The Religion of Atheism

Discussion in 'Religion & Philosophy' started by Alter2Ego, Jun 3, 2012.

  1. CourtJester

    CourtJester Well-Known Member

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    Well I think if Christianity was actually practiced it might possibly represent a philosophy of how to live although remember at one time Christians didn't believe blacks were actually people and believed women were subservient to men.

    And then of course we have the Catholic Chuch which is clearly Christian and clearly disgusting.
     
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  2. CourtJester

    CourtJester Well-Known Member

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    Sorry but believing in sky faeries is more childish than criticizing such intellectual silliness.
     
  3. Poohbear

    Poohbear Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    No one can say what date, or who, wrote Exodus. Some clever scribes think they have the
    believers on toast - "How could Moses write Exodus when Exodus records his death?"

    Like, wow... why didn't anyone back when Exodus was written THINK of that !!!!!!

    Seen pictures of Petra in Jordan? Desert all round. Not always so. Back in Moses times it
    was more vegetated. Perhaps the Sinai was too, don't know. But again - 40 years in the
    wilderness wasn't trudging through sand- the Jews moved between camps. As Petra itself
    is a large area, so too probably was the Sinai and Kadesh areas. We don't know.
    As well, hidden in the text is reference to other groups who moved out of Egypt ahead of
    Moses - I can't remember where these are. Must look them up one day. Don't assume anything
    about the bible, particularly from sources which rubbish it.
     
  4. FivepointFive

    FivepointFive Banned

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    Like Mike Huckabee?

    at least I haven't heard about too many Baptist pedophile preachers yet but I'm sure it's coming

     
  5. Poohbear

    Poohbear Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Don't believe in sky fairies?
    Maybe you do?
    Here's how it works - one day the universe just popped into existence.
    Well, actually there wasn't a "day" back then because there were no stars
    and planets. And there was no "one" because numbers didn't exist.
    Hard to believe, no numbers! No maths! No physics! No matter! No energy!
    No physical laws! No cause. No space.No time. And no reason.
    It just happened. Boom, there it was. Out of nothing, for no reason at all.
    But doesn't science say that every effect has an initial cause? No here it
    doesn't - it's a miracle.
    That's a sky fairy story.
     
  6. tecoyah

    tecoyah Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    You plead for intellectual honestly while claiming your opinion on what the Bible(s) meant as fact. You seem to bypass any accuracy or honesty attempt by presenting "What You Think" .as what is written which is about as disingenuous as it gets.
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2018
  7. Poohbear

    Poohbear Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I wouldn't watch this. I am not a Baptist. I don't approve of child abuse.
    Associating such people with religion is like associating America's
    political values with Donald Trump.
     
  8. Poohbear

    Poohbear Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    No, I am not saying that a lot of things can be proven. I believe out of faith.
    Just as the atheist believes out of faith. I am just challenging what the
    atheist thinks to be facts.
     
  9. FivepointFive

    FivepointFive Banned

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    Fox News is losing it they had a picture of Thomas the Train in KKK outfits yesterday

    [​IMG]
     
  10. CourtJester

    CourtJester Well-Known Member

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    Nope that is a theory. The religious claim their sky fairy is a fact.
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2018
  11. Poohbear

    Poohbear Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Whatever the "final theory" is, it is either
    a - the universe created itself, somehow (insert favorite theory....)
    b - something or someone outside of time, space, mathematics and all natural laws
    created the universe.
    c - the universe was here forever, which avoids the question

    Take your pick.
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2018
  12. tecoyah

    tecoyah Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Hopefully you someday understand the difference between science and religion. While science requires a peer review process and begins with the understanding and premise that "We do not know" a thing, religion begins with the premise that "We Know" and takes fact to bend into chapters of an ancient book that tells them what to know. Because of the thousands of individuals, congregations and sects religion cannot have actual peers, let alone review or agreed upon fact.
     
  13. Poohbear

    Poohbear Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I am a scientist and I go to church.
    Science requires a peer review because it's science.
    Religion requires faith and belief because it's religion.
    Science can get you so far - it explains natural phenomena.
    In fact, it is good as "explaining" the why's of everything.
    The bible isn't really about explaining how things go, it says
    that God can intervene. No-one in ancient Israel wondered
    if God would bring a hot or cold day - they looked to the sky.

    But... the bible gives us an accurate picture of how our world
    came to be, albeit in symbolic language.
    And the why's of science STOP AT THE CREATION. Science
    cannot answer the questions of why we are here.
    Science and religion are domains - they don't intersect.
     
  14. doombug

    doombug Well-Known Member

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    Sky "faeries"?
     
  15. doombug

    doombug Well-Known Member

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    Ahh, "if Christianity was actually practiced".....it is good you admit that humans are the problem.
     
