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Or perhaps you underestimate the feelings other people have about the same things you are going on about, always as if you are experiencing some special form of happiness that others like me (atheists) can't share. This is what I meant was unfair.
I'm not underestimating feelings of atheists ...I'm just not talking about them at the moment.
I've got other things going on right now ...if I'm not answering the topic, I'm sorry.
I was going by the subject sentence itself.
My mistake, being lazy...also jumping in mid stream, not so smart.
Sometimes I think people rem my feelings stated many xs ...but I will say again...
I respect an atheist more than I do a person with no exp going on blind faith from a book.
I have many many atheist friends; we all get along just fine...they are noticeably
more honest than my Christian friends, by far... just tossing that in.
I ought to say (For you, Miss H and others) that if they want to have Faith or feel that the evidence justifies belief in a god, Reincarnation, a Nousephere or anything else, that's up to them. Mostly when I say it is not a good thing to use blind Faith, that's general principles and mostly it won't do a lot of harm, especially as it doesn't usually get applied to other things, where they apply usual reasoning.
It's just that, if they post here what they believe, or argue that (blind) Faith is a good thing, I (or we) are going to give reasons why we think not. It isn't a declaration of war.
Or perhaps you underestimate the feelings other people have about the same things you are going on about, always as if you are experiencing some special form of happiness that others like me (atheists) can't share. This is what I meant was unfair. Of course it is not only fair but the purpose of these threads to focus on the topic, but I'm not sure you are doing that either. Read the topic title/question, and let me know if you have answered it. If you have, I missed it. If you have not, please do...
but the love of and from the Creator of the universe
IS something that atheists don't experience
It's something we have to deal with, like losing the excitement and joy of Sants visiting at Christmas. It's just part of growing up and not believing fairy stories anymore.
What we do get is the amazement, wonder, appreciation and excitement of knowing (or learning what we don't know) about Life, the Universe and everything as it is, and being able to deal with not knowing and not having to battle doubt and question all the time, indeed seeing it as a friend and not an enemy to be fought down.
but the love of and from the Creator of the universe
IS something that atheists don't experience
what atheist don't experience is your deity. We experience some of the traits you give it, but we do not experience it as a whole. Just like we do not experience a Santa in a red suit but we do experience that joy of gift giving.
I ought to say (For you, Miss H and others) that if they want to have Faith or feel that the evidence justifies belief in a god, Reincarnation, a Nousephere or anything else, that's up to them. Mostly when I say it is not a good thing to use blind Faith, that's general principles and mostly it won't do a lot of harm, especially as it doesn't usually get applied to other things, where they apply usual reasoning.
It's just that, if they post here what they believe, or argue that (blind) Faith is a good thing, I (or we) are going to give reasons why we think not. It isn't a declaration of war.
I agree ... and ... That is completely different than ...
If you are not talking a god here (it's alive but not with a planning, intelligent, will) you are off topic. Remember the only reason for atheists to be here is in refuting the claim of a theism or religion or at least a spirituality. We are not here to put forward speculative non -theist alternatives. Take them to the science forum and argue them there. I'm not going to keep on explaining this.
In general, this perhaps holds some weight in many worldly matters when we say, "Faith is not a valid reason to believe in anything at all" HOWEVER, there is an exception to it when try to attempt to deal with Religious Theology. Because "Faith" is all what we've got, if we want to believe or to reject the possibility of existence of God.
And generally, this faith is not build overnight.
And for those who want to believe, faith is generally established after one takes a certain journey. And taking or not taking this journey is an individual choice.
This journey starts with two questions that some of us ask ourselves.
First: What's after death?
A universally true answer is: We don't know.
Some folks will leave it at that, and others may still ponder due to their natural curiosity.
There are perhaps, more than we can think of, number of possibilities when we think about answering the question, "What's after death?"
And one of the possibilities is "If there is a God, then there is perhaps a meeting with God after death"
Folks who feel that this underlined possibility sits well with their mindset, ask the second potentially possible question from themselves.
"If there is a God and we are to return to him, then why did he create me, what's the purpose of life and do I need/want God's guidance on how to live this life?
If the answer is yes, then this individual starts his research by analyzing the holy messages, philosophies AND the definitions of God, from the many of the available choices (religions of the world).
Whatever he feels talks to his heart, he puts his faith in it, and tries to live by it.
There is no "evidence" of God anywhere in this entire trip, and there is no evidence of what awaits us after death?
And this is one of the clues;
If there WAS an evidence of God then, these questions and these thoughts would not even come our minds, but fortunately or unfortunately they do. And the reason is again, there is no evidence of God.
