16 Common Myths About Atheists

Originally posted by ConstantlyWondering
Are you ok? I am an adult and I work for a living. Your reply has been posted. If it takes me more than two hours to respond will you please occupy yourself with maybe a video game or soccer? Maybe some unfinished school work? You are making a reasonable discussion impossible with your lame insults. I only say this for your benefit. The rules are clear in this forum and you need to cool it with the insults and answer with sound debate. We at ATS deserve better than what you have offerred so far.

Are you OK? CW, as a Christian (are you a Christian?)I would expect a different response to his post than the above. I saw no insults in what he said and only saw that he repeated his questions.

IMO this is not a very good way to influence people for God. If you are moving along with the thread and then left for 2 hours nobody knows this but you. Don't you think it's possible that he thought you missed his question? Even if he didn't he doesn't deserve a puking smiley. May I ask, how old are you?


[edit on 30-11-2006 by jbondo]

So doesn't that make you wonder where the concept of god first came from? Going back the generations, where did the idea first come from?

"I don't know" = "God dunnit". God was born from philosophy. We were a species experiencing self awareness and had to try explain away what we could not understand. My theory is that 'god' is like an evlutionary carrot that keeps us wanting to discover and learn more and more. It will eventually lead us to settling on other planets etc. and our concept of 'god' will change along with it.

[edit on 30-11-2006 by riley]

Originally posted by riley
My theory is that 'god' is like an evlutionary carrot that keeps us wanting to discover and learn more and more. It will eventually lead us to settling on other planets etc. and our concept of 'god' will change along with it.

The Christian concept has not changed since it's inception. What makes you think it will be any different in the future?

On edit: It has come to my attention that CW and maddness have some inside thing going on between them and that CW is using a dry humor that has extended into this thread.

So my first post on this page is probably not applicable after getting this information.

My apologies to CW.


[edit on 30-11-2006 by jbondo]

Originally posted by jbondo
The Christian concept has not changed since it's inception. What makes you think it will be any different in the future?

Are you sure? Was there not a time when God was a big, white, bearded guy in the sky remeniscant of Zeus? Then Jesus was also portrayed as a white dude for a long time, until it became politacally incorrect, then revisited, and now he looks like this

Originally posted by jbondo
The Christian concept has not changed since it's inception.

The old testimant has changed drastically.. and christianity ommited 'Lilith' from the creation story. There's no denying thats quite an edit. People now know that the earth is not the centre of the universe and that it was not created in 7 days. How can you say it has not changed..?

What makes you think it will be any different in the future?

As knowledge increases.. beliefs have to be re-evaluated when they conflict with reality. For example.. I have no doubt that intelligent alien life forms exist, and when this is proved certain religions will have to alter their beliefs from being god's primary creation to being one of many.

[edit on 30-11-2006 by riley]

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
Are you sure? Was there not a time when God was a big, white, bearded guy in the sky remeniscant of Zeus? Then Jesus was also portrayed as a white dude for a long time, until it became politacally incorrect, then revisited, and now he looks like this

I also saw that TLC or Descovery show on what Jesus may have looked like. What does that have to do with anything? I know He was a Jew and logic always told me that He looked as a historic Jew of the region would look.

Show me Bibe text that says God is a big, white, bearded guy in the sky. I get my information from the Bible. I also don't claim to know everything. I have to study all the time and am always learning new things.

Originally posted by riley

Originally posted by jbondo
The Christian concept has not changed since it's inception.

The old testimant has changed drastically.. and christianity ommited 'Lilith' from the creation story. There's no denying thats quite an edit. People now know that the earth is not the centre of the universe and that it was not created in 7 days. How can you say it has not changed..?

What makes you think it will be any different in the future?

As knowledge increases.. beliefs have to be re-evaluated when they conflict with reality. For example.. I have no doubt that intelligent alien life forms exist, and when this is proved certain religions will have to alter their beliefs from being god's primary creation to being one of many.

[edit on 30-11-2006 by riley]

Omitted by whom? Tell me how the Old Testament has drastically changed other than style and translation.

Quote the Bible passage where it says the earth is the center of the universe please. Also, you can't take everything in the Bible to mean exactly what it says. You have to allow for interpretation and translation of meaning. 7 of God's days could be 7 million of ours. The concept of time as it applies to the Bible is still up for debate. Furthermore, the Bible is not a scientific textbook it is a guide for life.

Finally, where does it say that God could not have created other life forms in the universe?

Originally posted by Spreadthetruth

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul

and, i do NOT believe in satan, i actually believe in nothing supernatural

i attribute creation to an event that is dubbed the big bang

i believe that human being could in theory create a universe such as ours, however, in practice you'd need more energy than we have contained in our own so it wouldn't work. ALSO, we don't have the technology...
but in THEORY

What do you consider 'Supernatural'?


Anything that hasn't been excepted 100% by modern science?


Other dimensions?


Life outside our solar system?


