Board index › Topical Discussion › Politics, Philosophy, and Religion

question for religious people

Page 10 of 10 [ 150 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Previous topic | Next topic

greenblue
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Mar 2007
Age: 48
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,896
Location: Home

21 May 2008, 3:52 pm

Ragtime wrote:
I said "nihilistic thoughts", not a formal, displined study of Nihilism.
The point is that atheism offers no grand purpose to the universe to focus on;

I see your point here, although the term "nihilist thoughts" can been interpreted as acussing them of nihilists, not just that, but I believe the term is incorrect, even when you are trying to show a point there, I have to say your point of view is that of without God there is no purpose in life and therefore the "nihilist" though.

Quote:
if the atheist wants such a grand purpose, he must try and inject one into it. ...Which, since it came from him to begin with.

Ok, here we go again depending on what point of view you see it, some atheists and agnostics can agree that some or most of moral values came from Christianity, and to be fair, Judaism should be the one to take credit for it, because, according to history, all came from it, however, the though of keeping some of the values or evolving from them is great and should be followed and becoming more like humane principles rather than just religion and rituals, without going with the supernatural thought, today, and being flexible about things, is what most, including myself, think.

Quote:
is likely to be doubted by him during his times of depression. But God's principles are always true,
no matter how depressed or hopeless we temporarily become.

Yes, that's true, that happens, in times of distress and desperation atheists can question their beliefs and thinking of the possibility of a God due to distress so they can have some hope in such situations. Now, trying to see this objectively, that is a psychological issue, note that I am not neccesarily denying anything with this, but should be taken into consideration.

Quote:
He put the meaning into the universe,
so we don't have to try and take it upon ourselves to do so while throwing our own human errors and biases into the mix.

Actually, for what we can see, humans have tried to put a meaning to the universe and to life itself, we see a lot of philosophies and religions and stuff that try to make sense of everything, there is no one single meaning of the universe, established, there are several.


_________________
?Everything is perfect in the universe - even your desire to improve it.?


oscuria
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jan 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,748

21 May 2008, 5:07 pm

Ragtime wrote:
I can agree with this, but I do also believe God loves everyone, even while He gets angry at some.
One of my Biblically-derived logical maxims is: "To love goodness, you have to also hate evil." (Amos 5:15)
To be okay with both good and evil equally would not be loving good.
God is shown by Scripture to hate evil -- He absolutely hates it, with no apology -- but He loves all of his children,
even when they bastardize themselves by becoming the children of Satan instead of God.
Jesus: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." (John 8:44)



Yes, but it was my explanation as to why atheists have a negative view of Him because He has not shown/revealed Himself to them (find Mercy in them). He is Judgment, and as Judge will decide on His Children (of course this is attribution which contradicts my belief, but it helps in explaining what is seen).

I honestly don't believe in an eternal Hell, I actually don't believe in a "Hell" so to speak, but if one existed I am certain the great majority are going there.


_________________
sticks and stones may kill you.


Odin
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Oct 2006
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,475
Location: Moorhead, Minnesota, USA

21 May 2008, 8:33 pm

iamnotaparakeet wrote:
Odin wrote:
I prefer to create my own meaning in a meaningless universe. I consider the notion that there is some meaning or ultimate purpose "out there" depressingly restrictive and anti-humanistic because it means that our lives are just part of some divine cosmic plan, cogs in a machine.


That assumes it is meaningless. No one can argue with you? Are you more open than this paragraph indicates? Deciding a case a priori just means rejection of evidence that doesn't fit the model. Pennies and dice, a priori works (if you limit your conditions sufficiently.) But even a penny can land on its edge.


I don't see any evidence for meaning or purpose in the universe, and thus I have no reason to think there is any. If there does turn out to be Ultimate Meaning and Ultimate Purpose I'll accept the fact, but I won't like it.


_________________
My Blog: My Autistic Life


Last edited by Odin on 21 May 2008, 8:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Odin
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Oct 2006
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,475
Location: Moorhead, Minnesota, USA

21 May 2008, 8:35 pm

Ragtime wrote:
Odin wrote:
Ragtime wrote:
Sand wrote:
It is the basic nature of religion to confer on its adherents the sense of possession of absolute truth and this is one of its most dangerous qualities for it gives religious people the license to commit frightful horrors on people who would doubt or defy those convictions.


Religion also gives people an absolutely inviolable sense that they must do good for others,
and that, such as life is, we must often self-sacrifice in order to do so.
Focusing on high ideals like the will of a loving, all-powerful God causes one to love others,
and impresses upon one the fact that this necessity to show love is given by God, not by one's own
undependable, ever-changing emotional states. Therefore, to love one another is thought of by
Christians as an absolute command given by Jesus Himself. So, we can't
say, "Ah, I'm not in the mood to care about someone, or do anything good for
anyone, so I can just be selfish until I feel differently."

So, religion can give one a much more powerful and more focused sense of true goodness than atheism does.


My non-religious supernatural beliefs are just as powerful and focused when it come to being a good person as the religious people claims their beliefs are.


How would you differentiate your "non-religious supernatural beliefs" from religion?


I don't believe in supernatural realms and transcendent beings. I have a Naturalistic belief system, not a supernaturalistic one.

http://www.naturalism.org


_________________
My Blog: My Autistic Life


Odin
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Oct 2006
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,475
Location: Moorhead, Minnesota, USA

21 May 2008, 8:40 pm

Ragtime wrote:
Odin wrote:
I prefer to create my own meaning in a meaningless universe.


I thought you said:

Odin wrote:
I don't need fairy tales.


:?:

Which is it?


Creating my own meaning and purpose is not creating fairy tales. Is wanting to reduce people's suffering a fairy tale? Is wanting to make the world a better place a fairy tale? Is wanting to advance Civilization a fairy tale? Is appreciating the beauty and wonder of the Universe a fairy tale? Is wanting to understand the way Nature works a fairy tale?


_________________
My Blog: My Autistic Life


oscuria
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jan 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,748

21 May 2008, 9:46 pm

Odin wrote:

Creating my own meaning and purpose is not creating fairy tales. Is wanting to reduce people's suffering a fairy tale? Is wanting to make the world a better place a fairy tale? Is wanting to advance Civilization a fairy tale? Is appreciating the beauty and wonder of the Universe a fairy tale? Is wanting to understand the way Nature works a fairy tale?


Does not a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, et al. have the same goals? Yet you would not hesitate to consider their beliefs fairy tales.


_________________
sticks and stones may kill you.