Religion

Go drink some DR Pepper

 

Ok, that made me laugh. #

 

I believe in an almighty God who created the universe and let it grow and progress by itself. That's how the entire idea of free will came to be. And when God saw what humans did with free will, he thought to himself, "#### it, I don't have time to deal with their shit, I got a universe to expand". Because really, who wants to get all up in humanity's business?

I'm still a Christian though. Jesus was a rad dude who did amazing things that can't be explained. And his stories should serve as a basis for moral understanding while also being taken with a grain of salt. Let's be honest, nobody likes a holier than thou, in your face, fire and brimstone, hell and damnation Christian.

 

If there is indeed a higher being, I'm pretty sure it's not your Emperor, but His Noodliness the Flying Spaghetti Monster

Anyways, you both are funny, especially slamraman. May you be touched by His Noodle Appendage!

 

You don't have to totally rule out the idea of any "higher being" to be an Atheist.

Of course, people have different definitions of the terms.
The one on Wikipedia for Agnosticism is pretty good:
"Agnosticism is the view that the truth values of certain claims – especially metaphysical and religious claims such as whether or not God, the divine or the supernatural exist – are unknown and perhaps unknowable."

While Atheism is the "absence of belief that any higher being(s) exist".
The "absence of belief" is very important. I heard it more than once that a religious person told me "but you only believe that there are no gods, just like I believe in one."
-> Hm, no. My stance is based on facts and evidence. (Note that I don't use the word "opinion" or such. Gravity isn't an opinion, either.)
My impression is that for believing people it is very hard - if not outright impossible - to wrap their heads around the idea that someone can have a total absence of belief/faith.

Especially what I'd call "science-based Atheism" is the stance (note again that I do not say "belief" or anything similar) that no gods exist that we know of, as there is no evidence for any "higher being" of any kind. And that all so-called evidence brought forth so far has been thoroughly disproven.
Many "science-based" Atheists I know - including myself - do not entirely rule out the existence of any "higher being", merely assign it a probability approaching zero.
Operating on the null hypothesis that none exist, and that one needs to bring forth very robust evidence to such a claim to turn it from an idea (in scientific terms, it's not even a hypothesis) into something more tangible.
In a simplified nutshell: "Yeah, could be. But about as likely as finding a planet made entirely of cheese."

For example, I'd absolutely accept that an Angel, a Kami, Shiva, or whatever, appearing on Times Square and working what you'd call a genuine miracle is evidence for *something*.
But from there it's still a huge jump to "this proves that there is some omnipotent, all-knowing etc. being commonly called God."

 

Stories like that sicken me. And serve as terrible examples why I'm convinced we would be better off without any religion.
For those extremists I'm all in favor of "kill 'em all, let god sort 'em out."

 

Most everyone has something in common with religion. Its usually never ignored.

 

Like what? Would help if you provided at least one specific example.
Personally, I feel more than a little insulted by the insinuation to have anything in common with obviously irrational belief systems.

 

Very touchy subject. Glad to see a lot of the members have an open mind regarding this.

 

You postings are examples. You can't ignore religion.

 

Of course I do not - cannot - ignore it, I get confronted by it almost every day. Unfortunately.
But: that is *not* the same as having something in common.

Sorry if we just talk past each other; but especially on touchy subjects like this I consider it very important to work with precise terms and statements.

 

I understand how your reading my earlier post so I'll rephrase it some by saying that the most common thing among people towards religion is most everyone is willing to have something to say about it. Yay or nay. The subject is not usually ignored when brought up.
Peace!

 

Fully agree on that, thanks for clarifying

 

I don't believe in any religion.
I don't have any problem with people believing what they want as long as they don't force it on me.
A lot of sickening things have and are still happening around the world in the name of religion, every single day.
In 2015 people are still killing each other because of different beliefs, I can't see it stopping in my lifetime.

I'm not sure if banning religion would stop wars, the link earlier, that man would still rape children, he just wouldn't be able to hide behind his god and justify it.

 

I just want to put it out there that some people are sharing their beliefs or non beliefs fine but then some are arguing their points. I think this thread should focus on saying your beliefs or nonbeliefs and that's that. Don't throw insults towards others or you are no better then these "extremists" you are taking about. Most of those people are in the minority anyway. Like I said in my post there is good and bad in the world, but I like to think that good prevails and I don't see anyone posting about the positives I guess mainly because in the news or media we are so used to seeing the bad things.

 

I stay far away from religion and politics

 

Any fellow Pastafarians here? Praise His Noodliness because He was boiled for our sins! R'Amen!

That would make you an agnostic, if you believe that the existence of a greater power, such as a god, cannot be proven or disproved. Or you haven't found your personal truth/answer about Religion and higher beings yet.


I am a full-fledged atheist and satanist. After two decades of subtle (also: open) religious indoctrination by our society, I learned that atheism and satanism are the ways I want to follow. The books of Richard Dawkins helped me a lot to find my way out of the religious mess into my personal, and spiritual, freedom.

 

@Vovin:
Small hint: You might want to clarify what you mean by "Satanism".
I'm pretty sure I get what you mean; but wouldn't count on others not thinking of the moral panic version, aka "killing puppies for Satan, while dancing around stoned in a graveyard".

And no, not a card-carrying member of His Noodliness' fanclub, but I sympathise. Pastaman in spirit, if you will