Atheism is a belief and it's a religion.

But unfortunately a belief which can never be substantiated. . . . . .

If anyone wants to be an atheist could you please be an intelligent, rational and open minded one? Life is after all, about discovery. Most atheists unfortunately are full of hatred, rude, lacking empathy, even sometimes cruel, and intolerable of anything that's against their core belief. They view religions as a threat.

I don't view atheism as a threat. I'd befriend nice, good people whether they are atheists or otherwise.

Every time I testify : "I saw God when I was a kid". Many atheists had as if their beard was on fire. To them the statement is a threat to their belief. So in defense they would reply with insults, ridicule and name calling in return. Now if I preached God that I know merely from a book or from a friend's story then by all means just ignore it but if I TESTIFY by my own experience they should search, research and ask questions about the testimony to weigh it. But always because they are so frighten by the statement they will throw insults instead. This proved atheism is merely another belief. One which is embraced by many fanatic.

Don't get angry by this if you're a rational, intelligent, open minded, good hearted and good natured atheist. COMMON SENSE should be present in both believers and atheists. In it inquisitive, open minded mind, unafraid of possibilities, honest and open to the things he has been exposed too. Reserving judgment when aqppropriate and not jumping into conclusion simply out of fear and anger.

Thats because a fair number of them probably became atheists because they felt they got a raw deal at some point in life... and becoming atheists is just their way of rebelling against God.;)

and no you dont have to be a christian to be the governor of Texas, nor do you have to believe in the "Christian God" - you must however believe in the existence of a "supreme being"... many organizations that potentially place people in leadership positions have this requirement.

The Masonic Lodge for example.

personally, i dont go to church but perhaps once or twice a year, its just not my cup of tea... but i have weighed the evidence throughout my life, and i have struggled with the question as to whether or not some supreme creator exists.

based on my own experiences, i have seen and experienced more things that point to the existence of a creator vs. things that dont.

now - thats my opinion - im entitled to that in the least.

but because i have that opinion, some Atheist will waste metric tons of oxygen screaming in my face trying to convert me to believe otherwise.

kinda funny

The problem, the real core of the problem, is this weird thing about people. If they're a fan of something, they want to share their fandom. Or if their into something, then its the best thing to be into, because their into it.

Atheism vindictivness I think is borne from religious ramrodding. The problem is, they're not punching back at an equivalent level of the original punch, so to speak. So they end up being louder then the ------- who got them pissed off to begin with.

In the end, when it comes to religion, no matter what ones stance is on it, I think this is the best thought to adapt:

Whatever your stance is on religion, its a lot like a lift in your shoes. If it makes you feel better, fine. Just don't ask anyone to wear your shoes.

edit: If people would just keep their ---- to themselves, the world would be a much nicer place.

:DL

Indeed everyone is entitled to his OWN DISCOVERY, in his own time, through his own experience, to the best of his ability to know and understand, based on universal COMMON SENSE and HONESTY and an OPEN inquisitive MIND.

It's not enough to believe
Your belief must take you to KNOWLEDGE and WITNESSING. Otherwise it is a VAIN belief WHATEVER THAT BELIEF IS. The journey is a whole lifetime of discovery and growth and enrichment. Within and otherwise.

@ Castout.... when God and the spiritual world and ghosts and the like are up for discussion i like to think of the following quote:

"There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

its true.

there are a lot of people who say there is no big foot or Sasquatch too... such people are closed off to the idea that man doesnt know everything.

I never claimed it required a Christian, only a theist.
I'd say the context and capitalization makes it clear it's referring to a "Supreme Being" being a god, as opposed to a human.

Side-trip: I see that once again people are posting pictures of words they can't actually use on the forum. Getting around the rules is cute, but they are there and should be enforced.

Uhhhh

it says No religious test shall ever be required to hold office.

so where do you get that a person has to be a "theist"?

were not the Pharaohs supreme beings in their own right?

edit:

besides: i think supreme being literally means "some existence greater than one's self"

Not exactly. It says "no religious test except this one".

I don't believe the pharaohs were. I believe they were simply standard humans. As I said, the context makes it clear that it means a religious "Supreme Being". You asked the question of why it would matter to an atheist what anyone else believed, I was simply pointing out an example.