All I'm hearing is a desire to believe in a god (name you own) or Something More, even a 'Mystery' like alien technology in antiquity or indeed UFOs, Atlantis and Sumerian humancloning alien scientists, Bigfoot, Flat earth, holes in the poles Nessie etc, etc. that is so satisfying to people who Need this stuff to feel that their life means something (that's not a guess, I've heard them say it, and seen them get upset, tearful and hostile when it was debunked).
This business of 'joining the dots' which is really selecting the dots to fit the picture, works in 'finding things in life that showed God was working in it'.
Easy. It's how fortune tellers fool you every time. If you are half convinced, you can fiddle the parameters to make the dots fit. You know how it works - prayer is always answered, but sometimes you have to wait and sometimes you get what you need, not what you asked for.
I don't want to smash the illusions of the believers on some revelation of the divine that makes them feel so fulfilled, but I know that half the non -believers used to believe until the doubts and questions could not be ignored and one day they realised they'd been talking to themselves (which I do all the time - sometimes in public ) all the time and they'd been feeling so great that they had a special relationship or revelation of whatever it was they wanted to believe in.
You've seen some of them them, old son. Oceans 777 no doubt believed all that stuff he posted. I'll let you think of a few others and the forae where those who have different beliefs try to argue it out using logic and reason, as though that even counted.
Trust me (I'm an atheist ) you're never losing anything by losing self -delusion. The world, indeed the universe, becomes your oyster and it is no loner a lockdown bubble bounded by signs saying 'This is all God'.
You lose fear of doubt and question because being wrong is learning, not the collapse of a faith that you built your self -worth on. You do not have to fight tooth and claw to defend an eggshell -fragile Belief againt the question of sound logic and validated science.
It's why we really do pity for those who have to dismiss logic as human rules or science as a Faith or religion, and that is why they end up in denial, abuse and flounce and making themselves look foolish and dishonest by turning up a month later re-asserting what had already been refuted.
We feel sorry for you even while we kick your metaphorical teeth in (all for your own good) as we feel the panic, fury and hate of those who wish all the questions would disappear and we goddless bastards along with it.
They'd love to see us banished, banned and silenced and you can see that plain from the 'pot -kettle' play - What they accuse us of trying to do to them, is what they would love to do with us.
Have a good weekend all of you lads and ladesses as I Luv you all, even Arach, and ain't it grand to see Ferrarri back in contention?
It's just that, if they post here what they believe, or argue that (blind) Faith is a good thing, I (or we) are going to give reasons why we think not. It isn't a declaration of war.
I know.
Example, when I - being with Christians, bless their hearts, all giddy after a Sunday service ----
and with my questioning of them on their pastor's words, that they are parroting...
they just stammer and fall apart. (I just became a downer to them..
just asking, 'Why, can you explain that to me?')
See, when your faith is built on sand, (meaning, not solid personal exp)---even a question -
an opposing idea ...is tough for them.
Then, when questions are repeated over and over for yrs and from many people it feels like being attacked.
Now, if a Christian is reading this..and they are solid in their exp ...they will not be offended by my words.
They might even know baby Christians that fall apart with simple questions and agree with me.
This is why direct exp is superior to blind faith, to me.
I ought to say (For you, Miss H and others) that if they want to have Faith or feel that the evidence justifies belief in a god, Reincarnation, a Nousephere or anything else, that's up to them. Mostly when I say it is not a good thing to use blind Faith, that's general principles and mostly it won't do a lot of harm, especially as it doesn't usually get applied to other things, where they apply usual reasoning.
It's just that, if they post here what they believe, or argue that (blind) Faith is a good thing, I (or we) are going to give reasons why we think not. It isn't a declaration of war.
A blockade is a declaration of war.
"If you are not talking a god here (it's alive but not with a planning, intelligent, will) you are off topic. Remember the only reason for atheists to be here is in refuting the claim of a theism or religion or at least a spirituality. We are not here to put forward speculative non -theist alternatives. Take them to the science forum and argue them there. I'm not going to keep on explaining this."
what atheist don't experience is your deity. We experience some of the traits you give it, but we do not experience it as a whole. Just like we do not experience a Santa in a red suit but we do experience that joy of gift giving.
that would be something else atheists don't experience, those who hold the view in post above.
ability to distinguish between Santa and God.
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) all the time and they'd been feeling so great that they had a special relationship or revelation of whatever it was they wanted to believe in. 
) you're never losing anything by losing self -delusion. The world, indeed the universe, becomes your oyster and it is no loner a lockdown bubble bounded by signs saying 'This is all God'. 
