An Atheist's view on life vs. A Christian's view on life.

originally posted by: AfterInfinity
a reply to: DarknStormy

But the joy of being a Christian atheist is the inherent ability to use your disbelief of the Christian god to ignore whatever scripture you choose. I wonder if Windword flips a coin each day to decide which side plays the dominant role?

People can believe what they choose and be good people regardless but the Bible doesn't see things that way and when it comes to the crunch, the Bible is the lone authority when speaking about Christianity, even higher than any man and his opinions and I say that as my opinion being nothing also in the grand scheme of things.

originally posted by: DarknStormy

originally posted by: AfterInfinity
a reply to: DarknStormy

But the joy of being a Christian atheist is the inherent ability to use your disbelief of the Christian god to ignore whatever scripture you choose. I wonder if Windword flips a coin each day to decide which side plays the dominant role?

People can believe what they choose and be good people regardless but the Bible doesn't see things that way and when it comes to the crunch, the Bible is the lone authority when speaking about Christianity, even higher than any man and his opinions and I say that as my opinion being nothing also in the grand scheme of things.

I don't get the point of using labels if you don't respect what they say. And if you flat out admit that you don't believe in the Christian god, then clearly, that's Christianity out of the question for you.

But anyway, I'm gonna take a break from this thread. Catch you around.

a reply to: DarknStormy

Jewish people don't loose their Jewish heritage because they break Levitical law.

According to you, anyone who isn't a Christian must be a Satan worshiper then? Whatever, I don't believe in Satan any more than I believe in the Christian god.

But, I'm not an atheist.

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: DarknStormy

Jewish people don't loose their Jewish heritage because they break Levitical law.

According to you, anyone who isn't a Christian must be a Satan worshiper then? Whatever, I don't believe in Satan any more than I believe in the Christian god.

But, I'm not an atheist.

Then why did you claim to be a Christian atheist? Your two answers thus far have been:

1. You are an atheist only as far as the Christian god is concerned.

2. You are an atheist who borrows ethical elements from Christianity.

Not that it really matters. My apologies for my earlier frustration, by the way. I do enjoy definitions because they prevent us from intentionally developing overlaps, as we're so fond of doing. We like to keep things fuzzy because it's easier to cross lines without paying the price. But what's the point in drawing a line if you're just going to ignore it? And that's what I feel "Christian atheist" does.

a reply to: AfterInfinity

1. You are an atheist only as far as the Christian god is concerned.

Yes! Now you're getting it!

2. You are an atheist who borrows ethical elements from Christianity.

How can one separate those things that informed them, during their formative years, of what was and wasn't acceptable behavior in family, school, work and church situations? As an adult I can look at the tenets that were instilled in me as a child, and decide, using my adult critical thinking skills, if they're worth hanging onto. Some are, some aren't and some need to be tweaked to fit my personal world view.

a reply to: windword

That's an Atheist Jewish view, of course they are going to tell you that, they don't know whether they are coming or going. As for Christians, here's a good example of a model Christian in the West.



The guy doesn't even know his own religion properly.

a reply to: DarknStormy

LOL! What the heck was that? A joke right?

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: DarknStormy

LOL! What the heck was that? A joke right?

I hope so because if it isn't, I can understand why people hate religion lol

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: AfterInfinity

1. You are an atheist only as far as the Christian god is concerned.

Yes! Now you're getting it!

2. You are an atheist who borrows ethical elements from Christianity.

How can one separate those things that informed them, during their formative years, of what was and wasn't acceptable behavior in family, school, work and church situations? As an adult I can look at the tenets that were instilled in me as a child, and decide, using my adult critical thinking skills, if they're worth hanging onto. Some are, some aren't and some need to be tweaked to fit my personal world view.

Then don't call yourself a Christian atheist. Choose the god you believe in, and stick with that label. Deist, pantheist, polytheist, whatever. Although the fact that we get to choose gods - or abstain altogether - reveals a LOT about theism. Oh, you don't like that god? Here's another one to believe in. We don't get to do that with the laws of thermodynamics, or with gravity. But we can do that with gods. That says a lot, doesn't it?

a reply to: AfterInfinity

Gods are not natural laws, like thermodynamics. Someone presents some god to me, and I get to decide whether I believe in that version or not.

I was raised with the idea of the Christian God. I'ts the Christian presentation of god that I was indoctrinated to believe in without question, not every other god that anyone else has ever thought up. It's that indoctrination and that version of reality that I specifically reject. It really isn't that hard!

The god that I believe in is the god inside of my mind, not some other god out there on some list of gods from which I have to choose one or two to believe in in, order to conform to your tiny little world view.

a reply to: windword

Gods are not natural laws, like thermodynamics. Someone presents some god to me, and I get to decide whether I believe in that version or not.

Seems a little strange that you can choose whether to believe in something that is supposed to be as real as your right arm. Can you choose to not believe in your right arm?

I was raised with the idea of the Christian God. I'ts the Christian presentation of god that I was indoctrinated to believe in without question, not every other god that anyone else has ever thought up. It's that indoctrination and that version of reality that I specifically reject. It really isn't that hard!

I'm trying to think of how to word this. You basically "switched off" your beliefs in regard to the Christian god, but based on the same principles by which you first invested in that god, you are now investing in a DIFFERENT god as though the change of god changes the foundation of that investment entirely, even though you are in fact using the EXACT SAME principles to validate your faith in this other deity. All you are doing is putting a different name and face on your god. Other than that, you're not changing anything.

