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View Full Version : Various thoughts on atheism, theism, relgiion, and general thought..


Monagi
2007-06-04, 20:17
Just gonna ramble for a bit.

Why do we feel the need to debate whether or not there is a god? What does it accomplish? Nothing. Sure it can be fun to take a philosophical stance on it and talk about it, but people take it too fucking seriously. These things should just be entertaining talk, not I'll fucking kill you if you think differently.

I am a teapot agnostic you may say, but I don't really care for the label, because it really just doesn't matter. Sure there probably isn't a god, but who cares? I recently found out about Daniel Dennett, and I share close beliefs with him.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/94

People need to begin to realize that religions are a bunch of BS. Nobody can prove anything, and people who follow them need to learn this. If people didn't let fear control them into religion, it would not be near as big as it is. People are afraid that they will go to hell if they think outside of the box. Idiots.. as Thomas Jefferson said..

"...Question with boldness even the existence of a God, because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blind faith."

But hey, the vast majority of people in the world are stupid. The Brights out there, however, should realize these things. I wish a threshhold effect would come about for this way of thinking, as it just seems to be logical.

"when a critical mass has been attained, there is an abrupt acceleration in recruitment."

Edit to add...I agree with Daniel Dennett on the point that we should TEACH our children about religions. Their history, etc. because they have had a major impact on the human race. However, there is a HUGE different between TEACHING and PREACHING.

Also, I find it to be a form of child abuse if you force a religion on a child who is not yet old enough to comprehend it. I hate seeing parents do this to children...because when they grow up with this thinking, they are often unable to free themselves from it and think differently. How horrible it would be not to be able to control that.. They end up turning into those people that live by it, and just cover their ears when anyone tries to talk about anything considered open minded...

Yeah.

---Beany---
2007-06-04, 20:48
Personally I'm sick of head on disagreements in this place. It's a shame we can't talk about concepts that religeons, spirituality, psychology etc address. Things such as wisdom, attachment, love, fear, consciousness, nightmares, dreams, etc and how these effect our experience of life and understandings of what is so.

Drox
2007-06-04, 23:58
People need to begin to realize that religions are a bunch of BS.


While the stories and justifications many religions present are a bunch of BS, some of the things they teach aren't.

Monagi
2007-06-05, 00:15
^ True. The core message in most religions promote peace, equality, etc. However, there is too much bullshit layered on top of that core.

Surak
2007-06-05, 04:23
"While the stories and justifications many religions present are a bunch of BS, some of the things they teach aren't."

Yeah, the good stuff like "Don't fucking kill people" isn't unique to religion, in fact it's common sense. Religion is not required for people to have a moral compass.

You know how people laugh at those Star Trek nerds that debate wether or not Captain Kirk is 34 or 35 at the time of <insert episode here>? Religious people arguing for their rediculous beliefs are exactly the same; except the Trek nerds at the end of the day are fully capable of admitting that Star Trek is fiction.

Lamabot
2007-06-05, 04:27
Except for the fact that religion affects the lives of millions of people while star trek means shit

Surak
2007-06-05, 05:46
"Except for the fact that religion affects the lives of millions of people while star trek means shit"

Absolutely. That's the reason why I get so mad about this shit, because it's not just a few people sitting inside keeping their nonsense to themselves; they're out there trying to fuck up other people's shit and that's not right.

Monagi
2007-06-05, 19:20
Religion is inevitably doomed for the most part. As people become more educated and begin thinking in new ways and outside their boxes, more Brights will start to emerge. There are many levels to a new thinking, and I love reaching new ones.

For those of you who are not familiar with Brights, http://www.the-brights.net/

Sure there will always be SOME religion, but I believe one day the vast majority will reach a new way of thinking, that does not require organized religion. I want this day to come faster, and I want to see some ideas on how to bring it about.

Right now my thinking is something along these lines...

1. Show the world is full of good and bad people, both religious and not.

(Fun Quote..

"With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."

- Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize Winner)


2. Wipe out the fear element placed on people by religion.

3. Show the reason and sense behind other ways of thinking.

4. Show why organized religion is most likely bullshit.

5. Show why organized religion is detrimental to society.


Feel free to add to it.