Good for him! If consenting adults want to engage in marriage, group marriage or....or....whatever, let them! B.
logansrun
JoinedPosts by logansrun
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60
And so it begins
by Yerusalyim in.
tom green, the convicted polygamist in utah, is requesting (through his lawyers of course) that the supreme court overturn his convictions based both on the supreme court ruling on the texas sodomy law and the massachucetts supreme court ruling on gay marriage.. so begins the trip down the slippery slope.
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51
God is dead.....and we have killed Him
by logansrun inthere are generally two types of arguments against theism whether we are talking about the judeo-christian-islamic god, the god of deism, the hindu pantheon....whatever.
the "rational" arguments include all scientific, logical and historical problems with a supreme and all-loving being and include such fields as evolutionary biology, deconstruction of "holy" texts, archaeology, formal logic, etc.
science in particular has been eliminating the "explanatory" aspect of theism for hundreds of years now -- from copernicus to newton to darwin to einstein -- all, knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly, have had a share in shattering faith.
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logansrun
There are generally two types of arguments against theism whether we are talking about the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God, the God of Deism, the Hindu pantheon....whatever. They are what I call "rational" arguments and "emotive" arguments.
The "rational" arguments include all scientific, logical and historical problems with a supreme and all-loving Being and include such fields as evolutionary biology, deconstruction of "holy" texts, archaeology, formal logic, etc.
Science in particular has been eliminating the "explanatory" aspect of theism for hundreds of years now -- from Copernicus to Newton to Darwin to Einstein -- all, knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly, have had a share in shattering faith. Thus we have a "God of the gaps" with the gaps slowly but uncomprimisingly being filled with naturalistic and non-personal elements.
All the same, I find the "prime mover" argument attractive along with the ever elusive question, "why is there something rather than nothing?" It seems that when we go further and further back in time whether or not we need a "God" to start it all becomes a coin toss of the mind -- maybe yes, maybe no. In short, from a purely rational perspective I believe that the "God hypothesis" remains viable, although weak.
A much stronger arguement against any form of personal god(s) -- in my opinion -- are the "emotive" arguments against a Supreme Deity. Whether the rational arguement for divinity "works" or not, surely the theist runs into very serious problems when we enter the realm of morality and just plain niceness!
What kind of a God would allow a child to get blown to sanguinary pieces after running over a land-mine in a field where she was playing?
What kind of a God would permit an earthquake to obliterate a community and ruin countless lives and families?
What kind of a God would create parasites and bacteria -- some of which are designed to solely live in the human intestinal tract -- and cause a miserable, painful and shameful death?
Who of you would allow retardation in a developing fetus if you had the power to alter the situation?
Suffering. Misery. Bloodshed. Pain. Poverty. Repugnant living conditions. What kind of God would create such a world? Only a devil.
For sure, there are many wonderful, breathtaking and delightful things about our human existence. Some thank "God" for these things. Fine. Well, be sure and blame Him for all the sickness and goulish morbidity that surrounds us as well.
Like it or not, there simply is no way to solve what theologians call the "problem of theodicy" -- why a loving and all-powerful God would allow -- let alone cause! -- evil in the world. All explanations are utter failures to the point where one would conclude that religious folks are simply playing a part in a sick joke.
I think the strongest case against God's existence is the moral one. Suffering and delight. Evil and goodness. Prosperity and poverty. Life and death. These are the hallmarks of a unbelievably complex, yet thoroughly godless world. This is the world we live in: a world of chance, contingency and brilliance. God is dead, but we are alive. Let us be thankful for that.
Bradley
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I don't think we should give up praying ever...
by Singing Man ini tend to believe that god does hear prayers, he can ansure them in other planes of time that we don't understand and that we will be in latter in our life or possibly in some other dimension.
i do not think he gives us dead air space after we speak to him.
our request have far reaching implications for us beyond what can understand in our time line that we are living presently.
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logansrun
So, you're saying that when I prayed for this and that and the other thing and NOTHING HAPPENED, I can assume God answered them in "another dimension." Great. That's a load off my mind.
B.
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51
What have you replaced religion with?
by logansrun in(obviously this question is for those who are non-religious in any conventional sense).
what have you replaced religion with in your life?
(by that i mean the religious life with it's rituals, worship and group identity) what is your raison d'etre?
