Are you an atheist, but not an arsehole to religious people?

HrC wrote:I have no problems with religious types, infact one of my best friends is a Mormon. However, I refuse to go into a church.

You flat out refuse to go into a church? Even if your cousin was being chirstened and your aunt and uncle would appreciate you being there? Even if your friend was getting married? Even if your grandparent died? I've been in churches quite a few times; they are just bricks and mortar.

Eighthours wrote:

Herbi wrote:michaeljacksoneatingpopcorn.gif

Right, let's solve the question of religion once and for all.

Herbi, is there a God?

Facepalm at the ready?

JK wrote:

moi wrote:Even if you're nicking a Stewart Lee joke there at the end.

I've never seen any of his stuff. I guess its just a case of great minds and all that!

Yours is a bit more developed than his actually, he just made some throwaway comments about Americans believing that God put fossils in the ground to test them.

I'm an atheist and I'm not a dick to people about it, but I guess my views frustrate theists, which is why I don't broadcast them very often!

My issue with religious believers is the nature of their belief. Fair enough, believe what you want to believe - but don't try and draw parallels between your book-based faith and actual science. Especially when you consider that the vast majority of theists only believe what they do because of the environment they were raised in. I might be more inclined to listen to the claims of a Christian who wasn't raised by Christians and brought up in a thoroughly Christian environment. As it stands, these people end up 'believing' without having ever made the decision themselves.

I'm of the opinion that beliefs and opinions are two different things: the former is something unchangeable and 'hard-wired' into your brain, much like our ability to process language, and much like our linguistic capacity in that your upbringing has a great deal to do with shaping it - much as we get our accents from the influential people around us as children, we also acquire beliefs. Hence religion, racism, homophobia, that Newcastle have a right to challenge for the title year in year out - there are people out there who "believe" these things like others believe 2 + 2 = 4 and there's no changing their mind. Opinions, on the other hand, are acquired when the mind is at a state advanced enough to take into account all factors and come to a sensible conclusion, and are thus flexible (as they are evidence-based, and the evidence might change). I doubt there are any theists who would treat their religion as 'opinion', and for this reason, I find it hard to take their massive influence on the society we inhabit.

Cuttooth wrote:

Phatman wrote:I'm basically an Atheist, although I'm not opposed to an idea of a creator if only for the romanticism. I want no part in organised religion because all the organised religions I've ever known are very silly and horrifically bigoted. I've never actively sought to offend any religious person and I very rarely ever engage a religious person in a debate about their beliefs, because at one point we're going to get to the concept of faith.

Basically this.

That makes you an agnostic. Er, I think. It tends to be what I feel.

Though I've recently come to think that if there is a God, then He's one horrible bastard.

Probably should have taken out the "not opposed to creator" bit.

mcjihge2 wrote:Do all the athiests realise that God invented science, caused the "big bang", and set evolution into motion?

If thats the case God himself would need to abide by the rules of physics, otherwise he couldn't exist.

I'm more interested in who created God. Maybe there's another level of higher Gods, like in Norse mythology with Odin and Loki and that; most higher Gods are decent types who rear well behaved, caring God-kids, but this particular one we ended up with was mistreated as a young deity, or perhaps just didn't receive the love he craved from his tired parents, who were trying to keep an eye on the rest of their creations. That's why our maker behaves in such an unpredictable and occasionally sadistic way, Ma and Pa God just didn't love him. Or maybe our God's just got a short attention span, he means well but he just gets bored easily.

Beans wrote:

mcjihge2 wrote:Do all the athiests realise that God invented science, caused the "big bang", and set evolution into motion?

If thats the case God himself would need to abide by the rules of physics, otherwise he couldn't exist.

WRONG

If God created the Universe and all that's in it then he is somewhere other than the universe, therefore he does not abide to any laws of physics from within our universe.

Fatal Exception wrote:

Beans wrote:

mcjihge2 wrote:Do all the athiests realise that God invented science, caused the "big bang", and set evolution into motion?

If thats the case God himself would need to abide by the rules of physics, otherwise he couldn't exist.