Anyway, my view on religion is that a person is free to believe whatever they believe and to worship however they feel is right, so long as they do not infringe upon the rights of someone else.

There used to be a whole race of people who might disagree :D

mine as well

Well look at that. An atheist and a theist can come to a peaceful agreement about something. :DL

Why should acknowledging the existence of a supreme being, capitalized or not, be a requirement for public office? No atheist can hold public office? Sounds like a religious test to me.

Umm that feels like a sarcasm to me but.

I wouldn't know about the quote truthfulness so it's meaningless to me. And I wasn't talking philosophy. What I wrote was practical.

Too many religious people are without common sense in their faith.
Too many atheists are without common sense either in their belief.

Nope, its a lack of

There are many claims in this world. Discovering which is true and which is false is what gives meaning in this life.

If one is in doubt one should only admit he doesn't know. If one chooses to believe he should turn his belief into knowing and knowledge of its truthfulness.

It's better to be a hardcore skeptic than a doubtful believer. Because the skeptic has his reasons not to believe while the doubtful believer has none to believe what he claims to believe.

That reason, that knowing, that revelation, however small MUST be there in every believer. The absence of which will turn them into a secular and an apostate or a radical/fanatic/extremist with time.

Atheism is the belief of the lack of God. It's a religion without ritual. Its core values is the belief that there is no God.

It is a belief that cannot be substantiated.

And will crumble to a man when the existence of God is known to that man on personal level.

Don't be angry, I'm just trying to bring a realization. I can tolerate atheism. In my honest opinion I know they are wrong but I can't possibly tell them otherwise and in my view it is their right to believe that there is no God. I do not believe there is God, I know there is God. I know some of God's characteristic from personal experience but aside from that I have little knowledge and understanding of God BUT I DO KNOW that God exists. I know the atheists haven't made the realization and it is their own right to hold on to their atheism. They cannot and will not even believe the testimony of people like me. So let them discover God themselves in their own time whatever their result be. I respect their belief but I demand atheists to respect other people belief. More because I know the truth in my belief. It is no longer a belief but the truth to me. I do not claim special anything with regard to God but I am here today still putting my faith in Lord God after the severe persecution I've gone through from some cruel unwise people because He is a living God.

My beliefs are no threat to any atheists and atheism is not a threat to me and my belief. So please do not hate believers as I do not hate atheists. More because I know the truth but with that truth I realize so few have made the realization of the truth, even among self proclaimed believers and clergymen and pastors. I may not know a lot but what I do know I know is true. I do not hate anybody's belief or the lack of belief. Aren't we all the same mankind after all? Born naked and to die without bringing anything?

Atheism is a personal relation with reason. If you're a reasonable person for starters :03:

But then again, a reasonable theist is as reasonable as a reasonable atheist. It's the person that matters, not their belief or non-belief. Some atheists can be the same bigots and idiots than the most fundamental christians.

Castout

No sarcasm, just the point that there is more to the world than we will ever really know.

For the billionth time: no, it isn't. Is having no belief in leprechauns a religion? How about unicorns? How about a lack of belief in a celestial teapot?

So you're saying that people who were not indoctrinated in a religion when they were young, and thus have no belief in any god, are actually religious?

If atheism is a religion, then not collecting stamps is a hobby, baldness is a hair style, and health is a disease. Saying it is one makes no sense. So why do you keep doing so?

The problem with testimony is that a lot of people testify to a lot of things. If you're going to make the extraordinary claim that you saw god (or were abducted by aliens, or that you channel beings from another dimension, etc.) then you'll have to give the extraordinary evidence to show that what you say is true.

No, that doesn't prove anything of the sort.

If the lunatics are running the asylum, then doesn't that warrant discussion?

It pretty obviously follows that one must be a theist to be governor (though if you use the more technical definition, then I suppose deists would be ok too - but then that would discriminate against polytheists, etc.).

Apparently, it never crossed their minds that atheists might want to participate in government.

So is this requirement just in your opinion?

Close. Atheism is the lack of belief of gods.

There is a difference in believing there is no God, and not believing there is a God. An atheist may hold either position.

Personally, I have had several claims to the existence of God presented to me. I have not found any that meet the burden of proof needed for me to believe them. However, I remain open to the possibility that there may be a god or gods out there, and I simply have no knowledge or evidence for it.