I've got Quakerism in my family history.
But I'm not a Quaker. I just like some of their -gentle view- of the world created by men.

In fact, if I were to lable myself it would be "atheistic agnostic" = I don't know but I entirely suppose all god-based religions are fairy tales set up to snare, control and pacify the masses to the will of the wielders. It's all a power trip. All entirely selfish.

We are all selfish in basic ways. What we do with our selfish needs sort of defines who and what we are in the world of men.


I like Tom Lehrer's rip on those funny, funny original Christians. His
Vatican Rag. Not mean, but OH, it's hilarious today, forty years after his recording of that ditty.

I'll look for it and post link to sound file if I can find it.

this is a thread for nonbeleivers. I hope others will start an opposite thread. I hope we all can look at both threads and just -let them run unmolested-, without opposing rancors spilling one into the other.

can you do it? yes! you can!

http://members.aol.com/quentncree/lehrer/vatican.htm
here is the lyric for the July, 1965 live-audience recording

 

Im on the edge of both I guess you could say. I dont really belive there is 1 great power, but its not like it cant be proven either. So if there truly is a god, my after life will be great seeing my living life is not the best

 

chucksu! what happened to your face? It's gone all twisted.

you look possessed! and not by a g/f

satan! get thee behind
my mind.

satan! get thee behind our hinds
and especially ! far, far away from chucksu's kind self.

amen


OK, Chuckie. You are exorcised / safe.

 

to me god is make believe and all religions are just a scapegoat to explain things and control things.

 

In this thread we preach to our own choir.

Just like religions! Only more fun and freeform.

No schisms yet.

 

non religious people are often the nicest people ive found in my 32 yrs on this planet. thats enough for me lol

obviously im not religious at all.

however, i respect those who choose a path they feel is best for themselves and families, do what you think is best..but be open minded to those who do differently

 

I find that there are too many RATIONAL reasons not to believe in god, and virtually none to believe in god. There is no proof, only faith. I don't have faith, I don;t need it. Although I approve of a few religions (none of which involve one allmighty god), I don't need a religion to be a good person, and lead a good life.
For those who can't do this on thier own, I'm glad they use religion to help them behave morally.
For those who use religion as an excuse to commit atrocities... (jihads crusades and inquisitions) I really hope there is a hell.

 

What happened to the F---ing Forums!??

 

You killed Zeb's spirit! (j/k)
I found it shut down last night.
Thank god I got to show George his gallery of George/beefcake pictures. He was thrilled. Now his heart will be busted. No chance now to meet Rhianna or Jyl. He's such a nice kid, too.

----OK, back to talkin' -out of church!-

 

FEAR OF DEATH.

F' forums is dead! But really, what most haunts most of mankind is the fear of personal extinction. Many religions offer eternal preservation of the piddly individual. All he has to do is follow the Way.

Let's meet ancient Greek philospher, Epicurus Here is an excerpt from his letter to Menoeceus


http://www.epicurus.net/en/menoeceus.html

 

Studying the words above we see the force of thought exerted by one of the best of minds.

The clarity of Logic applied to practice by force of Reason.

 

i like there Quaker Oat Meal does that count?

 

Is this about quackery or Quakerism?

 

I grew up next door to a retired Quaker couple. Walter was born in 1900.

He related to me a story circulating during his childhood on a rural Ohio Farm.

Purchasing a used horse was a dicey proposition. A worn out draft horse could be restored to the appearance of stamina and usefulness remaining, if it were put out to pasture for a few months and bathed, groomed and slicked.

Quakers in that area were, of course, identifiable by their black, wide brimmed hats.

A canny farmer, not a Quaker, greeted a horse-buying prospect who'd come to inspect the animal. The farmer shrewdly wore a Quaker hat. Quakers are known as honest traders, you see.

The sale was completed. The buyer took away the old horse. In a fortnight he returned with the horse in tow and hailed the seller from the gate.

This time the seller did not wear the black hat nor did he offer gentle words in greeting.

"I suppose you'll be wanting to return that horse for your money. Well, a sale is a sale and that's all there is to say."

Oh, no sir. I don't ask you to take back the horse. I came to see if I might borrow your black hat.

 

Walter put down his recollections in a book he published himself. He illustrated his texts with hand drawing, for the family photographs had been lost to fire years before.

Walter gave me a copy of this book. It's well written and is remarkable for the fact that nowhere in the book is there any push, shove or exhortation to bow to God.

Yet Quakers are as pious as any Christians. But they are so gentle, so thoughtful of others' sensitivities.

Walter never offended any person at all during his long life of ninety one years.

I wish myself could say the same. So! While I am not religious, I do admire the character of many religious people. Of all the various Christian sects, the Quakers, are, probably the farthest from "quakery" because they are entirely circumspect of the world and their place in our society.

They term themselves "Friends". Indeed, they are, to us all.

thanks,
r

 

weren't Quakers behind the first prision in America?

 

Gee, I did not know that. Expound? I'm not so pro-Quaker but I think prisons are a pretty Good Religion for controlling wayward behaviors. As such, if the sinner will not listen to a God, perhaps he must listen to a latch.



===PS:
I don't know how I come up with some of these amazingly pithy things I say. I will say this: you guys give me the inspiration to think clearly and see straight ahead.

Rev. Schuller, Sir of the Tower o' Powah, you may -not- take up my "latch" analogy without prior permission ...ha ha ha! COPY right by me sez me.

 

History class was a long time ago and I'm sure I'm leaving out (many) details, but if I'm not mistaken the Quakers in Philly built one of the first prisons in the colonies. (versus some miserable local jail) Basically, they put everyone in solitary so they could reflect on their crimes.

Wasn't Richard Nixon a Quaker too?

 

Uncontested thought? Opening yourself up to dangerous land here....

I dissagree with the idea altogether of uncontested "Threads" were individuals can brodcast flawed logic without consequence... and the idea that each thread wouldn't address the other thread's discussion, as both ideas are mutally exclusive....

My only question.... if there is no God and no afterlife.... why is there morality and law? If I had no afterlife, and there was no God... I see no reason why I cannot do whatever I wish for myself and enjoy every aspect of self-indulgent bliss at anyone and everyone's expense... after all, it's the only time I have, and there is no consequence, besides the temporal... it's a land of free-for-all... No way am I doing anything for the "Betterment of Man"... I'd be living it up for myself... cause who cares what happens after I'm gone... anyone who would care... why would you???

Oops.... Guess I burst the "Uncontested Thought" bubble of this thread... but, realistically, opening up threads solely to build up or support an ideology without allowing contention.... that in itself is a sign of something quite dangerous philosophically...

 

lol....looks like this one might end up like the Mormon thread. Everyone loves to talk but most don't want to listen. That's the problem with this....its ok to open up a topic, but let's put limitations on the opinions that people can have. Nothing more and a mere time bomb waiting to explode.