiarism from "Bull Durham".