Any Black Atheists in Atlanta (that's right I said it) (Rome: school, horse)

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by caramel74

I am an atheist so I don't have just an argument about christianity....I don't believe in any religion or god. I totally agree that ALL people deserve respect regarding what they believe. I never said that anyone is crazy for believing in god or christianity. I am just saying that I don't and I wanted to get connected with others in Atlanta (especially African Americans) that share my views. Christians do bad things because we are ALL human and that's the way of the world. I personally don't need the bible to make me not do bad things. I don't kill because I can relate to someone's sorrow...so I would never do that.

To me god is like santa claus... when you were young your mom and dad told you "you better be good or you won't get any presents!" But as you got older you started THINKING and you may have said to your parents..."how can santa go to EVERY house in the world in one night?" Or you may have said like I did..."Mom, we don't have a fireplace....how can santa get in?" Then finally you realized that there was NO santa! You didn't need to know that santa was coming to enjoy christmas. That's how I feel about my transformation from being raised Baptist....I started THINKING! How can two people (Adam and Eve) populate the earth? Didn't they have two SONS? So that means one of them or both had to have sex with their MOTHER! How can a man live in a whale? How can EVERY single species of animal on the planet fit on one boat (Noah's ark)? How come the bible doesn't have anything about dinosaurs? Why doesn't it say how many planets and stars god created? Why doesn't it name the planets and stars? You know why.... because the people who wrote the bible had no idea about those kinds of things back then. They banked on the fact that future generations would not advance to the level that we have and have access to the technology that we do. Those were my "santa" questions and after I researched and asked questions to ministers, parents, friends and all I kept getting was...."You just gotta believe, or you gotta have faith". Well I'm sorry but I don't...I require proof before I dedicate my entire life to something.

Why is it that human beings require proof in every other aspect in life, but not for religion. If someone asked you to move to California and promised to give you a job, a beautiful home, all the luxuries in life (heaven), would you move before you involved your lawyer or had them sign a contract? I bet you wouldn't move on BLIND FAITH then!

I feel what you are saying.I have questioned certain aspects of religion all the time.So I do understand your point of view.Just as you cannot understand why it is I believe the way I do,I cannot understand why you do not believe their is no God.The beauty is that we can both believe the way we do because we have that right to do so.I defy many Christian who want to press their belief on others.It makes religion look desparate.I have faith because it gives me comfort and strength to make my decision in my life.It is personal .When you have Faith you do not have a need to justify.It just is.

I don't think that makes me some robot either.However I do agree that the church is full of them.I guess , I believe in a mix of science and religion.I believe in spirituality;not religion

[Akhenaton06]

This conversation is really going to digress a bit here, but I can't help myself, LOL...

Originally Posted by caramel74

That's how I feel about my transformation from being raised Baptist....I started THINKING! How can two people (Adam and Eve) populate the earth? Didn't they have two SONS? So that means one of them or both had to have sex with their MOTHER! How can a man live in a whale? How can EVERY single species of animal on the planet fit on one boat (Noah's ark)? How come the bible doesn't have anything about dinosaurs? Why doesn't it say how many planets and stars god created? Why doesn't it name the planets and stars? You know why.... because the people who wrote the bible had no idea about those kinds of things back then. They banked on the fact that future generations would not advance to the level that we have and have access to the technology that we do. Those were my "santa" questions and after I researched and asked questions to ministers, parents, friends and all I kept getting was...."You just gotta believe, or you gotta have faith". Well I'm sorry but I don't...I require proof before I dedicate my entire life to something.

I think that firstly, it needs to be realized that Christians believe two things: the Bible consists of books that are considered occasional literature (targeted at a specific group for a specific purpose) and that it is not to be considered a scientific textbook. Also, all details concerning the stories that are recorded aren't included because they play no role concerning the truth that such stories are intended to bear out. The writers of the Bible spoke using phenomenological language, or the language of appearances (e.g., the "setting of the sun"), but this in no way contradicts anything we now know due to advanced scientific technology. People don't seem to realize that science and philosophy/religion are two different constructs utilized to examine our world. It makes no sense to go to the Bible or Koran to understand the role that gills play in the physiological functions of fish, just like one shouldn't consult a scientific textbook to try and understand "the meaning of it all." Science has limits, and empirical knowledge is not the only type of knowledge that counts for anything.

[ApostolicFlightAttendant]

Originally Posted by caramel74

Hubby and I recently moved to ATL. We are clean, professional, law abiding, kind and respectable people. ( I had to start it off that way because as soon as you say "atheist", people assume you wear black and worship the devil).

We would love to meet some African American atheists in the Atlanta area. Believe me, there are some...even in this bible-belt area. It's hard for people to be courageous enough (especially for Black people) to come out of the religious "closet".

Not trying to stir up controversy (even though I'm sure I will), we just would love to mix and mingle with other freethinkers.

Every knee shall bow and tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD! You can choose to bow NOW or BOW LATER............... I'd choose now if I were you.

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

This conversation is really going to digress a bit here, but I can't help myself, LOL...



