Question for the Atheist

Naturally said:
You could buy all elements and gases the human body is made of in exact amounts and proportions at the "grocery store", mix them all together and you still couldn't "pull a rabbit out of your hat" ... not even if you sprinkled in start dust. Although it might look like a guy I went to school with kinda sorta.

I'm not shocked we are composed of elements and gases found in the cosmos. We travel the same road after all. My vehicles are composed of many of the elements and gases I am ... but have a bit more road tar and bugs than I do ... I think ... and arguably more plastic maybe. The Jeep is named Ruby and the Volkswagen, Candy. They both have "birth certificates" and "name tags" issued by the state which uniquely identify them. Not sure what their beliefs are. They just let me know when they need to be "fed". And my body will some day return to the same earth as theirs. Although our "sparks" are different ... all will be gone.
Click to expand...
It's a good reminder that we're all connected....to the universe, our planet, the animals, our neighbors. And who knows, maybe someday, if we're reminded often enough, it'll make us want to be kinder.
 

VisualBrian said:
I'm not comfortable with the "I'm just a woman" thing. It's toxic and I wish you'd never use it again. You understand that you're complex and that's good. I'm certain that you're much more than that. Believe in yourself.
Click to expand...
I'm curious why this is seen as toxic. Would it be different if she said, "I'm just a human." meaning that we're all fallible and can't know everything? Saying she's just a woman could be a statement of the understanding that women are more intuitive than men, so she's not just a man, but a woman who doesn't know everything.

It's Mother Nature after all, not Father Nature.

Murrmurr said:
That's neuroscience, and I am confident it will at least contribute to explaining consciousness (it is a goal). Maybe one day it will be possible to tailor people's consciousness to make them kinder, more confident, maybe even smarter - able to utilize or maximize all the functions of our brains.
Click to expand...
There's neuroscience of religion or neurotheology. That's been around for a long time.

Neuroscience of religion - Wikipedia
 
Murrmurr said:
It's a good reminder that we're all connected....to the universe, our planet, the animals, our neighbors. And who knows, maybe someday, if we're reminded often enough, it'll make us want to be kinder.
Click to expand...

May have first been said 2024 years or so ago. "Love your neighbor as yourself."
 

Last edited:
VisualBrian said:
Do you have a need to worship/support a higher power?
No.

Do you replace god with something else?
No.

Do you believe in spirituality?
I don't believe in spirits.

Can you be spiritual and not believe in god?
See previous answer...

Do you have/attend a formal group for discussion and socialization?
No.
Click to expand...
Spirituality doesn't mean you believe in spirits and ghosts! :LOL: Though for some it could include the belief in a higher power, usually associated with religion. But one can be spiritual without having a religious affiliation and belief in a higher power.
What Is Spirituality? | Taking Charge of Your Wellbeing
 
Last edited:
Paco Dennis said:
Don't ask what God can do for you, ask what you can do for God.
Click to expand...
It was common practice for me to thank god for each day, no matter how dissatisfied I was about the day or event. I realized my motive was to blindly praise god for everything even I did not agree. Churches are the same way, an enormous amount of blind praise but not necessarily in agreeance of how I feel.

It seems to me god is said to know everything, to Christians, why put on this verbal charade when god knows what kind of day you had?

Why thank god for anything? What you have is what you have gained in life. I understand prayer for requests and healing only because god is irrelevant to the process. If I have a need to pray it is not to the christian god, but to all beings in the universe who impact the outcomes of life and beyond.

If you must believe in god have a broader spectrum of what god means to you.
 
I was referring to Uncle Sam. "Don't ask what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Let's imagine that the USA is God's country. I am supposed to ask what I can do for God's country. OK. What am I supposed to do? If this is God's world, what am I supposed to do? Who will tell me? Which book is the right book to find out? I know if I don't help God's country, I will have failed to be a good human being. This kind of manufactured pressure is very counter productive.
 
Mr. Ed said:
It was common practice for me to thank god for each day, no matter how dissatisfied I was about the day or event. I realized my motive was to blindly praise god for everything even I did not agree. Churches are the same way, an enormous amount of blind praise but not necessarily in agreeance of how I feel.

It seems to me god is said to know everything, to Christians, why put on this verbal charade when god knows what kind of day you had?

Why thank god for anything? What you have is what you have gained in life. I understand prayer for requests and healing only because god is irrelevant to the process. If I have a need to pray it is not to the christian god, but to all beings in the universe who impact the outcomes of life and beyond.

If you must believe in god have a broader spectrum of what god means to you.
Click to expand...

I understand giving thanks more than making requests just because the world owes us nothing and yet provides. Making requests makes it seem like God is just ones special butler. I myself don’t personify God but do think there is something greater onboard than my petty ego. So I don’t engage in any kind of communication with whatever that is but I make a habit of leaving room for insight and inspiration. I find reflection to be the most fruitful form of thought.

