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Anyone who says THAT is certainly not using logic -- but rather giving in to the brain's automatic revulsion towards something happening just because of dumb luck.
It's not even a false choice between divine intervention and "dumb luck" or "randomness". That is a theist invented false dilemma.
As I pointed out in another thread today, that there is no creative / sustaining intelligence behind reality does not make it "random". It does not mean there aren't natural patterns, laws, rhythms, that allow some useful predictions to be made and tested. It does not mean there is "no meaning" or "no purpose" -- just that those things comes from each of us, and is not externally bestowed (or imposed!) by some supposedly friendly actor. There is plenty of order, meaning and purpose to be discovered and embraced by each of us.
There is less control than most of us would like -- if I had the power, I would have intervened in my life, or, for that matter, yours, at a number of points, to make life better. So all the news is not good -- life doesn't owe us anything, does not come with any guarantees, and we die as we were born and as we lived -- alone. These are not pleasing, comforting lies but they are not the entire story either.
What the brain revolts against is lack of control and lack of design. It revolts because it means we lack as much control as we like in a universe that's not designed to make us the triumphant (or, at least, tragic) hero in our own personal stage drama. It reduces our personal importance, both absolutely and relative to others.
After reading some of the posts on this forum, I thought it odd that so many atheists come out of their way to come here to attempt to discredit Christ.
If I were an atheist, I wouldn't care. Nothing like this would matter.
I mean, why would I care about what someone else believes?
In fact, some of them can get downright rude about it. But for some reason, atheists feel they have the right to do it.
Could it be they are searching for the truth?
Or maybe they see the truth, but they're fighting to submit to the one true God?
For all the atheists who lurk here, what do you say?
I was atheist, I was bat<bleep> crazy , there was a mocking element of fun in it all. Truth is I was afraid.
They attack Jesus because he is a threat to the ego.
Notice they never attack Buddha.
Last edited by mensaguy; 12-27-2017 at 05:09 PM..
Reason: language
There are people on this very forum that claim they don't sin, that they are tight with God. It takes a humble person with no ego to admit they're a sinner and are not good enough on their own, but need a savior.
I was atheist, I was batchit crazy , there was a mocking element of fun in it all. Truth is I was afraid.
They attack Jesus because he is a threat to the ego.
Notice they never attack Buddha.
Buddha isn't a Problem for us. Nor for that matter is Christ. It is Organized religion and particularly Christianity thatbis the problem, and it got a bigger problem over he last two decades.
If as an atheist (and we were all atheists until we were spoonfed religion) you were batchit crazy and Afraid, and religion gave you stability, I'm happy for you. It doesn't do a think to persuade me that Religion doesn't urgently need rolling back into the churches. Which should be taxed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BaptistFundie
There are people on this very forum that claim they don't sin, that they are tight with God. It takes a humble person with no ego to admit they're a sinner and are not good enough on their own, but need a savior.
It takes a rational person with no fake dogma of sin foisted on them to admit that we are all human and we do some good things and some bad, and we should learn and try to do better. Not to sign up to some religious club for a divine pardon for everything.
There are people on this very forum that claim they don't sin, that they are tight with God. It takes a humble person with no ego to admit they're a sinner and are not good enough on their own, but need a savior.
With NO ego? Is it even possible to be humble and claim to have NO ego?
It takes a person who is credulous concerning that dogma, but in my experience, people who admit they're a sinner can be very humble or insufferable sacks of arrogance -- or anything in between.
One way the latter can happen is that religion flatters the ego by telling you that you have esoteric knowledge that is hidden from others because god has by his unmerited favor (but favor nonetheless!) opened your eyes in preference to the eyes of others. I am ashamed to admit that it was a source of much pride to me in my youth that I had the Truth and was not going to mess my life up like those godless, rebellious, worldly so-and-sos. I felt quite smug about it, to tell the truth. As evidently do some Christians who come here gloating about the comeuppance that folks like me can look forward to.
There are people on this very forum that claim they don't sin, that they are tight with God. It takes a humble person with no ego to admit they're a sinner and are not good enough on their own, but need a savior.
Flogging yourself isn't everyone's idea of Christianity. One could make the case that by calling yourself a sinner you are, in fact, rejecting what Jesus did for you. If you call yourself a sinner are you then on your own? If you say you aren't then who have been made whole by Christ. See what I mean.
With NO ego? Is it even possible to be humble and claim to have NO ego?
It takes a person who is credulous concerning that dogma, but in my experience, people who admit they're a sinner can be very humble or insufferable sacks of arrogance -- or anything in between.
One way the latter can happen is that religion flatters the ego by telling you that you have esoteric knowledge that is hidden from others because god has by his unmerited favor (but favor nonetheless!) opened your eyes in preference to the eyes of others. I am ashamed to admit that it was a source of much pride to me in my youth that I had the Truth and was not going to mess my life up like those godless, rebellious, worldly so-and-sos. I felt quite smug about it, to tell the truth. As evidently do some Christians who come here gloating about the comeuppance that folks like me can look forward to.
as smug as rejecting science that makes it hard to sell atheism? seems to me you changed belief but kept the smug. shun, minimize, and avoid anything that doesn't support a statement of belief.
fundy/milli are the same type of people. they just have an different settling places for their addictions.
willful negligence is the closest thing to a sin i know.
There are people on this very forum that claim they don't sin, that they are tight with God. It takes a humble person with no ego to admit they're a sinner and are not good enough on their own, but need a savior.
The way that post was written, one could assume the poster blames atheism for being crazy and doing crazy things against his or her interests. It's a point of view that is valid for him or her.
The next step in the right direction, once the person has decided that they won't stay young forever, would be to have somebody or something, religion first and then credit given to Jesus, reign them in.
When a person describes their past as "fun" and "crazy" it is automatically assumed by the faithful that this is a sin of the flesh and simply needs to end with forgiveness. What probably is happening is that they were doing things against their interest but called it fun and crazy, realized something needed to change either through the loss of something or someone, and needed the boundaries.
I think a person has a better chance of starting all over in a religious environment than just anywhere.
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