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Bringing you atheist articles and building active godless communities takes hundreds of hours and resources each month. If you find any joy or stimulation at Atheist Republic, please consider becoming a Supporting Member with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup of tea and a good dinner.
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@ gREAT hOPE
Oh dear...already you are plagiarising, however Eric, the Rainbow Farting Unicorn, Who Lives in My Garage is patented and copyrighted concept. He will sue your sorry arse if you try the " farting peanut butter coated prunes" schtick just to capitalise on Eric's fame. I also point out that the aforesaid "peanut butter coated prunes" are solids....so that is shitting...or the shits...which neatly brings us back to what you give me...see my previous post. As usual you lack imagination and accuracy.
That is the problem with theists, you give up your capacity for original thought and lack any creativity except when 'lying for jesus, or al taqiyah...which is lying for Allah/Mohammed' Funny, I don't seem to need to lie to lack a belief.
False hope "The title will be : chasing after unicorns that fart peanut butter coated prunes"
It already sounds more interesting and edifying than your posts thus far.
I already know the truth:
You have to discriminate to believe in your god because it has the exact same possibility of existing as Thor, Ra and garden fairies. If discrimination is required then I won't be there as I can't choose what god to believe in. You can't keep an open mind to truth if you have to close your mind to other possibilities.
I don't discriminate they're just not offering what The Creator and Giver of Life is. From our perspective how can we put a cap on what's impossible?
False hope "I don't discriminate they're just not offering what The Creator and Giver of Life is. "
Oh the hilarity, it seems comprehension just isn't your bag. Seriously, tell us you were being ironic here?
GH: "I don't discriminate they're just not offering what The Creator and Giver of Life is. From our perspective how can we put a cap on what's impossible?"
Krishna is a much better god than Yahweh.
You don't even understand that you are discriminating? What does your god have that Thor doesn't again?
Ok Sheldon, I'll co-sign. There is no God or afterlife. Not even on the inside where life seems to be. So, what do I do now? Am I now free to do what I was already doing? Is this concept going to radically change my life? What objective evidence can you offer that this claim is true? I don't want to follow it blindly. Because some people have had personal experiences that I would like to have and it makes sense to at least try. How should I begin to cope with the possibility that there might actually be an afterlife and Creator and I might have missed something in the order or something that I didn't try? I mean, life as a whole is incredibly humongous and there's still so much to explore. It seems to be leaving too much up to chance and uncertainty. Logic tends to favor the greater. Maybe I'm not seeing it, but what is the greater about atheism? We can go back and forth endlessly about what God doesn't do, and what man has done to mess up every detail. That's easy to do when you don't want to live in the spirit. So, sell me athiesm. I'm interested in what you have. I want to be Rock solid sure that there is no God so I can do whatever I want. (Not like I've been doing what I want my whole life already) Convince me that there is no Creator and afterlife please.
There is lots of evidence there is no afterlife: go to any graveyard.
What evidence can you demonstrate that any deity exists?
Is this simple question really beyond your comprehension?
Atheism isn't a claim or a belief, you're creating straw man arguments to avoid answering, because you know your belief is based on naught approaching objective evidence.
False hope "How should I begin to cope with the possibility that there might actually be an afterlife "
What evidence can you demonstrate that this *IS a possibility? I don't think you even understand what that means, judging from your posts.
False hope "I mean, life as a whole is incredibly humongous and there's still so much to explore. It seems to be leaving too much up to chance and uncertainty. Logic tends to favor the greater. Maybe I'm not seeing it, but what is the greater about atheism? "
That's indecipherable gibberish.
False hope "Convince me that there is no Creator and afterlife please."
What objective evidence can you demonstrate for those beliefs? Without evidence Hitchens's razor applies, no one needs to demonstrate a contrary claim if you can't evidence your belief. You need to understand and have a basic grasp of epistemology.
That's the point, how many times do you have to "try" to have an experience before you finally admit that they are just making it up? An entire lifetime's worth? So you live your entire life waiting to have somebody else's experiences? I can't live like that.
