Atheism is insane

Originally posted by rwingett
My immediate material existence must be far more fulfilling than your's.

Are you sure? I've got some good stuff.

Originally posted by Squelchbelch
I don't understand the dogma of atheism.
How can anyone prove to themselves (let alone anyone else) the non-existence of God?
From a logical point of view the agnostic standpoint makes much more sense.
My own opinion - there may possibly be a God (or Gods etc) but Him/Her/it/they would most likely be nothing like anything conceived of by organised re ...[text shortened]... are so strong.

The only system that makes any rational sense to me is sceptical agnosticism.

My childhood indoctrination was mainly hedonistic. I received little religious instruction.

Keep searching friend.

Originally posted by doodinthemood
Atheism upsets you, so rather than showing an actual logical argument against it, you use this as an argument for god?

The first time my dummy (pacifier in American I think) was taken off me, I apparently cried for two days. Is that a good argument for me to be walking around in public with a dummy nowadays? No, that's shameful, just like religion should be.

Religion is shameful in many ways. You won't find me in support of it.

God, on the other hand, is a spirit, and must be understood spiritually.

Originally posted by shavixmir
And you call me insane?

Are you insane? I never called you insane. But if you believe in nothing, which is what atheism is, then you have a problem.

I'm a bit crazy though.

Originally posted by josephw
if you believe in nothing, which is what atheism is

Now that's a definition of atheism which I think would be very hard to argue for, linguistically or otherwise.

Originally posted by Nordlys
Now that's a definition of atheism which I think would be very hard to argue for, linguistically or otherwise.

Go beyond linguistics. Atheism is an argument for nonexistence.

I must go now. It may be a day or two, but I will check back.

Originally posted by josephw
That's the point! Atheism has nothing to offer. It's a negative. It give one no hope. It is therefore an illusion.

Eternal life, on the other hand, is a positive. It has meaning. It is therefore very real indeed.

I think you're smoking some serious crack, friend.

Originally posted by josephw
Go beyond linguistics. Atheism is an argument for nonexistence.

I must go now. It may be a day or two, but I will check back.

Atheism is an argument for the non-existance of god. That's all.

People act like atheism is a rejection of everything religious. There are valuable things to be learned from religion, but not because they are religious per se.

Don't murder or commit adultery is from the Bible obviously, but believing in atheism doesn't preclude belief in these. On the flip side are religious people who murder and commit adultery.

Atheism is NOT a philosophy or an argument. It's just a rejection of a belief in the personal god that various religions have tried to make up. Whatever the atheist wants to believe in after is up to him/her.

I have a hard time believing you actually meant atheism is an argument for non-existance. Can you explain what you mean at least? I suspect there's a miscommunication...

Originally posted by josephw
My childhood indoctrination was mainly hedonistic. I received little religious instruction.

Keep searching friend.

Well your flag suggests you are American.
You are a Christian, yes?

If you had been born in the foothills of the Himalayas there's approximately a 99% chance you'd now be trying to convince everyone of the virtues of Buddhism.
Buddhism & Christianity have mutually exclusive ideas regarding God, the afterlife & much else besides.

Your choice of the one "true" path is a function of sociological pressure & simple geography as much as any moment of of revelation.

Keep thinking friend.

Originally posted by josephw
Go beyond linguistics. Atheism is an argument for nonexistence.

I must go now. It may be a day or two, but I will check back.

Atheism has no independant content. It is, as you say, purely a negation. But it does not follow that atheists therefore believe in nothing. They can, and do, believe in a great variety of things. Humanism, for example, is a positive belief IN something.

Originally posted by josephw
Are you insane? I never called you insane. But if you believe in nothing, which is what atheism is, then you have a problem.

I'm a bit crazy though.

It would be pretty cool to see you two locked in a room together.

Originally posted by josephw
That's the point! Atheism has nothing to offer. It's a negative. It give one no hope. It is therefore an illusion.

Eternal life, on the other hand, is a positive. It has meaning. It is therefore very real indeed.

I really laughed.
negative thing = illusion
positive thing = real
You, my friend, seem to be completely unaware of the world you are living in and in a sad way you are supporting my view of religious people. I honestly pity you.

Originally posted by Asgarth
I really laughed.
negative thing = illusion
positive thing = real
You, my friend, seem to be completely unaware of the world you are living in and in a sad way you are supporting my view of religious people. I honestly pity you.

Hmm & I'd like josephw to explain something to me:

1)God must be 100% omnipotent, all-knowing & benevolent, correct?
(after all you keep going on about how all-powerful & how His love is eternal etc...)

2)I assume you believe in the existence of evil?

3)God has the power to eliminate evil (from 1)

4)Evil still exists (from 2)

5)God has no reason not to eliminate evil for the good of mankind (benevolence 1)

Therefore:
a)God does not exist (evil may not exist also & may simply be a construct of morality)
b)He doesn't care about our suffering
c)He cares but chooses not to act & is therefore not benevolent
d)He cares & wishes to eradicate evil but is powerless to act & is therefore not omnipotent

Care to comment?

Originally posted by josephw
The argument that says "there is no God" is void of meaning. Whereas the argument for a creator is full of life and gives us purpose.

God is a life giving spirit. The message from God to us is one of hope and love for all who accept his gift.

If one believes that there is no eternal life, then that one has nothing to live for beyond his or her immediate material existence.
What a drag!

Bladder dash! The assertion "...no god" obviously has no "meaning" for you because you are infected by magical, supernatural thinking. There is no credible evidence for a creator. LIFE is full of life. Open your eyes and enjoy all that nature has to offer.

Originally posted by Squelchbelch
Hmm & I'd like josephw to explain something to me:

1)God must be 100% omnipotent, all-knowing & benevolent, correct?
(after all you keep going on about how all-powerful & how His love is eternal etc...)

2)I assume you believe in the existence of evil?

3)God has the power to eliminate evil (from 1)

4)Evil still exists (from 2)

5)God ha ...[text shortened]... s to eradicate evil but is powerless to act & is therefore not omnipotent

Care to comment?

Now that you are acquainted with the concepts of 'hard' and 'weak' atheism, and since you are obviously familiar with the 'problem of evil', I have a question for you:

If god is defined as being omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent (all powerful, all knowing, and all loving), and if such a god is wholly incompatible with the presence of evil in the world, do you think someone would be justified in taking a hard atheist stance by asserting that such a god does not, and cannot, exist?