Poll shows atheism on the rise in the U.S., page 19

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
reply to post by Stormdancer777

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I think a lot of us atheist's call ourselves atheists, because we don't believe in the God's of the abrahamic and other religions. It just makes for a clear distinction, to help avoid the notion that we are undecided about those faiths. Well I'm talking for myself personally. Of course none of us know how it all began, but some of us are not content with the religious explanation.

Find understanding in the historical context,
www.archaeologicalstudybible.com...

I learned something new today, Jesus was the ultimate radical altruist.

Who took upon the sins of the world.

I have studied because of doubts, I wanted answers I wasn't getting in church, I wanted more knowledge,

We humans seem to have this unquenchable thirst.
We fill our emptiness with friends, lovers, drugs, food, seems we are always looking for something to quench this longing.
www.biblegateway.com...

I believe we are longing to go home, we are strangers in a strange land.

Love your enemies,

reply to post by woodwardjnr

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Originally posted by woodwardjnr
I think a lot of us atheist's call ourselves atheists, because we don't believe in the God's of the abrahamic and other religions. It just makes for a clear distinction, to help avoid the notion that we are undecided about those faiths.

This is the case for me. You said it perfectly. I don't really know what I believe about spirituality anymore. I'm not sure if I think there's a "spirit world" or not... Sometimes I think there's something more, but it could just be something science hasn't discovered that covers ESP, "energy" and recurring "lessons" in life (seems just when I am struggling the hardest to learn something, the Universe presents me with a tool or situation to teach me something). In any case, I don't feel it's necessary or even desired to decide what to believe in. I have a life to live and people to love - I don't need a religion or "belief in a higher power" to shackle me in life. If it exists, I will find out about it one day.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

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It is odd that you feel it is a shackle, no wonder you shy away from it.

I find comfort in many scriptures, Christian and otherwise, even poetry and music.

But I think I know what you mean.

Blessed are the peace makers.

Do you ever read non-religious spiritual inspirational material?

reply to post by Stormdancer777

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Originally posted by Stormdancer777
It is odd that you feel it is a shackle, no wonder you shy away from it.

I do feel religion and the strict accompanying dogma is oppressive. Since I have left it behind, I feel much freer. Not free to rape and pillage, but to live my life how I want to and choose to, not because some rule says I must, or I will be cast into the fiery pits of hell. I'm a much happier and more loving person now. And my morals are stronger, because they are mine, not from a book or mindset.

I find comfort in many scriptures, Christian and otherwise, even poetry and music.

The lessons taught in the bible are not exclusive to the bible or even to religion. I have read LOTS of personal growth and inspirational materials over the years. And I agree, a lot of it is comforting and wise.

reply to post by Annee

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Again. So why do you call it God?

Well why not? In some Buddhist branches, they call God, the Absolute, or Absolute Truth. in Tao the Tao, or they say, any thing that can be said of the Tao, is not the Tao (basically just a play conceptual versus actual)

All I can say is there is something there and its beyond what anyone can say or think of it and basically trumps all things, but also unites all things.

So why not call it God? The word "God" may have negative connotations to some, and positive to others, but ultimately the word and label of something, has never been, nor will it ever bee, the same as the actual thing.

reply to post by dominicus

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Originally posted by dominicus
So why not call it God? The word "God" may have negative connotations to some, and positive to others, but ultimately the word and label of something, has never been, nor will it ever bee, the same as the actual thing.

I think each person has their own definition of what "God" is to them. If I use the word, they're going to think I mean the same thing they do. I don't use the word because it means so many things and therefore doesn't really have a meaning to me. The best label I can come up with is a "central source" and I don't know if I believe in that or not. If I said I don't know whether or not I believe in "God", I would be called agnostic or something... So, I just prefer not to name something I'm not even sure exists.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

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I think each person has their own definition of what "God" is to them. If I use the word, they're going to think I mean the same thing they do. I don't use the word because it means so many things and therefore doesn't really have a meaning to me. The best label I can come up with is a "central source" and I don't know if I believe in that or not. If I said I don't know whether or not I believe in "God", I would be called agnostic or something... So, I just prefer not to name something I'm not even sure exists

oh I hear you loud and clear. The word "God" causes delusions of granduer in all parties involved.

yet what I'm saying is that the word is irrelevant. You want use "central source" the cool, thumbs up, im with you.

not sure whether it exists or not ..... now we're talking. What I'm saying is there is sets of blueprints out there, and I can post my own (which are just reguritated mash-ups of one's that already have existed since Buddhism and earlier) that basically spell out step by step how to get to a direct experience of said "central source."

You see the Irony I have to deal with now? Being an ex-atheist/agnostic, I have a set of blueprints where a person can go and see for themselves whther or not said Source exists. 3 of my old Atheist friends are no longer Atheists after following the steps and seeing for themselves that there is something there that is real and exists.

So here I am saying, "Hey go look for yourself, here's how" but then I have the religious which say, "No no no no, your crazy and only our way is right," and then I have the hardened atheist group which says, "well I don't believe in anything so I'm not even going to bother."

