What is meant by those stating they are atheists, (an objective question to discuss whether this may means different things?)?
- Thread starter grahamg
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Old Salt
Senior Member
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada!
No, I don't, Gary! I have no special day to worship or rest any more since I retired! The church nearest to me is too "with the times" for me, with projectors and worship teams and christian entertainment!
I got upset about the whole sabbath thing when old ladies would call and state: Pastor, I am so upset, I watched TV today (on a Sunday), others told me about youths where they would have to put away their dolls during the Sabbath! No playing allowed!
In connection with other "churchly" abberations. One dear lady called from a nursing home: "I did a terrible thing today, I played bingo!" The prizes were small commodities like tooth paste etc. and she felt guilty about "gambling!" Aargh! Religion!
However, to answer your queston, as you may have seen by my posts, God is never far from my mind, so every day is a Sabbath with a lot of worldly things mixed in.
I totally get that
However, I discovered resting every seven of huge benefit.
When building our mountain cabins, I was pressed for time. Winter was coming.
I worked 24/7 and into the night....sometimes into the morning.
Discovered, resting every seven gave me more energy than if I'd kept on laboring.
If gave me a chance to look around at His creation
It actually gave me more stamina
But, I totally understand where you're coming from
Keep a fire, brother
Old Salt
Senior Member
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada!
Wonderful pictures @Gary O' And I agree that a day of rest is absolutely essential to good health! Since I am retired and too old to do quite a few things I used to enjoy, my days of rest have been extended to seven a week.
Capt Lightning
Well-known Member
- Location
- Historic Buchan, Scotland
My parents were Scots Presbyterians and Sunday was a time of misery and boredom.. On the sabbath you shall not have any fun. Oddly enough, My brother was a church elder and my sister was heavily involved with the Baptist church. I was the family 'Black sheep' ie. Atheist.
However, I agree that we should have a day of rest.
However, I agree that we should have a day of rest.
Old Salt
Senior Member
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada!
Calvin did a lot of harm in the world! I don't blame you for rebelling!
Broken down to simplest terms, isn't God just like Santa Claus for adults?Both do impossible things yet we believe in them at different times in our lives.
Old Salt
Senior Member
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada!
Only for some @garyt1957 !
as a young person I was taught religion from the king james version. funny thing about that teaching. when the pilgrims left england and came to north america they did not bring with them the king james bible, instead they brought The Geneva Bible the Bible of William Shakespeare, John Bunyan, and Oliver Cromwell. This is the version that Pilgrims and Puritans brought with them to America
I was taught and for a long time believe that adam and eve were the first people who lived in eden. I learned later in life that that was incorrect. First of all eve was not adam's first wife, Lilith was and like adam was created from the dust and the earth and this made them equal. However, lilith did not want to be equal to adam and because of her actions she was turned into a serpent who later taunted eve into partaking of the tree of knowledge.
I was taught eve had two sons, abel and cain.. well to my surprise I learned there was another son, seth..AND,,,
to learn that cain had a wife from nod a place east of eden.. and so forth more I learned...
Exactly how there were people in Nod is unclear. Some believe that they were the result of a separate creation, The Bible doesn't actually say that Adam and Eve were the only people God made directly. That's what's generally assumed, but some commentaries infer that there were others. and the more I learned the more I became an atheist, a non believer.
I was taught and for a long time believe that adam and eve were the first people who lived in eden. I learned later in life that that was incorrect. First of all eve was not adam's first wife, Lilith was and like adam was created from the dust and the earth and this made them equal. However, lilith did not want to be equal to adam and because of her actions she was turned into a serpent who later taunted eve into partaking of the tree of knowledge.
I was taught eve had two sons, abel and cain.. well to my surprise I learned there was another son, seth..AND,,,
to learn that cain had a wife from nod a place east of eden.. and so forth more I learned...
Exactly how there were people in Nod is unclear. Some believe that they were the result of a separate creation, The Bible doesn't actually say that Adam and Eve were the only people God made directly. That's what's generally assumed, but some commentaries infer that there were others. and the more I learned the more I became an atheist, a non believer.
Muskrat
Senior Member
- Location
- Mainly arizona
I am agnostic. I believe in something. Something wonderful. I believe the bible contains truth…but also deception. The bible was written by man…and therefore suspect. The bible is used to manipulate as well as guide…and has done as much harm as good. I do not need streets paved with gold (really??) or to burn forever in hell (how loving is THAT). I am content to know it goes on and on…somewhere somehow.
sch404
Member
- Location
- Oak Park, Calif.
Rare photo of God
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
Let sleeping dogs lie on that one would be my advice!!!I miss not being able to talk "politics!" The moderators could always keep their eyes on trolls, hateful and abusive posts and delete them! It shouldn't be hard to do. There are so many things wrong with our present system that we should be able to discuss its few strenghts and many weaknesses. My opinion, @mrstime, don't hate me!
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
An online discussion linked to the thread topic here:
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
I dont know how many forum members chose to view the video discussion linked above but now I've listened to the whole thing I must say I liked both contributors, and the guy asking the questions didn't annoy me too much either, (so did a good job!).
There are some fair answers to some of the questions I've chosen not to try to answer on this thread. This is lucky as I couldn't have answered them well at all, and I feel I had a fortunate find when searching for views on how much ego and atheism might be linked.
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JustDave
Well-known Member
What do you mean by ego? Is it the ego that inflates when one is all full of himself, or is it just the thinking part of the brain? And why do you put ego and atheism together? I'm not sure what motivates you to do that.
Edit: Ah ha! I see it's in the title of the video, which I had watched, although while suffering was mentioned, I didn't pick up that's what the video was about. But in these types of discussions, I'm always focused on the logic used to arrive at beliefs, not so much the conclusions one comes to.
Edit: Ah ha! I see it's in the title of the video, which I had watched, although while suffering was mentioned, I didn't pick up that's what the video was about. But in these types of discussions, I'm always focused on the logic used to arrive at beliefs, not so much the conclusions one comes to.
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Capt Lightning
Well-known Member
- Location
- Historic Buchan, Scotland
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
I admit I had another reason for mentioning the word "ego" when searching for websites giving an insight into any connections with atheism, and it concerns two people I know where I think having a fairly large ego was possibly related to their attitude towards religion, (or at least how one of them once felt maybe).
My brother decided his two eldest sons shouldn't be Christened when thy were infants, because of his feelings about religion, but seemed to change his mind a few years later without any explanation. As to whether my brother had a big ego, (who has been a darn good father btw), the fact he gave all his four sons his own name as one of their first names suggests this. I have to think someone insisting all his sons carry his name is showing a strong sense of his own importance, though as I say it hasn't stopped him being an excellent dad, and his children all doing very well.
Funnily enough he no longer uses this name himself, because when he moved to France twenty years ago he discovered it was used there as a dog's name, and all his boys were always known by their other first names!
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JustDave
Well-known Member
Now we know we are talking about ego as self importance, and I would add that one can find that across the spectrum of humanity. There can be this type of ego in atheists too, just as there are in the thundering prophetic voices of TV evangelists. Atheists don't have a monopoly on ego, not by a long shot. Recently, we have heard rather alarmed voices about "The New Atheism," which is nothing more than the most vocal atheists coming out of the closet. There is nothing new about atheism, which can be nothing but a lack of belief in gods. We have been living among atheists for years, but have never known who most of them were, because most of us didn't think religion was important enough to talk about.
Knight
Well-known Member
A dense Fog? I don't see the image we are made in the likeness of.
oldaunt
professional hermit
Hehe, hot air......
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
You've certainly made some good points there, so no arguments here!