Ive said im out of here numerous times but posts like this keep draggin me back.

There is a difference between saying you are a christian and being a practicing/actual christian. The catholic church says there are over a billion members of the church. Do you think that the true number is anywhere near that? It could be 100 million or 500 million.

BTW, HE declared himself a born again christian AFTER he commited those horrible crimes.

 

I really don't see why those answers aren't worthy, they're so simple to understand.
If I just wanted to have a good time while I am alive, why is that not enough reason to live? While it sounds like you even intelligent christians would go buck wild if you didn't have your religion tieing your hands, I am not like that. I don't have urges to kill, maim, rape, or set buildings on fire as was mentioned. I live my life in a way that doesn't hurt others, and because I respect them, and that should make them respect me. Do you really think that is circular logic, or that i am not answering your question(if you don't think so, using 1 sentence, ask me a direct question.)

Do you think a soul is added to that mix that makes a brain more complete?
I believe our brains are just blobs of meat run by electricity. When our brain reacts from outside stimuli, sometimes it releases feel good chemicals. After a while, we learn what to do, to get those feel good chemicals dropped. like mice in a lab. I make someone else laugh, I get the sense that I positively impacted that person, and endorphines drip-drop on my brain. I smoke some pot, and "drip-drop" here comes seratonin.

atheist's outlook is simple. It's views are simple, sure there are many different things to learn, but the overall message is simple.
"This universe started. At some point in history I lived, then I died. The universe continues until it doesn't."

And the reason people have religion is VERY simple.
Cavemen had it, people who are severly retarded believe in religion. Don't start believing that having religion makes you intelligent. You can learn all there is to know about it, and through those studies that can make you an intelligent philosopher.
But for most people religion = magic, and magic can do anything. With religion you don't have to explain much more than that, and anytime a hard question comes up, you just have to point to magic.

Pretend you're not human, that you're a scientist studying humans in a lab. Now ask, why have these humans made up a belief sytem, a religion? They live in a cage, and all they know is what they see. But they still have questions, so they make up things that "answer" those questions, even if they had to make up wild answers to fit all the questions. And when some new human questions those "answers", the makers of the religion make even questioning of it a bad thing to do, and then when there are so many new questions by later generations of the humans in this lab, the book keepers of this religion add magic into the mix. and as we all know, magic can do anything.

I wonder if you not believing that religion, and atheism is simple to understand, is because you think you're god has you destined to do something really important that you just don't understand yet. Are you sure god didn't put you on this planet to be a consumer maybe?

 

This is the first time I've heard a christian say you don't have to have to absolve your sins to get into heaven. From that logic, I can believe jesus died on the cross for my sins, and rape hundreds of people and go to heaven even though I didn't ask for forgiveness. Think I'm being overboard comparing rape to homosexuality? well your religion states all sins are equal (well, besides denying god).


Well if your good time infringes on someone else having a good time, then you shouldn't do it. Respect each human as you want to be respected. We can either live in harmony with each other based upon that respect, or we can not. But the majority of people will prosecute you for infringing/hurting on others with your good time.

 

ok, i've been pretty much been keeping up with this thread... i find it very interesting... i am curious about one thing, and i don't think this has been brought up yet, if it has, i apologize and i'll go look back over the thread...

anyways, i am curious to know how does an atheist explain spirits and exorcisms??? you see a lot of this crap on television, people thinking their house is haunted, or some place is, people seeing things, scientist using fancy equipment diagnosing the situation showing results of abnormal paranormal whatever activity...

maybe this is a 2 part question, i think the first question should really be "do atheist believe in ghost, spirits, souls, etc, and it doesn't necessarily have to be something related christianity itself, just in theism i suppose... and then continuing the statement above...

 

I believe that there are demons that are out there trying to make people believe that they are lost souls or stuff like that. That is how I explain stuff like that.

Ive seen bits of those ghost hunter shows, and I think its people imagination a lot of the time. But, I do believe that there are demons that are messing with people.

 

it's the same reason aliens only visit hill-billy's in farmland, usa.
red-neck alcoholics frequently hallucinate from too much alcohol or during extreme withdraws from it.

ignorant people and the power of suggestion.
but really, for athiest's it's the same answer non-catholic christians have.

