I feel like today being an atheist is something people do to seem smart, I relate with the fight against organized religion and taking things to far with how serious it is, but I am going to purpose and alternate theory that maybe some will agree with. I feel like as human beings we dont have enough intelligence ourselves to process any major concept of god only things on a minor level, I fell that all the great minds of the human existence realize how stupid they are, when humans compare how smart we are we only compare to the smartest human, not to the amount of knowledge out there, which is way more than a lifetime full, When you speak with someone smarter then you it can be hard to interpret them because the think and use their mind on a different level, it is really unexplainable unless you can compare you own intelligence as it is growing, back on topic i believe god has the ability to think on a level complete different then us, I believe that it should be important to study all religious texts (apart from the crazy ones) not for a history lesson as most people in modern organized religion believe and the "smart atheist" think is the only way to use them, but rather as a guide to life, a way to live, because most promote selfless love and being kind to all those people around you, even those people who you might hate, anyway those are my thoughts
If I understand correctly, you're proposing the idea that the 'great minds' of humankind have an understanding of how their quantifiable knowledge pales in comparison to the amount of knowledge we could have. When someone who does not fall into this 'great mind' category (A) talks to a 'great mind' (B), then A may have trouble understanding B's point of view. And you can only explain this happening by comparing your intelligence now to what it was on a previous date? What characteristics does a great mind have? I see you have implied an understanding inability in A. But all people understand something, or else they wouldn't be alive today, so what might B do or say that A may be unable to interpret it? How do you quantify how much someone knows? How do you determine how much knowledge exists in the universe, outside of our perception? If you can't explain it, then you can't back the idea up and it may be logically unsound. Who determines which religious texts are 'the crazy ones'?
Well if the concept is extremely grandiose, deals with the supernatural, which by definition means that the understanding of god is impossible to natural beings , since it cannot be explains through natural explanation , then I hardly see any merit to even bother , let alone spend the energy to look at every religious text when there is no valid reason to link whether their flavor of god is the true god , which begs the question of the existence of god(s). There are more interesting and better things to concentrate on.
Generally you lost me, but you really lost me when you said religion is this "but rather as a guide to life, a way to live." That may very well be the intention of religion but we live in an age that is relying on centuries of thought that has expanded our scope of understanding about what's possible, [SIZE=11.818181991577148px]rational,[/SIZE] and real. So to stray from that would be like an adult looking at their childhood scribblings and trying to see how the world worked through those young eyes. Religion has a lot to teach us about where we were, and how we saw the world with the tools at our disposal but what we are now is a people operating with the benefit of knowledge. Not believing in God shouldn't be interpreted as acting "smart" it should seen as a person's awareness and acceptance of the sum total of human knowledge. To cling to religion is to intentionally dumb one's self to the modern world.
Define crazy religious ideals because I don't believe in any religion because they were invented to explain phenomena that at the time was scientifically inexplicable. Also because religion, mainly christianity, is one big money making scheme. Why would an omnipotent being need monetary proceeds to run its faction? IT MAKES NO SENSE! If "God" created everything why can't he spontaneously generate funds when his followers need it? Sorry OP but i think your just surrounded by posing children who are "atheist" because it is "cool" to be different. Why should I study nonsensical literature on mystical beings on the sky when i can learn what is actually in the sky? When I can study quantitative data that proves what actually is occuring in this world. I myself don't even claim to be "atheist" because it's just another group of people trying to persuade one to think the way they want you to think. In actuallity these groups religious or not are mentally oppressive, setting morals and rituals one needs to follow to find salvation. I like to think of the world as a place of self determinism, where I play "god" and I set my own morals and think how I wish and live how I want. Determining my own outcome based on my decisions solely. Everyone i feel lives the same way just ignorantly and use religion as a guide because they are too weak at mind to determine their own outcome by themselves. But that's just my outlook, a small piece of my outlook at that.