  16. doombug

    doombug Well-Known Member

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    Probably a fundamentalist. Some folks do take much of the Bible literally. This is why it is best to look at the original text and how it was translated.
     
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  17. tecoyah

    tecoyah Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    As a science minded individual I must assume you see the folly of attempting to use the creation story as a replacement for the quest to understand the Big Bang or Cosmology in general. I would also assume you do not believe the Adam and Eve fable and understand its impossibility in the light of both evolution and archeology. Are my assumptions accurate?
     
  18. Poohbear

    Poohbear Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    It does not tell us HOW God created the universe.
    Just said that "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
    BUT, it then tells us that the earth was an oceanic, cloud planet (but like Titan)
    and from it emerged the continents
    and its atmosphere opened up
    and life emerged from the land (fresh water actually)
    and then the seas brought forth life (including birds)
    and man was the final creation.

    It's pretty accurate. Of course I see the "days" as being symbolic.
    But the bible is a symbolic book - symbol, history and spiritual.
     
  19. tecoyah

    tecoyah Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I see...so you are OK with bending the Bible stories to fit observation and science. I would suggest you do neither theology or science justice by doing so as both become diluted and lose logical credibility.

    If you are indeed "A scientist" I doubt your field involves the natural sciences or theory.
     
  20. Poohbear

    Poohbear Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    We didn't understand that the early earth was oceanic until about 2006
    https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Zircon

    and this explained how the continents were built up from water subducting into the crust
    and forming granite.

    We didn't know how aerosols played a part on earth until we studied dark Titan in 2005
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huygens_(spacecraft)

    We didn't understand that life came from the "land" rather than the sea until 2018
    https://phys.org/news/2012-02-scientist-life-began-freshwater-pond.html

    Genesis is written in theological symbolism. Just the same - it is probably the
    earliest account of the stages of earth's development.
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2018
  21. tecoyah

    tecoyah Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    These are theoretical possibility at best and none are verified. As stated your understanding of natural science seems to come from videos and magazines vs. deep study and scientific journals/publication. Even IF we go with your" interesting" interpretations of what the Bible(s) state you will be required to tweak it again as new discoveries are brought to light...seems like a lot of work for nothing.
     
  22. Buri

    Buri Well-Known Member

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    I’m judging xtianity on the scale of several issues. One is plausibility. Another is ethics.

    It failes horribly on both accounts.

    That said, can you show a link detailing how xtianity was the seed to modern science?
     
  23. trevorw2539

    trevorw2539 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The Sahara, Sinai and Arabian deserts are all part of one desert belt. They are separated only by the Nile and Red Sea. Without these 2 geological features there would be one 'desert'. Deserts are not just Sandy wastes. They include rocky outcrops, hills, scribland, etc. As with the Gobi desert for example. 12000 years ago the Sahara was lush grass and forest. These areas were deserts in so-called 'Moses' time. Why did the people cry out for water?. Why the rock spouting water? Springs were scarce - far apart. Abraham and Lot had trouble because of this, and they fell out - if you believe the Bible.

    People were always moving in and out of Egypt. Never in such numbers. Tribes were always in and out to feed their flocks. The other group of people - not mentioned - were the Hyksos. They took over northern Egypt for a while, but were then thrown out by Ahmose I. While he was away expanding the kingdom another group of foreigners in a city rebelled. They thrown out by Ahmose' wife who acted in his absence.

    Prophecy. Many of us are prophets. Many times people have asked my advice and I have advised them against a certain action for particular reasons. They've ignored me - and my prophecy has come true. Prophecy's are made by people who can look at what is happening and the possible consequences. Not for the distant future.

    I don't assume anything from anyone. I check things out if I'm not sure. That's how I became agnostic. By checking the Bible against outside facts.
     
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  24. trevorw2539

    trevorw2539 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I wonder what 'caused' God. Or did he just pop into existence.
     
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  25. Poohbear

    Poohbear Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    An interesting idea is that the Hyksos ruled Egypt at the time of Joseph. They are
    Semitic if I recall. This made the migration easier for the Canaanites such as Jacob.

    As for "outside facts" be careful - there are two sets of facts
    1 - those preferred by those who want to "explain away" the bible
    2 - those loved by those who believe in the bible.

    No one fully believes or fully disbelieves in the bible. We all have to decide
    where we stand. And generally, both sides believe what they want to believe.
    And the bible wouldn't have it any other way - it's a call to the heart.
    But one thing is for sure, the ethical demands of the bible have no place in
    the modern world.

    https://news.gallup.com/poll/1681/moral-issues.aspx

    and its obvious we aren't going to make that wonderful new world, sans
    religion, that John Lennon sang about.
     

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