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Old 08-16-2012, 02:32 PM
 
Location: Mississippi
6,712 posts, read 13,460,010 times
Reputation: 4317

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Boy View Post
How great would that be.

A person that believes they are not accountable for their actions. All they would have to do is fully confide in their atheist doctrine, form an elite group of atheist, and change the law to comply to contemporary circumstances.

The poor are causing problems? The atheist solution: Kill them all. Why should they take up my valuable resources and my precious time on earth? They are taking from my pie. Right?

What a dream it would be to have an atheist president.
Atheist doctrine. I love it. And just what would that doctrine be, Del Boy? From your statements here it seems like you think atheists aren't accountable for their actions in any way whatsoever and we could thus go on to kill anyone who poses as a problem to us and move our agenda forward.

Here's the thing, though, Del Boy. You're statements seem to imply that the only reason for restraint against doing horrible things is being held accountable for your actions. You seem to imply that it is the accountability of religion that keeps people from killing large numbers of those who are in the way of their agenda. That if they only had religion, they'd be tethered to some sort of arbitrary judgment process that would prohibit them from committing crimes.

Nevermind the moral issues a person may have with killing another person. Nevermind the sense of guilt, the desire not to harm other people, etc... That does not stem from religion nor is it unique to religion, Del Boy. But, you seem to insist that the only thing religion does is chain our violence to the tree like some sort of rabid dog. Does this mean that deep down you really do want to commit mass murder but the only thing holding you back is your belief in God? Is it something like this in your mind: "I so badly want to go kill all of those people. If God wasn't watching my every move then I would do it. It's just that I'm always being watched and will have to answer to him after I die. Otherwise, I'd be mowing down large groups of people."

Personally, I doubt it. I doubt the only thing holding you back from committing crimes is your belief in God and/or your particular religion. It certainly isn't what keeps me back. And, heck, even if tomorrow we woke up and every law in the books was gone and there was no punishment for any crime I still wouldn't have the desire to go and murder a bunch of people. Being held accountable is merely a reaction society has developed for people who do commit crimes - it's not a very good deterrent. Most people are able to critically think about their actions, the harm they may cause, the moral reasons for not committing those crimes, and they are able to do so with or without religion as some sort of celestial watchdog.

You put words and thoughts into our mouths and minds that there is some sort of "Atheist Solution" but this seems to be more out of vindictive spite and misunderstanding than it does any sort of reality. I am an Atheist and I know many Atheists. This may be anecdotal in nature but I've found my fellow Atheists to be more trustworthy, honest, and reality-based than any of my religious associates. I'm sure there are bad Atheists out there but you have to ask yourself why they are bad. Are they doing bad things because they're sitting around the house one day thinking to themselves, "You know, I don't believe in God. So... I guess I'll go rob the liquor store."

That doesn't make sense, Del Boy. On the flip side, though, you have a lot of explaining to do for the evils religion causes the world. The fact that humans are still stoning people in 2012 can be traced almost exclusively to religion. The fact that we're landing rovers on Mars while there's a debate over which chicken sandwich to eat is a religious problem. The fact that we're teaching children the Earth is 6000 years old and that science is wrong about everything is a religious problem. The fact that young women are involuntarily having their clitorises removed, priests have been and still are covering up the diddling of boys by their colleagues, and any number of atrocities can all be traced to religious in nature. It would seem that those who do worship fictitious beings in the sky have a much harder time keeping themselves from committing grave crimes against humanity. And, when they do it, they just defer their responsibility and say "God wanted it done that way."

Your vapid ignorance and stupidity to understanding anything about the human condition, the philosophical implications of moral and immoral actions shine a heavy light on the indoctrination you've received regarding how you think religion works relative to atheism. Your blanket statements regarding some sort of fictitious "Atheist Doctrine" is absurd and, to top it all off, your simple-minded understanding of Darwinism seems to be a byproduct of some wretched skewing of the science.
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Old 08-16-2012, 02:37 PM
 
Location: Rational World Park
4,991 posts, read 4,505,203 times
Reputation: 2375
It's taken long enough for Americans to realize that religion is just well organized hocus pocus.
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Old 08-16-2012, 02:43 PM
 
Location: Great State of Texas
86,052 posts, read 84,481,831 times
Reputation: 27720
Quote:
Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge View Post
Yes, I think I addressed that when I said that you weren't the poster I was having this conversation with. I appreciate your input, but HappyTexan is the one who said that since atheists don't believe in God that they are getting their morals from government.