Exactly, why base your life on nativity, ignorance, and out dated concepts, when proven concepts are available. Sent from my SCH-R820 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Ok guys so you are asking a lot of questions and i will try to answer them all, crazy religions would include cultists things or ect. You have to be the one to interpret religions worth and value, also i feel like you guys are going straight for the attack to disprove me rather then considering because some of you ask questions that i state in the original post, , not saying im right, i believe no one can rlly ever be right or wrong as there are no absolutes in our life, you can say the sky is blue or the grass is green, but is the sky always blue or every blade of grass green, what about death are you certain to die, on the most basic level yes but none of us have died before so how can we claim to speak on the matter with any certainty, so staying with my always right and always wrong theory no human can obtain perfection so to demand something like that from it is a harsh expectation, I personally do not like organized religion as i agree it has led to many bad things, like those using it for money, and gaining shameful goals but i dont understand how someone can claim to know why a religion was founded when you really just restating things you have read or heard as you were not there and included in the founding of the religion, just making statements about the outcomes, being honest with yourself would say that you have no idea, as anyone who has played the telephone game would know humans cannot pass information through, the example of the telephone game shows what i mean be human stupidity simple things really but what most people dont realize is that there are two ways we act, one action includes our thinking and philosophies and is pre-thought out and easy to do the right thing, but then there is the other action which takes place through instinct and no does include those things, as the brain needs an action much faster so it cannot process all when we act with instinct and we really have less control then we tell ourselves, these two actions are different as believes and values must be driven to the core of our minds in order to make changes, same way you practice a sport and the action becomes natural, also i do not claim to have all the knowledge but there are many things i can say about human stupidity like how most humans always assume they are right, even when they think they dont, how many of us fail to think/plan for what we dont know, how most people havent freed their emotions from their minds and how our on brain can fool us into believing different things, the bible i believe to be an exaggeration on the most part things said to swing people into believing, but for instance with moses parting the red see, most people will believe that this is unlikely and didnt happen because it seems fairy tale and magical, but once again the shows of human stupidity come out, as when the people where they and witnessed the event they didnt have enough intelligence to tell what was happening, as our average intelligence has grown much since then, but this is how i feel the story went, moses grew up in the area around the dead sea, he knew the tidal zones and times and just walked his people across a sandbar his people had no idea of tides along with the soldiers, and they where fouled by a smarter man, not that he meant to just that they didnt know anything other than slavery, I really hope that you who believe whatever can tell yourself why you believe without repeating other peoples words, cause you might just want to disprove me and be saying what ever but you can still be a blind follower over atheism just like any religion to understand what you believe is to question and comprehend, but you are rlly the only ones to know
1. I never said people are incapable of any understanding, like i said a minor level of things, and it is not what is said more as it is how it is said, and what the meaning is/ how the other person interprets the meaning, if they even do. 2. I dont know, those question are not relevant to my topic but, i dont believe it is possible to quantify such a thing as you are the one bringing up quantifiable numbers, also i dont believe it is possible to cap the amount of knowledge, to me it seems like an infinite amount. 3. I understand your thoughts on logic but as Einstein says himself "logic will get you from A to B imagination will take you everywhere" i feel also it is important to be able to live with that which you do not know, if you ask any scientist no one can tell you for sure what gravity is but yet we live by its rules, you ask what qualifies someone to be a great mind, i dont know either, just a general term to describe men and women like Einstein and great philosophers alike
I despise religion in all of its forms. It damages critical thinking skills, promotes a poor diet, and justifies genocide, war, rape, and slavery. One COULD argue that many simply use it as a lifestyle, and dont take it literal to the point of assholier-than-thou fundamentalists, however as i stated above, that's interfering with critical thinking. You're SUPPOSED to make mistakes. You just dont learn if you dont make mistakes. And when a child learns of this philosophy at an early age, they're stunted mentally. Poison.
I used to consider myself atheist. I now consider myself a militant agnostic...I don't know, and neither do you! "You" meaning anyone who claims to have proof one way or another about god.
1. You're right, I misused 'inability'. I see where you're coming from. 2. You seem to be categorizing people and god in an intelligence hierarchy. That's why I asked questions about how you quantify amounts of knowledge; there are clear cut differences in a hierarchy. I could be mistaken about your use of different levels of thinking. 3. Hopefully you can forgive my innocently unsolicited inquiries.
A guide to life? You do not need a religious text to guide you towards how to live life. If you cannot realize that thinking in a conscious, open-minded, accepting perspective, as well as treat others the way you wish to be treated are essential in this world because everone is different, then I don't think religion will be of much help. Atheists can develop these qualities without the help of religions, they just need to think consciously. However, if religion does help you with those qualities I mentioned above, keep at it and do what makes you happy. That's the point. What I personally do not like about most religions however is the aspect of control the cultures which revolve around them use, but then again im not a big fan of "culture" at all either. And what do you mean "crazy ones"? Everyone has a different perspective on what's considered "crazy".
I feel i share many views you guys do, just seems my thinking is a little different, many things are repeated in most of the messages between everyone posting, didnt mean to seem on the attack Nd didnt mean to sound like I believe everyone who is an atheist does so because they want to seem smart, but rather i see most common media joke about being atheist like its stupid to be otherwise, where i think that they are both on the same level as since we never know we all just choose to believe what we want
On some level people choose to believe what they want but I think reason outlasts mere opinion. I think what's reflected in the media is a curiosity and yes a disdain for a group of people that essentially reject facts based on nothing more than feelings and faith. Which is to say that the media cover the burning building, and religious fervor fits that bill nicely, especially when its hypocrisies are exposed. But there is something oddly compelling about people that willfully cast off reason to live according to the dictates of people dead and buried for thousands of years. I just don't get that. You ignore living scientists giving you real facts and figures to believe someone that had far fewer facts and virtually no concept of how the world works? Wow, just wow......
