I'm Becoming a Fabulous Atheist

Once I've smoothed out this theism business of my own, I'll explain everything.

You change your mind more often than a teenage girl.

__________________
"This is that human freedom, which all boast that they possess, and which consists solely in the fact, that men are conscious of their own desire, but are ignorant of the causes whereby that desire has been determined." -Baruch Spinoza

I get your point, but do you actually have the evidence that he does that? Sure, he wears his emotions on his sleeve, but others do that too. I seem to remember that this thread (or a similar one and the dope-smoking thread) had you saying things which would never change in your heart and soul, but you may have reconsidered those already unless I'm a mistaken ass, which is certainly possible. Love you, Matthew.

__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Ohh, touche!

Hey, I'm young. I'm allowed to change my mind at the drop of a hat (ya know, growing up and figuring it all out and stuff?). Besides, I was just kidding with him...but you know that.

The only problem with atheism is there is no place to wear a really fabulous outfit on Sunday morning, sing songs you learned as a kid with a coffee hour featuring free danish afterward. I like being read to and I enjoyed a good homily. Of course, I was lucky. My parents only went to churches that featured a priest who could actually give an entertaining sermon. So despite losing my faith at around thirteen, I stuck with the church till I was about thirty=five for the entertainment and the socializing. Beat that atheists!

Well, there's not getting up on Sunday morning. I think that knocks the whole thing into a cocked hat, myself.

The key is that you still hang out here and take in what we all have to say, whether you agree or not. I'm old, but I can certainly learn something from a younger whipper-snapper. I honestly feel that I'm wise, but I can also honestly tell you that if I wasn't surrounded by my specific friends and family, that I could easily be "living" on the street. It's amazing how close the line is between "self-supportive citizen" and "******* reject".

Of course, this is assuming that you *have* to go to church to be a believer. I don't dig me no religion.

Have to shmave to. It's fun.

Church is the biggest stumbling block to organized religion and a way to get people who have a spiritual hard-on to get involved. That's why I find "anti-churchism" in whatever form it takes to be the major problem with the concept of why gung-ho church believers won't back off a little. To me, the perfect group of people who want to start and participate in a church (in between all of you who are all past that) are the people who believe that they DO NOT know all the answers. We can hang on here if you like, but remember, I didn't make the flippin' universe, so I definitely do not have all the answers. I have some wonderful questions though...

I was fortunate growing up. Church was fun and our values were liberal and promoted good citizenship more than a belief in Jesus Christ. It's probably why, though I am an atheist, I have only good feelings towards organized religion.

Well, my current goodies connected to church are all closed basically. There are still plenty of other ones but don't let some church tell you that you're wrong about anything unless they actually explain it to you and you accept it.

I love the "happy" medium between religion and atheism: It is called a net, it catches amany things.

__________________

“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

Sorry, I just don't dig sitting in a building that people say is "holy" listening to some dude(s)/dudette(s) tell me what the universe is all about.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/new...-1225819201168

Lovely...just lovely...

So...who here honestly believes in their Heart of Hearts...that Sexy_Celebrity is hell-bound for his choice of lifestyle? Come on you pure holy winged angels...fess up...
(I sure as hell don't mate...!)

To quote Jamie Oliver:

"Suck my what...!?!"

That's my point. Go hang out at a park or the beach. Talk to your friends. You will learn more about reality and what you feel to be holy since holyness just means purity.

So wait, were you agreeing or disagreeing with anti-church statements?

You make your own church. A church is not a building. It's a gathering of like-minded people who agree to try to accomplish something "pure". I sure hope I don't sound like a Nazi here...

'The Church', if you want to believe in such religions...should be in your head, in private.

I like how people who don;t believe in the magic pixie, the magic goat, the holy dwarf or the sainted hobbit...have to explain themselves and justify it!

I don't believe in utterly unproven ( SHOW ME THEN....NOW....DO IT....ANY PROOF AT ALL....ANYTHING) supernatural sky fairies BECAUSE they are utterly unproven supernatural sky fairies!

If YOU truly think there is a great, invisible, supernatural being in the sky...and you then base real world laws, real world rules, real world crowd controlling doctrines, real world damning criticism, real world punishments and entire real world social ideas that influence the entire globe....YOU are the one who should damn well justify it, explain it and damn well prove your delusion!

It's all farcical.
You 'believers' can't even ****ing well agree on WHAT to believe in!
Muslims fight other Muslims, Christians fight other Christians, Jews fight other Jews.
And all the above (and a damn sight more) fight each other when not fighting themselves.

'Believers' once believed in tree gods, earth gods, muscle-bound gods on clouds with winged horses, sky gods, water gods, greek gods, roman gods, African gods..blah blah.
Now ALL THOSE gods are classed as primitive superstition (even sinful!!!) while your just as unproven, just as ****ing BARMY and wacky religions are classed as great wisdom and moral truisms!

Fickle bunch ain't yer.

If I walked around saying I believe in a purple man who lives under the rainbow and demanded great buildings, schools, money, laws, and countrywide/global wide rule be created and forged and given to me because of my purple rainbow guy all YOU LOT would scoff...any rational person would scoff as well...And yet Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus blah blah blah seem to get away with it!

You want to believe in the power of The Force? Fine. Do it away from any public space or influence though and keep it to yourself. Knock yourself out!
But the day you lock up, kill, punish and condemn real people in the real world...Some of us have a problem with your beliefs!
And we also have a problem when you say that this religious murder, torture, servitude, damning, judging and threat should be excused, 'understood', and even ****ing respected just because it's a religion and use that status as a shield (the darker the skin of that religion the stronger the shield as well I notice).

Hitler must be spinning that he never called 'National Socialism' a religion. He would have had a much easier ride.
Hell if he had also slapped on the fake tan cream the so called 'liberals' would have actually helped him and defended him and called for respect.
Hard luck Adolf.

I put this in my blog a while back. Thought I'd chip in and translate it for you.

God needs our forgiveness
Of all beings, God is probably the one who falls victim to most accusations. And it's only natural to accuse someone who can't answer. As far as we know it has no consequences. But when you unload your anger-fueled complaints on our God almighty, did you ever think that he actually embraces them? Maybe he needs your forgiveness and not the other way around.

Perhaps God began his creation of the world very enthusiastically and with the best intentions, but somewhere down the road he made a mistake. A mistake which resulted in his paradise becoming the world we live in now. A world which, beyond the shadow of a doubt, contains goodness, which advocate his existence, but also contains elements which seem to disprove him. And if we assume that God is almighty and all knowing, what is the reason for the latter? A priest can argue that God works in mysterious ways, but isn't that just because we don't dare or can't explain it?

Granted, if you accept that God made a mistake, then you accept that he isn't almighty and all knowing, and the hypothesis becomes very weak. But personally I find it easier to accept a flawed God, than a God who knowingly put evil and suffering in the world.

__________________
The Freedom Roads