WRONG

If God created the Universe and all that's in it then he is somewhere other than the universe, therefore he does not abide to any laws of physics from within our universe.

Who created the universe that God resides in?

The opposite: Im a theist but dont bother being a tw*t to atheists, so long as it works both ways.

The whole dawkins thing stems from Creationism arguements but in reality should we really care whether God created us or random elemental forces? Im care more about where im going than where im from. We should be looking towards the future as opposed to the past, because proving either arguement doesnt really solve anything, and looking towards the future I think science definately has the edge in solving all our problems, God or no God.

There was an interesting article in the Times the other week about whether Jesus being the son of God or not was irrelevent, the fact remains that he was a real person and maybe his 'tricks' were exaggerated fact, but he was a kind, caring man who represents an ideal for all humanity to follow as the perfect man, God or no God.

Carlos wrote:The opposite: Im a theist but dont bother being a tw*t to atheists, so long as it works both ways.

The whole dawkins thing stems from Creationism arguements but in reality should we really care whether God created us or random elemental forces? Im care more about where im going than where im from. We should be looking towards the future as opposed to the past, because proving either arguement doesnt really solve anything, and looking towards the future I think science definately has the edge in solving all our problems, God or no God.

There was an interesting article in the Times the other week about whether Jesus being the son of God or not was irrelevent, the fact remains that he was a real person and maybe his 'tricks' were exaggerated fact, but he was a kind, caring man who represents an ideal for all humanity to follow as the perfect man, God or no God.

Perhaps, but it doesn't help that the religion that names itself after said man condones practices not mentioned by him that are callous in their nature.

Danny Boy wrote:

Carlos wrote:The opposite: Im a theist but dont bother being a tw*t to atheists, so long as it works both ways.

The whole dawkins thing stems from Creationism arguements but in reality should we really care whether God created us or random elemental forces? Im care more about where im going than where im from. We should be looking towards the future as opposed to the past, because proving either arguement doesnt really solve anything, and looking towards the future I think science definately has the edge in solving all our problems, God or no God.

There was an interesting article in the Times the other week about whether Jesus being the son of God or not was irrelevent, the fact remains that he was a real person and maybe his 'tricks' were exaggerated fact, but he was a kind, caring man who represents an ideal for all humanity to follow as the perfect man, God or no God.

Perhaps, but it doesn't help that the religion that names itself after said man condones practices not mentioned by him that are callous in their nature.

Aye, sadly the major problem with the world is that we're in charge.

I've got nothing against religion it's just that I don't believe in god. I'm not going to try to convince anyone else of this though as I don't feel it's my place to do so as everyone should be given the chance to come to whatever conclusion they feel is right for them.
Live and let live are my feelings on this.

I'm an agnost(ic?) and only an arsehole to religious people if they deserve it.

A bit like Dexter only killing people who deserve it.

Beans wrote:

mcjihge2 wrote:Do all the athiests realise that God invented science, caused the "big bang", and set evolution into motion?

If thats the case God himself would need to abide by the rules of physics, otherwise he couldn't exist.

We as a race can't even get to grips with time and space, let alone pretending like we know the boundaries put in place for the being that created it all. Assuming God exists.

If God created man in his own image, wouldn't he have needed to invent a mirror first?

I'm undecided on the whole thing. I can understand someone taking comfort in their religion and I can understand atheists objection to religious intolerance. What I don't understand is the rabid hatred some atheists have to any and all religious faith.

Last year I lost a friend of mine to cancer. It was a horrible, long, drawn out way to go but she managed it with a certain grace that I can only hope I'd be able to muster in the same situation. So what got her through this? The scientific certainty that the cancer was ravaging her body and there was nothing medically that could be done to stop this? Or the faith that when it was all said and done she'd be going to a better place? She may have been wrong, I'm really not willing to say, but the thought that anyone would think she was a special kind of stupid for believing and having faith is irksome to me.

Shadow wrote:In fact, religion probably has more answers than science in that regard.

Well it's easy to have answers if you just make them up.

Having more answers doesn't make you more likely to be right.