The Question Of ReligionThe Question of Atheism (page 2)

Liza

this is an intruiging question and whatnot.

But when it comes to athiesm, one must be careful not to be so closeminded about the possibility of the divide and or supernatural either. So it can go either way, however I do know some athiests who are not like this, and some who are.

If there is one thing I find intruiging, is that "god-shaped hole" thing, though not every individual has it,for some odd reason even distant isolated societies feel the need to revere something powerful and invisible and offer sacrifices to it.

vomit

Liza, its a bit different for people who were born into a very religious environment and who are atheist out of apathy (though nothing wrong in itself).

The people who have struggled with religion, even children who have prayed for god to set them straight, when they become firm atheists its not because of them being "closed minded". It is almost escaping from people calling you "closed minded" "blind leading the blind" "don't have enough faith".

Are you closed minded to rocks being god? In Shintoism god, kami, is in the rocks. Are you "closed minded" to David Koresh being Jesus?.

I am a very convicted atheist, but I seen,traveled, been apart of so many cultures to accept being called "closed minded". Everywhere I have been people are always trying to control people through religion,politics, "social values", peer pressure.
If god exists, why cant he fix the injustice I see every day of my life?

The wanderer

Dear Alpaca, Vomit, Liza:

Thank you all for your well thought out comments. The work
and the sincerity of the comments are easy to discern.

Thanks once again.

Respectfully,

The Wanderer

OnTheWayOut

my biggest fear about both is becoming “locked” into a belief system
that does not allow for other views and perspectives on different subject matters.
If questions or disagreements are raised about either perspective, the individual
is subjected to insults or ridicule.

Therefore, I keep an open mind on a subject allowing for other possibilities.

Here, here. I fully agree. We should be above the WTS style of bullying our opinion
upon the masses. "Any thinking person would agree with US."

I don't know everything, many known things turn out to be wrong later.

RAF

There was a time (it's still a way to do it) people needed to personified God to have an approach on it ... but can God be seen as a person and act like a person? (no real answer here but what if it is everything?) an individual as a creator or intelligent material/essence as God there is a big difference here but somehow they can both have a spirit (by themself or through everything)... you can see it the way you want and just say ... Cool I'm a part of this ... I mean, we all belong to it anyway even dust.
To me religion (= politic = division) have fucked up the spiritual view that we can have on it (every politic have a purpose - and that's something we can enquire for real on it) ... when spirituality is about to evoluate with and toward all (to me) from the level we are at with as much balance/justice as possible.
As human being (maybe a stage trough the whole) we can learn from the past (before us from a wide range of means) and have a wider view on the world (it just have to be the right one = out of propaganda = politic/religion to divide and rule) so that we can learn from "everything" in not forgetting what is the most important (= PEACE).
Also for instance I see animals as examples of what to do and what to not do, it's a natural living encyclopaedia about behaviours and technics since always for us human. We also do not only learn from our personal experiences (we can see and understand what is harmful and what is not – we are able to have a sense of measure – means a balance related to facts on the short and long run regardin to how we do evoluate – when animals can have an instinctive sense of balance but related to their community or way of living – and if we are limited to the same kind of balance we are animals).
The other real big difference with animals might be that we do not have the same level of spirit/consciousness (which is related to the fact that we know more at some point from the past till now). So we are not supposed to act like malicious animals just for survival purpose in only thinking about us, our close relatives and community but taking into consideration the futur (since we are able to improve our lives but moreover our spirit to be really satisfied – also we can please ourselves in being bad to others our ourselves but that’s forgetting the fact that our spirit can change and that we can regret it badly).
The entire world is talking … and some books are talking about spirituality, the higher one relatively to there cultural and spiritual level … The light goes brighter in fact little by little …
We human are able to improve everything (even animals lives), but we are also able to destroy everything (even this planet and fucked up other people spirits like religions did and still do) and only one fool would be enough to get there, so of course that’s a big responsibility for everyone – because we can create fools (in mass) that’s when we really understand that spirituality/consciousness (through the whole and not only regarding to ourself) have it’s importance.
Now more and more people goes out with weapons and shoot hoever they feel like for free (like we say here) it could be me, it could be you ...
Believers like Atheistes do have the same responsability ... learning from the past

nvrgnbk

As an athiest, I openly and honestly admit, that I do not know how life or the universe came to be. I'm willing to admit that I don't have an answer, whereas many religions
claim to have most if not all the answers. That being said, I believe it is the one that claims to have the answer that should be facing the questions.

Thank you for enunciating this so clearly Highlander! Ditto on every last word of it.

How many threads will we exhaust on this subject before it is understood that not all atheists/agnostics are evil, debased, arrogant God-haters? I am one of the most spiritual persons I know. I just refuse, to ever again, dedicate all that I am, my very being, my very existence, to an unknown. To live in the here and now is true spirituality. I've humbly begged God to reveal Himself to me, as have millions of sincere persons, only to be amazed by His silence. Does He need to condescend to us, specks upon a speck, within a galaxy of specks, clustered amongst other galaxies of specks in an ever-expanding Universe? Most certainly not! But I for one shall not found my concept of The Who or The What or The Why soley on the ideas and rhetoric of others human beings in no way superior to myself.

Much love and respect to you Wanderer,

Nvr

Alpaca

Wanderer: I just noticed that you are from Florida. I was a life-long Floridian (South Florida--Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Delray Beach) until 1999, when I moved to Ohio to go back to school. What a great place to be living. Hang in there, buddy. It is rough leaving and changing your whole belief system, but it does smooth out. Alpaca

Also knowing ourselves have probably a lot to do with all this ...

The Question Of ReligionThe Question of Atheism

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The Question Of ReligionThe Question of Atheism