If scientists manage to create a miniture uninverse in a lab, wouldn't that then give credibility to the idea of God? Gods? Creators?


Science is constantly changing. Get ready to accept new possibilities.

supernatural

of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to God or a deity.

that is how i define supernatural

and no, it wouldn't give credibility to the idea of a god/gods
god/gods are normally classified as omnipotent and omniscient, with the abrahamic god being also omnipresent and omnibenevolent

if we created a universe, we'd have no control over it and, in theory, it would just blink out of our universe once it reached a certain size, left to grow on its own

Originally posted by ConstantlyWondering
Are you ok? I am an adult and I work for a living. Your reply has been posted. If it takes me more than two hours to respond will you please occupy yourself with maybe a video game or soccer? Maybe some unfinished school work? You are making a reasonable discussion impossible with your lame insults. I only say this for your benefit. The rules are clear in this forum and you need to cool it with the insults and answer with sound debate. We at ATS deserve better than what you have offerred so far.

:shk:
i find this post horribly offensive

first of all, WHERE DID I INSULT YOU?
secondly, you just insulted me

your response was posted 2 DAYS after the question, i was just reposting so you wouldn't have to backtrack, which is a bit polite

also, quit acting like you know the rules better than i do, i've been on ATS longer than you have, and know the rules quite well
epecially when you consider almost all of the rules pertain to common courtesy and sense

Originally posted by ConstantlyWondering
The void you have that causes you to seek audience with Christians like me and other posters. You are seeking spiritual answers from spiritual sources. You are submitting to God whether you realize it or not. You have been seeking God in this forum. Your void will be filled if you continue to seek God.

actually, i'm not seeking out an audience with christians, just people in general
secondly, i do not seek spiritual answers, i seek logical answers
thirdly, i was a christian for the majority of my life, and it felt much emptier than my life as an atheist feels now

Originally posted by jbondo
Also, you can't take everything in the Bible to mean exactly what it says. You have to allow for interpretation and translation of meaning. 7 of God's days could be 7 million of ours. The concept of time as it applies to the Bible is still up for debate. Furthermore, the Bible is not a scientific textbook it is a guide for life.

Finally, where does it say that God could not have created other life forms in the universe?

So who decides what interpretation and translation is the correct one???? You???? So if gods days are millions of ours then Adam et al. lived a really long long time or does a 'god year' mean a week or something else?

LOL 'a guide for life' - sentenced to death for gathering sticks on the sabbath, killing all the woman and children while keepin all the young virgin girls to have sex with, yourself. Do you live your life this way????

Oh but I forgot it depends on how you interpret and translate the bible doesnt it???

G

The funny thing about that is that yo can take the actual timeline, devide it by 7, and claim one of God's days is equal to x. A very convenient tool, and often used by those defending their religious text as undeniable fact.

loose interpretation does not equal confirmed fact.

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
loose interpretation does not equal confirmed fact.

There is no loose interpretation.

As a Christian I use the Bible as the book of God's Word. I'm not responsible for some Christians of the past that have done unscrupulous things. Just like Society in general there are bad people everywhere. And yes some even kill and rape and the claim they are doing it in the name of God. In fact there are people doing it right now called Islamofacists.

To answer another question, Christian Scholars and Interpreters are who I go by when translating meaning in text. When I am stuck I go here: equip.org. Meaning even as a Christian I need help and I never assume that I know what is meant in the text.

I can see some of you want to get nasty and mock me. I"m not even going to bother if you can't show me the same respect I am giving you.

I have yet to see any of you show me Bible text to support your words.

There is a lot of loose interpretation. Specifically where you said 7 days could equal 7 million of ours. Since there is no evidence to support it other than faith, it needs to be disregarded.

And it's fine if you take the bible to be the word of God, as long as you acknowledge that there is no real evidence to support that idea.

Originally posted by shihulud

Originally posted by roger_pearse

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
16 Common Myths About Atheists

1. Atheists hate Christians and Christianity. ... But I dont dislike someone just because of their religion.

My experience is otherwise.

"Dimwitted Dumb# in Lake Evil has been joined by another fundamentalist troll called Roger Pearse Grillfile/BozoBin/Set Phasers to "Ignore" for both these unwanted, uninvited, unwelcome, unneeded, undesirable, unacceptable Fundy
#wits..K"

That by an atheist, gratuitously, in response to a non-religious post by me to controvert various factually inaccurate statements about Mithras.

Maybe we just get pissed off with christians trying to shove their religious crap down our necks...

The trouble is that the dirtiest atheists use just that excuse to justify their behaviour, which sort of devalues it, you know. And since you scream abuse at me in this post later on, gratuitously, you devalue it too.

3. Atheists have no sense of morality, since morality comes from God. Ah, the old without fear of hell, there would be nothing to stop people from being bloodthirsty monsters argument.

Reflected accurately in usenet by the filthy abuse routinely used by atheists.

I have to disagree, I've found quite a few religious poster's ...

You should look in alt.atheism.

