Atheist vs. Theist
Why would an all powerfull being want or need?
Submitted by Brian37 on March 19, 2008 - 11:37am.Now, this goes out to the theists. I don't want you talking about your particular god. I want you to strictly address the concept of "all powerful" and "perfect". Please focus only on those concepts when answering the following.
Why would an all powerful god want or need to be the center of attention? When you order food at a restaurant and after eating it you don't feel anything needed to be changed, you describe it as "perfect".
The words want or need show a deficit. If god has no deficits then it should not want or need anything.
Quotes from both sides, you decide
Submitted by NWO Repent on March 19, 2008 - 2:00am.Set A
the Word that is God is none other than He.
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Set B
Since all man's natural instincts lead him to sin, all men are sinners; and all sinners go to hell.
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Set C
Blessed are the strong, for they shall possess the earth--
seeking the truth
Submitted by hunter008 on March 19, 2008 - 1:23am.I am new here.
I have been brought up in a religious family all of my life. Now at the ripe old age of 30 I am in much doubt of all I have been taught.
I have never learned much about atheism. All I have ever heard is they believe in nothing which sounded awful to me. However, after much thought I started to wonder if maybe the here and now is all I really have. I am reading as much as I can to learn if there is more to it than what I have been told.
The members here seem to be very knowledgeable. I hope it is ok to ask questions. It seems there is a lot of anger towards people who believe in God and I was a little hesitant to post because of my background and the fact that I am searching for the truth. I do not know what that is yet. I have not sworn off God as of yet but I definately have much to learn.
Do you fear religion, God or both? Many people I know believe in God but do not call themselves religious. They believe religion is from man not from God.
I was thinking that believing this is all we have would be a relief in one way, as the pressure to make it, or be accepted to the next world would be gone. I thought people who believed this would be the carefree happy go lucky type. I haven't sensed that by reading the posts here though. A lot of the post sound angry and resentful. Is that because you fear people who do believe? If so why? Do atheists feel they are responsible to enlighten believers like the believers feel they do to convert atheist? I am somewhat confused as you can tell.
Excorcism - what does it contain?
Submitted by thingy on March 18, 2008 - 9:37pm.Exorcism has been in the news numerous times over the last few months. From the pope wanting to practise brought back and at least one fully trained priest in every parish, to the recent uncovering of events going on at Mercy Ministries.
You'll have to excuse my ignorance, but when I think of exorcism the images that pop in to my mind are generally things like The Exorcist and other such B-Grade movies. I know this will make many laugh and slap their foreheads etc, but that's why I'm asking.
Generally when I think exorcism I think things similar to torture. They're both one in the same in my mind so if possible I would like this cleared up. I would like to know what forms of exorcism there are, what processes and actions take place during them etc.
bahais and God
Submitted by fritzy19 on March 17, 2008 - 10:35pm.Are there any bahais on this forum? One of the principles of the Bahai faith is that science and religion should agree. Have anyone touched that principle?
Fritz
I Need Some Answers
Submitted by mjb on March 17, 2008 - 4:03pm.As a Christian I've been combing this website to reply to a post. I only found one worth replying so now I'm going to ask some questions?
1. Why predominately target Christianity? Why not Muslims or Buddists, Jehova Witnesses, or Mormons? Why does this site have such a problem with the Christian faith?
2. What is the point of all this discussion? If I told you tomorrow an earthquake would rip through New York City- time would tell right? Why argue and poke fun at other beliefs? The last time I checked we don't live forever. So time will time tell. Right?
As much as I could be seen as the "enemy view" I love all you guys and wish you the best lives.
God Bless,
Supernature and the Abstraction Capacity
Submitted by dmar198 on March 16, 2008 - 9:10am.Supernature and the Abstraction Capacity - A Case for Supernatural Existence
The Ides of March
Submitted by magilum on March 16, 2008 - 12:53am.We experienced much win this gloomy Saturday in Hollywood. The CoS at Sunset and L. Ron Hubbard Way (we gotta get that street name changed) was flanked with fags and retards of all stripes, chanting for the revocation of the monstrous cult and domestic terrorist organization's tax-exempt status. The decentralized protest experience is an impressive one, and very relevant to the atheist. Some were concerned about their free-loading on our tax dollars, others about their deranged medical practices, their typical cult tactics of breaking up families and isolating and alienating people from their friends, their infiltration of the federal government, their attacks on the field of study they owe their whole auditing process to -- psychiatry -- their aggressive suppression of critics through lawsuits, their intimidation tactics, their slavery-like exploitation of members, their quasi-military fleet, and their aggressive investigation and slander of any and all critics. Whatever your specific concern, whether you've personally experienced the horrors of the organization or not, you may align yourself with your peers on the view which you share: that the CoS must be criticized, that their crimes must be exposed and publicized, and that we must clamp down on their grandiose and perverted ambitions with the dormant force of our society itself. I took no orders, saw no leaders, but we worked together dynamically.
Why Does an Atheist Give to Charity?
Submitted by AtheistAviB on March 15, 2008 - 2:45pm.For no reason other than I feel for their pain... I cringe at the sight of a beaten animal, and I tear at the sight/sound of a hungry animal (human or otherwise) grasping for life.
I give so at least 1 more animal, 1 more human, can wake up the next morning and eat. So that they can get up and walk outside and not fear death and decay the way they did the day before. I give so they can enjoy life, even if only for a minute.
I don't give because God said so, I don't give because I want their opinion to be in line with mine, I don't give because my mom and dad will find me "unholy" or "improper".
I give, we give, because their pain is a horrid thing to experience, witness, have to go through.
I didn’t think it could be any worse than a “Chic Tract”, but obviously I was wrong.
Submitted by MrRage on March 14, 2008 - 2:37am.DISCLAIMER: Those with weak hearts and/or constitution best stay away. I’m not responsible for any heart attack, strokes, nausea, high blood pressure, or loss of faith in humanity. Just in case you haven’t lately come across any crazy, fucked up, fundie Christians displaying their ignorance and bigotry on the internet for all the Earth to see, check out these “Hal Lindsey Cartoons”. I didn’t think you could worse that a “Chic Tract”, but obviously I was wrong.
- “Guns and Swords”
- “Coming to America”
- “Spiritual Logic”
- “Shortsighted Dems-Stuck On Iraq”
- “Any Day Now”
- “Know Jesus”
- “Pray For GW”