Oh damnit. Meant north korea. Now somebody shout me a bit
Oh damnit. Meant north korea. Now somebody shout me a bit
you understand how democracy works
[ ] no
[ ] no
[ ] no
http://www.nptrust.org/philanthropic-resources/statistics/
"In 2011, the majority of charitable dollars went to religion (32%)"
http://www.gallup.com/poll/141 ... tendance-inches-2010.aspx
in 2010, with 43.1% of Americans reporting weekly or almost weekly attendance
=> according to your simple minded logic 43% of americans account for 32% of the money given to charity while the non religious 57% account for 68% of the money given to charity
=> atheists give more than twice as much money to charity
you understand how statistics works
[ ] no
[ ] no
[ ] no
(for anyone who does yeah im well aware that theres far too little info in those 2 statistics to draw these conclusions)
If religious groups in the US are responsible for almost 100 billion in charitable donations, I would say that is evidence against the notion Atheists hold that Christians are selfish and bigoted. I don't know who these Jews or Christians are that you're meeting in person, but I have not found them to be categorically mean-spirited either in person or ideology. As religions go, they are quite benign.
If Christianity did not exist, I think there would still be a lot of people in the world uncomfortable with vaccuuming a half-formed child out of a woman and throwing it in a dumpster.
If Christianity did not exist, I think there would still be a lot of people in the world uncomfortable with vaccuuming a half-formed child out of a woman and throwing it in a dumpster.
But such problems only exist because of religious practises.
I wonder why religious people always mix up being religious with ethics. Just being an atheist doesn't make you an amoral monster.
I for one AM an atheist by heart, yet I do earn my living helping others, and trust me when I say that it's NOT the paycheck that makes me do this.
And to be frank, I actually think people are quite scary if the only thing preventing them from being killers or rapists is some sort of imaginary father figure that would punish them for giving in to those urges.
As I see it, we only got one life, so it's not only in our interest to make the best out of it, but also common courtesy to try to not negatively influence the lives of others.
I for one AM an atheist by heart, yet I do earn my living helping others, and trust me when I say that it's NOT the paycheck that makes me do this.
And to be frank, I actually think people are quite scary if the only thing preventing them from being killers or rapists is some sort of imaginary father figure that would punish them for giving in to those urges.
As I see it, we only got one life, so it's not only in our interest to make the best out of it, but also common courtesy to try to not negatively influence the lives of others.
But you don't know how many of those religious groups were Christian. Also, are you saying that all atheists hold that notion, and that only atheists hold that notion?
While I disagree about only one life, the rest of your post I completely agree with and that's how I live my life, it's certainly not about getting shells but rather about empowering other sentient living beings.
Christianity, at least in the approved church manner is more about giving people approval to behave however they like, as they've been 'forgiven' then whatever they actually do is irrelevant. What is more important to me is what you actually 'do' in this life, that is all that is really important, that is what will transform 'reality' and empower others.
But again, it's up to each of us to choose our own path in this life and in my opinion, karma will take care of each of us according to our individual actions.
Yeah, I find this whole 'ethics through threats' aspect of religion (although yes, I know a good proportion would display the same ethics regardless of their faith) fairly uncomfortable. I once had a religious discussion with someone at uni who was a devout christian, who asked me "If you don't read the bible, how do you know what you should and shouldn't do?"
I didn't really have an answer as it caused my head to become full of f*ck.
I didn't really have an answer as it caused my head to become full of f*ck.
There is no great divide between the ethics of Christians and the ethics of everyday secular democratic citizens, which most religious people are 6 days of the week. They may disagree on a few points but are practically identical at least compared to other societies like in Saudi Arabia or the Sudan.
Are you saying that only religious people have accidental pregnancies or that only God causes them? I don't think being against abortion is entirely unreasonable whether you prescribe to a religion or not. I personally am not against abortion in most cases.
