Religion thread #58,934

[razark]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

mine as well

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

[Sailor Steve]

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.

[Castout]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

@ 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.

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.

[Morts]

Originally Posted by Castout

Atheism is a belief and it's a religion.

Nope, its a lack of

[Castout]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

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

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.

[Castout]

Originally Posted by Morts

Nope, its a lack of

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?

[Betonov]

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

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.

[GoldenRivet]

Castout

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

[AngusJS]

Originally Posted by Castout

Atheism is a belief and it's a religion.

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?

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.

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.

But always because they are so frighten by the statement they will throw insults instead. This proved atheism is merely another belief.

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

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

1. few people speak so frequently about God as Atheists do

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

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"?

the·ism [thee-iz-uhm]
---8211;noun 1. the belief in one god as the creator and ruler of the universe, without rejection of revelation ( distinguished from deism).

2. belief in the existence of a god or gods ( opposed to atheism).

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?

[razark]

Originally Posted by Castout

Atheism is the belief of the lack of God.

Close. Atheism is the lack of belief of gods.

Originally Posted by Castout

Its core values is the belief that there is no God.

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.

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by razark

...
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.

Amen!

A teapot I don't know, but I do believe there is a toolbag up there somewhere.

[jumpy]

Belief or faith is all well and good, but the problem lies when other people presume to try and correct you in your own belief or faith.

If I had faith, I'd be inclined to continue with the message of peace and love and being decent to your fellow man, you don't need the apparatus of church or dogmatic clergy for that. God is in your head/heart not in church or books or proselytising.

However I do not believe in god, of the desert or otherwise. To me, god is a construct of a human need to understand and belong. If I had to choose a religion, it would probably be that practised by the ancient greeks; their gods were capricious and malevolent and merry and joyful, much like the people who created them. At least they appear to be honest with their intentions as deities.

Each to their own, so long as they keep it that way.

[Betonov]

Originally Posted by Pisces

A teapot I don't know, but I do believe there is a toolbag up there somewhere.

There was a wee accident in our garage last year involving a flame welder, so I can say that your toolbag in the sky has been proven correct

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Pisces

Amen!

A teapot I don't know, but I do believe there is a toolbag up there somewhere.

At least that has some proof the back it up...

[MH]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Castout

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

World is mysterious place and would be even more so if some people did not doubt it.
World is mysterious place so lets just stay in our huts and pray.
If any one says other ways just BEEP over it.

I have no problem in believing in GOD the problem is just the stuff people invent for themselves that comes with it.
Simply to keep themselves focus on the thing.