My thoughts on athiesm

[ChronoSponge]

I believe that Athiesm, in itself, is hypocritical. To Acknowledge one possability over another on something that as of now, we can not fully understand, over another is hypocritical.

Well I guess I'm a hypocrite.

But in that case, all religion is hypocritical. Not even the most devout believers will claim that they fully understand their God, thus the term "The Lord works in mysterious ways". And people can neither prove nor disprove any other religion. So to pick one over the other without any particular reason is, as you say, hypocritical.

[harris7]

Well I guess I'm a hypocrite.

But in that case, all religion is hypocritical. Not even the most devout believers will claim that they fully understand their God, thus the term "The Lord works in mysterious ways". And people can neither prove nor disprove any other religion. So to pick one over the other without any particular reason is, as you say, hypocritical.

Yup,

Arbitrarily pick one. And then denounce all others.

[B.Basher]

A liar is not somebody with a false belief, somebody who's theory is wrong, or somebody who dares question what so many just declare to be unquestionable facts.

I don't think i've ever heard a better argument. Every post was epic. Nice one :thumbsup: !

[ValkyrieAg]

When I first became religiously aware, I really didn't think 'God' actually existed, and left it at that. Alot of people use 'god' to stay on a certain 'path'. Well from a moral standpoint, my parents raised me right and I am a moral person. Well, I began to wonder about it. Do you ever stop and think about how 'perfect' our world is? Has anyone ever really looked around at the things we have? Isn't this world damn near perfect? We just happen to be at a perfect warm spot where we can thrive. We have drinkable water. Rain. Plants. Marijuana. haha. One time I was talking to someone about religion, and she asked me if I had ever been to New York City....(at the time I had not)....so I said 'no'. Then she said "well how do you know that it exists if you haven't seen it? People tell you that it exists and they have been there, but if you haven't seen it with your own eyes, how do you know it exists?"

Of course thats kind of apples and oranges, but it still makes you think. But I still don't feel comfortable with any religion. MORE people have died in the name of religion than any other cause. Thats not something I want to be a part of. I am agnostic, but I want to keep an open mind. I WANT TO BELIEVE. But...if I believe, religion kind of goes against my morals....

[harris7]

The problem with that argument for me is
That although you are taking their “word”, or you have faith in what they say. Similar to religious faith.

You have the ability to prove them wrong. You can “try” to go to new york and find out if it’s real.

So the person who told you that is taking the risk of Falsifiability, unlike any person on religion.

[delusionsofNORMALity]

each day we wake up and go on our merry ways, each step of the way we take so many things on faith. the little, minute to minute things. how many of us understand how the various machines in our lives work? we take for granted that what was there yesterday will be there today (faith). we work each day expecting a paycheck (faith). we convert that check into money, expecting to use it to purchase our necessities (faith). we know how a burger will taste, how a siren will sound, how a woman will feel (faith, faith, faith).
without these simple acts of faith most of us would be quivering masses of paranoid jelly.

so it would seem to be with the greater questions in life.

is there a god? what happens after death? etc. etc. etc...

for those of you who place their faith in religion, that is your choice and you must live with the consequences and limitations inherent in that choice. for those of us called atheists and unbelievers, we have placed our faith in our senses. we have chosen to rely on our mental capacity and what facts we can discern on the nature of our reality.

is our degree of faith any less than yours? i think not. but what the hell do i know.

[harris7]

I think this is the only example of faith that all non believes succumb to. Faith that our observations represent reality. But, everyone succumbs to this assumption

I agree with your intent but I disagree that these things are based on faith.

[JunkYard]

Harris is talking about blind faith being faith, me thinks. Something us religious folk kinda count on, lol! If it aint blind, it aint faith, or something like that, right harris?

Btw, what do atheists believe in, man? Wait, that hit kinda broad, didn't it? I have a few atheist friends, but they're not hell bent on disproving God, or anything like that. They, like many other liberal minded folks, value very worthwhile things, imo. The only difference is they don't look to a book, or a higher power to tell them what's right or wrong.


Love,

[harris7]

yes, I also think there are different kinds of faith. and to different people the word means different things.

i'm pretty sure we all agree that "religious faith" is blind faith. so when we use it in a religion thread we really should only use it with one meaning.

I'm only hell bent to bring reason to people. Not to disprove god. Your beliefs are very reasonable so i dont try to disprove them too much.

But there are some fucking crazy religious folk and someone has to smack some sense into them.

like that jesus camp

[delusionsofNORMALity]

isn't all faith blind?
reality changes all around us every day; reality is different from one person to the next, from one moment to the next. much of what is possible today wasn't possible yesterday, what is commonplace for some is extraordinary for others.

don't place too much certainty on your version of reality, lest someone else's comes crashing through your mind.

paradox is a wonderful thing. i have absolute faith in my perceptions of reality and yet i am absolutely certain i am wrong.

or at least i will be, just give it a moment.