Are you an atheist?

[GreenStorm]

I do believe in God, but I'm not Christian; I'm Muslim. I don't really shove my religion down people's throats. I just believe in what I want.

 

[.little monster]

I am not an Atheist, as it is illogical. As well as blind faith.

This is what I believe:

The person who believes in God but is skeptical and understands the possibility of God not existing and existing will be ultimately rewarded in the end if there is a God, while he looses nothing if God does not exist. <- Me

The person who believes in God without a doubt and refuses to listen to the possibility of God not existing will be ultimately rewarded in the end as well. But they will loose everything (as in, the basis for their mentality) if God does not exist.

The person who doesn't believe in God and doubts and refuses to listen to the possibility of God existing will not be ultimately rewarded in the end. But, they will loos nothing if God does not exist.

There is an actual term for this, and it is technically Agnostic, but there is another name for it..

 

[The Cynic]

But, they will loos nothing if God does not exist.

They loose out on the chance to live life to the full and to know the truth.

 

[Virtual Chatot]

In my experience, Atheists tend to just poke fun and harass people who actually have religious beliefs. Very rarely do I ever find one that actually tries to have a friendly argument with someone over the existence of God, and almost always it is the Atheist who makes the arguments turn sour.

They loose out on the chance to live life to the full and to know the truth.

Living life to the fullest? How is trying to live a moral life inhibiting you from living life to the fullest? Having sex with everyone and everything fulfils your existence in the universe?

 

[Jordan]

They lose out on the chance to live life to the full and to know the truth.

It's debatable whether the atheist standpoint is the truth or not, just saying.

 

[.little monster]

They loose out on the chance to live life to the full and to know the truth.

Whether or not Atheism or devotion is the truth is up to interpretation, and no one person can know which is the truth.

 

[poopnoodle]

Living life to the fullest? How is trying to live a moral life inhibiting you from living life to the fullest? Having sex with everyone and everything fulfils your existence in the universe?

=3=

Perhaps what The Cynic is trying to say is, that having confidence in a god and having certainty of where you came from and where you're going after death, is to miss out on the opportunity to revel in possibility.

 

[The Cynic]

Whether or not Atheism or devotion is the truth is up to interpretation, and no one person can know which is the truth.

I agree, until us scientists can prove otherwise. In the mean time I think us aethiests and you theists should just co-exsist so long as religious beliefs are not forced upon individuals and people retain their free will. My point about living life to the full is about not spending time worshipping something that I don't believe exsists or not having freedom of sexual expression, freedom to write and say what you want, carry out scientific research etc. Although I guess if you wanted those things and did still believe in a magical bearded man who lives in the sky and makes bad things happen then you could be a Deist. But would your Desim take you to the point where you recognise the irrationality or religion and particularly religious law? Eventually yes.

 

[.little monster]

I agree, until us scientists can prove otherwise. In the mean time I think us aethiests and you theists should just co-exsist so long as religious beliefs are not forced upon individuals and people retain their free will. My point about living life to the full is about not spending time worshipping something that I don't believe exsists or not having freedom of sexual expression, freedom to write and say what you want, carry out scientific research etc. Although I guess if you wanted those things and did still believe in a magical bearded man who lives in the sky and makes bad things happen then you could be a Deist. But would your Desim take you to the point where you recognise the irrationality or religion and particularly religious law? Eventually yes.

You cant prove God doesn't exist because he is supposed to live in a realm that humans cant see or discover.

 

[Virtual Chatot]

I'm still not understanding how one's belief in no higher spirituality makes one any more free than the theist. Do you feel any more free? Do you feel like you've ascertained any kind of higher knowledge or thought? Or do you feel nothing, which drives you to try to prove to yourself that there is no God by arguing with others who do believe?

 

[The Cynic]

I'm still not understanding how one's belief in no higher spirituality makes one any more free than the theist. Do you feel any more free? Do you feel like you've ascertained any kind of higher knowledge or thought? Or do you feel nothing, which drives you to try to prove to yourself that there is no God by arguing with others who do believe?

OK I'm not trying to be petty and insult your faith. I feel more free because if I wanted to be homosexual or bisexual or even pansexual I could be without fear of burning in hell. I don't need to follow religious law for fear of not going to heaven. I can have complete freedom of thought because lets face it freedom of thought cannot exsist under an omniscient god. I do not have to plan my life in order to have a better afterlife. I will live, and I will die. Dawn to dusk. So I make the most of the day. I have travelled much of the world and wish to do so again once I finish with university. I visited a mosque in Egypt. I saw the people worship and did not have hate for them and was not threatened by them. They were good people. The kindest people I met on my travels were from Egypt. So why in the media do we see such people as violent and evil? Because people use religion as an excuse for the aquisition of power. Religion exploits peoples uncertainties about life and fear of death and uses it to obtain more wealth. Islamic fundamentalism is an example of this. But these are good people blinded by the light and doing this because religion has brainwashed them into thinking if they dont do this then in the afterlife they will be punished. They dont reap the benefits, their so-called religious leaders do. The Klu Klux Klan, The Lord's Resistance Army and the Freedomites are other examples. The deluded individuals who are low down in these organisations are exploited and forced into horrible situations by their leaders who sit back and enjoy what they've gained. Money, power, respect and most importantly total control of other human beings. That is why I believe without religion I am much more free.