Honestly, what do you think baptists or methodists feel about exorcisms? They think those catholics are nut jobs, but at least they believe in jesus, so don't knock'em too much.

and all those tools aren't proven to detect ghosts. it's usually just alot of heresay and coincidence.

look, i get high, and when on certain drugs, i see stuff too. that's a great explanation.

 

Wow. I agree with every sentence there (I dont do/never have done any drugs, but Im sure thats true). Well Done Dave.

 

well then im sure you've heard this answer. if you would do those things, you either did them before you were saved, or you werent really saved. anyone can say i believe jesus is my lord, and died for me; but not everyone truly does.
ill dare to say that even you, who claimed you were raised as a christian, has even said these things at one time.
the punishment for any sin is death, but if you are saved by jesus blood, you are already forgiven. yes, you are always supposed to repent, but it is not a requirement to get into heaven. if i sinned in the morning and died later that day without repenting, i would still go to heaven if i truly beleived.
so morality is determined by the majority of peoples thoughts? that must be the case because you will always find someone to disagree with something that makes you happy, always. so if everyone is not happy then according to you you go by the majority.
so according to you, laws made by men are what determines what is moral or not. therefore all laws are moral. and seatlledave getting high is immoral because it is unlawful. lol
and whatever someone who claims he is a christian does does not represent what is right. nor do our laws. christians are sinners just like everyone else

 

cool, as i said, i was just curious to see what your view point was on the topic... i actually should have pointed out the question to you instead of atheist in general... everyone has their own opinion on the subject... personally, i believe that the mind is very suggestive and can play tricks on you... same instance as a little child being scared of monsters under their bed...

thats all i have for now, carry on ;)

 

Wow, this thread is huuuge. I havent read anything but the 1st page, but my thoughts

I went to Catholic School from 3rd grade till 12th. Religion and faith was drilled into my head like there was no tomorrow.

Now I have always had doubts throughout my life, but it has come more and more since I graduated high school.

I have learned that the Bible contradicts itself like all hell, if people would actually read it they would EASILY determine that most of the Bible is completely false.

Take in account many of the letters and even a Gospel(4got which one) was written over 100+ years AFTER the death of Christ, should we really believe the stories? Its nothing but a game of telephone.

The Church has also been extremely corrupt over the years, that only add fuel to the doubters fire.

Take for example the stories of Noah's Arc and Adam and Eve. I can bet my house that you were all told that these stories were true, but ask a Priest willing to talk and he will tell you flat out that they are JUST stories. Most of the Bible is just stories, written by your average man. Just like Steven King writes novels, same concept. Like I said earlier most of the Gospels contradict themselves. ESPECIALLY in the story of the birth of Christ, holy crap, do some research or read them thru-out, and you will see the glaring inconsistencies in the stories. Now how could they be so different if they were supposedly written from an eyewitness account, The Apostles of Jesus?


Are we really supposed to believe that there is this 1 God that created the Universe, and that he was "always there" and nobody created him? I personally cannot grasp this concept AT ALL.

Evolution is true.


1 thing that kinda changed my mind about the church as a whole was a few years ago here in NYC, the cardinal absolved those who celebrated St. Patricks day, and allowed them to eat the corned beef.....this ST. Pattys day fell on a FRIDAY, when ur not supposed to eat meat in the christian religion(Lent). Now if the not eating meat on fridays during lent rule was so important to religion, then how come 1 cardinal can make an absolution for a few ppl in NYC, just so they can stuff there faces, BULLSH*IT!!!


I think im done.... for now lol


Thanks for reading the long message btw!

 

I would say god exist!!!!!
I know there is no proof........
What is so hard to believe about GOD!
I think is better to go to heaven rather than hell although they might not exist......
Just the thinking that i am going heaven makes my day happier

 

AND TELL ME ONE BAD THING OF BEING A CHRISTIAN!!

 

Explain to me why 'mere' animals act in the same manner.

Why do dogs wag their tails and jump up and down when they see food, or they see their owner after a long day at work? They are happy.