It's not about being smart. It's about being skeptical and thinking critically. if I told you, "I was abducted by aliens last night and they ran tests on me and sent me back," would you just take my word for it? Or would you want to see some kind of evidence? That's all it is. Skepticism and wanting a standard of evidence. If you just take my word for it, then I got a bridge to sell you in New York. It's only 500 dollars. That's a real steal. Send me 500 bucks and I'll send you the deed to the bridge. You could make a real killing on this deal. Act now before it's too late and I sell it to someone else.
A few things, there are those scientist and documentarians who can use science to prove an existence of god, if i was to use this the most clear come back would be well they have agendas and are trying to enforce their believes, if these people can be wrong and push their own agendas so can the scientists that you quote and believe, the choice of who to believe is there in faith wether based there critical thinking or simple faith becomes built, but you can never be 100% sure but that doesnt matter as faith is not about knowing but believing, faith in science or faith in god?? I embrace both. Why does atheism gain the sole right to critical thinking, am i not capable of it, because i believe that i am clearly doing it here, asking questions, forming an understanding. Why does someone who critically thinks have to be an atheist, is it possible for atheist to not be critical thinkers, this is what i am talking about, once again just like with all religions most people, and from what i see here they include atheist , segregate themselves, there is this separation this i am better than you attitude, why?? We are all equals and make the choice to believe whatever. To make things clear on my beliefs, i believe in evolution, i believe in the big bang, i still think that god could have had something to do with that, relating to my earlier posts that knowledge is just beyond my understanding right now, why is it not possible for god to be on another planet or possiblly even the accumulation of all live it's self, my biggest thing is that i can tell myself i dont know, and learn from everyone including atheist visions/beliefs, including texts of religions, and including the work of modern/old scientist, all come into play to my thinking because all of them are right in some areas and wrong in the others, i choose with critical thinking what to believe, and i dont exclude myself from knowledge as i believe everyone knows something i do not
Dude...an atheist is one whom does not accept the claim that God exists. That's it. Nothing else. You can be an atheist yet dumb as fuck. You can be an atheist and not believe in evolution. You can be an atheist and believe in an afterlife. You can be an atheist and believe in fairies and unicorns. Just because someone is an atheist doesn't necessarily mean they're a critical thinker, intelligent, etc. And just because a person believes in God doesn't make them stupid, unintelligent, etc. Religious people can be very smart.
I think you have a lot of misconceptions and are thinking a bit too hard about this. Nobody is saying that it is impossible for a God to be out there somewhere. It's possible for anything to be out there, but until we find some evidence of what is actually out there, it doesn't make sense to just make stuff up on the fly. Atheists don't have the right to critical thinking. Anyone can be a critical thinker: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking Remember there's still people out there who swear they saw Elvis at the mall....and that Lizard people walk among us.... Lastly, nobody really "chooses" their belief. Can you just "choose" right now to believe in the Greek Gods? Scientology? Islam? Christianity? The belief that I am the Creator but I choose to disguise myself as a human? it goes much deeper than just simply "choosing."
The last two post contradict each other one states that atheist dont believe in the existence of god , but then firestorm states that no one is claiming god isnt out there yet he just needs prove he cant just believe?? So idk what to get from that it sounds like two different ways of thinking to me. And also who or what is stopping me from believing in greek gods, or Scientology, i was raised Catholic but now i dont like the church and would have to say my to biggest religions that i have incorporated values are from rasta and Buddhism, do you believe in determinism or something from where you get this believe, but is that not a choice itself, how is it not a choice of what to believe as i made a choice to change and learn as i gain new information, do you believe in evolution or creation why? Both are theories and claim to have prove and reasoning, but you see on that appeals to you bases on a more accurate reason is that not a choice? We all have misconceptions, its should be out life's work to correct them, but let me ask you this, with out a god like form (all knowing or in-compassing all knowledge) who decides what is a misconception as you or i dont know everything, how can someone like ourselves decide who is wrong other than just making the most informed guess we can, but you most realize it is a guess, informed or not,
I said the exact same thing, as you were not into the convo that response was not directed toward you, rather the person who was making statements supporting that thinking, i was saying things just as you said them to expand the other persons way of thinking and you are trying to disprove me with what i said? Hmmmmm