As for believers being mentally impaired, you have me confused with another poster because I never stated, suggested nor implied that.
Take "taking human life" for example (as murder is too strong a word)

Bible says "thou shalt not kill"

We have the death penalty and abortion, both sanctioned by the government via laws.
Before Roe vs Wade, abortion was treated as a felony in some states.

Government legislated morals (when it's legally ok to take a human life) are at odds with religious beliefs in this case.
Atheists don't believe in God and therefore wouldn't treat the holy books as such.
If government changes the laws, atheists tend to go with them.
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Old 08-16-2012, 02:49 PM
 
42,732 posts, read 29,878,374 times
Reputation: 14345
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTexan View Post
Take "taking human life" for example (as murder is too strong a word)

Bible says "thou shalt not kill"

We have the death penalty and abortion, both sanctioned by the government via laws.
Before Roe vs Wade, abortion was treated as a felony in some states.

Government legislated morals (when it's legally ok to take a human life) are at odds with religious beliefs in this case.
Atheists don't believe in God and therefore wouldn't treat the holy books as such.
If government changes the laws, atheists tend to go with them.
There are atheists who are anti-abortion.

You are saying that you can draw from your own morality within to guide your life, but that atheists don't have an internal moral compass. And I'm telling you that not only are your views mistaken, but that they are also offensive. Atheists are no different from you. They have an innate morality, just like any other person. The only humans that lack an innate morality are sociopaths and psychopaths. Atheists are neither.
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Old 08-16-2012, 02:50 PM
 
1,140 posts, read 1,301,258 times
Reputation: 478
Quote:
Originally Posted by GCSTroop View Post
Atheist doctrine. I love it. And just what would that doctrine be, Del Boy? From your statements here it seems like you think atheists aren't accountable for their actions in any way whatsoever and we could thus go on to kill anyone who poses as a problem to us and move our agenda forward.

Here's the thing, though, Del Boy. You're statements seem to imply that the only reason for restraint against doing horrible things is being held accountable for your actions. You seem to imply that it is the accountability of religion that keeps people from killing large numbers of those who are in the way of their agenda. That if they only had religion, they'd be tethered to some sort of arbitrary judgment process that would prohibit them from committing crimes.

Nevermind the moral issues a person may have with killing another person. Nevermind the sense of guilt, the desire not to harm other people, etc... That does not stem from religion nor is it unique to religion, Del Boy. But, you seem to insist that the only thing religion does is chain our violence to the tree like some sort of rabid dog. Does this mean that deep down you really do want to commit mass murder but the only thing holding you back is your belief in God? Is it something like this in your mind: "I so badly want to go kill all of those people. If God wasn't watching my every move then I would do it. It's just that I'm always being watched and will have to answer to him after I die. Otherwise, I'd be mowing down large groups of people."

Personally, I doubt it. I doubt the only thing holding you back from committing crimes is your belief in God and/or your particular religion. It certainly isn't what keeps me back. And, heck, even if tomorrow we woke up and every law in the books was gone and there was no punishment for any crime I still wouldn't have the desire to go and murder a bunch of people. Being held accountable is merely a reaction society has developed for people who do commit crimes - it's not a very good deterrent. Most people are able to critically think about their actions, the harm they may cause, the moral reasons for not committing those crimes, and they are able to do so with or without religion as some sort of celestial watchdog.

You put words and thoughts into our mouths and minds that there is some sort of "Atheist Solution" but this seems to be more out of vindictive spite and misunderstanding than it does any sort of reality. I am an Atheist and I know many Atheists. This may be anecdotal in nature but I've found my fellow Atheists to be more trustworthy, honest, and reality-based than any of my religious associates. I'm sure there are bad Atheists out there but you have to ask yourself why they are bad. Are they doing bad things because they're sitting around the house one day thinking to themselves, "You know, I don't believe in God. So... I guess I'll go rob the liquor store."

That doesn't make sense, Del Boy. On the flip side, though, you have a lot of explaining to do for the evils religion causes the world. The fact that humans are still stoning people in 2012 can be traced almost exclusively to religion. The fact that we're landing rovers on Mars while there's a debate over which chicken sandwich to eat is a religious problem. The fact that we're teaching children the Earth is 6000 years old and that science is wrong about everything is a religious problem. The fact that young women are involuntarily having their clitorises removed, priests have been and still are covering up the diddling of boys by their colleagues, and any number of atrocities can all be traced to religious in nature. It would seem that those who do worship fictitious beings in the sky have a much harder time keeping themselves from committing grave crimes against humanity. And, when they do it, they just defer their responsibility and say "God wanted it done that way."