Why do monkeys tend to their children? B/c they are helping raise the children to prepare the for life alone

Why does a Lion not attack a Elephant? B/c they respect/honor an animal of such size, and have no chance against it.

Why do i hold a door open for an old lady with a cane? b/c its the moral and right thing to do. Why? b/c i dont want her to go out of her way in the condition she is in to open the door and do excess work, when im right there and could easily make its better for her.


So in short, you dont need faith to be happy, moral, honored, and helpful

ty

 

What's so hard about believing in god? You just said it in the sentence before it. There is no proof. You can think about what ever you like to make your day happier. If they might not exist, why bother worrying about it? If you worry about all the possible outcomes of life after death you won't live your current life. And I'm almost positive you haven't read this whole thread. Otherwise you'd see all the bad things that were listed about being a theist in general, not to mention a christian. I'm also pretty sure you don't have the greatest grasp of the english language so you might want to sit back on this one or have someone help you write out your thoughts more clearly.

 

[quote=What's so hard about believing in god? You just said it in the sentence before it. There is no proof. [/quote]

Is there any proof that God doesn't exist? I mean think about it. A lot of modern science suggests the existence of a Divine Being, a Superior Creator. Think of, say, the Laws of Conservation of Mass and Energy.

These two laws totally contradict the Big Bang Theory. If the universe was at one time a huge solid state of mass in a vast sea of nothingness, and then all of a sudden, the mass exploded violently, then I ask, where did the originating matter come from if matter cannot be created or destroyed? Also, how could it just randomly explode? Where did the energy come from if that, too, cannot be created or destroyed? The Big Bang Theory (which everything after the explosion seems pretty relative) is totally contradictory to other scientific laws. It shouldn't be valid.

I believe this proves the existence of God. Faith is still the major part of Christianity or any religion though, but I, being a Christian, don't have to practice a blind faith.

 

[quote]Dude... read the first 5 pages then come back... it looks like you may have a lot to contribute but you need to get caught up... I look forward to talking to you.

 

My Flying Spaghetti Monster god, is the one and only true god, whiteshirt. He used the energy of the meatball to power the explosion that expanded the universe. Your god is false since my holy spaghetti box says that only the flying spaghetti monster god is the true god. Please prove me wrong. If you can prove that my Flying Spaghetti Monster God doesnt exist, I will FedEx you a brownie...a special brownie. See where im getting at with this?

 

i just read your thread, where you're talking about you not understanding how the big bang works, and then you simply say "I believe this proves the existence of God. ". there's no connection.

really, please read the thread. if the universe can't come from nothing, why can your god? magic?

What do u believe proves the existence of God?

 

First off, NO modern science suggests the existence of a divine being. It is merely incorrect thinking and making unwarranted quantum leaps of thought.

You need to read up on your science a bit. The big bang completely is in order of scientific laws. Before the big band, as theory goes, the universe constitutes entirely of a quantum singularity. All the matter (which, if you know anything about relativity, is just energy) and energy in the universe is confined within the singularity. The energy and matter are not created or destroyed as they've always been inside the singularity to begin with. Matter and energy are conserved. A single "point" in space. The relative dimensions of said singularity are open to debate. The energy, for an as yet unexplained reason, erupts violently outwards. The energy spreads out and cools over time. The cooler energy coalesces into matter later on. Look up on high energy physics, black holes, and quantum physics for extra info. I also would just like to point out that this is merely the going concept and there are a few other ideas floating around for the creation of the universe or a cyclical spacetime where there was no initial creation point. Not all scientists believe the big bang theory, it just happens to be the best supported idea so far. It IS, however, based on scientific FACT. If there are other laws that you believe the big bang contradict please let me know. I'll be more than happy to correct you. Oh and the lack of conservation of energy or matter or any other scientific law does NOT prove the existence of god. That's like saying because I have oatmeal every day, but one day I don't, then aliens exist. It's completely non-linear thinking.

 

The very definition of God, means that he isn't restricted by the same laws of nature. Something outside of our idea of space and time had to cause the big bang.
Everything in Nature has a cause and effect relationship with everything else. But God exists outside of this concept.