Theists cannot blame an atheist's lack of theism for this.

It helps when people provide reasons to their statements.

The thing is whether there is eternal damnation or not, not believing in it doesn't save you from it. Afterlife isn't based on what you believe, but the reality is the same for all who die. Whether you believe in hell or reincarnation or nothingness. Now obviously of those three, one of them sticks out like a sore you know what. As my momma use to say," better to be safe than sorry boi. Now go bed."

Atheists couldn't make themselves believe in heaven or hell just as religious Christians couldn't make themselves believe in nothingness in the afterlife.

I can imagine why some people would devise a scheme that would allegedly punish other people for eternity.

Why would a creator devise a scheme to punish some people for eternity?

Which one is more likely?

instead of "it brings" that should say "you choose to call it"

I'm also an atheist and I can say with 100% certainty that there isn't a religious person in here who is happier than me. 100%.

Part of the problem I see with religion is that most of you spend half your time "feeling sorry" for people who haven't got the "good lord" in their lives. Meanwhile, us atheists focus on ourselves and living a good life, being good people and surrounding ourselves with caring and loving friends and family.

In a way, atheists are better people because us good ones are good for the sake of being good, not because we fear punishment from some omnipotent being after we die.

Further, mafia members have been devout Catholics justifying their murderous and evil actions through repenting and donating to churches. Churches I may add, that gladly took these cash bribes for over 150 years and turning a blind eye as to where it came from.

If the priests have been corrupt and they are the ones passing on the word of god to the rest of you, how can you be sure that they dont see you as suckers?

So you believe in gods will.

No. Any change in belief would require a cause.

I can see your point here.

But wouldn't stuff like the problem of evil be philosophical? How should that be categorized...if not atheist philosophy?

Show me where I said astrology is reasonable.

I don't think I've ever made the claim it is.

Go for it.

It does if believing in it is what gets you there.

This is not fair. There are plenty of religious folks who are good for the sake of being good. In fact, I would bet that most religious folks who are good people are that way primarily for the sake of good.

Theology or (counter) apologetics.

I think this is inaccurate.

You'll have to prove religious belief compels people to feel sorry for people who don't believe in God. Otherwise its just your opinion.

I for one can't recall spending "half my life" feeling sorry for anyone...anyone at all...

My statement is an observation that you probably interpreted as an opinion that I hold. I'm not saying atheists are all moral skeptics or that christians can rightfully fault atheists for moral skepticism.

the funny thing about belief is that its something you can not prove. there are plenty of people who hold this ideology and feel sympathy/sorrow/compassion/pity for non-believers.

your recollection of what your life has entailed does not equal what other people have experienced. what you believe is not what others believe. so before you claim something is inaccurate based on your beliefs, do some research and listen to some other people.

i may have had too much wine thus far but im pretty sure when i watched "waiting for Armageddon" this week, the pentecostal nut jobs said something very similar to feeling bad for those who did not accept jc as god. i may be a bit off but im not going to rewatch the entire 1hr 20mins to find where they say it.

but on the other side i will say i feel sorry for believers and the amount of energy they waste on it that could be put forth to the greater good of mankind on this earth. i feel much sympathy toward them. so im sure there are those on the believer side who feel the same.

That confident? Seriously? I'm pretty bloody happy.

Your statement was that an atheist's lack of belief in a god can cause him to be morally skeptical. So let us just cut to the chase: how?

I love this argument, because it depends on "predicting the past".
You are one out of roughly 50million sperm cells. Your chance of being "the one"? 1:50,000,000. The chance that your mother and your father met?
Two out of 7 billion? The chance that their parents were born.......you know where I'm going with this? If you "predict the past" like this, you can only come to one conclusion. The whole Universe, all galaxies, all stars, the Earth and life were only created with YOU and only YOU in mind.

Because if you "predict the past" and the chances of you writing that post here in this forum, after roughly 15billion years of the Universe existing and all the little things that could have happened in between to the chances of winning the lottery every week for your whole life......you get my point.

So this argument is an argument from ignorance.

You do not know completely why the Universe has the properties you can observe, therefore there could not exist a different arrangement of physical laws, therefore all the laws and the Universe was "fine-tuned" for YOU, so that YOU can think about how nice it is of God to have created everything with you in mind. How convenient, no?

This is the arrogance of the arrogant or prejudiced, not the curiosity of the "discoverer". It's a trait we all have in common. We think about ourselves, therefore the Universe was created for us, so that we can think about it.

There is no "peaceful religion". There are only people who dominated other fairy-tale people enough and killed enough and enslaved enough of them, so that they can create a place for themselves, where they can construct said "peace". Buddhism is a "science of the mind", as the Dalai Lama says (to me, it's still holds all characteristics of a religion), so you can use for example meditation to create your own "sanctuary". You can form a life you enjoy, follow your own ideology and concentrate on making yourself happy HERE, in the ONLY LIFE YOU HAVE.

Either you do that and you think "it's cool to have the chance to be me", otherwise you turn into a beggar and slave and try to appease your imaginary master, who may or may not reward you for denouncing your nature and the rationality of your thoughts.

For me, it's an easy call. But for most of those, who are in the process of the "awakening" or "enlightenment", sitting in the "dark" and begging the invisible to turn on the "light" may seems like the easy way. Waiting for daddy to turn on the light and telling you what to do, what to feel and how to live and then (maybe) rewarding you for being a drone and a slave.

No thanks!

No you didn't and no they aren't.

Well, I would have to say that they are related in 1 way. Both deal with stars.

Other than that they are in no way related.

Yes, and badminton and open heart surgery are "related". They both deal with the human body.

A lack of faith in a higher power can cause people to question the roots of their morality. Once morality is denied its metaphysical pedestal, there's a few ways you can go: moral skepticism being one option.

my favorite line from this thread:

"show me facts and i'll stop believing"

lolololol. self delusion at it's finest.


Rizeagainst, I love you.