Your vapid ignorance and stupidity to understanding anything about the human condition, the philosophical implications of moral and immoral actions shine a heavy light on the indoctrination you've received regarding how you think religion works relative to atheism. Your blanket statements regarding some sort of fictitious "Atheist Doctrine" is absurd and, to top it all off, your simple-minded understanding of Darwinism seems to be a byproduct of some wretched skewing of the science.
No, I would not commit murder if I believed there were no God, but I would probably engage in far more sexual activity with the opposite sex.

Religion does restrain me from doing that if you want me to be honest.

The bottom line is, I don't feel entitled to anything in life or death, and atheism is an ideology of entitlement.

I believe I should be held accountable for my actions.
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Old 08-16-2012, 02:52 PM
 
17,291 posts, read 29,402,468 times
Reputation: 8691
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTexan View Post
Take "taking human life" for example (as murder is too strong a word)

Bible says "thou shalt not kill"

We have the death penalty and abortion, both sanctioned by the government via laws.
Before Roe vs Wade, abortion was treated as a felony in some states.

Government legislated morals (when it's legally ok to take a human life) are at odds with religious beliefs in this case.
Atheists don't believe in God and therefore wouldn't treat the holy books as such.
If government changes the laws, atheists tend to go with them.

WHether or not abortion is considered "murder" has changed throughout the millennia.

This is because the ongoing debate about when a fetus is a "Person."

Throughout much of the middle ages, Popes sanctioned abortion up until "quickening" (when a woman felt the baby move).

It actually wasn't until the 1800s that the Catholic Church adopted its current final position that abortion is murder in all cases.
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Old 08-16-2012, 02:54 PM
 
42,732 posts, read 29,878,374 times
Reputation: 14345
Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Boy View Post
No, I would not commit murder if I believed there were no God, but I would probably engage in far more sexual activity with the opposite sex.

Religion does restrain me from doing that if you want me to be honest.

The bottom line is, I don't feel entitled to anything in life or death, and atheism is an ideology of entitlement.

I believe I should be held accountable for my actions.
Atheisim is not an ideology of entitlement.

Atheism is the non-belief in a god.

Atheists, like anyone else, come in different forms and flavors.

Atheism isn't hedonism, atheism isn't amorality.

Atheists just don't believe in a god.
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Old 08-16-2012, 03:01 PM
 
775 posts, read 740,891 times
Reputation: 316
Quote:
Originally Posted by Del Boy View Post
No, I would not commit murder if I believed there were no God, but I would probably engage in far more sexual activity with the opposite sex.
Which is a bad thing because...
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Old 08-16-2012, 03:04 PM
 
Location: Great State of Texas
86,052 posts, read 84,481,831 times
Reputation: 27720
Quote:
Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge View Post
There are atheists who are anti-abortion.

You are saying that you can draw from your own morality within to guide your life, but that atheists don't have an internal moral compass. And I'm telling you that not only are your views mistaken, but that they are also offensive. Atheists are no different from you. They have an innate morality, just like any other person. The only humans that lack an innate morality are sociopaths and psychopaths. Atheists are neither.
No, I never posted that. Atheists believe whatever they want as there is no "Atheist doctrine".
And sure atheists can be against abortion but you never hear about them in the press..it's always those "religious fanatics/extremists".

When have you ever seen a protest about "Atheists against abortions" ?
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Old 08-16-2012, 03:12 PM
 
42,732 posts, read 29,878,374 times
Reputation: 14345
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTexan View Post
No, I never posted that. Atheists believe whatever they want as there is no "Atheist doctrine".
And sure atheists can be against abortion but you never hear about them in the press..it's always those "religious fanatics/extremists".

When have you ever seen a protest about "Atheists against abortions" ?
When another poster wrote that the increase in atheists meant more people thinking for themselves, you replied that the increase in atheists didn't mean they were thinking for themselves, but rather that they were getting their morals from the government.

You later remarked that you didn't get your morals from religion because you don't belong to an organized religion, you just believe in God. You get your morals from your own inner moral compass.

And you seem to insist that since atheists have no atheist doctrine, that they don't have an inner moral compass. They believe whatever they want.

That's offensive. You're offensive.

Morality comes from within, not from without.
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