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Status:
"I don't understand. But I don't care, so it works out."
(set 3 days ago)
35,613 posts, read 17,935,039 times
Reputation: 50634
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L8Gr8Apost8
There probably isn't a lot of overlap between people who believe in reincarnation and atheists. I personally don't because that is a knowledge position that lacks proof IMO. A person could believe natural laws would allow this.
I don't see how. In my experience, if you can't see it/touch it/taste it/feel it/hear it, atheists don't believe in it.
And I don't see how you can prove reincarnation, except by faith, in that that is unseen, but still felt in a spiritual way.
It's the same faith as seeing signs, or miracles, and believing in them that atheists would call coincidences.
I don't see how. In my experience, if you can't see it/touch it/taste it/feel it/hear it, atheists don't believe in it.
And I don't see how you can prove reincarnation, except by faith, in that that is unseen, but still felt in a spiritual way.
It's the same faith as seeing signs, or miracles, and believing in them that atheists would call coincidences.
Most atheists seem like they appreciate that there are things beyond our capabilities to understand. They may forever be beyond our reach. Atheist are just less likely to go putting a name on those things until we have more info.
Status:
"I don't understand. But I don't care, so it works out."
(set 3 days ago)
35,613 posts, read 17,935,039 times
Reputation: 50634
Quote:
Originally Posted by L8Gr8Apost8
Most atheists seem like they appreciate that there are things beyond our capabilities to understand. They may forever be beyond our reach. Atheist are just less likely to go putting a name on those things until we have more info.
Edit: Can you define what you mean by spiritual?
I had to google "spiritual definition" to make sure I was correct in my belief.
"Having a spirit or a soul". And spirit, and soul, I believe are synonyms here.
I certainly think you can have the gift of wonder, and joy, and be ethically and morally positive, but that's not the same thing as believing you have a "soul" IMHO.
The R&S forum is about discussing R&S. You don't have to believe in either to engage in a discussion about it. For example, I enjoy discussing paranormal things, and cryptozoology, but I don't believe in Bigfoot or poltergeists. The difference for me, is that one does not affect anything, where one affects a whole lot of things. A lot of posts on here are political or related to current events. They just happen to have a religious slant to them. These are generally the ones I participate in. I know that many of the religious posters would prefer not to have atheists or agnostics post, but last I checked, we are free to do so for whatever reason we choose.
Also, believe it or not, atheists aren't some homogenous blob who all think alike either. You probably have about as many answers and reasons as you do atheists that post. We are also a very curious bunch, and participate in MANY discussions related to religion and otherwise. We are, in general, a group that likes to debate and share ideas as well.
In other words, we post here because we want to. As to the why? Well, to be perfectly honest, it doesn't matter why.
.....the Atheists, who believe we have no soul, no transcendent
"being" that might exist .... after the death
I forgot, that WAS a major part of my ex's belief...and my friend's boyfriend before he died in his 60s.
(That changed the last 3 hours before he died, visiting the Other Side 3xs and coming back here...
and he was a staunch believer in 'nothing after death'.)
I had to google "spiritual definition" to make sure I was correct in my belief.
"Having a spirit or a soul". And spirit, and soul, I believe are synonyms here.
I certainly think you can have the gift of wonder, and joy, and be ethically and morally positive, but that's not the same thing as believing you have a "soul" IMHO.
The group I was in didn't believe in the soul. They are not alone. I asked this question here:
I certainly don't think that everyone who is spiritual is Christian, nor is this forum about Christianity. Pagans are spiritual, wiccans are spiritual, Buddhists, Hindus, unspecifically named philosophies who believe there is a life that's not restricted to with the confines of a body are all spiritual.
All those believers would be attracted to a forum such as this one.
And those who have none of those beliefs - the Atheists, who believe we have no soul, no transcendent "being" that might exist as one with each other, or individually as a specific spirit that can live on after the death of the host body, who don't believe there is any benefit to individual or corporate prayer or asking a question of the universe; who don't believe there is any design to our beings besides just happenstance, have a subforum for atheists.
My question remains, for those Atheists, what is the benefit you receive coming to a forum for those who are trying to sort out and express their belief in a Higher Power, for which you have no belief or even respect?
(It would be one thing is most atheists on this forum came with the attitude of, I really don't get it, I'm struggling as to how otherwise intelligent appearing people could believe in a God. But that's not how it's usually presented. It's dismissive, disrespectful and angry).
*shrug*
Addressing the comment about atheists believing we have no souls, I am reminded of the most militant atheist I have ever known. He was outspoken and kept his work space decorated with memes and cartoons about atheism. He told his children that he would come back and haunt them forever if they had prayers or a religious service for his funeral. He obviously thought some kind of spirit would live on in some fashion after he dies.
A substantial number of the atheists who post here were once Christians. Some of them will tell you that they had a great deal of anguish discarding their faith. Participating in this forum is therapeutic for some of them. They are finding people of like minds. Some of them are quite angry that they were fed religion by their families for all of their growing years. Some of them feel like they wasted decades of their lives on religion.
I don't see how. In my experience, if you can't see it/touch it/taste it/feel it/hear it, atheists don't believe in it.
And I don't see how you can prove reincarnation, except by faith, in that that is unseen, but still felt in a spiritual way.
It's the same faith as seeing signs, or miracles, and believing in them that atheists would call coincidences.
I think you are painting the entire atheist community with far too broad a brush. Atheists, be definition, do not believe in any God (or gods). Whether they believe anything else is irrelevant. Some of them believe in spiritual things and many things that defy normal explanations. Some of them have said that there are things that they have no explanation for, but indications are that they exist, so they have an open mind while they wait for an explanation for those things.
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