Ok thank you, I once was blind, but now I see. There is absolutely no way God or an afterlife exists. Hooray I'm finally free. Sheesh, how moronic that I believed in a possibility of what we don't know yet, I can't believe I fell for that trap. I owe it all to you Sheldon. Thanks for setting me straight. Being a skeptic is way better than exploring every and all parts of myself, life and death, how and why. Living in the possibilities and hope was utter nonsense. Pure silliness. I'm happy I was lucky enough to have somewhat of a decent random placement. Heaven forbid I wasn't kidnapped as a child and sold into the sex trade until I grew up and was forced into slave labor where they installed suicide nets until my organs were harvested. And every single one of my oppressors got away scott free. Otherwise I would probably just kill myself. Whoo hoo thank my lucky stars!!! And thank you Sheldon.
False hope "Being a skeptic is way better than exploring every and all parts of myself, life and death, "
They're not mutually exclusive positions. You can start by demonstrating objective evidence for your belief that any deity exists? If you have none then you haven't explored anything but gullible superstition.
What evidence can you demonstrate that a deity or an afterlife *IS even a possibility? Ignoring this question just confirms you don't understand what it means, or why it is significant.
Without evidence Hitchens's razor applies, no one needs to demonstrate a contrary claim if you can't evidence your belief. You need to understand this, and have a basic grasp of epistemology. Sulking because someone disbelieves your claims and rejects your vapid verbiage isn't very compelling.
You came here to preach your beliefs to us, I didn't seek you out, so stop pretending I'm telling you what to believe. you can believe the moon is made of cheese if it makes you happy, but if you start making claims in here be prepared to have people respond.
@ Great Hope
"Heaven forbid I wasn't kidnapped as a child and sold into the sex trade until I grew up and was forced into slave labor where they installed suicide nets until my organs were harvested. And every single one of my oppressors got away scott free.
Where that happens, and it does, the chances are the perpetrators are religious people who attend to their church or temple and give to charity. The recipients of harvested organs are mostly wealthy white people who, if the stats are anything to go by will attend church and be prominent members of their community.
By far the ex familia users of child porn and bodies are the religious as a group. The users of child labor are large companies, with the executives outwardly god fearing respected members of their community.
So if you want to go off on a semi hysterical rant..check some stats you dumb fucker.
I know it happens old man. I'm involved with healing hands. A human trafficking organization.
History is always been messed up. And there is no scenario where it's all going to end up in harmony. From a certain perspective it could seem like the world is getting better with technology and science. But with every new cure, comes a new disease. There is more human trafficking and slavery now, than any other time in history. God doesn't call us to save the entire Earth. God calls us to love one another through the hardships and spread the good news that this life is short and it's a blink of an eye compared to the end game. "the first shall be last and the last shall be first"
This is one of the realest movies I've ever seen and it doesn't have to do anything with the healing hands I'm involved with. But my favorite part is how close he was to killing himself because no matter how many heads of the serpent you cut off, 2 more grow in it's place. It's a really good film wether you believe in God or not. It's not like the other religious films that even I have a hard time enjoying. And it's based on a true story starring Gerard Butler. They show the real guy at the end of it. Great film, worth a watch if you ever are looking for something different on your next movie night.
Watch "Machine Gun Preacher Movie Trailer [HD]" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/47yl-ySEw3A
(Edited for clarification)
@ GH
Good for you...but it doesn't negate my point. It is your co religionists that are the beneficiaries , in the large part of all those bad things you attempted (lamely) to attribute solely to those that do not follow your path.
So quit the preaching and come up with a damn good reason (and some incontrovertible evidence) why anyone should follow your god that allows such terrible things to happen!
False hope "I'm a part of healing hands."
No, you're really not.
No such thing as healing hands, it's hokum nonsense.