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logansrun
Oh, btw....I agree the studies showing increased health and wellness correlating with religiosity are not the full picture by any means. One problem very evident is that the religious people being studied generally have a very intense social life due to church meetings, events, etc. So, is it the friendships which ameliorate their health or is it their wacky beliefs?
The fact is that people who are intensely involved in meaningful activities and have a generous amount of friendships feel better and live longer. For most, this means being religious. But not for all, hence.....this topic
B.
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51
What have you replaced religion with?
by logansrun in(obviously this question is for those who are non-religious in any conventional sense).
what have you replaced religion with in your life?
(by that i mean the religious life with it's rituals, worship and group identity) what is your raison d'etre?
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logansrun
Abaddon,
First off, I asked what have you replaced religion with, not "God." Religion and the hypothetical Man Upstairs generally go hand-in-hand (although not always). Objectively, it may be fair to compare the God Hypothesis with the Santa Hypothesis, although I personally don't believe it is. For instance, we have negative proof of Santa's existence: ie, parents stealthily placing gifts for their children late at night. We are also talking about the finite realm of the planet earth compared to the infinite reaches of space and, possibly, other dimensions. The comparison would seem simplistic because there are very complicated theories regarding a hypothetical God, unlike Santa. (Of course, none of these theories are very convincing. There also are some very simple objections to theism which are quite damning.)
Even if it were objectively appropriate to compare God and Santa (or Nessie, the tooth-fairy, Bigfoot, etc.) I don't think it would be subjectively reasonable to do so based on people's emotions and ingrained thought patters. People believe pretty strongly -- I once did, and I only assume you did too. Generally those who lose their faith in myths after being a strong believer in them -- to the point of building a lifestyle around them -- must fill this emptiness with other elements of life which ease the soul, excite the mind and senses and captivate our interests.
Ah shit, we're quibbling again.
Bradley (who, for the record, does not believe in Santa or God....yet does believe in the mermaids, how weird is that?)
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51
What have you replaced religion with?
by logansrun in(obviously this question is for those who are non-religious in any conventional sense).
what have you replaced religion with in your life?
(by that i mean the religious life with it's rituals, worship and group identity) what is your raison d'etre?
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logansrun
Gumpy....can't a man ask a question and just keep quiet?
Abaddon....I think it's rather simplistic and unfair to compare "religion" with "Santa Claus." People build their lives and hopes around some religions; I have yet to see anyone dedicate themselves to S.C. It's just not a fair comparison, even though a religion might be as mythical as Santa and his elves.
I also believe it is important for people to have a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives. This might not be a divine purpose or a priori meaning but it could be necessary for emotional and mental well being. I'm 99.9% atheist and yet I confess that scientific studies reporting the psychological benefits of religious belief are convincing. I'm simply looking for more rational alternatives.
Bradley
Oh, and to all the Jesus Freaks:
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58
Opinions Please....Engagement Timing
by Stacy Smith ini've been seeing a very nice guy for two months now, every day, almost every minute.
as you know it can become very obvious when a guy is about to pop the question.. i have been very honest with him about when i'd be willing to marry, which is to say not until i graduate from college which is still a 1 1/2 years away, of course i hear things like "well a couple can wait but be commited right"?.
anyway i've bounced this off of my friends and have several opinions already but i thought i'd ask it here.. how long would you date someone before you considered accepting an engagement ring?
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logansrun
Personally, I'd advise the guy to see a shrink before he "pops the question."
hehe,
Bradley
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51
What have you replaced religion with?
by logansrun in(obviously this question is for those who are non-religious in any conventional sense).
what have you replaced religion with in your life?
(by that i mean the religious life with it's rituals, worship and group identity) what is your raison d'etre?
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logansrun
Hmmm....I meant this to be a serious thread and people are making it into a mockery. Oh well.....
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51
What have you replaced religion with?
by logansrun in(obviously this question is for those who are non-religious in any conventional sense).
what have you replaced religion with in your life?
(by that i mean the religious life with it's rituals, worship and group identity) what is your raison d'etre?
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logansrun
(Obviously this question is for those who are non-religious in any conventional sense)
What have you replaced religion with in your life? (By that I mean the religious life with it's rituals, worship and group identity) What is your raison d'etre?
B.
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83
The absolute stupidity of Christianity
by logansrun inso often people here confuse just what the real evil is.
we think it is the theology and practices of the watchtower.
neigh!
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logansrun
Nice observation Oxnard. If you're a Christian you are damned either way in my book.
B.