Sorry for making such a serious point on a usually lighthearted forum, I just like to make myself clear.

 

[lx_theo]

I'm still not understanding how one's belief in no higher spirituality makes one any more free than the theist. Do you feel any more free? Do you feel like you've ascertained any kind of higher knowledge or thought? Or do you feel nothing, which drives you to try to prove to yourself that there is no God by arguing with others who do believe?

It really depends of how much of a hold it has on the person. If the religion makes the person center their life around it and the promised eternal existence that comes after death, then they'll be bound to living their life for the afterlife rather than for the here and now. People who just believe in it often have a much smaller effect of living for their afterlife than other. Now atheistic people who don't believe in that afterlife can live in the here and now and make the most of their life.

 

[Lana.]

In the sense that I'm skeptical about the existence of deities, I suppose. I believe in evolution and the Big Bang Theory. So, in short, yes.

(You have no idea how much I wanted to go on longer for this. xDD)

 

[FlameShocker]

Nah, I can't say that I'm an atheist. I'm far from it, since I'm Roman Catholic (meaning I believe in the Pope; deal with it if you don't).

 

[Spinor]

If I ever count myself as an atheist that severely reduces my chances of getting with any girl.

With that in mind, I don't think I'll be chasing atheism, thank you very much.

 

[The Cynic]

If I ever count myself as an atheist that severely reduces my chances of getting with any girl.

With that in mind, I don't think I'll be chasing atheism, thank you very much.

What? How does being an aethiest reduce your chances of being with a girl? Surely the opposite would be true as aethiests generally don't believe in chastity?

 

[processr]

The situation I had described was an idealised one wherein there was conclusive proof of God's existence revealed to everyone. I know there are people who would choose not to abandon the tenets of their faith - see Shouty McCapsLock below me - but it was a completely hypothetical statement. Really, people are taking the tiniest little piece of information from what I was saying and blowing it well out of proportion.

I no your not questioning my beliefs but what Im trying to say is that REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT I KNEW GOD EXSISTED, I WOULD NOT WORSHIP HIM. I DONT BELIEVE IN GOD. IF HE WAS PROVEN TO EXSIST I WOULD OBVIOUSLY BELIEVE AS BEING A PHYSICS STUDENT I AM A SLAVE TO FACT. BUT I WOULD NOT WORSHIP HIM AS A DEITY.

Sorry for being so blunt, i just dont like being misunderstood.

I wasn't even arguing against your point. :| Jeez, lighten up.

Apophenia? What Singer are you talking about? Peter Singer? I idolize him... but I do not think he has said anything insightful (as a philosopher about the existence of God.) He is an insightful ethicist though.

https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/17/goodgod

He is much more renowned for his work in the field of ethics, but he has dabbled in philosophy.

In my experience, Atheists tend to just poke fun and harass people who actually have religious beliefs. Very rarely do I ever find one that actually tries to have a friendly argument with someone over the existence of God, and almost always it is the Atheist who makes the arguments turn sour.

This.

(meaning I believe in the Pope; deal with it if you don't)

Surely you can't not believe in the Pope? xD I've seen him on TV, I know he exists, but I'm not Roman Catholic. o3o I think you mean that you believe in papal infallibility. :3

 

[.little monster]

What? How does being an aethiest reduce your chances of being with a girl? Surely the opposite would be true as aethiests generally don't believe in chastity?

I can see that being true for multiple reasons, all of which stem from her knowing you're atheist:

1. She thinks you have lower morals and therefore might do something bad.
2. She thinks you will push her faith unto you.
3. She wants to raise her children religiously, and you being athiest would cause tension.
4. She doesn't want to date someone of another religion. hick

And more

 

[BUG♥CATCHER★BREEZE]

Personally, I don't have any religion. Living in Ireland and hearing about what all the priests did to those children, as well as all the brainwashing in Primary Schools makes me never want to be involved in Catholicism. Also, everyone here hypocrites. They all go and have their first communion, and get confirmed just to make money, as far I tell, as they never go to mass! That said, there are loads of people who do good because the influence of their religion, and the chaplain in my school is just in a state of complete serenity 24/7, which I'm sure makes a lot of people very envious(!)

 

[I Laugh at your Misfortune!]

I can see that being true for multiple reasons, all of which stem from her knowing you're atheist:

1. She thinks you have lower morals and therefore might do something bad.
2. She thinks you will push her faith unto you.
3. She wants to raise her children religiously, and you being athiest would cause tension.
4. She doesn't want to date someone of another religion. hick

And more

That would surely depend entirely on the girl in question. There are (shock and awe) female atheists and surely you could make a case that she would prefer an atheist boyfriend to a religious one.