Some Atheist groups spend a lot of time and energy fighting Christianity in the US. It seems like it would make more sense just to ignore it. For example, a high school student died in California and there was a service held in the gymnasium wherein a minister delivered a service. An Atheist sued the school for bringing religion into a government space (case was dismissed). That is just spiteful. You can't be smug about being right after you're dead, especially if you don't believe in an afterlife.
Are you saying that only religious people have accidental pregnancies or that only God causes them? I don't think being against abortion is entirely unreasonable whether you prescribe to a religion or not. I personally am not against abortion in most cases.
Some Atheist groups spend a lot of time and energy fighting Christianity in the US. It seems like it would make more sense just to ignore it. For example, a high school student died in California and there was a service held in the gymnasium wherein a minister delivered a service. An Atheist sued the school for bringing religion into a government space (case was dismissed). That is just spiteful. You can't be smug about being right after you're dead, especially if you don't believe in an afterlife.
By a LONG way the post by FlyMike I've agreed with more than anything else he's ever written. People need to Give Less Of A Sh*t about things that aren't really that important in the grand scheme of things.
I have to admit, after having a son, it SERIOUSLY makes you think about your stance on abortion. I am generally for it if it's done early enough and there's a *very good* reason for doing it, but after seeing an actual person emerge from someone and spend the next three years developing into a little human with desires, dreams, emotions and the rest, well... it makes you consider whether people have the right to deny someone that and who the f*ck do you think you are to be able to make that decision.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/4/26/122125/438
http://www.opposingviews.com/i ... ating-gay-man-unconscious
http://www.connectamarillo.com ... list=195065&id=804820
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ ... ate-crime-_n_1929662.html
Just for example... Ignoring is something the theists and religious should practice more.
Personally, I'll stop when the christians, muslims, what have you, moderate or extreme stop the killings, beheadings, acid to face attacks, stoning of rape victims, planned parenthood visitor tormenting, abortion clinic bombings, fallen soldier funeral pickets and just generally being nuisance to anyone who doesn't share their view of ethics, moral and which person some one else can choose to life with or is allowed to visit on their death bed.
Fight them with FIRE!!!
As long as it doesn't affect me, i don't care, but as soon, I am gonna have to, you know
Only one should be able to, the mother, and no-one else, imo of course. After all, when this life is going to be screwed (no job, no future) than there is not much point in starting it in the first place.
And that is just one of teh things that is wrong with believing so hard in something, some random guy wrote back in the days, where it might have made sense, but today, there shouldn't be any need for it
No I'm saying people with tight christian views force people to use illegal and shady doctors to get their abortions because they have banned abortion based on religious reasons. And that lack of abortion options kills mothers an children and causes suffering. Just like ban on contraception causes death and suffering. It is also worth remembering that the religious view and practise of "abstinence" does not help at all against accidental pregnencies:
Kohler further found that teen pregnancy rates were higher in students who had undertaken abstinence only education, when compared to comprehensive sex education.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstinence-only_sex_education
For me god causes as much things in this world as santa, zeus, spagetti monster or donald duck. They are all man made fictional characters.
It is hard to ignore it when the christians want to decide all the things about your life based on their own religious ideas. I just mention contraception, creationists, circumcision and gay rights here.
I'll just quote that because I think it is extremely funny thing to hear from a christian person.
A lack of belief is a belief none-the-less.
As I said, I find it sad to believe that each person's existance is fatally terminal. It was something difficult for me personally to come to terms with being that a lack of existence is my greatest fear. Christians don't believe this (as I do) and neither do 99% of other religions. This is why I feel that it is a (let me rephrase this to be more accurate) pessimistic view of our existence.
