Religion

[Desacabose]

Found something awesome...needs mo' photo!

[atomic7732]

I cried.

[FiahOwl]

This message is only viewable with Universe Sandbox Galaxy Edition. Access it and much more with promo-code '69585'.

[Darvince]

seems legit

[atomic7732]

What is this lyrics... in BLA'S RELIGION THREAD?!?!?!

[Bla]

What is this lyrics... in BLA'S RELIGION THREAD?!?!?!

BLA'S PHEMY!

[FiahOwl]

This message is only viewable with Universe Sandbox Galaxy Edition. Access it and much more with promo-code '74577'.

[Darvince]

inb4 usforums integrates into reddit

[atomic7732]

or tumblr posts that likely come from reddit

[Darvince]

original -> 4chan -> reddit -> tumblr+9gag -> memebase
                                 ^original

the cycle of the internet

[Bla]

This blog is simply the best.

http://www.atheistrev.com/2012/08/where-is-jesus-when-people-starve.html

[Bla]

On the converse, I think it's healthy for adults to have a connection to their imaginations, as a god figure does not clearly sever all connection they have to reality. For example, my mother is very religious, especially recently, but she doesn't constantly talk about how she is going to go to heaven or something like that; she feels she should try to do good for the world while she is alive.

I don't see any problem with having an imagination. You can have a very good imagination, the problem is just if you believe the things you imagine without reason. I can easily invent an electric, flying pillow monster and a magic spider with a long white beard and UV-vision, etc. That's just imagination, it has nothing to do with whether I actually believe in it.

In response to the Santa Claus thing, I don't think you spoil everything about Santa Claus if children find out about the truth. Isn't it still exciting even if some family member puts on a costume and hands out presents etc. At least I saw my uncle dress up as Santa Claus when I was a child, but I don't remember that it ruined the happening for me. Anyway, that doesn't really matter to my point.

I suggest continuing the discussion here from Politics as Atomic said.

[Darvince]

The problem there lies that most of those people, if they didn't have the realized imagination, would simply have nothing that they imagine and go along as boring drones. Most people that are atheist are either complete dicks (á la /r/atheism) or are the types of people that tend to imagine things more. In my personal opinion, realized imagination is better than no imagination at all, as that means that the person is actually thinking and evaluating. Even if they are taught this as a young child, they conclusions that they arrive at, while similar to what they are taught, usually are not exactly the same. You can't have religion in beings that don't have language and complex thought.

[Bla]

The problem there lies that most of those people, if they didn't have the realized imagination, would simply have nothing that they imagine and go along as boring drones. Most people that are atheist are either complete dicks (á la /r/atheism) or are the types of people that tend to imagine things more.

What a generalization to say you know that most atheists belong to two simple categories like that. "Most of you atheists are either complete dicks or you tend to imagine things more." What. Where is your evidence of this? Do you have any surveys or anything to support that?

Also, you seem to say most atheists are either dicks or tend to imagine things more - at the same time you're saying you think the problem for people without religion is their lack of imagination - in other words, you're either contradicting yourself, or indirectly saying most atheists are actually just dicks but just don't want to admit it. What do you actually think?

In my personal opinion, realized imagination is better than no imagination at all, as that means that the person is actually thinking and evaluating.

False dilemma. Nobody has to choose between believing in their imagination or not having any imagination at all.

Even if they are taught this as a young child, they conclusions that they arrive at, while similar to what they are taught, usually are not exactly the same.

If my parents teach me the magic fairy in the garden is purple, but I arrive to the conclusion it's magenta, I don't see why it even matters.

You can't have religion in beings that don't have language and complex thought.

Superstitions similar to those found in many religions, such as believing that worshipping affects a lot of things in reality, has been observed in many animals.
Superstition [HD]
I don't see your point though. Assuming the statement is true, why is it even relevant? For example, you could say you can't understand a Harry Potter book without language and complex thought... But you can still live a perfectly fine life and have language and complex thought without a Harry Potter book.

[atomic7732]

Most people that are atheist are either complete dicks (á la /r/atheism) or are the types of people that tend to imagine things more.

Nothing is black and white like that ever, except for math. And I'm going to say that /r/atheism is probably a really small percentage of all the atheists that are even alive right now.

For the most part I agree with what Bla said other than this:

False dilemma. Nobody has to choose between believing in their imagination or not having any imagination at all.

in which case it was never implied that those were the only two options. Darv just stated that one was better than the other.

And in my opinion I find boring drones to be a better option. Why should the opposing side be more preferable than no side at all? -15 is further from 15 than 0 is.

[vh]

[Bla]

False dilemma. Nobody has to choose between believing in their imagination or not having any imagination at all.

in which case it was never implied that those were the only two options. Darv just stated that one was better than the other.

The problem there lies that most of those people, if they didn't have the realized imagination, would simply have nothing that they imagine and go along as boring drones.

Also kol vh, that's a funny argument I've often seen in some clueless forms. :b There are also secular vacations, and if religion disappeared, you could simply replace their holidays with new, secular ones.

[FiahOwl]

This message is only viewable with Universe Sandbox Galaxy Edition. Access it and much more with promo-code '110482'.

[blotz]

Nothing is black and white like that ever, except for math. And I'm going to say that /r/atheism is probably a really small percentage of all the atheists that are even alive right now.

uh what about +/-

[Darvince]

except for math.

[blotz]

yeah that mean's that math is the only thing that is black and white

[unl0cker]

BlaSPHEMY apart... This is so tricky. In fact as tricky as quantum physics. Yeah you can tell me all about quarks but if you don't fully explain it and explain to me as has been explained, it is all guess to me.

