Feelings on Atheism

It's a belief. An opinion. We are all entitled to our own opinions, right? People have different views on this subject obviously.

My opinion is...Science lost me with the big bang theory. Christianity lost me when they mentioned a gate in heaven. Catholic people lost me with the nuns. So right now...I'm just playin' it cool with my own energy based religion.

Crysi>> Your quote of The Beatles makes happy inside!

Anyway, it was funny... we were meeting a YWS member who was atheist. We spent the whole day with him in San Francisco... it was fabulous! But toward dinner time, he said, "You know, we haven't talked about religion at all." And we stared at him and said something like, "Why would we talk about religion when we don't agree about it and we have so many other things to talk about?"

Then we started talking about English history.

Uh huh. Because we're awesome like that.

I have absolutely nothing against atheists, as I don't have anything against people of any other faith. What does annoy me a little is the huge amount of people I've met who either:

-say they're atheist simply because they don't practice Christianity, but they haven't properly considered what atheism is either, they just think believing in God sucks (I'm not saying any of you are like this, but believe me, I have met my fair share. Also, I'm using Christianity here because, well, it's the majority religion in my country, but it could be any religion).
-the people who go "Oh, you believe in God? Oh... well, then. You mustn't be as smart as I thought you were."

I mean, I don't go to people, "Oh, so you don't believe in God? Gosh. Well. You're going to hell." I dislike how so often atheism is considered the "intelligent" approach. It's not. No matter what people say, it is a belief, if not a religion, it's a belief in no greater power which, really, is almost as silly in believing in a greater power.

I believe atheist and people of faith are completely arrogant...

(People of Faith)
There is a God!

(Atheist)
There isn't a God!

(Me)
I don't know.

R3b3L wrote:I believe atheist and people of faith are completely arrogant...

Well, most people don't truly know what they believe, when it comes down to it.

I am a Christian. I believe that there is a God. From everything I've seen, I find it difficult not to. But I can appreciate that others have trouble believing it. It does seem unlikely, in a weird sort of way. But in another way, it makes perfect sense.

British mathematician Roger Penrose calculated the mathematical probability of the formation of the world we live in by chance to be 10^10^123 to 1. In mathematics, 10^123 means 10, followed by 123 0's. So the probability of the universe we live in now to exist, it requires a chance of 10, followed by 10^123 0's, to 1. Scientifically speaking, we would refer to this as "impossible". If you don't believe me, look here.

I know that this might not change everyone's mind. I probably wouldn't change my mind even for that. But I have experienced God. Again, I can understand the skepticism that others have of this. It takes experiencing it for yourself.

I have no problem with the Big Bang Theory, I just think that maybe God said "Bang"... and there was a Bang. And God saw the Bang, and it was good. And I have no problem with Evolution. I don't know how God did it, but I believe that he did and we're here now. Let's focus on where we're going, people! Global Warming... Economic Downturn... All that stuff. I mean, come on, people. Quit quibbling about where we've been. If we don't shut up and pay attention, the world could be going a long way down. It's up to us - the human race - to stop it.

That's what I believe.

Big_Cheesy_Grin wrote:British mathematician Roger Penrose calculated the mathematical probability of the formation of the world we live in by chance to be 10^10^123 to 1. In mathematics, 10^123 means 10, followed by 123 0's. So the probability of the universe we live in now to exist, it requires a chance of 10, followed by 10^123 0's, to 1. Scientifically speaking, we would refer to this as "impossible". If you don't believe me, look here.

But if the universe is infinite in size, with an infinite number of worlds, then the probability of one of them forming our current world is pretty much certain. Right?

edit: Just read the link. It provides absolutely no working. Apparently the mathematician "includ[ed] what he considered to be all variables required for human beings to exist and live on a planet such as ours". Note the italics. They're self-selected variables. So a Christian mathematician selects his own components for an equation he invents to come up with an extremely dramatic figure to supposedly prove his own theory.

