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Steel

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I tried to be religious in the past,honestly, I did. Then I quit smoking dope,and it all sort of went away...... :D

I think I lack the "god gene" and without artificial stimulation to alter my conciousness,I just don't "get it".

So,rather than offend people by snoring on thier pews,I spend my time doing other things.

The only thing I am left with,is just what DO you describe yourself as?

I mean, I don't adhere to any organized or sprirtual thing........and I just don't CARE enough to waste energy being an atheist.

I guess I'm just a humanist. I don't pray for things to happen, I get up and MAKE then happen instead. :lol:

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and I just don't CARE enough to waste energy being an atheist.

So, those of us that ARE atheists are wasting energy? Way to insult half the board there. Anyway, you don't "waste energy" being an atheist. How much energy does it take to say "I don't believe in this" and drop it?

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Hallucigenia

Maybe he means that, for him to feel comfortable to identify as an atheist, it would require a lot of decisive atheistic actions that he feels would be a waste of energy for him. It doesn't necessarially mean he thinks other atheists are wasting energy. Also, maybe he sees atheism as a decision that you need logic to get to, which takes energy to figure out, while he is just naturally unable to believe in God and has little actual evidence either way. So, he could work out all the reasoning that would "prove" atheism to him, but it would ultimately be a waste of energy because he would believe and act the same way even if he didn't do that.

"Humanist" is a good word for it, especially if you tack "secular" onto the beginning. "Agnostic", in my opinion, also works.

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I think I lack the "god gene" and without artificial stimulation to alter my conciousness,I just don't "get it".

Despite talk of it a while ago, I think it was concluded there is no such thing as a "god gene". Evidence: children of priests/pastors/rectors/whatever (in denominations that allow priests to marry of course) are significantly LESS likely than average to be religious later in life.

Personally, I can't imagine living without some meaning and direction to my life, and a conceptual model of the universe to back it up. Athiesm-materialism to me is one step away from nihilism, so I've gone with a theistic worldview. Currently I'd describe myself as Christian, although wicca/druidism also has its attraction to me. And while I think the two different worldviews are much more compatible than most people think, I feel that the central teachings are fundamentally different, so I'm not going to take the modern cop-out of saying they're both paths to the same truth.

Yeah, so that's me. :P

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Steel:

and I just don't CARE enough to waste energy being an atheist.

~Forbidden Fury~:

So, those of us that ARE atheists are wasting energy? Way to insult half the board there. Anyway, you don't "waste energy" being an atheist. How much energy does it take to say "I don't believe in this" and drop it?

There are atheists, and there are atheists. Some people who lack a belief in God are the type who, per your example, say "I don't believe in this" and leave it at that. My father, for example, considered the question of the existence or non-existence of God to be unimportant to him, so he never gave it much thought.

On the other hand, there are those for whom their non-belief in God is as fervent and devout as those who are strongly religious. Their atheism is as ardent and impassioned as the faith of an Evangelical Christian.

(Me, I'm somewhere in between those two extremes... I used to be a lot closer to the second type than I am now; my own view on religion these days is "Whatever gets you through the day".)

So it may be the second type of atheist that Steel was referring to (since they're the ones who get noticed). Just a thought. ;)

BTW, Steel, I find the whole concept of a "God gene" to be patently ludicrous. If someone was to show me a genetic profile of several generations to track this "gene" or lack thereof (the way we can track, say, blood type), then I'll take it seriously. :)

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I am agnostic, I suppose. I the closest thing to religion I claim is that there is in fact a higher power, and this power simply created life through evolution, and no longer intervenes. Is deism the correct term for that?

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Secular humanist is a good one, agnostic would probably work as well. My dad prefers "freethinker." Or not having a label (!)

Last week, my uncle called my mother to wish her a happy Easter, but at some point they got on the topic that neither of them are actually Christians, and the phone call ended up devolving into "what do you call your religious beliefs?" My mother refuses to use any labels because every one is associated with "some group of assholes," whereas my uncle called himself something like a Universalist Pantheist or something equally pompous and ridiculous. They agreed the Easter phone call was pretty silly.

Yes kusan38, that's deism and not agnosticism.

As for me, I'm an atheist when it comes down to it, and I'm as evangelical as the person I'm talking to. If somebody's openminded, live and let live! Belief can be a very positive thing in peoples' lives, I completely get that. However, if someone is attempting to force their beliefs on me I will go militant atheist on their asses.

I used to almost envy others' capacity for religion and the peace it brought them--until I realized how little peace many of them actually had, and that I'd be happier if I didn't try to force it. Kind of like asexuality, really.

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I think "Apathist" describes people like me well.

And Fury, project much? Let me put it this way.

I have seen Athiests who were every bit as devout and annoying in thier expression as religious dogmatics. (And every bit as thin skinned.)