As for the rest of your comment, it doesn't matter if "religious posters" gang rape hamsters ever Friday. It's irrelevant to a discussion of what atheists are and do.

4. Atheists are a unified group, like a church. Are we? I must have missed the memo, then.

If anything, Id say atheists are more diverse than Christians, because were less sheep-like, and dont accept things on faith, or from authority.

Atheists are terribly monochrome -- they all live by societal values, none of them can discuss these, and they all change the subject when the issue is raised. They are desperately credulous and will believe anything, so long as it is discreditable to Christians.

What??????? And christians arent ... Most of your religion is based on desperately credulous and highly suspect evidence. Typical hypocrite.

I said that atheists were routinely abusive -- which you denied -- yet here you are hurling irrelevant abuse at me. It doesn't matter if I am Satan's kid brother -- it's irrelevant to a discussion of atheism.

I said that atheists behave like robots, and always change the subject when their beliefs are questioned -- and your response in each case is to change the subject to whether *Christians* are good people, just as every atheist does.

QED.

Did you even read what you wrote, before endorsing my comments so comprehensively?

5. Atheists actually know, deep inside, that theres a God, as thats perfectly obvious; they are simply too proud and arrogant to admit the existence of something greater than themselves. Not exactly. You see, the existence of a god is only obvious if youve been brainwashed

Atheists are quite able to ignore reality. Only an atheist would presume that 90% of the world's population were "brainwashed".

Some are brainwashed but most dont really care ...So yes 'Brainwashed' would be quite an accurate word.

Note that you contradicted yourself in your eagerness.

So, 5 out of 6 show relatively little self-knowledge. It's not good, is it?

Just as you've shown little knowledge in your attack strategy... (personal abuse snipped)

I said that atheists were incapable of discussing their religion and were abusive and kept changing the subject. Your post validated every word.

The truth hurts, it seems. Aren't you ashamed of a religious position which you can only 'defend' by changing the subject and hurling insults?

All the best,

Roger Pearse

Originally posted by roger_pearse

I said that atheists were incapable of discussing their religion and were abusive and kept changing the subject. Your post validated every word.

I think this is the problem roger, for all your intelligence and courtesy you miss the basic point. Atheism is no religion. There is no system of belief around which atheism is based. It is a collection of people who profess a disbelief in one thing, deities, that is all. No church meeting, no singing in groups, no text on which the disbelief is based.

If religions are a selection of TV stations, atheism is the off switch.

Maybe that's why a discussion forum based on atheism (alt.atheism) has little time for you.

Best wishes,

Me.


[edit on 1-12-2006 by melatonin]

There is no system of belief around which atheism is based. It is a collection of people who profess a disbelief in one thing, deities, that is all. No church meeting, no singing in groups, no text on which the disbelief is based.

It would seem the following list somewhat contradicts the above statement. Maybe I am just misunderstanding.

American Atheists
Council for Secular Humanism
Atheist Alliance
American Humanist Association
Freedom From Religion Foundation
Religios Freedom Network
Etc...
Etc...
Etc...

Originally posted by jbondo
American Atheists
Council for Secular Humanism
Atheist Alliance
American Humanist Association
Freedom From Religion Foundation
Religious Freedom Network
Etc...
Etc...
Etc...

Well Atheists like to talk to like minded people as well, so those
groups exist so that Atheists can come together and talk about
common interests, and share there experiences with coming out
of the church so to speak, and with religion in general, and other
things as well.

Other organizations exist to try and educate people.

[edit on 12/1/2006 by iori_komei]

another myth that is particularly irritating to me is that teenage atheist are just rebelling or trying to get out of church and aren't acual atheists. you know, its fairly condescending to assume that, just because someone is a teenager, that they aren't capable of thought, forming their own beliefs or making their own choices.

As someone from England, I find it, as many do a little strange that the majority, yes, majority of Americans are Christian. It seems to me as if there is a guide to life within the Bible, whereby you can be an ass against any other culture/religion without worry. Here in old Blighty we are not only tolerant, ("I don't like, but I'll tolerate") but "accepting" in peoples choices.

The obsession in the US is "protecting freedom" but the truth is, there is no freedom unless you're white and a paranoid person in relation to immigration and other cultures in general.

I'm rambling a little............alot, but I feel that it is all in relation deep down, and needs to be adressed because the heart of society (democracy) lies in the beliefs of the people.

Democracy is the best way to judge a country, as the majority can show their comforts.....ahem, beliefs.

I think a big thing that people in Europe and (understandingly) the mid-east are annoyed at, is the compassion deficit, prelevant in the US, which is the reason, in the first place, for the propogandized war obsession.

Excuse me for being coy but, you cannot find religion in a majoritys decision which is based on war (intolerance).

I'm an atheist because of this, amongst many other things, however, my father is a Buddhist, which seems to e more of a lifestyle rather than a strict code. Maybe I'm wrong, but how can I find acceptingly peace in a (imo) biased culture.


[edit on 2-12-2006 by Xeros]