@Sheldon
I came here to learn about you. I already know your mind Is made up about the spirit. I came here asking questions. And I've answered most of the myriad of questions I've received with the way it works, that is, if you want to have your own experience? I want to know how a person can take the position of an atheist, when we don't know the ending. It's only logical to use everything we've been given until our time is up. "The spirit leads you into all truth" "seek with all your heart and you will find" "that which is born of flesh is flesh that which is born of the spirit is Spirit" "once I was blind but now I see" "if you believe, then you will see." It's not the other way around. Created things have always wanted to do what they want to do, no matter the consequence. That's the only reoccurring theme above "expectations not met". It's not my job to persuade you into believing. If God is calling you and you don't want to open the door? Then that's your choice and you can have every excuse in the book. I don't care. But it's hard to tell if you want me to respond or not. It seems like you want me to convince you to seek your own experience. I've only posted 4 threads and they all have gone 4 or 5 pages long even though I've never debated or ever been on any forum and I've admitted that I'm uneducated, flunked English, that I'm a traumatized, delusional, lost, retard. That has gone to great lengths to experience God. And got results that has radically changed my life, not because of what I did, but because of what God did. I don't want credit for anything. I'm simply just saying it like it is. That's what happened when I wanted to know God. God lead me and I followed. It is really that simple. If you don't want to do what it takes, your eyes will be blind to everything about God. The war against our souls makes that very possible and you have no protection from it. If you don't want to choose God, then just say so, so we can be done and I don't feel the need to answer your questions that lead me to believe that you do want to gain your own experience but are afraid to make the jump from your left brain to the spirit. Like I've said before, "If some specialized specific top secret information that led to the detailed personal expectation of commanding God to give more evidence. Then everyone would need that information. Not God." Let that one sink in for more than half a second.
If you just give God 5 minutes of your busy life and say a prayer that you do want God to reveal itself to you and believe for a just couple minutes following your heart, skip to 9:40 minutes in this video and see if it doesn't stir something up inside you.
Watch "Kris Vallotton - The Book leads to the Author" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/LA6Pnqu86oE
Btw I found this video from this source that has some of the best clips I've ever seen. If you want to believe? Then you will see it differently. That is a claim that should inspire you to at least try and try again. Literally you have nothing to lose. You've wasted more time talking about Eric the shitting unicorn living in old man shouts garage lol. https://youtu.be/D1e3HvpBOdk
Remember I came here to learn about you. The only thing I'll ever gain from you wanting to know God is that it would be incredibly awesome to see you in Heaven. I love you all and me not being able to stop answering your questions even though I've been threatened to be banned, called names, cussed at, told to leave, told to f**k off and stick my thumb in various places. Is evidence that I do actually love you. These might not be the answers you like? But if God has a design and a plan? Then this is as close to it as you are ever going to get. The jump is not as scary as you think. And boy, it is worth it. ; )
Great Hope
It's quite clear that you are utterly closed minded. This sadly is all too typical of the theists who come here to preach sermons, but have no interest in, or understanding of, rational debate.
You have still not demonstrated a shred of objective evidence for your beliefs. I don't think you even know what objective evidence is. You just roll on and on and on making unevidenced claims, what you need is a pulpit and an audience of equally closed minded sheeple who'll appreciate your spiel.
Here's a question for you, why are so many theists incapable of brevity?
@ GH
" "if you believe, then you will see.""
And this is all you got? Wrapped up in semi literate verbal soup? Do fuck off.
He is stuck on repeat, the same relentless tedious sermon over and over and over, and it all boils down to the same asinine claim, believe in a deity and you will start to believe in that deity. Sadly he thinks this is profound. He doesn't understand the rational conclusions of his not being able to demonstrate any objective evidence for his beliefs or his deity.
@Old man shouts ...
"So quit the preaching and come up with a damn good reason (and some incontrovertible evidence) why anyone should follow your god that allows such terrible things to happen!"
First, God is not exclusive to me. The Creator and Giver of Life is God no matter who or what or when anything was ever created. I'm not preaching I'm giving you the answer to your questions about the way it really works and you don't like it and won't give it a humble honest try. And I've already answered the number one question of all time, about how God allows evil. If God was just going to fix everything the simplest answer would be to restart Adam and Eve over and over until he got a scenario where they didn't fall, that would solve everything. But there wouldn't be a choice. God could very well be Omni everything, but if it was just going to fix\control everything and not let the tape play out? Once again, there wouldn't be a choice. The pre-planned ending is perfect where no one is there that didn't choose to be, everyone has the knowledge of sin (and what its actions cost) no longer the temptation, none of us are earned to be there so we are all equal, and our creativity will be unleashed as we are in the presence of the definition of Power and Love. And if some group of people got together and made this up? Then bravo, that is the single most amazing accomplishment of human history. It's changed more lives than everything else combined. I don't ever see a blueprint of a rocket in hotel rooms. But at the end of it all, if it's not true? THEN NOT A SINGLE DAMN THING CHANGES!!! But the claim says that if I seek with all my heart I will find. Logic says that the greater would be to give it an honest shot. So it's not a waste of life life you might think, it's the beginning of life. And it certainly doesn't mean you have to go find a religion. God's plan is so simple. But deep down we simply don't want to know God because then we wouldn't be one lol. I just came up with that but it nails it right on the head. My friends are going to love that one.
