Why I'm an Atheist

[yahoo]

OMG Thomas found this thread

[|iR|Focalor]

The real question is why would someone NOT be an atheist lol? O.o

The real answer is: because you're a brainless idiot.

[Tubby]

I respect science--deeply--as the best tool we've yet devised to advance our knowledge and understanding of the universe.

My respect does not extend to religious reverence, however, and here's why: If you (or anyone else) can actually improve on the scientific method, I'll happily adopt the new method instead.
Regards,

quadz

So what would I (or anyone else) need to do in order to 'improve' the scientific method in your opinion, Quadz?

This is all ancient history in a funny sort of way: Anyone who ever dared to propose an idea / belief / theory which went against the grain of current social ideas / befiefs / theories usually either got put to death or was made a social outcast. It still happens in places like Iran, North Korea, Zimbabwe etc.

I guess I'm becoming an online version of the same... 

[Tubby]

The real question is why would someone NOT be an atheist lol? O.o

I personally wouldn't go so far as saying that, Thomas, because at the end of the day I have my beliefs and they have theirs. You need to accept that they probably believe what they're saying just as strongly as anyone else.

[quadz]

So what would I (or anyone else) need to do in order to 'improve' the scientific method in your opinion, Quadz?

Simply the 'easiest' thing you can imagine: get better results.

This is all ancient history in a funny sort of way: Anyone who ever dared to propose an idea / belief / theory which went against the grain of current social ideas / befiefs / theories usually either got put to death or was made a social outcast. It still happens in places like Iran, North Korea, Zimbabwe etc.

I guess I'm becoming an online version of the same... 

Martyr complex: check.

[Tubby]

Martyr complex. lol 

Btw are there any Christians here who can explain to me why you would actually want to worship a god who says and does this sort of thing?:


"Then I heard the LORD say to the other men, "Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked.  Show no mercy; have no pity!  Kill them all – old and young, girls and women and little children.  But do not touch anyone with the mark.  Begin your task right here at the Temple."  So they began by killing the seventy leaders.  "Defile the Temple!" the LORD commanded.  "Fill its courtyards with the bodies of those you kill!  Go!"  So they went throughout the city and did as they were told."  (Ezekiel 9:5-7 NLT)

And at midnight the LORD killed all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn son of the captive in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed.  Pharaoh and his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died.  (Exodus 12:29-30 NLT)

If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey, I will inflict you with seven more disasters for your sins.  I will release wild animals that will kill your children and destroy your cattle, so your numbers will dwindle and your roads will be deserted.  (Leviticus 26:21-22 NLT)

Anyone who is captured will be run through with a sword.  Their little children will be dashed to death right before their eyes.  Their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes.  For I will stir up the Medes against Babylon, and no amount of silver or gold will buy them off.  The attacking armies will shoot down the young people with arrows.  They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for the children.  (Isaiah 13:15-18 NLT)


I asked this question in an earlier post, but, strangely, got no reply...

[reaper]

Do you really want me to answer this?

[haunted]

Who takes the bible literally though?.. I would never even think about asking this question to anyone, unless they were foolish enough to say that it happened in history like that(definitely not all Christians).

Again, you just generalize someone or a group of people("..are there any Christians here") off of bullshit.

There are plenty of crazy, ridiculous Christians but that was just a dumb post.

[|iR|Focalor]

Btw are there any Christians here

I dunno, you tell me.

[Tubby]

Do you really want me to answer this?

Yes please, Reaper.

[Tubby]

Who takes the bible literally though?.. I would never even think about asking this question to anyone, unless they were foolish enough to say that it happened in history like that(definitely not all Christians).

Again, you just generalize someone or a group of people("..are there any Christians here") off of bullshit.

There are plenty of crazy, ridiculous Christians but that was just a dumb post.

Haunted, you say I'm 'generalising' about a group of people. Well, I asked for Christians to reply to this post because, as I understand it, Christians, by definition, refer to the Bible as the primary repository of their faith. Also many Christians do in fact take many parts of the Bible literally (I was raised in the Roman Catholic faith, so have some knowledge around this). So why can they pick and choose which parts to take literally and which parts to quietly sweep under the carpet and hope nobody sees?

And besides, I'm not lumping all Christians together as you say - if you read my post again you'll see that I asked if there were any Christians here who could answer it.

Of course I'm not actually expecting any real reply beyond being accused of Christian-bashing - or the other favourite cop-out; "we can never hope to understand God's ways..."

Once again, why would anyone actually WANT to worship this god? At least please tell me that much.

I don't think you'll find even the most ardent Atheist wishing that much hate, death, and destruction upon his fellow men, women, and children.

[Arm0r]

I don't think you'll find even the most ardent Atheist wishing that much hate, death, and destruction upon his fellow men, women, and children.

*cough*hitler*cough*

 

[Tubby]

BTW Quadz, you seem to assume that in order for somebody to be a Atheist they need to have a PhD in physics. Perhaps you yourself do, and congratulations for that, but I'm a simple man who says things as I see them. I don't claim to have any great knowledge of 'life, the universe, and everything' - as I've already said, I don't claim to have any facts - but perhaps, sometimes, it's an advantage for one to be a little removed from too much information in order to tell the forest from the trees.

[Tubby]

I don't think you'll find even the most ardent Atheist wishing that much hate, death, and destruction upon his fellow men, women, and children.

*cough*hitler*cough*

 

Sorry ArmOr, but Hitler was a Christian:

In public statements, especially at the beginning of his rule, Hitler frequently spoke positively about the Christian of German culture, and his belief in the "Aryan" Christ. In a proclamation to the German Nation February 1, 1933 Hitler stated, "The National Government will regard it as its first and foremost duty to revive in the nation the spirit of unity and co-operation. It will preserve and defend those basic principles on which our nation has been built. It regards Christianity as the foundation of our national morality, and the family as the basis of national life".

Adolf Hitler. (1941). My New Order. New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, p. 144.
(emphasis added - Tubby)

[Arm0r]

I don't think you'll find even the most ardent Atheist wishing that much hate, death, and destruction upon his fellow men, women, and children.

*cough*hitler*cough*

 

Sorry ArmOr, but Hitler was a Christian:

In public statements, especially at the beginning of his rule, Hitler frequently spoke positively about the Christian of German culture, and his belief in the "Aryan" Christ. In a proclamation to the German Nation February 1, 1933 Hitler stated, "The National Government will regard it as its first and foremost duty to revive in the nation the spirit of unity and co-operation. It will preserve and defend those basic principles on which our nation has been built. It regards Christianity as the foundation of our national morality, and the family as the basis of national life".

Adolf Hitler. (1941). My New Order. New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, p. 144.
(emphasis added - Tubby)

oh yeah, he clearly followed the Christian faith.