If you are using the word "absent" in the traditional sense of a person being absent, we would need to assume the person exists to be absent (which is bad in this case). If you are using the word "absent" in the sense there is no evidence for the person or god in our universe to prove their existence then I would say that is a pretty good estimation of the definition of the word "atheist".
M*A*S*H
JoinedPosts by M*A*S*H
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284
I'm an ABSENTHEIST. Are you also?
by EdenOne init just dawned on me.
the existence of god can't be proved, neither is there evidence of god's inexistence.
so, i'm neither theist neither atheist.
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The Science Is In: God Is The Answer...
by OUTLAW inthe science is in: god is the answer.
research shows kids raised with spirituality are happier and healthier in the vulnerable teen years.
why arent we all signing up?.
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M*A*S*H
For religion to be as successful as it is in our society there must be some benefits, otherwise it would die out; IMHO religion would die out if it was purely driven by fear.
It is an interesting study - although I would be worried the first study is suffering by a bit of confirmation bias...Lisa Miller seems to be part of the "SCP" which ...
Spirituality in Clinical Practice (SCP), a journal of the American Psychological Association, is a practice-oriented journal that encompasses spiritually-oriented psychotherapy and spirituality-sensitive cultural approaches to treatment and wellness. SCP is dedicated to integrating psychospiritual and other spiritually-oriented interventions involved in psychotherapy, consultation, coaching, health, and wellness.
It would be interesting to see if other unidentified factors were at play in the Miller study. Perhaps if the questions from the original study were followed up by "I have a healthy relationship with my parents... and I would turn to them when I need help"- I wonder if the responses to that question would yield similar results when related to depression?
Also, it would be interesting to follow up the outliers in the study... do fanatical religious groups have negative effects when compared to the study? Does the 'zeal' of one's spirituality (if that can be measured) have an effect? etc... The Dew study was interesting in this front.
Are there links between socio-economic factors and religion? That too would be interesting.
Why do I not 'sign up'? Well I realise that my two kiddies need something in their life to help them through the hard times... the something is our family, their education, their interests and hobbies which I support fully. I do not think religion would add anything. In fact if my experience is anything to go by, it would only detract.
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I admit it, I believe in evolution.
by Louise inafter leaving the dub religion behind, i read everything that i could get my hands on, be it about other religions, beliefs, gods, occult, evolution - you name it - i read it.
i did this to 'catch up' and to educate myself, so that when i can to a decision it would be an intellectual / educational one.
not just because some book or person told me to believe it.. i have over time and with reading aids come to totally believe and accept evolution.
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M*A*S*H
I think Phizzy is bang on. I try to always say "I accept Evolution" rather than "believe". I would never say "I believe in Gravity"... you tend to see the evidence for gravity and then accept it. -
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The stars will fall from the sky... but maybe they are better where they are?
by M*A*S*H inas an atheist interested in debate i have often accused religious folk of suffering cognitive dissonance on many issues.
i stupidly thought i might be immune to such dissonance.
however now i find myself in a battle for my own mind with no obvious end in sight.. i remember being taught as a young jw that the following passage in mark "the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
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M*A*S*H
@Finkelstein
My reference to biblical prophecy was not supposed to indicate anything other my recollection of the prophesy as it relates to my OP.
Perhaps the somewhat suspicious and condescending vibe I am picking up from your post may in part be the result of my failed attempts to explain or communicate effectively in my OP.
To explain; it not the fear of religion being removed from society or the fulfilment of prophecy that worries me, it is the fear of "how" religion might be removed from society.
Like most Humanists and Atheists I too watch the extremism fuelled by religion with horror. I believe the world would be a better place without religion. The reality of the situation currently is that we all live with religion in our societies, we tolerate religious practices where they do cross the advancing social norms and laws we have created.
You said "No fear is warranted or justified". I may now be taking your statement out of context... but this for me just is not true.
Here are a few examples that I consider warranting fear and demonstrate the issues I am increasingly concerned about.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/british-muslim-school-children-suffering-a-backlash-of-abuse-following-paris-attacks-9999393.html
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/28/women-targeted-attacks-muslims
http://www.theweek.co.uk/uk-news/59333/anti-muslim-hate-crimes-increase-in-england-and-wales
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/05/antisemitic-attacks-uk-community-security-trust-britain-jewish-population
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/police-investigate-religious-hate-claims-after-video-emerges-birmingham-sikh-being-attacked-1494447
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/05/muslim-woman-hijab-delta_n_6616806.htmlSo for example, in the past I probably would have supported the law passed in France banning the hijab , now I think I would be against it. Attempting to legislate against religious practices such as the hijab will IMHO increase the intolerance against the groups that it effects, has unintended effects on society in general (in this case a banning of certain costumes) and further isolates religious communities which can lead to radicalism.