Same with the idea of a God. The idea of His existence is ancient, billions of people took that for granted, as I do, and unless "I've" been proven wrong, he exists.

May well be all started with a guy, who knew the cycles of the earth and sun, who was able to "predict" when is going to rain, that used this for a means of control based upon divine. This being the case he himself could then declare his "divinity", rater than choose a divine being to take the credits for his knowledge.

I choose to believe in a bigger presence than myself. His existence can't be proven, can't be measured, can't be weighted. But just like with blind love, or love at first sight, I choose to believe in this.

I find that this believe helps me to keep myself in check, not going all supreme and righteous on my fellow human brothers. This I think is the most useful aspect of God in our society. Balance.

Now, have this been used throughout  the ages to control people? Yes.

Doesn't mean I'll invalidate the core ideal because of the manipulations of people that came after the idea itself. Making an analogy, just like with communism. The manifesto is good, and in it's nature righteous, just like Bla said. All the countries that used this manifesto usurped these ideals, and it doesn't invalidate the idea of communism itself, is still a good idea.

Same with God. Good idea, and the nefarious behavior of the people that usurped this idea won't make me stop thinking that the idea is good.

[FiahOwl]

This message is only viewable with Universe Sandbox Galaxy Edition. Access it and much more with promo-code '116276'.

[tuto99]

People need to learn to be more tolerable with each other's opinions. I don't feel like listing out the flaws that reader made, but man there's so much hatred in that statement. I feel people get offended too quickly when I say "I'm atheist" or "I don't believe in god." It doesn't mean I am a bad person or that I hate god or religion, it just simply means I don't believe in god... so much unnecessary tension between people these days.

[Bla]

People writing things like that are the ones ruining USA kol.

I never understood extremist christians, athiests, muslims, etc. . .

What is 'extremist'?

[atomic7732]

People need to learn to be more tolerable with each other's opinions. I don't feel like listing out the flaws that reader made, but man there's so much hatred in that statement. I feel people get offended too quickly when I say "I'm atheist" or "I don't believe in god." It doesn't mean I am a bad person or that I hate god or religion, it just simply means I don't believe in god... so much unnecessary tension between people these days.

From Christians that ask my religion, for whatever reason, I often get some form of shock, like "holy shit you can just not believe in god?" but they don't say that, but that's what their face looks like. Though there are quite a lot of people that'll say "I don't really have a religion", or just outright "I'm agnostic/atheist". At least that's what I've noticed.

[tuto99]

People need to learn to be more tolerable with each other's opinions. I don't feel like listing out the flaws that reader made, but man there's so much hatred in that statement. I feel people get offended too quickly when I say "I'm atheist" or "I don't believe in god." It doesn't mean I am a bad person or that I hate god or religion, it just simply means I don't believe in god... so much unnecessary tension between people these days.

From Christians that ask my religion, for whatever reason, I often get some form of shock, like "holy shit you can just not believe in god?" but they don't say that, but that's what their face looks like. Though there are quite a lot of people that'll say "I don't really have a religion", or just outright "I'm agnostic/atheist". At least that's what I've noticed.

My point is that there ARE people who may become offended if you tell them "I'm atheist." I am not saying that EVERYONE who believes in a god or is religious is going to hate you, but I assure you that there are going to be people who are going to be offended, coming from my experience.

This one person from middle school last year just outright hated me from the point I told him I was atheist.

[Bla]

I've never experienced people looking down on me for my atheism like that in Denmark. Even though there are occasional cases of religious idiocy and all that, but luckily not to the extent it seems like in USA.

Most people here seem mostly apathetic about it. Too apathetic I would say. Too many seem so apathetic about it that they don't mind the fact that the church still receives millions of DKK from the state every year from taxes and the duties they have, such as registering births, that really should be state duties. I think the biggest problem here is that the broad population has so little interest in it that they have no clue they're atheist but think that being atheist means being strongly antireligious. And then again I have read plenty of people on Danish internet forums who go about saying "atheists are just as bad as religious extremists" "science doesn't have all the answers so it's really as bad as religion" and all that nonsense.

How sad that we as a society still hasn't managed to progress beyond such stupidity. It is a disgrace.

[TheMooCows]

I like the last line "being able to practice what can only be called evil" I'm pretty sure being an atheist basically means that you don't "practice" anything. So rather it is a lack of practice. As a side note I hope that person won't/hasn't reproduced.

Personally I really don't care if people are uber religious. Most religions preach about doing good things and while the people who believe in this religion don't always (or even most of the time) follow the moral code set by their religion, religion can lead to good things. I just hate it when someone shoves it down my throat that they are right or try to include God as being the reason all things happen.

[Bla]

Take a look at this:
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/

To the extent that you can find good things in Christianity and Islam you'll have to cherry pick. Of course you can always simply ignore the bad parts and pretend that Christianity is good. But the truth is that it's clearly not - and that is equally evident from it's evil influence. Thanks to that an entire millennium has been spent where people have been killed for being gay, atheist... people they thought were witches were killed, people who spoke out against their worldview such as world being flat were killed, people were sent to conquer other lands and purge those who did not share their superstitions, pretty much every oppressive fascist bandit government has come to power using christian ideas as arguments to support their actions, from Hitler's delusional fear of jews... And the remnants of this poison we still see in society today which has not yet progressed beyond the point where bigotry and prejudice doesn't remain... we see it every time the American evangelicals fly to Uganda to set up laws to kill gays now that they can't do it in USA, we see it when the conservative idiots in Russia speak of burning people in ovens, we see it when Taliban buries people alive.... I do not understand for one second how people can remain apathetic of that. The sooner this pollution can vanish from the surface of the Earth the better.