http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21319945?SThisFB (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21319945?SThisFB)
QuoteInstead of hymns, the non-faithful get to their feet to sing along to Stevie Wonder and Queen songs.
No Creedence! Fuck it dude...I ain't going!
A church for Atheist?....isn't that pretty much an oxymoron?
Quote from: cckeiser on February 04, 2013, 05:08:52 PM
QuoteInstead of hymns, the non-faithful get to their feet to sing along to Stevie Wonder and Queen songs.
No Creedence! Fuck it dude...I ain't going!
A church for Atheist?....isn't that pretty much an oxymoron?
Everyone has an opinion on that. The latest atheist activity is pretty "evangelical" if you ask me... with their little "A" lapel buttons; it's like a club. But the point of having tribe face-time is important for socialization. I miss it myself.
As an atheist in the Bible Belt, I like to socialize with other atheists. There are no "churches" or the like in my area, but I'd be interested in checking one out at least once should someone start it.
Atheist Church?
That's just Dumb IMO.
It just plays into the bullcrap from theists. There is no set of beliefs associated with atheism.
No church. It simply means that a person rejects the claims of a God.
I'd be very careful about using the term "Church". It's very pejorative and damaging IMO.
Most atheists lately have been rejecting the term atheist even.
This is very pertinent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ruy3CJJEIs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ruy3CJJEIs)
There is no word for a person who doesn't believe in Astrology or Alchemy.
It's strange to label someone who doesn't believe in God.
http://reasonrally.org/ (http://reasonrally.org/)
Ya, unfortunately because belief in God is so ubiquitous, languaging has to adapt to the demands of ill-informed and self-centric people. Like the word "homophobe". It really should mean "afraid of mankind". Am I wrong?
I'm quite convinced there isn't a god, but neither do I like the term "atheist". Many of them do seem to be getting quite sectarian about it unfortunately.
Quote from: Hominid on February 05, 2013, 08:45:16 AM
Many of them do seem to be getting quite sectarian about it unfortunately.
That's a mistake. It cedes the argument to theists out of the gate.
We shouldn't be making these types of allowances IMHO.
My thoughts on this...
I've met tons of people who willingly put their sceptical thinking aside just to have their little fantasy. And it's not just religion. We want to believe in magic... it enthrals us, makes us wonder, and comforts us. Why? Who the fuck knows. I get my sense of wonder from looking at the stars and being amazed at the billions of years it took for the universe to put them there. The theist looks at them with the same wonder and is amazed at how it only took god 6,000 years to put them there.
Kills me...
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WaRBoNN5Y2A/TnrjfJ3vPII/AAAAAAAADSs/HL-PdkviH0c/s1600/hair-003.jpg)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m9SRbjEHrY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m9SRbjEHrY)
(http://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2009/8/14/128947600863603294.jpg)
Quote from: BikerDude on February 05, 2013, 09:12:42 AM
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WaRBoNN5Y2A/TnrjfJ3vPII/AAAAAAAADSs/HL-PdkviH0c/s1600/hair-003.jpg)
Hole shit! That's as bad as "Mother Little Helper"
(http://www.benzo.org.uk/images/sternbach5.jpg)
That's what bugs me. People assume there are set beliefs for atheists. But it's not that I don't believe in God/Adonai. I believe the Abrahamic God exists as much as Marduk, Zeus, Ahura Mazda, Lugh, Dazhbog, and so on. They were as real to their followers as the JudeoChristian is real to its believers. A church for atheists/nontheists is rather silly; makes as much sense as fake bacon bits for a Jew.
As someone once said (I'm paraphrasing) we're all atheists. It just depends upon the religion of the one calling you that. :)
How about "Anti-Theist"? 8)
Quote from: Masked Dude on February 05, 2013, 04:34:45 PMmakes as much sense as fake bacon bits for a Jew.
Dude! Bac~Os were invented after I was, and my mother, fancying herself Jewish and always making a really big show of keeping kosher, kept Bac~Os on hand at all times after they hit the market and whined like a child when they were pulled when products containing MSG were temporarily banned in the 70's. Later, after they were invented, we had "beef bacon" and "turkey ham". Four years ago, last time I ever saw or will see the old woman, she still had a jar of Bac~Os in the cupboard. It might have been a decade old, but dammit it was there.
It was about, oh, five years ago that I prepared a dinner for the pseudo-parental units including one of Mommie Dearest's favorite foods, Aidell's Chicken & Apple sausage. It was right after delivering the food to the old fucks that I read the ingredients label on the package: "... IN A PORK CASING". So I alerted the old Jew In Facade Only to this fact, and was informed that it would be wrong to waste food. Apparently it would also be wrong to stop buying that shit at Costco every week, which she continued to do. ;D
Ya know why you always take two Mormons fishing with you? If you take only one he'll drink all of your beer. Fucking deists make no sense, man.
QuoteYa know why you always take two Mormons fishing with you? If you take only one he'll drink all of your beer.
Same thing with porn and Pentecostals. Except they're less shy... I know of a seminar for Pentacostal youth pastors at a hotel; the porn rentals went through the roof. That from the manager.
Fuck, don't get me started. I've a laundry list of "Christian" indiscriminite behaviour - I used to work at a bible college.