So in a way, *fighting* against religion BECOMES thier religion.

Fanaticism is only that,no matter what form it takes.

Which really only gives what they are in reactance against a board to debate. It's a bit like watching fifty or so little dogs,yapping at full volume,while spinning and dervishlike-chasing thier tails. Lots of sound and furious activity....and absolutely nothing of value being ACCOMPLISHED.

Now THAT is a collosal waste of energy.

Why bother?

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Steel: And Fury, project much?

What exactly is it that you think I'm "projecting"? You can't handle a question?

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I just think you are in an awful hurry to be offended,Fury.

Why is that? Couldn't you simply ask for a contextual clarification, before deciding to be upset?

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I used to enjoy the fellowship at church, but became increasingly uncomfortable with the attitude that 'ours is the right way, the only way and everyone else is bound for hell' and left.

I appreciate the Bhuddist idea that 'each man must find his own way up the mountain' but really don't like the idea of coming back as an insect because I'm not too good in this life.

As I can neither prove nor disprove the existance of God, I will keep an open mind on the subject.

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Steel: I just think you are in an awful hurry to be offended,Fury.

Why is that? Couldn't you simply ask for a contextual clarification, before deciding to be upset?

What makes you jump to the conclusion that I was actually offended to start with? People need to stop making assumptions. You don't know me. Don't pretent you do.

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Right back atcha Fury.

You did exactly the same thing to me above.

"An insult to every atheist on the board", indeed.

(I mean,did you personally look in the member files,and private message "every atheist on the board", to see if they WERE insulted by my comment? Or was your claim UNFOUNDED, and from a PERSONAL perspective? IE, a projection.)

Respect starts by not making judgement calls, before asking for clarification..Give some,get some. If you have a question-there is absolutely no need to attempt to browbeat me in public over it-it's not your place. Try a private message first-I'll be happy to discuss any questions you may have.:lol:

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Steel: You did exactly the same thing to me above.

"An insult to every atheist on the board", indeed.:

Wow, you need to get over yourself. It was a JOKE. :roll:

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I think I lack the "god gene" and without artificial stimulation to alter my conciousness' date='I just don't "get it".[/quote']

Despite talk of it a while ago, I think it was concluded there is no such thing as a "god gene". Evidence: children of priests/pastors/rectors/whatever (in denominations that allow priests to marry of course) are significantly LESS likely than average to be religious later in life.

It may not be genetic, but it does appear to be a product of having a brain wired a certain way. A psychologist created a device profiled ijn New Scientist a while ago that was able to evoke religious feelings by stimulating certain areas of the brain.

Personally, I can't imagine living without some meaning and direction to my life, and a conceptual model of the universe to back it up.

I applaud religion for giving that security to people, but it's also the main reason I'm not religious - my life has the meaning I give it; I wouldn't feel comfortable devolving responsibility for it to some, possibly imaginary, higher power. I'm more the sort to give myself purpose and direction. For my enquiring mind, science provides a more satisfactory model of the universe, and it's one in which a god isn't necessary for everything to function; besides, the world becomes so much more awe-inspiring if you look at its contents as something that have developed naturally in a fascinating variety of forms rather than something that was wished into being on a whim. I describe myself as an agnostic; I don't make any judgments as to whether or not God exists (though my gut feeling is that he doesn't, and that he is a humaan construction designed to give people the sort of peace of mind you mention), but to all intents and purposes his existence or otherwise is irrelevant to my life and appreciation of the world.

Phil

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Fury,let's not get into a fight over a misunderstanding. I'll take it in the context you described-and just drop it. If I offended YOU, I apologize.

I tend to be very literal in my thinking-just use a little care in interacting with me-and we'll get along fine-and I'll try to "grok" you as well. :D

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And Pobblebonk,I think we feel the same.

Religious structures are too narrow and fantastical for me to take seriously. Simplistic, anthropomorphic explanations don't cut it for me.

I wouldn't use a book of nursery tales as a handbook for living-any more than I do the bible,Koran,etc.......And yet,I still don't think that science understands the more subtle nuances of energy. There are still fantasitc unexplored realms to discover- and is this not where religious feeling comes from-the feeling that there is MORE?

Things are not black and white-and there is a third side to every equation.

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And Pobblebonk,I think we feel the same.

Religious structures are too narrow and fantastical for me to take seriously. Simplistic, anthropomorphic explanations don't cut it for me.

I wouldn't use a book of nursery tales as a handbook for living-any more than I do the bible,Koran,etc.......And yet,I still don't think that science understands the more subtle nuances of energy. There are still fantasitc unexplored realms to discover- and is this not where religious feeling comes from-the feeling that there is MORE?

For me, that's where scientific curiosity comes from - after all, if we'd discovered everything there wouldn't be any point having scientists, now would there?

Phil

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