I'm talking about a direct knowingness and direct experience which always trumps belief vs. non-belief. Considering our whole lives consist of one direct experience after another, its saying something.

reply to post by silent thunder

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This trend is hardly surprising in view of the recent history of two major religions.

The Christians have been torturing and murdering those who disagree with them for years, lately in the name of the anointed, OIL.

The Moslems blow up themselves and others, behead with little grace and now crucify because the two former aren't grisly enough.

More people have been murdered in the name of organized religion than for any other objective.

Why wouldn't one affiliate oneself with a movement that advocates no religion at all? The only people screaming for your head are the believers, which brings us full circle.

reply to post by aaaiii

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This trend is hardly surprising in view of the recent history of two major religions. The Christians have been torturing and murdering those who disagree with them for years, lately in the name of the anointed, OIL.

i could care less for organized dogmatic fundamentalist religions myself, but what most of you posters don't realize is this:

In the qoute above we have this sentence:

The Christians have been torturing and murdering those who disagree with them for years

Now get rid of all religions and make Atheism as the majority and your still gonna have:
"The __________have been torturing and murdering those who disagree with them for years"

Now you can fill in that blank with, corporations, gangs, different countries, different sub-genre atheist groups, races, etc etc. The stuff that's done in the name of Religion, is always going to keep continuing and will be done in all types of different names.

Its human nature.

More people have been murdered in the name of organized religion than for any other objective. Why wouldn't one affiliate oneself with a movement that advocates no religion at all? The only people screaming for your head are the believers, which brings us full circle.

People are always gonna murder in the name of something. Jealousy, Love, Lust, Hatred, Racism, revenge, money, power...... again its already within human nature to do the things that people are saying is done in the Name of religion. Get rid of religion and these acts will still continue. Won't a Damn thing change

reply to post by dominicus

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You cherry-pick. Anything can be made of my statement out of context.

If you're going to quote me, quote me fairly and accurately.

No single entity has killed more people than organized religion.

reply to post by aaaiii

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You cherry-pick. Anything can be made of my statement out of context. If you're going to quote me, quote me fairly and accurately.

sorry to say bro, but I am not cherry picking. I've sat with University philosophy professors who are accredited and published in regards to this subject and came to the conclusion that, get rid of religion, and human nature will find something else to kill in the name of

No single entity has killed more people than organized religion.

please provide a reference

As far as Communism as an Entity, it's argued that between 85-100 million have been killed in the name of Communism
reference 1
reference 2

If Communism wasn't around, those same folks would find whatever "Entity" was in power at the time to still continue killing.

On another note, saying "Christianity" as an Entity is responsible for tons of killings or for the most killings is improper because many of the Biggest denominations go by "Thou Shalt Not Kill" and "Love Thy Neighbhor" .....so they would say that anyone who killed in the name of Christianity was not only wrong, but perhaps was never a real Christian.

Like I said, get rid of all religions and killers will find another name to kill in

"Religion this religion that" I'm just sick of hearing it. Bring it on. Let's hold a global experiment where the whole world becomes majority anti-religion and then will see that murders, rapes, tortures, molestations, all of the BS will continue and that it was never "religion itself" which was to blame for "human nature"

reply to post by dominicus

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Is this an attempt to discredit atheism?

Communism/socialism is not atheism. The Red Hoard may "practice" atheism, but it is not the keystone of their doctrine.

reply to post by aaaiii

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Is this an attempt to discredit atheism?

its an attempt to discredit everything because everything can be used to justify killing, which is just part of animalistic human nature. Every single one of has the capability to save and to kill.

if were gonna say "religion" is responsible as an entity for all these murders, so let's get rid of it, then same goes for "communism", "oil"(irag & iran), "greed, lust, hatred, jealousy, money, power, corruption, corporate proxy wars" so lets get rid of all of those.

Yet we don't, and the all singing all dancing BS of the world continues religion or no religion.

Communism/socialism is not atheism. The Red Hoard may "practice" atheism, but it is not the keystone of their doctrine.

never said it was. But just like folks have killed in the name of communism, so to can people kill in the name of Atheism. There's a militant form atheism that's out there as well, so its either a matter of time before someone kills in the name of atheism or it has happened already. If that has or does happen, is ATheism to blame? Or is it the ignorance within the human nature of the killer? So soon as someone kills in the name of Atheism means we should completely get rid of Atheism, to put the shoe on the other foot.

As far as discrediting atheism, I believe it's a paradox. It's a choice to not Believe in what many say is the existence of a God. Yet an atheist lives his/her entire life based on belief/faith/hope; such as believing they will wake up tommorow to start a new day (although another day alive is never promised), believing that they will get to work without getting into an accident, etc etc.

The whole realm of existence for a person is entirely reliant on thought/belief/faith(hope), etc. You can't see and don't know what tommorow is, yet believe you will get tommorow. Paradoxes within paradoxes, though I'll save this one for another thread

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