2010-07-08, 01:35 | Link #2525 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
|
Still atheist and probably always will be, because I seriously doubt anyone can come up with a reasonable explanation to a very practical question, which I have been thinking, since I will be travelling to developing country soon.
The question is: there is malaria, which kills hundreds of thousands of people every year (hopefully I won't get infected). Why does it exist? If there is a god or gods, are they not benevolent? If not, I wouldn't worship them. If yes, are they not omnipotent? If yes => Not benevolent. If no => Why worship him? Which leads to the conclusion that human is the master of himself and atheism is the right way of life. |
2010-07-08, 01:40 | Link #2526 | |
Moving in circles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
|
Quote:
So, depending on which country you're visiting, I hope you'd approach its culture with an open mind. Nothing wrong with being a doubter, but do show respect for different worldviews, even if they happen to be "religious". Religion, after all, doesn't even have to involve worshipping gods. |
|
2010-07-08, 01:57 | Link #2527 |
Presence
Join Date: Jun 2009
|
The moment you said that, you've become no different than the people who say that their religion is the right way of life.
There's not much difference between atheists and the religious who preach their ways of life and try to prove the other wrong. They're the same kind of people. As for me? I don't believe in anything. I'm just here, for a little while. |
2010-07-08, 04:34 | Link #2529 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
|
@ Lio
Remember: I'm speaking for myself. You heard what I said. It's up to you do you take it or leave it. @ TinyRedLeaf And yet the issue remains. Yes, I do go there with an open mind, mainly in an academic sense. Nothing wrong in knowing a little bit more about history and as to why the country has a war going on between two religious groups. |
2010-07-08, 06:11 | Link #2530 | |
Moving in circles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
|
Quote:
More often than not, it's people who are at fault, not the religion itself. If you really want to get to the root of violence in that country, look beyond the religious issues. Socio-political and socio-economic flaws are more likely to be the major causes, with religion being no more than a superficial justification for war. Atheism does not equal nihilism. I could go further, but I'd rather not start another flame war. |
|
2010-07-08, 10:25 | Link #2531 | |
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
|
Quote:
If you do, then you should worship God according to what the religion says. (And I mean what it really says, not just what you hear people say about it.) If you don't, then there's no point in asking since you can't expect to worship someone you don't even believe in. |
|
2010-07-08, 10:46 | Link #2532 | |
Custom User Title
|
Quote:
I'm not religious. I don't actually believe in what I wrote above. However, I wanted to point out that atheism is not the only alternative to (well-)known religions. Religions can be proven wrong, but not believing itself, because there is an infinite amount of possible beliefs. Beliefs are like water, if science or logic put rocks in their way, they simply form around it.
__________________
|
|
2010-07-08, 11:56 | Link #2534 | |
Presence
Join Date: Jun 2009
|
Quote:
Once you've gone through Ending's phase of having all kinds of negative impressions of religion, always trying to prove them wrong, you'll get to a point where you just drop all that. You just stop caring, and you can begin to see that being religious is a way of life that has played its role in human history, just as much as atheism has. Yet, most people don't choose to be religious, or atheist. It's all a complete accident how we all ended up. Some people just happened to be born into a religious environment, others in atheist. Sure, there are converts. But for someone like me who's always been an atheist who used to slander religion left and right, you'll get to a point where you just drop all that slandering. You don't even care about how atheists slander the religious, or how the religious slanders the atheist. At that point the distinction between the atheists and the religious who oppose each other begins to blurr. Most people stop there. They realize that the majority of people had no choice in the path they chose, and they begin to accept their differences. I simply take it one step further, the leap of faith that atheists are afraid to take - dropping their atheism. What does it matter that religions can lead to violent conflicts, or that atheism is the "correct" way of life? What meaning does it hold to slander the groups who don't live your way of life? Nothing. Now, from here, you're left with a third choice - to live spontaneously, without concern for what's right or what's wrong, feeling compassion for both the religious and the atheists. |
|
2010-07-08, 12:05 | Link #2535 |
廉頗
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 34
|
It isn't about it 'meaning something,' at least not for me. I just want to get an idea of what the truth is, or get as close as possible. Though I do agree with most of what you said; I went from Catholic -> Agnostic -> Atheist -> now I'm an agnostic that favors atheism and I don't really care what others believe all that much. I don't understand some religious 'logic' and usually when I get into debates on the subject all I aim to discover is the rationale an individual possesses and why they possess it.
I think spiritualism still has its place even for an atheist or agnostic. I don't believe 'spirits' actually exist, but I understand the notion of my life force that is distinct yet interconnected to the world around me. So in a way, for me, Earth is god, and the universe is akin to the titans. I really don't need more than that. |
2010-07-11, 17:23 | Link #2539 |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
|
i'm religious
atheists are always coming up to me in the coffee shop wanting to debate religion. they can't stop talking about god. after a lot of arguing over the years it comes down to this, 'why would god let a 4 year old girl die of leukemia?' no, all the other arguments are irrelevant because fundamentally, you can't trust your senses, everything is a matter of faith whether you're religious or an atheist. so, i have faith that god either can't intervene in the 4 year old girl's death or he has some plan. |
2010-07-11, 17:51 | Link #2540 | |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
|
Quote:
And remember --- 90% of people waving a flag for some belief or non-belief probably can't argue their way out of a paper bag. They've just joined a team on some murky arm-waving or soundbite. Others were just born in a belief and haven't done any deep analysis.
__________________
|
|
Tags |
not a debate, philosophy, religion |
|
|