Thread for Things That Made You Frown Today

[subzero]

I would say that the only reason we have a word like Atheism is because we've been such a theistic culture. Ideally there'd be no need to create a term but theism is such a powerful influence that the introduction of thinking which goes against the grain requires a new word so I would urge caution in one's mental definition of what an atheist really is.

You can't be serious.

[Tgo01]

People have seen Italy. People have taken photos of Italy. People I know have been to Italy. People live in Italy. It's a fact that Italy exists.

People have claimed to have seen God too. You're going to hold it against people because they are all dead now? God doesn't get the benefit of the doubt because picture phones didn't exist 4000 years ago when the Earth was created?

People have seen Bin Laden.

YOU have not seen Bin Laden. I thought that was the basis of your belief system?

People have watched the terrorist videos that Bin Laden made. People have hunted and killed Bin Laden. It's a fact that Bin Laden existed.

How are you going to prove all of that isn't just a government conspiracy like I said? Have you met the man the government got to portray Bin Laden? Did you speak with him? Did you see Bin Laden's corpse? Kind of convenient he was "buried at sea" don't you think?

You can't say any of these things about god.

Sure I can, I just can't say anything about that stuff happening recently. 4000 years from now when we are all long dead are people in that day going to not believe bin Laden existed because no one alive at that time had ever met him? All we would have is photographs and descriptions of the man (assuming photos of Bin Laden are still around then.) There are depictions of Jesus all over, ever seen a statue of a man nailed to a cross? That's Jesus.

[waywardgs]

Just gonna put this here.

[subzero]

Why it is ridiculous? Because you say so?

Less than .001% of the entire human population (since the beginning of man) have ever claimed to have seen either one.

People have killed in both of their names without meeting either one of them.

People carried out both of what they claim was their will again without ever meeting either one of them.

Both have been vilified and looked upon as a savior/hero by people who have never met either of them.

But yet here you are willing to accept Osama bin Laden is real even though you never met the man but you think other people are stupid for believing in God because they never met him.

But it is easier to just say something is stupid when you disagree with it.

I'd have gone with something like gravity or tides and lunar influence.

[Jeril]

My proof is the fact that I exist.

You are the Flying Spaghetti Monster?! That would actually explain a lot.

[Latrinsorm]

How many atheists are there?
It depends on your definition of the term. Only between 1.5 and 4 percent of Americans admit to so-called "hard atheism," the conviction that no higher power exists. But a much larger share of the American public (19 percent) spurns organized religion in favor of a nondefined skepticism about faith. This group, sometimes collectively labeled the "Nones," is growing faster than any religious faith in the U.S. About two thirds of Nones say they are former believers; 24 percent are lapsed Catholics and 29 percent once identified with other Christian denominations. David Silverman, president of American Atheists, claims these Nones as members of his tribe. "If you don't have a belief in God, you're an atheist," he said. "It doesn't matter what you call yourself."

source: http://theweek.com/article/index/226...ism-in-america

I'd say that eventually the idea of being gay, bi or straight will no longer have meaning as people have more freedom to just BE. Same with religion. It may come to pass that homo sapiens don't exist long enough for the timeline to play out but we already see that in places where the people feel very secure they are turning away from faith. Conversely in areas of extreme poverty and low standard of living they are more religious. If this theory holds true then belief in a higher power will be dictated circumstance which doesn't bode well for anyone who argues that God exists.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...place-religion

Then again, Christians especially have a lot in the book about how being rich and being Christian don't go well together.

[cwolff]

Is believing in a God stupid in general or is it only stupid to believe in a God as prescribed by some 'holy text' such as the Bible?

It's stupid in general and although belief systems have been instrumental in maintaining social order they are quickly becoming wholly unnecessary.

Considering the simple fact that the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny are known creations of man, I'd say that's a pretty stupid argument.

As for God showing up... if you were to build an ant farm, I'm sure you'd check in on it once in a while. Maybe even for a whole couple of months before it got really boring. Now, replace you with a being or beings that may have created everything in existence, your ant farm with Earth all full of life, human or otherwise, and months with thousands of years (as opposed to millions or billions; we'll just go with thousands because humans weren't here a million years ago). You don't really expect a visit, do you?

You're making a faith based argument here which isn't really saying anything as far as I can tell. Are you saying that there is a God but it's too busy doing god stuff to be a part of human existence? I guess that's one theory and you should go with it if it makes you feel better. I'd suggest that you may want to just give up on that deadbeat Dad altogether but hey, to each their own.

You can't be serious.

Yes I am serious. The word atheism is a reaction to theism. In a different culture, one where theism wasn't so deeply influential, they wouldn't understand the concept of atheism or have a need for the word.

[Rethius]

Then again, Christians especially have a lot in the book about how being rich and being Christian don't go well together.

Goes great with Satanism though.

[diethx]

People have claimed to have seen God too. You're going to hold it against people because they are all dead now? God doesn't get the benefit of the doubt because picture phones didn't exist 4000 years ago when the Earth was created?

If the only record of Italy or Bin Laden were some ancient writings in some ancient text, then yes, I'd be skeptical of their existence as well.

YOU have not seen Bin Laden. I thought that was the basis of your belief system?

Please point out where I said I was an athiest.

As far as my belief system, I believe in science. I believe in things that can be proven. I don't pretend to say that because there's no proof either way that it (your idea of god) most certainly does not exist. I simply do not believe.

How are you going to prove all of that isn't just a government conspiracy like I said? Have you met the man the government got to portray Bin Laden? Did you speak with him? Did you see Bin Laden's corpse? Kind of convenient he was "buried at sea" don't you think?

I don't need to prove it. I need only use my fucking brain and the awesome logic contained therein.

Sure I can, I just can't say anything about that stuff happening recently. 4000 years from now when we are all long dead are people in that day going to not believe bin Laden existed because no one alive at that time had ever met him? All we would have is photographs and descriptions of the man (assuming photos of Bin Laden are still around then.) There are depictions of Jesus all over, ever seen a statue of a man nailed to a cross? That's Jesus.

Do you really believe there is no difference between an artistic rendering (statue, painting, etc.) and an actual video?

Also, I hope you do realize that for the purpose of this argument, god does not equal Jesus. I believe that the man Jesus existed. Do I believe he was the son of your idea of god? Uhhh, no. Probably not. I bet there was a lot of artistic license taken when the bible was being written.

[Ker_Thwap]

More and more ridicule. Are atheists' devotion to the lack of a God so weak that they can't even answer a simple question without ridicule? Sad

I hope you didn't think I was ridiculing you. My point was that you had a horrible strawman set up. No atheist past the age of six actually believes only in what they can literally see. For you to ask the atheist community to defend a statement that they didn't make is pure tacky from a debating point of view. You're putting words in people's mouths. It's a seriously basic debating flaw that no one should have to explain to you. As always I encourage everyone to to study both logic and basic debating principles. That way we can all have an intelligent conversation on a variety of interesting topics and better understand each other.