I have a cousin who routinely works God into every bit of conversation in a way that trivializes God IMO. To let me know they’d returned from a trip to S America she said “God was good and everyone made it back safe”. Somehow I doubt If the return had been less successful that she would have reported what a monster God had been. Among my online Christian friends there are prohibitions against both making a public display of prayer and invoking God at every turn.
 
Paco Dennis said:
I was referring to Uncle Sam. "Don't ask what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Let's imagine that the USA is God's country. I am supposed to ask what I can do for God's country. OK. What am I supposed to do? If this is God's world, what am I supposed to do? Who will tell me? Which book is the right book to find out? I know if I don't help God's country, I will have failed to be a good human being. This kind of manufactured pressure is very counter productive.
Click to expand...
God’s country is as one person beliefs. Perhaps the USA is not gods country but Indonesia, the greater majority claims it is gods country. If you were an American visiting gods country, Indonesia. Would your request be any different.
Everything is in your head, what you believe or not believe are your perceptions of the world.

How did god acquire his images father, creator. Heavenly Father, loving father, etc ? There is no proof these images are true. But this is how Christian’s see god.
What I see as god cannot be described not even to myself.
 
MarkD said:
I understand giving thanks more than making requests just because the world owes us nothing and yet provides. Making requests makes it seem like God is just ones special butler. I myself don’t personify God but do think there is something greater onboard than my petty ego. So I don’t engage in any kind of communication with whatever that is but I make a habit of leaving room for insight and inspiration. I find reflection to be the most fruitful form of thought.

I have a cousin who routinely works God into every bit of conversation in a way that trivializes God IMO. To let me know they’d returned from a trip to S America she said “God was good and everyone made it back safe”. Somehow I doubt If the return had been less successful that she would have reported what a monster God had been. Among my online Christian friends there are prohibitions against both making a public display of prayer and invoking God at every turn.
Click to expand...
That’s annoying
 
I remember in work, there were a couple of 'God botherers'. One was a girl called Mary, but who we always referred to as 'Virgin Mary'. She was rude and unpopular and went around humming hymns. Then there was Bob who was a trainee working with us for a year. He was always happy and offered to pray for us and forgave us when we swore.

Then one morning he arrived in work and was uncharacteristically gloomy. I asked what was wrong and he said that his fiancee had broken off their engagement. I sympathised and asked if it had shaken his faith. He said yes it had, but then he realised that god must have a reason for this. At this point a colleague turned to him and said, yes Bob, he just #####g hates you.
 
Mr. Ed said:
God’s country is as one person beliefs. Perhaps the USA is not gods country but Indonesia, the greater majority claims it is gods country. If you were an American visiting gods country, Indonesia. Would your request be any different.
Everything is in your head, what you believe or not believe are your perceptions of the world.

How did god acquire his images father, creator. Heavenly Father, loving father, etc ? There is no proof these images are true. But this is how Christian’s see god.
What I see as god cannot be described not even to myself.
Click to expand...
The pressure to conform to a particular set of beliefs or to live up to certain expectations can indeed stifle personal growth and understanding. Spirituality is a deeply personal journey, and it's up to each individual to find their own path and understanding of the divine.
Your perspective on God, as something that cannot be described, is a valid and common sentiment among those who seek a more fluid and individualized approach to spirituality. 🙏🌎
 
officerripley said:
Here's your Atheist Thought for the Day: if god is real, he gave up on me long before I gave up on him.
Click to expand...
That sounds like an attempt at humor, and a rationalization for not taking responsibility for your own spiritual development. Everything that happens in your life is a direct result of the choices you make, and what you choose to believe.
 
Paco Dennis said:
I was referring to Uncle Sam. "Don't ask what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Let's imagine that the USA is God's country. I am supposed to ask what I can do for God's country. OK. What am I supposed to do? If this is God's world, what am I supposed to do? Who will tell me? Which book is the right book to find out? I know if I don't help God's country, I will have failed to be a good human being. This kind of manufactured pressure is very counter productive.
Click to expand...
To the original statement....You served in the military, right? Then you did the ultimate thing for your country.

As for Godliness...The holy books tell you what you're supposed to do. All the instructions were written down.
 
I wonder if the nonatheist respondents are sinners because they respond here or just by popular Christian norms?

Could “a-atheists” catch on in place of “nonatheists”? Probably not.
 
MarkD said:
I wonder if the nonatheist respondents are sinners because they respond here or just by popular Christian norms?

Could “a-atheists” catch on in place of “nonatheists”? Probably not.
Click to expand...

I'm not a sinner because I sin. I sin because I'm a sinner

cPbx1yP.jpeg


I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun. ~Abraham Lincoln
 
Everybody talks about religion in terms of death, and heaven. But I've always wonder where we were before being born. As an atheist, that's easy, we didn't exist. But for the religious, were we created at the moment of conception? That opens up all kinds of problems. Or were we hanging around some place ?
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top