"Atheist Life Vs. Religious Life" [video]

Magic is a word that people use when they don't understand statistics.

Yeah...Chaos did too, but I like him just fine. I'm not bothered by the majority of the atheists on this site. Just one or two. Hmmm...I didn't know that Elana wasn't and atheist.

/continues back reading

My answer is this: You don't know for sure, neither do I.
The big difference: Religious belief implies that the answer already exists to the extent of God(s)
If you say we don't know and you don't know you pretty much are saying both sides are full of it(not necessarily in words such as full of it, but i do hope you get what i am saying) and that's not conducive for discussion.
Scientific provides a current "theory" for our origination, Christianity specifically doesn't provide a theory but an "Answer", that should be where the difference lies.
Don't mix this up with what people interpret to be right, this is just the fundamentals between both concepts, opinions set aside.
if you can make a scientific improvement to big bang theory by all means, but do know that it's not THE ANSWER just yet but A ANSWER.

I think that's the main reason I teetered on Agnosticism for so long. You simply don't know. I mean, maybe there are more than five senses. Some animals have unique traits that could be regarded as completely different senses, so I don't think it's beyond imagination.

I'm a natural skeptic though, so I just eventually labeled myself atheist, but I'm open minded to anything as long as it's backed with good reasoning.

There are more than five senses silly.
:P
I know, lame, quoting wiki but eh.

You ever hear of mirror neurons?(I'll hit on this one later....maybe)
Or the phantom arm syndrome(can't remember the specific term)? where someone gets paralyzed and then ends up getting their arm lobbed off but they still feel the sensation of a paralyzed arm eventhough nothing is there?
I think they covered it on an episode of House once.

I think those are mostly extensions of touch(with the exception of time perception and being able to recognize magnetic fields).

I'm thinking more along the lines that acupuncture is often accepted treatment of some pains, yet people aren't able to explain it in great detail. Ancient China's view of the body and its energy and those energies.

I've heard of phantom limb syndrome, but didn't know that's what it entailed. Ugh, that's gotta suck for the person :/

The needles aren't really the point of interest, the pressure is actually what does it more-so.
And I'd say a good deal of that has to do with placebo and just plain old physical touch.
I'd say some people are able to explain it in great deal, but a good deal of acupuncturists and just new age medicine lovers in genuine just don't know wtf it really does(or they do, that's quacks for ya). But i'd say placebo and just the mind in general have a lot to do with it.

This is called being able to laugh at yourself:

Don't you guys ever get tired of this?

Don't you ever get tired of being the guy that has to say this stupid BS every time:

I seriously get tired of you people(you people as in you people that always do this) asking the same stupid and obvious rhetorical questions.

Rhetorical questions are the new epic

Yeah it bugs the hell out of me.
You'll always have 1 guy trying to act all cool by saying that rather than just not posting or actually saying something of merit.
A Waste.
If I were to take it literally, sure I get tired of things.

Every time? Past few months I've been making maybe 1 post every 2 weeks.

Saying something of merit? You mean that this thread has anything new that the 50 other religion threads doesn't have?

You aren't any better pointing it out.
So either quit bitching about the thread behaving EXACTLY how you presumed it to be and don't post on it if you are bored of it.
Or keep on doing the whole "oh this thread again", "oh no not another religion thread" LA DE DA DE DA.
I don't care if you don't care, but if you don't care shut the hell up about it and try not caring somewhere else.
:D
But, for whatever reason you actually DO care, I'll be sure to chat with you if you are done stroking the ego with your apathy and disgust.

Daemun where do you live again?

Interesting to see where this thread went since I last viewed it a day or so ago.

Neosutra, well done, and well said, in general.

Miracles, if defined as an event that requires supernatural intervention, do not occur.
Miracles, if defined as extraordinarily rare or unlikely events, do indeed occur ... rarely.

To those who got "turned off" by the first few minutes of the video in the OP, I hear you. The author/narrator uses some examples in the first couple of minutes that are zany or extreme, even though they are logical.
However, I encourage you to fast-forward and view the video from 2:00 onward. I think the "best" most meaningful content starts there; I sorta wish the author/narrator had omitted the first 2 minutes (and used a better title for the video).

If you still can't be bothered to watch the video, here's some of the highlights that I resonate with the most:

"Atheists do not use god as an excuse. Atheists don't commit atrocities to please imaginary beings."

"One doesn't need to be forgiven just for being born."

"In order to lose the fear of hell, one has to let go of the false hope of heaven."

"A marriage is stronger when the couple stops looking for answers from a magical being that's not there."

"Prayer: how to do nothing and still think you're helping. Religion teaches comfort with a deferment and a lack of responsibility."

"Atheists accept that things which are not yet known are simply ... things which are not yet known."

Again, I'm not an Atheist, but I do certainly agree with these tenets. Your thoughts?

Or technology.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

I had a conversation on a similar topic with a friend about the specific idealogy of "original sin".

Basically the concept that we teach our children they are "bad" for just being human, and more specifically for not following an arbitrary rule set of sand people that lived thousands of years ago.

Upon further analysis, it follows all of the same psychological symptoms of spousal abuse victims.

1. The victim is belittled and constantly told they are worthless, bad, or incapable without the support of their spouse/partner.

2. The victim is told that all good comes from their partner, and punishment (extreme punishment) comes from disobedience.

3. The victim is told that they must seek their partner's forgiveness for not meeting the expectations of perfection, and only through their partner can they achieve happiness.

It's actually quite scary if you think about it. I've dealt with spousal abuse cases several times, and it is heart breaking. To view the theistic relationship in the same frame of reference shows just how devastating these kinds of beliefs can be, even if they aren't influencing the person to blow up a building or campaign against science/civil rights.

Bravo.
A meaningful allegory.
Historically, it makes sense, too.
Based on everything we know about ancient civilization, it seems almost all relationships were centered around dominance. That, too, makes sense, with regard to evolution, since dominance is a common relationship dynamic among the mammalian species (wolf packs, lion prides, elephant herds, etc.)

/sigh

All these religion threads that have popped up recently make me think I've been speaking to people like this...



Yes, it's a joke.

Theistics believe people are born bad? Or was this a reference to Religion in general?

Texas, not to far from the Z

If you've ever seen the television show called "Louie"(Louise C.K) he has an episode that covers religion, it's a pretty funny episode all about how he was guilted for jesus and what-not.
but anywhoo:double edit:
episode 11 season 1, episode title "God", synop:

Kay, I'll remember to never go there, thanks.

Seen it, have you seen much of his standup? He's quite funny.

Why for>

Suck a bag of ***.

http://www.happyplace.com/3695/unintentionally-sexual-church-signs

Some funny church signs. Whether or not you're religious I think most could enjoy them.

refer to page 3 of this thread

the ninja one at the end cracks me up

"A 4 inch tongue can bring a 6 foot man to his knees" got me pretty hard.