Snoink wrote:Anyway, it was funny... we were meeting a YWS member who was atheist. We spent the whole day with him in San Francisco... it was fabulous! But toward dinner time, he said, "You know, we haven't talked about religion at all." And we stared at him and said something like, "Why would we talk about religion when we don't agree about it and we have so many other things to talk about?"

Then we started talking about English history.

Uh huh. Because we're awesome like that.

Yeah, lol. I mean, what's the point of discussing things on which people don't absolutely agree, lol. Reflecting off others' ideas and shaping our own based off the knowledge garnered from different viewpoints, while engaging in an intellectually stimulating and culturally enriching activity that can easily be stayed on the rail of goodwill and common courtesy, is just silllllyyyyy.

Big_Cheesy_Grin wrote:British mathematician Roger Penrose calculated the mathematical probability of the formation of the world we live in by chance to be 10^10^123 to 1. In mathematics, 10^123 means 10, followed by 123 0's. So the probability of the universe we live in now to exist, it requires a chance of 10, followed by 10^123 0's, to 1. Scientifically speaking, we would refer to this as "impossible". If you don't believe me, look here.

No, we would refer to it as a chance of 10 followed by 10^123 0's to 1. You might say it's impossible given a shortened length of the time, but the age of the universe - in our present state or not - is generally accepted to encompass an infinite timespan and timeline. That is to say, when you have a certain chance and infinite possibilities, there is an absolute certainty that this chance will manifest itself.

Be back in a while to expand more on this and atheism. Watch this space.

Me and my housemates are all of different religions. I'm an Atheist, and we have a Christian, a Muslim and Hindu in the house.

It's only ever an issue when ordering pizza.

I'm an atheist, and I wish I weren't. I've tried to be religious, and read a lot of the materials-- the Bible, the book of Mormon, stories from the Torah, some books on Paganism and Wicca, even a bunch of online literature about Satanism. I can't make myself believe any of it, though. To me, it doesn't make sense. Even stuff like energy and Karma are hard for me to get into.

It gets a little empty sometimes. XD

jennafinna, try reading summa theologia by st. thomas aquinas or divine comedy by dante aligheira and some commentaries by dorothy sayers...

well, as a catholic, atheist can be a bit annoying especcially when they are arguing about it but not to say that all are like that. Some are friendly and stuff...

Sometimes when they ask questions, it makes me ponder for a moment before i realized an answer. Up to now, i sort of laugh from comments like that.

I very proudly became an atheist aged six or seven, when I was introduced to Walking With Dinosaurs (*RAWR*), and began questioning the religious school I went to with 'If God made the earth in six days, and evolution was fast-forwarded to six days, why is there fossil evidence of dinosaurs? Also, why should humans be the best animal?' In order to get out of prayers, reading a bunch of history books, I declared that I was Protestant, so I didn't really have to follow Catholic prayers. It hit me that, generally, there's too much suffering and illogic in the whole Christianity system. Then I decided that evolution was my god, and the Big Bang was It. Anyway, I think I suit atheism. I don't really discuss it; I prefer to discuss history, or dinosaurs (*RAWR*), or WRITING.

(Yes, I made up a word. Boo hoo. Cry me a river for not following the existing writer's code)

I very proudly became an atheist aged six or seven, when I was introduced to Walking With Dinosaurs (*RAWR*), and began questioning the religious school I went to with 'If God made the earth in six days, and evolution was fast-forwarded to six days, why is there fossil evidence of dinosaurs?

This is your reasoning against Creationism (or, rather, the Biblical story of creation), and not against an existing God. Not believing in Creationism doesn't make you an atheist; not believing in God makes you an atheist. I know some devout Catholics who don't buy the story of Creation.

i agree with EVi...just because you disagree with Creationism does not mean you're athiest...

i'm christian and i am skeptic about it...even ST. AUgustine of Hippo was skeptic about the six days of creation in which he suggest in "The Confession" in which it represents a logical framework, rather than the passage of time in a physical way - it would bear a spiritual, rather than physical, meaning, which is no less literal.

Um. Actually, that reasoning against Creationism was my start on the atheism train. Basically, there is no proof for me that says that God exists.
I think you got the wrong end of the parable there.