Please remember that the topic of this thread is atheism.
In accordance with the Forum Rules, any off topic posts or posts undermining others' beliefs (however much you disagree with them) will be deleted with or without any further notice.
Please remember that the topic of this thread is atheism.
In accordance with the Forum Rules, any off topic posts or posts undermining others' beliefs (however much you disagree with them) will be deleted with or without any further notice.
~
"It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
~
Certainly you can get some good information concerning your questions from atheists who would post here in reply.
However, here's a suggestion IF you really want to get into the head of the average atheist: Read Richard Dawkins's book "The God Delusion".
After reading that book, I would suggest you would have no serious questions left concerning what atheism is or isn't, or what atheists "believe" or don't.
(Please note: I'm not saying Dawkins can speak with certainly for all atheists - what Christian can speak for all Christians? - but I stand by the sentence above - if you read his book, you should have no more serious questions left.)
Last edited by JGL57; 02-25-2007 at 01:35 PM.
read:
God: The Failed Hypothesis by Victor J. Stenger too. it gives some good refutations of god and religious arguements as to god's existence.
I realised some time ago, why I've always dislicked philosophy. I'm a pragmatic, and don't find the longwinded and inconclusive statements of philosophy worthwhile. In the same pragmatic way i feel about religion. It's great that christianity preaches love and peace, and it's great that the qu'ran argued for female emancipation. that's all very good, but i don't feel that these good features require a religion. Being an athiest i still believe in love and peace and so forth, but i don't belive there should be a punishment on the other side of it, or for not believing in God.
So, from a pragmatist point of view it seems that religion has grown redundant in modern society.
I thought this was interesting:http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/...ary/17.24.html
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." - C.S. Lewis
Exactly - one must be pragmatic and go with the theories, explanations and ideas that seem to best fit the evidence - accepting that all is subjective but that, nevertheless, that all ideas are not thereby equal. Indeed, the philosophical splitting of hairs can go on endlessly and serves no real purpose - claims without evidence about imaginary things are imaginary, failing new and exciting proof. Otherwise, get on with a rational life.
From a pragmatist viewpoint religion is indeed redundant in today's world. Too bad, though, there aren't more pragmatists - and fewer "believers".
As redundant as feet to someone who never intends to get out of bed.
You'd think - since it's apparently so obvious how pathetic religion is -that we'd have abandoned it by now, wouldn't you? And yet - maddeningly - here we are, asking our annoying little questions. Perhaps we'll eventually "evolve" into pragmatists - right? You know: adapt from a lower to a higher life form - do I have that right?
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." - C.S. Lewis
Pragmatists? Ah yes 'Eats first morals later'
Well, you have to be alive in order to eat, obey the ten commandments or do anything else.
And you have to eat first in order to stay alive, along with getting enough water, sleep, protection from the elements, etc. - then you have time to figure out that only three of the ten commandments are of any serious import, all three of which have been stated before equally well by other religious traditions.
Yeah - that's pragmatism for you.
Ateists are kind of rebellious in a way
im sort of in the middle i dont really believe in anything i like to go with the flow and thats for after death also whatever happens will be only the dead knows and we never will, but i definently think evolution is bull besides most of science is based on theory
Eh? What's wrong with being based on theory? What else would science be based on? Pudding?
Por una cabeza
Si ella me olvida
Qué importa perderme
Mil veces la vida
Para qué vivir
Seeing as it fits the topic of the thread, I'll tell you what this atheist believes in:
1) Doing your best not to be a complete and utter prat
2) Common courtesy
3) Using a reasonable amount of respect
4) Not trying to pick arguments (especially on an internet literature forum)
5) Attempting to make an intelligent point once in a while
6) Not eating my vegetables
There once was a scotsman named Drew
Who put too much wine in his stew
He felt a bit drunk
And fell off his bunk
And landed smack into his shoe ~(C) Ms Niamh Anne King