Why Atheists are So Obsessed with God (myth, believers, belief)

[kiggy]

Originally Posted by Chango

Do you really think we go through our entire lives arguing god? I'd be willing to bet the majority of the atheist crew here doesn't even think about the subject unless we're logged on or trying to deal with the few annoying fundies in our real lives.
Maybe it's for the same reason everybody is here on the forum... to pass time and entertain ourselves when there isn't anything else to do. Besides, it makes good filler material while waiting for responses in the other slower forums.

BTW, you would be happy to note that I was out shooting and hiking last Sunday while you were in church, and not here arguing god.

Good man!

[Dusty Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Chango

Do you really think we go through our entire lives arguing god? I'd be willing to bet the majority of the atheist crew here doesn't even think about the subject unless we're logged on or trying to deal with the few annoying fundies in our real lives.
Maybe it's for the same reason everybody is here on the forum... to pass time and entertain ourselves when there isn't anything else to do. Besides, it makes good filler material while waiting for responses in the other slower forums.

BTW, you would be happy to note that I was out shooting and hiking last Sunday while you were in church, and not here arguing god.

I have a pistol range that goes out to 50 yards in my back yard. I probably spend a lot more time at my reloading bench than you do in church. AND.....I'll bet I'm having more fun.

[kiggy]

Originally Posted by Boxcar Overkill

I did tell you.

The main reason one should be an atheist is because atheism happens to be accurate.

There are a few other side benefits, such as not having to live with a crazy and inconsistent world view. Most people, like myself, find that the universe makes much more sense without a God in the picture, and that coherency bring some satisfaction.

And you are your own boss and have weekends off.

But maybe not everybody should be an atheist. You may enjoy a comfortable lie about living forever more than you enjoy knowing the truth. Some people have a real problem controlling their survival instinct, and simply can't seem to accept knowing we are finite.

Why should we try to convince you to become an atheist anyway? If you don't happen to value truth enough to seek it on your own, why should we be obliged to coerce you?

I'm just trying to give you atheists a chance to tell me the great things about being an atheist, instead of your usual negative anti-God rants. Instead of making fun of others' faiths that they hold dear, give me reasons why a person would absolutely LOVE to be an atheist.

[Chango]

Originally Posted by kiggy

I'm just trying to give you atheists a chance to tell me the great things about being an atheist, instead of your usual negative anti-God rants. Instead of making fun of others' faiths that they hold dear, give me reasons why a person would absolutely LOVE to be an atheist.

Truth. Pure, unadulterated, unflavored and brutal truth. You do want to know the truth of your existence, don't you? You know... the answers to the BIG questions humanity has asked since they first realized they were "them"...

[kiggy]

Originally Posted by catman

kiggy: Apparently you subscribe to the notion that the best defense is a good offense, as you are being as offensive as possible. As an Atheist, I wouldn't even think about the 'god' issue if it weren't continually being brought to my attention by those who want to put Intelligent Design in texbooks and break down the separation between church and state, not to mention the occasional proselytizer.

Now it's offensive to ask an atheist what makes atheism so, well, rad and cool? You must be the cat that keeps reporting my posts to the moderators in the A/A Support Group...

[Boxcar Overkill]

Originally Posted by kiggy

I'm just trying to give you atheists a chance to tell me the great things about being an atheist, instead of your usual negative anti-God rants. Instead of making fun of others' faiths that they hold dear, give me reasons why a person would absolutely LOVE to be an atheist.

The selling point of atheism has nothing to do with how fun it is. It won't make your teeth whiter or your hair grow back.

Atheism is accepted because it is logically believed to be true.

And the truth of a proposition isn't dependent upon the satisfaction it brings.

[kiggy]

Originally Posted by Chango

Truth. Pure, unadulterated, unflavored and brutal truth. You do want to know the truth of your existence, don't you? You know... the answers to the BIG questions humanity has asked since they first realized they were "them"...

Your "truth" has never been empircally proven. My truth hasn't either. But my truth is definitely more interesting and uplifting. Yours is mind-numbingly dull and one dimensional. Why would I want to be an atheist? Please tell me.

[kiggy]

Originally Posted by Boxcar Overkill

The selling point of atheism has nothing to do with how fun it is. It won't make your teeth whiter or your hair grow back.

Atheism is accepted because it is logically believed to be true.

And the truth of a proposition isn't dependent upon the satisfaction it brings.

Your so called "truth" hasn't been proven. It's a faith leap on your part. And a dull, oxygen-sucking one it is.

[Boxcar Overkill]

Originally Posted by kiggy

Your so called "truth" hasn't been proven. It's a faith leap on your part. And a dull, oxygen-sucking one it is.

Here, I'll prove it for you:

For GOD TO BE REAL, EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT PHYSICS WOULD HAVE TO BE WRONG.

EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT PHYSICS IS NOT WRONG

THEREFORE GOD IS NOT REAL


Done.

[Chango]

Originally Posted by kiggy

Your "truth" has never been empircally proven. My truth hasn't either. But my truth is definitely more interesting and uplifting. Yours is mind-numbingly dull and one dimensional. Why would I want to be an atheist? Please tell me.

Because it's true. Your "truth" is a fabrication; a fantasy. It is a band-aid that doesn't address the real problem; the built-in human need/desire to somehow be more than the sum of his/her parts...to be part of something greater that what we are.

Until we realize we are nothing... face our demons, so to speak, we will not be able to understand ourselves.

...And if we cannot understand ourselves, we cannot take humanity to a higher perspective, eventually becoming something.

Religion holds humanity back, ruins our potential by putting in psychological barriers in our collective consciousness. Religion is an easy, yet crude instrument of mass-control and relatively quick source of gratification. It's the "USA Today" version of understanding all that is. Science may be dull, but who is gonna be more advised on the world; the USA Today reader or the guy who just got his doctoral thesis published?

But I can't blame you for taking the easy way out and clinging to religion. It is what a normal human being would do. It's not until you do something hard and scary that great results happen though.