" If God was just going to fix everything the simplest answer would be to restart Adam and Eve over and over until he got a scenario where they didn't fall, that would solve everything. But there wouldn't be a choice. God could very well be Omni everything, but if it was just going to fix\control everything and not let the tape play out? Once again, there wouldn't be a choice. "
You fell right into my wheelhouse here, although I have no illusions that you will comprehend or be willing to respond intelligently, here goes anyway.
1. Does God know everything? That is one of the OMNIs, omniscience. The Christian religion says "YES", no distinction of past, present or future.
now watch this part, this is where the logic comes in...
THERFORE, the Christian God knows EVERYTHING, and one subset of everything, is the fate of each human being, every decision they will make, whether or not they will follow God or not, AND where they will spend eternity. AND since God is eternal, he has known this FOREVER, even before he created anything.
THEREFORE, there is no FREEWILL. You may have an illusion of FREEWILL, but all of your "Decisions" have been known by God FOREVER and there is nothing you can do to change them.
Conclusion #1 - Since your decisions have been known forever, you are but a puppet on a string.
Conclusion #2 - Since God knows the fate of each person before he creates them, and many of them are programmed to reject him and earn an eternity of torture for it, God is therefore a complete ASSHOLE .
So, to come back to some of your points.
1. I don't believe your God exists, because there is no evidence.
2. I would not want to know your God if it did exist, because the Christian God is a complete asshole for the reasons I mentioned and others too numerous to list.
@ GH
So no evidence, just one crappy sentence you think is meaningful...has it occurred to you that you are spouting feckless nonsense?
You wilfully misunderstand the phrase...I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU, I LACK ANY BELIEF IN A GOD OR GODS....so "trying" to believe in your personal version of your god is impossible...jeez, you are intellectually stunted.
@Old man shouts ...
"@ GH
" "if you believe, then you will see.""
And this is all you got? Wrapped up in semi literate verbal soup? Do fuck off."
It's the way it works. Its not my design. You have the choice to want to know God. Then it works. What the heck??? How would you "expect" it to work? Please don't tell me you want God to force itself on you rendering the choice to non existent. For heaven's sake old man, grow up already.
No it is not "the way it works". It's vapid biased nonsense people come up with to avoid reality, whilst maintaining beliefs that have no rational basis. Your spiel is as asinine now as from your very first post. I no more believe you have experienced a deity than I believe people who claim to have been plucked from the sea by mermaid, or beamed onto an alien mother-ship and probed.
Though their excruciating patter suggests that the one thing they all have in common is that they could use a thorough probing.
@ GH
For a loving omniscient omnipotent 'god' its sure invisible...almost as if it wasn't there at all....
Fact is, what you feel when you are tripping on your 'god' is a load of endorphins running around your brain. Its not 'god' its chemicals, the very same ones that are triggered by chilli, heroin and a host of other stimulants as well as excitement and fear...
You have no evidence for any god creator, you have only a host of chemicals charging around your brain, and you want everyone to do the same trip as you? Logic? That's not logic, it is wilful stupidity.
Conclusion, you are tripping, and you want everyone to think your god welcomes wilful stupidity (and bad writing) . Wow.
Like I said before old man. I came here to learn about you. Y'all have asked how it's possible to believe. And I've given you the way it works from your choice. I benefit nothing from what you believe or don't believe. Logic favors the greater, so more chemicals please with countless undeniable life changing miracles. Btw don't forget to feed Eric, I can hear his wailing all the way down the street. Or is that you on the commode because you ate too many peanut butter prunes while getting lost in your cartoons... again?
Christ almighty, even when you're posts are mercifully brief they remain indecipherable incoherent nonsense. Seriously have you a substance abuse problem? No offence, but your posts are complete gibberish, they're like a form of religious Tourette's.
You can demonstrate no objective evidence for any deity, this might not be a barrier for belief to you, but it is for me. So if you learn nothing else, you might learn that subjective beliefs teach us nothing objective about reality.
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