Religion is like a belief in Bigfoot. One could never prove a believer wrong no matter what (because you can't prove that something doesn't exist truly), and one could never change a doubter wrong without actually capturing the creature and allowing the doubter to inspect it. Of course, different levels of doubt or belief will dictate ones willingness to change stance. This is in the case of deities of course more so. (Side Note: I'm a doubter of Bigfoot, though I won't say that it is impossible
)Tolerance is a key point in this discussion. There's nothing wrong with your religion, and I won't try to alter your belief, so please don't try to alter mine because it is just that, mine. There's no reason for christians to be against population control legally, and there's no reason for me to be against the inclusion of god or religion around me legally either. Each has to learn to tolerate the other. This is key to the world of peace which the majority of us wish to live in. This is why I stated that I didn't desire to argue my stance, I only wanted to bring up a point of tolerance with the article which I found and state my stance. I didn't wish to spark this
...like not collecting stamps is a hobby.
Why would lack of existence be anything to worry about? You go to sleep every night and that is as much about of lack of existence as being dead. And when you die your memory lives inside the minds of everyone else who knew you regardless of yours or theirs religion or lack of there of. For someone the idea of ending up in heaven is a beautiful thought while for someone else values the idea that the remnants of your body are put back into the ground which allows new life emerge from it. Be it flora and fauna, or stars and galaxies. Death being the beginning of new life is not what I'd call pessimistic view.
I don't have religion. I find it strange and malicious that you try to label atheism as religion.
I'm not tying to convert you into anything. You brought this up and posted your opinion on a discussion forum and when you do that you will have discussions. If you do not want to talk about then stop posting.
Not really. I think you will find most atheists are fundamentally agnostic given that they may have a great respect for the scientific method. If any view of a supernatural existence gains a significant amount of testable, repeatable, and predictable evidence, then I will accept it as fact.
The problem is most of the mainstream religions make certain claims about our natural world that happen to be directly contradictory to established scientific fact. These claims range from claims about natural history to basic medicine or biology.
So now you have a situation where not only do these religions need to provide evidence for the existence of their deity or deities (so far I haven't seen any peer-reviewed works), but they also must disprove and alter many very highly accepted truths about the nature we occupy. I can literally hear Occam's Razor shearing through the attempt already.
Is there space within reality (either superdimensional or otherwise) for some sort of supernatural existence? Yes. And I would accept such a development if it had supporting evidence on par with any other broadly accepted scientific theory such as thermodynamics or quantum mechanics. Is it possible that any current mainstream religions are strictly correct? Very unlikely, as they do not fit with our current understanding of nature on many levels.
And it comes from Bill of Rights which comes from protecting Locke's natural state of man which means protecting property ("life, liberty, and estate") which comes from Thou shall not covet
I live in country with strong 50-years communism (scientificaly based on social progress!) history of rejecting this, therefore 4th Amendment nonapplicable:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
you could expect no privacy, unreasonable searches, and no securing of property from state officials then, and now it is made unoficially with disinterestment from state institutions which was/is on purpose to show one complete dependance from state (or other) authorities.
It's actually possible to not have a hobby. It's not possible to not have a beleif for a human being that is alive. Because of this, not believing in something is a belief that it is false (until or unless more proof is given).
Why would the dark be anything to worry about? It really isn't. That's the nature of most fears. I've stated my feelings, and I respect yours in this regard. I wish I could feel the same way about it, but I cannot.
I was not directing this part of my message towards you. Sorry for the confusion.
Well, it's not like that.
When your religion tolerates things I cant - then you have to enforce or separate.
ie. commies have religion of "zero privacy" which they force on everybody and which is unbearable. It is time to enforce them not to or separate.
Let me remind you all that we do live in a world of peace and harmony compared to places in the world where religion is the State, meaning religious heresy and political dissent are the same thing, and both are punished by death. The fact that secular society can coexist so well with Christianity in the first world is the culmination of hundreds of years of progress for both sides. I think we do very well if the thing we worry about is people saying mean things to each other.
What about bombs blowing up at abortion clinics, cars being rammed into abortion clinics, and abortion clinics being set on fire?
How about the whores that fill them up.
No respect for them.
No respect for them.
Not having a hobby is still not a hobby. Not having something here is adjective, not verb.
If scawen is game developer and I'm not then according to your logic I'm ...a game developer.
So do you advocate terroristic acts against those you don't respect, or am I missing something?
"Spiritual Not Religious"
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