Quote from: Hominid on February 05, 2013, 11:52:04 PM
QuoteYa know why you always take two Mormons fishing with you? If you take only one he'll drink all of your beer.
Same thing with porn and Pentecostals. Except they're less shy... I know of a seminar for Pentacostal youth pastors at a hotel; the porn rentals went through the roof. That from the manager.
Fuck, don't get me started. I've a laundry list of "Christian" indiscriminite behaviour - I used to work at a bible college.
Larry Flint has always insisted that the best selling area for Hustler is in Mormon areas in Utah and the most religious areas in the bible belt.
Bit long-winded but ultimately brilliant analysis of the common but irrational arguments used to support atheism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUPxRYWpglQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUPxRYWpglQ)
i am not Atheist i believe in the Dude
I think she's wrong in saying that atheists use emotional arguments to pander their "religion". Mavbe some do, but not the thinking ones. As in any philosophical debate, you must weed out the grain from the chaff... she's only looking at the chaff.
Yes, atheists mention the harm religion has done, but it's not their central argument against the existence of God. That's silly to think that.
Quote from: Hominid on February 07, 2013, 03:44:46 PM
I think she's wrong in saying that atheists use emotional arguments to pander their "religion". Mavbe some do, but not the thinking ones. As in any philosophical debate, you must weed out the grain from the chaff... she's only looking at the chaff.
Yes, atheists mention the harm religion has done, but it's not their central argument against the existence of God. That's silly to think that.
Professor Richard Dawkins is considered one of the most "thinking" of atheists and he uses emotional arguments about the harm done by religions a great deal. He can also get very irritated when someone's argument seems irrational to him. But that's just an emotional reaction to a lack of clear thinking - where I come from we call that 'marriage'.
The second any atheist mentions it, we're told we worship or follow Dawkins or Bill Maher or something equally as stupid. I don't understand why people insist we "don't get it" or we're trying to change everyone's minds. People fight for the rights of Buddhists and Hindus and Wiccans but claim all of us atheists are militant and hate-filled and emotionally empty. It just shows ignorance and is rather sad.
Well ya know man, there are always a few smartasses that give everyone a bad impression...fuck it
Quote from: Masked Dude on February 07, 2013, 04:08:06 PM
The second any atheist mentions it, we're told we worship or follow Dawkins or Bill Maher or something equally as stupid. I don't understand why people insist we "don't get it" or we're trying to change everyone's minds. People fight for the rights of Buddhists and Hindus and Wiccans but claim all of us atheists are militant and hate-filled and emotionally empty. It just shows ignorance and is rather sad.
Far from saying that atheists are "emotionally empty" I was saying that Dawko is often inappropriately emotional. The only meaningful justification for atheism is that there is no rational support for the existence of a super-natural being. The fact that religion (or atheism) may do harm (or good) is irrelevant.
Don't pick on Hawkins. Instead, take a look at some of Sam Harris' Youtube videos. Very unemotional, very logical, very succinct in his rationalizations for atheism. He talks as if he's writing a thesis... Here's my fav: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M5iwOKdOf4w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M5iwOKdOf4w) - it's about 10 minutes long.
Quote from: Boston Rockbury on February 08, 2013, 03:07:07 AM
Far from saying that atheists are "emotionally empty" I was saying that Dawko is often inappropriately emotional.
Sorry about that. I wasn't saying you had. I've heard so many reasons and excuses from others. Those are just a few of the claims. No one wants to ask us, that's all. Dawkins and Harris are... well, they're just voices that the media latch onto instead of asking or discussing. Doesn't mean much to me anyway. :)
Quote from: Hominid on February 08, 2013, 08:33:18 AM
Don't pick on Hawkins.
Shit! Dawkins and Hawking had a kid. Now we're really fucked.
Quote from: Boston Rockbury on February 07, 2013, 03:55:30 PM
Quote from: Hominid on February 07, 2013, 03:44:46 PM
I think she's wrong in saying that atheists use emotional arguments to pander their "religion". Mavbe some do, but not the thinking ones. As in any philosophical debate, you must weed out the grain from the chaff... she's only looking at the chaff.
Yes, atheists mention the harm religion has done, but it's not their central argument against the existence of God. That's silly to think that.
Professor Richard Dawkins is considered one of the most "thinking" of atheists and he uses emotional arguments about the harm done by religions a great deal. He can also get very irritated when someone's argument seems irrational to him. But that's just an emotional reaction to a lack of clear thinking - where I come from we call that 'marriage'.
Irrational has a meaning.
It means lacking or not based on reason.
Religious "arguments" (contradiction in terms IMHO) not only lack reason but make no pretext of having any basis in reason. I don't see how that comes down to opinion.
We've seen how the arguments go. At best the proponents of religion generally attempt to find a gap into which they can inject a God. The old "How can something come from nothing?" thing.
Religion is not an explanation. It's a story that people insist is true unless proven false. That's the problem from the start. It simply has nothing to do with reason.
I don't think it's out of bounds to note the obvious. Irrationality can lead otherwise rational people to do very bad things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ORpiAc1f_A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ORpiAc1f_A)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fHRDfut2Vx0# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fHRDfut2Vx0#)!
QuoteAs someone once said (I'm paraphrasing) we're all atheists. It just depends upon the religion of the one calling you that.
Unless you are an omnist. But I wonder how many people achieved that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnism