My answer to Atheism

I have thought long and hard about this topic, and from just about every conceivable angle. Setting aside the theological reasons (which are many and varied), I want to go straight to the heart of the matter:

When I think of all the wondrous minds, talents and lives that have graced this planet, and how soon they are forgotten in the sands of time, I simply refuse to believe that this is their ultimate fate. I refuse to believe that my mother, who was for all intents and purposes, one of the most loving and patient people I will ever have the pleasure of knowing in this life, is simply gone, all that wisdom, talent, the uniqueness of her life experiences that molded her into who she ultimately became -- the universe would be wasting massive amounts of awesome to just eradicate people from any level of existence.

Even if you don't believe in a sentient god or think that god is just natural forces--- i would still exclaim the same-- we have conservation of energy-- and I'm convinced we have conservation of awesome.

This is my firm and unrelenting answer to atheism

What does this have to do with atheism? In definition atheism means a disbelief in a deity. Maybe I read your OP wrong, but I don't think all atheist have a disbelief in a afterlife or something that can related to an afterlife. But it's your personal choice and I can respect that.

I refuse to believe that my mother, who was for all intents and purposes, one of the most loving and patient people I will ever have the pleasure of knowing in this life, is simply gone, all that wisdom, talent, the uniqueness of her life experiences that molded her into who she ultimately became -- the universe would be wasting massive amounts of awesome to just eradicate people from any level of existence.

Of course not, it was passed on to her children and her family and her surviving friends. Hopefully to you.

You don't need to believe in the afterlife to believe that people and their contributions remain after death.

I'm an Atheist some some Agnostic leanings (very slight), as I find it hard to fathom that this is it, seems like an awful waste to me as well.

~Tenth

reply to post by undo


'Atheism' isn't a question. You're basically just trying to strengthen your faith.(not that there's anything wrong with that)


Personally, I've reached the conclusion that nothing matters(Nothing!!!), and that existence itself is meaningless. Everything goes away in the end, and I don't care. That train of thought doesn't lead to a happy place.


On various occasions, I have even tried to convince myself that maybe there is a god after all, and maybe I should try religion, and maybe things might actually be better. Surely my outlook on life couldn't get any worse. As of yet, that has been to no avail.



My point being that it really doesn't even matter whether or not you are correct. If you can keep that faith, and if it helps you to remain happy, then continue on with that faith being a part of you.

You don't need to be a theist to believe in an afterlife. I know plenty of people that believe in spirits that don't believe that a God made them. People will have you believe that Atheism is a "Science" religion, but there are masses of superstitious atheists out there.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


You're correct. People are influenced by good deeds and success. Clearly that's the best way to remember someone when they pass away.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


no, she was her own unique person. her life experiences, were hers alone. just as yours, are yours alone. you can share them with others, and they can try to empathize, but when alls said and done, your experiences are unique to you. what you do with those experiences, are unique to you. how you register the data, is unique to you and how you interact with it, intellectually and emotionally, is unique to you.

every single one of you is valuable beyond measure, no matter what anyone else tries to tell you.

Originally posted by undo
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

no, she was her own unique person. her life experiences, were hers alone. just as yours, are yours alone. you can share them with others, and they can try to empathize, but when alls said and done, your experiences are unique to you. what you do with those experiences, are unique to you. how you register the data, is unique to you and how you interact with it, intellectually and emotionally, is unique to you.

every single one of you is valuable beyond measure, no matter what anyone else tries to tell you.

This is true. I believe my deceased father has "guided" me in a certain way. That said, I am an atheist and I don't see any correlation.

CJ

reply to post by ColoradoJens


well the correlation is, that if we are all infinitely valuable, the idea a person who believes differently is not worth squat is POOF gone and the idea that a person who agrees is not valuable, is POOF gone. (i.e. whether you believe or not, in heaven, god(s), creators, supernatural entities, etc, has no bearing on your value. you retain your value, regardless, until such time as you decide, once and for all, that you are not of value.

that i think, is the only theoretical way this is true -- if you believe you are not of any value and you believe this to such a degree that you don't want to exist anymore, anywhere, in any dimension. there's a possibility, however remote, that in deployment of your free will, you decide you are not infinitely valuable, it's possible you may wish yourself out of continued existence. even then, there would by necessity need to be an ultimate judge, other than yourself, to decide these things as you may have been psychologically abused and are maintaining an incorrect belief about your value. that the universe or the afterlife, could be robbed of your uniqueness because you experienced brain damage during the time when you made the choice, is obviously not a good thing.

reply to post by undo


Life would have no purpose if there wasn't an afterlife...

when one thinks of someone who has all these talents, all this grace and beauty in life... its easy to imagine a point beyond life, viewing life as a waste without it...

Though what of the homeless man with no family, no friends... nothing to "give or offer the world"...

Was his life pointless?

Originally posted by Akragon
reply to post by undo

 

Life would have no purpose if there wasn't an afterlife...

when one thinks of someone who has all these talents, all this grace and beauty in life... its easy to imagine a point beyond life, viewing life as a waste without it...

Though what of the homeless man with no family, no friends... nothing to "give or offer the world"...

Was his life pointless?

clearly it is not pointless. his experiences are unique to him. the people he interacts with, the animals he feeds, the lessons others learn in an effort to help or ignore him, all valuable. his survival skills, he will pass on to others in a similar situation. the gratefulness his status engenders in those who aren't in his position, if they are honest with themselves, is valuable on several levels. it all matters. i think so, anyway. i don't believe in "the nothing." hehe

reply to post by BrokenCircles

Religion is not something that you can KNOW... it must be something you experience. Personally, I despise the word RELIGION... because I've NEVER had a good experience with any type of Religion... but when it comes to my FAITH and belief in Christ and God.... I've had the most wonderful experience, and believe in them BOTH ...Completely The most grounded and knowledgeable "Christians" I've known are those who have a story to tell, and those stories are always based on experiences!!!

Personally, I have a belief, which is based on my own LIFE EXPERIENCES... however I still have this long standing belief that there is NO WAY this religion is based on a long standing history of variations of the same experiences and does not truly EXIST. Bottom line is I find it very hard to believe that something has withstood the test of time, still exists and still has new experiences happening daily... and is not REAL???

Because I do not want to get off topic and cannot got into great detail, due to that.. I cannot tell you about my specific experiences, and observations that could not be explained away by any other explanation other than... there is something BIGGER than me and you out there! I get it, and I understand there a lot of folks out there that believe there are other GREATER POWERS.. but the ONE I was praying to and asking for help... happened to meet ALL my needs.

Listen, I hate to see or hear about people who say.... "None of my prayers have been answered, and I don't see that there is a God!" I'd have to look into that a little further before I commented on it... however It still breaks my heart, especially when I've had so many prayers answered and have witnessed so many miracles.

reply to post by undo


What do we have on our side as humans if we consider the Bible as our source of Truth?

You are born into this life and Christ said, "You must be born again."

God is love (1 John 3)

Love keeps no records of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13)

Those who choose wickedness over righteousness are not love and therefore, not part of God's family.

Christ came for the sick, not the healthy.

Ultimately, we have this going for us in the end.

John 2

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

Do we need to know Christ or does He already know us? Which one is more important? If you are sick, then I guess the former. If you are well, the latter.

Who knows God:

John 1:18

18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Matthew 11:27

"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Until we are properly introduced, we do now know God or the Son as fact. Faith is all we have.

John 20:29

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

reply to post by EnochWasRight

Love keeps no records of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13)

i like that verse.