The fact that the properties and character of an almighty being can change so drastically based on a simple whim speaks volumes for the nature of that god. The laws of physics do not cater to our insecurities and fickle notions, but our gods do. How very telling that is.

The god that I believe in is the god inside of my mind, not some other god out there on some list of gods from which I have to choose one or two to believe in in, order to conform to your tiny little world view.

My tiny world view? Perhaps you should read my posts more carefully. You don't seem to comprehend what I'm explaining here.

a reply to: AfterInfinity

Seems a little strange that you can choose whether to believe in something that is supposed to be as real as your right arm. Can you choose to not believe in your right arm?

What are you talking about? Gods aren't real.

You basically "switched off" your beliefs in regard to the Christian god, but based on the same principles by which you first invested in that god, you are now investing in a DIFFERENT god as though the change of god changes the foundation of that investment entirely, even though you are in fact using the EXACT SAME principles to validate your faith in this other deity.

Right! Like I "switched off" believing in the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause!

I don't believe god is a deity. There may be deities, but none of them are the god that Christians describe. That god/deity doesn't exist.

The fact that the properties and character of an almighty being can change so drastically based on a simple whim speaks volumes for the nature of that god.

I don't believe in an "almighty god". I am neither a theist or a deist.

a reply to: windword

Right! Like I "switched off" believing in the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause!

I don't believe god is a deity. There may be deities, but none of them are the god that Christians describe. That god/deity doesn't exist.

de·i·ty noun \ˈdē-ə-tē, ˈdā-\
: a god or goddess

If your chosen god is not a deity, then how is it a god?

I don't believe in an "almighty god". I am neither a theist or a deist.

Really? First you said you were a Christian atheist because you are an atheist in regard to the Christian god, but not all gods period. Then you said you were a Christian atheist because while you don't believe in a god, you still incorporate ethics commonly associated with Christianity. Then you say that you are not an atheist, and now you tell me you are not a theist. In other words, you neither believe nor disbelieve in a god. And yet, you've also previously stated that you DO have a god!

You really need to get your terminology straight if we're to have any semblance of a meaningful discussion.

a reply to: AfterInfinity

I agree with this guy.



Any definition using words to describe what god is diminishes what god is.

a reply to: windword

Any definition using words to describe what god is diminishes what god is.

So you're a theist then, not atheist. That's cool, it's not like it matters in the discussion, I was just really confused - probably because you were also confused, maybe without knowing it.

originally posted by: halfoldman
a reply to: windword

I'm less consciously atheist or agnostic in the daily struggle of things.
I'd like to think there's somebody watching over me, but then I hear of kids with AIDS and cancer, and I think if a good God won't hear their innocent cries and ease their suffering, then what are my chances?

One thing that also makes me doubt is when people pray before a sport's match.
I think that's such a show, and the "God" of the losing team can surely not be real, or He just didn't care.

I think it's funny that people have church on Sunday. I mean, God says "let this be a day of rest", and people celebrate by gathering to hand in lists of things they want from him?

a reply to: AfterInfinity

Theism, in the broadest sense, is the belief that at least one deity exists

No. I'm not a theist. I don't believe that god is a deity, a person or an entity at all. I don't believe that god is separate or apart from from the universe, or the creator of the universe.

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: AfterInfinity

No. I'm not a theist. I don't believe that god is person or an entity at all.

But you do believe there is something called "God", whether it be a law of physics or a force of nature or just an idea we've given definition to.

the·ism noun ˈthē-ˌi-zəm
: the belief that God exists or that many gods exist

And since you do believe in this something that you call "God", that makes you a theist. A theist is someone who adheres to some form of theism, which is defined above. As I said before, you seem to be a little muddled on the terminology here, but that's why I'm educating you. I hope you don't mind.

a reply to: AfterInfinity


You're not educating me on what I think. You're educating yourself.

God is not separate from me. I'ts not separate from the universe. You are god and I am god, but, we aren't 2 different gods, we are part of the whole, which is god. God doesn't exist separately from any of us, it is a collective, not independent, consciousness.

God did not create the universe but arose from the universe as did you and I.

a reply to: windword

God is not separate from me. I'ts not separate from the universe. You are god and I am god, but, we aren't 2 different gods, we are part of the whole, which is god. God doesn't exist separately from any of us, it is a collective, not independent, consciousness.

God did not create the universe but arose from the universe as did you and I.

Then you are a pantheist, which means that your beliefs are similar or identical to the premise of pantheism.

Pantheism is the belief that the universe (or nature as the totality of everything) is identical with divinity, or that everything composes an all-encompassing, immanent God. Pantheists thus do not believe in a distinct personal or anthropomorphic god.

Those are the first two lines in the Wikipedia article on pantheism. Which, in case you weren't aware, is a form of theism. It involves an active worldview in which something which may be referred to as "God" exists. If you have any further responses concerning this misunderstanding, please send me a private message in order to avoid further derailing the thread.

Now we can get back to the actual topic regarding the relationship between Christianity and atheism, and how much they really have in common. Which is to say, about as much as an apple and an orange have in common. Comparing apples to oranges...heh. Heh heh.