I think that firstly, it needs to be realized that Christians believe two things: the Bible consists of books that are considered occasional literature (targeted at a specific group for a specific purpose) and that it is not to be considered a scientific textbook. Also, all details concerning the stories that are recorded aren't included because they play no role concerning the truth that such stories are intended to bear out. The writers of the Bible spoke using phenomenological language, or the language of appearances (e.g., the "setting of the sun"), but this in no way contradicts anything we now know due to advanced scientific technology. People don't seem to realize that science and philosophy/religion are two different constructs utilized to examine our world. It makes no sense to go to the Bible or Koran to understand the role that gills play in the physiological functions of fish, just like one shouldn't consult a scientific textbook to try and understand "the meaning of it all." Science has limits, and empirical knowledge is not the only type of knowledge that counts for anything.

Well said.

[portyhead24]

Originally Posted by ApostolicFlightAttendant

Every knee shall bow and tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD! You can choose to bow NOW or BOW LATER............... I'd choose now if I were you.

You make a compelling argument hah!

[atlantamoi]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

This conversation is really going to digress a bit here, but I can't help myself, LOL...



I think that firstly, it needs to be realized that Christians believe two things: the Bible consists of books that are considered occasional literature (targeted at a specific group for a specific purpose) and that it is not to be considered a scientific textbook. Also, all details concerning the stories that are recorded aren't included because they play no role concerning the truth that such stories are intended to bear out. The writers of the Bible spoke using phenomenological language, or the language of appearances (e.g., the "setting of the sun"), but this in no way contradicts anything we now know due to advanced scientific technology. People don't seem to realize that science and philosophy/religion are two different constructs utilized to examine our world. It makes no sense to go to the Bible or Koran to understand the role that gills play in the physiological functions of fish, just like one shouldn't consult a scientific textbook to try and understand "the meaning of it all." Science has limits, and empirical knowledge is not the only type of knowledge that counts for anything.

Most of the Christians I know believe what you say. Frankly, I don't know how you can believe any of it w/out seeing the Bible in this light. However, there are huge amounts of believers who'd disagree with you. Go to a forum like Crosswalk.com and read the science thread. You'll pull your hair out from the insanity.

[karrobe]

I don't understand how if one looks at the actual history of the Christian religion, all else aside, can one still believe. Christianity is a concoction of religions mostly stolen from Egyptian mythology. Do people not realize that Jesus represents the sun and that this story is not new? The entire story of his life is the story of the sun's journey in the sky. It is a story that has been repeated over and over throughout history to explain the cosmos. Ancient people never believed there was a person named Jesus. These are historicized mythological figures and events.

[karrobe]

I should also add:


More than twenty claims of this kind -- claims of beings invested with divine honor (deified) -- have come forward and presented themselves at the bar of the world with their credentials, to contest the verdict of Christendom, in having proclaimed Jesus Christ, "the only son, and sent of God:" twenty Messiahs, Saviors, and Sons of God, according to history or tradition, have, in past times, descended from heaven, and taken upon themselves the form of men, clothing themselves with human flesh, and furnishing incontestable evidence of a divine origin, by various miracles, marvelous works, and superlative virtues; and finally these twenty Jesus Christs (accepting their character for the name) laid the foundation for the salvation of the world, and ascended back to heaven.

1. Chrishna of Hindostan.
2. Budha Sakia of India.
3. Salivahana of Bermuda.
4. Zulis, or Zhule, also Osiris and Orus, of Egypt.
5. Odin of the Scaudinavians.
6. Crite of Chaldea.
7. Zoroaster and Mithra of Persia.
8. Baal and Taut, "the only Begotten of God," of Phenicia.
9. Indra of Thibet.
10. Bali of Afghanistan.
11. Jao of Nepaul.
12. Wittoba of the Bilingonese.
13. Thammuz of Syria.
14. Atys of Phrygia.
15. Xaniolxis of Thrace.
16. Zoar of the Bonzes.
17. Adad of Assyria.
18. Deva Tat, and Sammonocadam of Siam.
19. Alcides of Thebes.
20. Mikado of the Sintoos.
21. Beddru of Japan.
22. Hesus or Eros, and Bremrillah, of the Druids.
23. Thor, son of Odin, of the Gauls.
24. Cadmus of Greece.
25. Hil and Feta of the Mandaites.
26. Gentaut and Quexalcote of Mexico.
27. Universal Monarch of the Sibyls.
28. Ischy of the Island of Formosa.
29. Divine Teacher of Plato.
30. Holy One of Xaca.
31. Fohi and Tien of China.
32. Adonis, son of the virgin Io of Greece.
33. IxiOn and Quirinus of Rome.
34. Prometheus of Caucasus.
35. Mohamud, or Mahomet, of Arabia.

The idea was not new!

[portyhead24]

^^^^^^^
Don't forget David Koresh and that crazy drunk guy that walks down the street from me!

[karrobe]

Originally Posted by portyhead24

^^^^^^^
Don't forget David Koresh and that crazy drunk guy that walks down the street from me!

Exactly. Almost forgot