Posts by Twitch

i know of a lot of atheists who have come to their nonbelief by actually reading the bible rather than just the fluffy stories they choose to tell you about in church, she said.

reading the full story with all its contradictions and violence and sexism, it should make you think, is this really what i believe in?

The bible is just a collection of ancient beliefs and customs with some ancient bits of wisdom thrown in here and there, but also some inaccuracy, impossbilities and some downright nasty shite. Word of god? According to some, but not the only.

The path to enlightenment and peace has not been found exclusively by it's adherents alone. All religions have the same ultimate goal and beliefs all look for the same answers. Proof of this exists all around and is undeniable; there is more than one spiritual path. Realizing this is the first step in my opinion.

In fact, if the philisophical idea of god is indeed sublime and universal, it exists within all those who seek and the path by which one travels doesn't matter, since the goal is the same. For instance, is the catholic's experience and belief any less credible or real on a personal level than a protestant, or an evangelical or perhaps even a charismatic? What about the hindu, buddhist or muslim? How can one believer say that other beliefs about god are wrong?

The fact is there have been and continue to be ideas and beliefs about the ultimate questions that are as varied and diverse as there are people. Interpretation and subjective experience has and continues to rule the nature of beliefs and worldview. No conclusive, absolute message that is universally agreed upon has ever been received. Fact.

76

Do You Believe Gods name is Jehovah and why?

by sarahsmile in

many internet sites claiming that god's names is jehovah.. do you believe it is the name of god?.

Twitch

God has had and continues to have many names

If you need to know, go with one that makes sense to you

Be wary of those who would have you believe their name/version is the "right" one.

3

Lady Lee is Awesome

by Scott77 in

jw
friends

hi lady,.

i have great admiration and respect for your wisdom, courage, insight, fighting spirit and advocacy on behalf of abused ex-jws.

to me, you are like a lady with 'the mind of steel' if you are reading this thread, this is a tribute to your oustanding work on behalf of the disfranchised.

Twitch

I'll second that, on both counts

188

A Manual for Creating Atheists by Peter Boghossian

by cofty in

a manual for creating atheists offers the first-ever guide not for talking people into faith--but for talking them out of it.

peter boghossian draws on the tools he has developed and used for more than twenty years as a philosopher and educator to teach how to engage the faithful in conversations that will help them value reason and rationality, cast doubt on their religious beliefs, mistrust their faith, abandon superstition and irrationality, and ultimately embrace reason.

- amazon.... "boghossian has provided an indispensible chart book for all of us who must navigate the rising sea of magical thinking that is inundating america today.

Twitch

People with an atheistic ideology can be very dominating and arrogant.

People with a theistic ideology can be very dominating and arrogant.

Is this counter point valid?

50

What Would a Country Run by Evangelical Christianity Look Like?

by cofty in

on an earlier thread i made the statement that, "an evangelical christian government would look a lot like the taliban".. laika asked me incredulously, "do you really think your friends from your old church would govern like the taliban!?".

i thought it was a really interesting question and might work as a separate thread.. the people i worshipped with were mostly a nice bunch of people, but the thought of them having secular power would make me shudder.. christianity is mostly harmless because it lacks power.

christian politicians are restrained by secular laws and constitutions.

Twitch

What Would a Country Run by Evangelical Christianity Look Like

pretty good in a rear view mirror

15

most of the universe is made up of dark energy and dark matter

by Ruby456 in

jw
friends

about which we know very little.

so how can atheists make assertions about reality when they challenge religious reality?.

Twitch

Very carefully, lest they get imprisoned for heresy ;)

BTW, pls define religious reality

188

A Manual for Creating Atheists by Peter Boghossian

by cofty in

a manual for creating atheists offers the first-ever guide not for talking people into faith--but for talking them out of it.

peter boghossian draws on the tools he has developed and used for more than twenty years as a philosopher and educator to teach how to engage the faithful in conversations that will help them value reason and rationality, cast doubt on their religious beliefs, mistrust their faith, abandon superstition and irrationality, and ultimately embrace reason.

- amazon.... "boghossian has provided an indispensible chart book for all of us who must navigate the rising sea of magical thinking that is inundating america today.

Twitch

Subjective feelings and emotions are a terrible foundation for belief. That is what it means to be rational.

I would argue that subjective experience and feelings/emotions are a perfect foundation for belief, given the diversity and history of same.

However such are poor for advancing knowledge, which is independant of belief and requires rational thought and approach.

192

New Homo erectus Skull Shakes up Palaeontology

by cofty in

a fantastic homo erectus skull has been found in georgia - no not our former colony, the one in asia.. it is one of 5 that have been found at a site in dmanisi, it's the first homo erectus to be found outside of africa and it is in excellent condition.

the fossils are dated at 1.8 million years ago and comparisions of the specimens have thrown doubt over the details of human evolution.. it is possible that species previously named as h rudolfensis , h gautengensis , h ergaster and possibly h habilis were actually all h erectus.

the natural variation withing the species may be greater than thought previously.. the "lumpers" and the "splitters" are going to have plenty to argue about for years to come.. note to creationists - please read the article carefully.

Twitch

When I was a kid, Pluto was a planet and the furthest thing out there. Not so anymore.

I admire those who strive to increase our knowledge of the things behind, around and in front of us.