Without wanting to create a monster post, I hope that better explains my point more clearly. How we deal with religious people may soon become one of the greatest tests for our society. I now am more religiously tolerant than ever before, despite my personal feelings regarding religion. I especially fear the growth of far right politics in Europe, in part fuelled by religious intolerance.
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The stars will fall from the sky... but maybe they are better where they are?
by M*A*S*H inas an atheist interested in debate i have often accused religious folk of suffering cognitive dissonance on many issues.
i stupidly thought i might be immune to such dissonance.
however now i find myself in a battle for my own mind with no obvious end in sight.. i remember being taught as a young jw that the following passage in mark "the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
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M*A*S*H
@Vanderhoven7
I always feel the JW's have to walk a fine line... they desperately want some of their prophesies to come true, but of course once they have judged a particular prophesy 'to have occurred', they have now used it up (if you know what I mean). Potentially they then run the risk of having to back down and admit what they thought occurred was wrong too. I suppose that is a good reason to pluck out somewhat dubious prophesies and fear monger with them!
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The stars will fall from the sky... but maybe they are better where they are?
by M*A*S*H inas an atheist interested in debate i have often accused religious folk of suffering cognitive dissonance on many issues.
i stupidly thought i might be immune to such dissonance.
however now i find myself in a battle for my own mind with no obvious end in sight.. i remember being taught as a young jw that the following passage in mark "the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
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M*A*S*H
For civil and human rights to progress, religion must be removed at some point.
Do you really mean 'removed' or perhaps you mean die out? -
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The stars will fall from the sky... but maybe they are better where they are?
by M*A*S*H inas an atheist interested in debate i have often accused religious folk of suffering cognitive dissonance on many issues.
i stupidly thought i might be immune to such dissonance.
however now i find myself in a battle for my own mind with no obvious end in sight.. i remember being taught as a young jw that the following passage in mark "the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
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M*A*S*H
@V
Thanks for the info.
I would not particularly say I am "worried" by any biblical prophesy (as I said I am atheist)... I am interested in the motivations and understanding of those that wrote the bible but that is as far as it goes.
Usually I find looking too deep into the bible is counter productive, especially when dealing with someone like myself, an unbeliever.
The primary goal of my OP was to discuss how people feel about the way religion seems to be increasingly under attack, and in my case I feel increasingly uncomfortable with that fact - despite my feelings on religion on a personal level.
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Walking Dead season 5 is finished!
by stuckinarut2 inso the walking dead season 5 has finished??.
now what am i going to do if i want to watch brain dead rotten corpses attack the living and suck the life out of them??.
oh, no hang on...it's ok.....i can just watch the gb on jw.tv.org!.
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M*A*S*H
I wonder in the event of a zombie apocalypse if JW's would be left alone? The zombies might just assumed they have already been turned! Welcome to your new paradise on earth. :o) -
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The stars will fall from the sky... but maybe they are better where they are?
by M*A*S*H inas an atheist interested in debate i have often accused religious folk of suffering cognitive dissonance on many issues.
i stupidly thought i might be immune to such dissonance.
however now i find myself in a battle for my own mind with no obvious end in sight.. i remember being taught as a young jw that the following passage in mark "the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
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M*A*S*H
As an atheist interested in debate I have often accused religious folk of suffering cognitive dissonance on many issues. I stupidly thought I might be immune to such dissonance. However now I find myself in a battle for my own mind with no obvious end in sight.
I remember being taught as a young JW that the following passage in Mark "The stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken." related to the signs of the times and the destruction of world religions. I am no fan of religion and part of me almost looked forward to a scenario where religion would be 'fall'. Finally a JW prophecy I could look forward to ;o)
However, in the current climate of the world, it does now seem we are seeing a backlash against Islam and other religions (to a lesser degree). For example many Muslims and Jewish people are being ostracised and made to feel strangers in their own countries like the UK, France and the US - partly because of the religion they are practising (or at least assumed to be practising).
As the intolerance of others grows in many countries, I now fear the lengths civil liberties may suffer. I fear the blurred distinctions between race and religion will spiral out of control. I fear the far right rumblings across the political landscape. I fear the ultra international isolationists are gaining ground. Most of all I fear the seemingly growing popular hatred of religious people and the effects on those people.
Generally I believe the world be a better place without religion however the way things are going, I fear for the future. I find myself wanting to support the very thing I have been biased against.
Confused!
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This Way to Glory, Kids
by berrygerry insorry to be a bit macabre, but this blows.. this way to glory and privileges, aka "this way to the showers.".
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https://furtherglory.wordpress.com/2010/11/19/proof-of-the-nazi-gas-chambers-given-at-the-nuremberg-imt-on-nov-29-1945/.
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M*A*S*H
Wow, and I thought my last topic post was out of line... that's just plain wrong.