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Post by Art Vandelay on May 6, 2011 9:03:01 GMT -5
If by "worship", you're thinking of "do bad, bad, impure things to", then sign me the fuck up! That's not what worship means? Fuck...I guess I better close down the Church of Hermione... Apparently not. That little misunderstanding has got me kicked out of many a church. Father Bob's objections aside, I'd worship the shit out of Luna (maybe Hermione too if she doesn't talk too much). |
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Post by DeadpanDoubter on May 6, 2011 16:20:45 GMT -5
That's not what worship means? Fuck...I guess I better close down the Church of Hermione... Apparently not. That little misunderstanding has got me kicked out of many a church. Father Bob's objections aside, I'd worship the shit out of Luna (maybe Hermione too if she doesn't talk too much). Hermione pre- or post-haircut? 'cause I've had to listen to way too many penis-bearers bitch about how terrible she looks with short hair. Clitty-bearers seem mesmerized, myself included. Mmh. While it might be in bad taste after the 7th book, I might need to go ahead with plans for the Chapel of the Weasley Twins, and add a wing for the worship of Neville. They grow up so fast...and so sexy... |
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chagen
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Post by chagen on May 6, 2011 16:36:11 GMT -5
Also do Muslims and Jews follow the same god? Of course. Out of curiosity, why do you think it would most likely be the Abrahamic god? Because I was raised to believe in him. There really isn't much else to it besides that. |
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Post by Thejebusfire on May 6, 2011 16:44:06 GMT -5
Doesn't make it true.
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Post by Cygnus on May 6, 2011 16:45:53 GMT -5
Out of curiosity, why do you think it would most likely be the Abrahamic god? Because I was raised to believe in him. There really isn't much else to it besides that. If you acknowledge that this is the sole reason for your belief, then how can you still believe it? Can it even truly be called belief at this point? |
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chagen
Junior Member
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Posts: 71
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Post by chagen on May 6, 2011 16:58:52 GMT -5
If you acknowledge that this is the sole reason for your belief, then how can you still believe it? Can it even truly be called belief at this point? It's hard to explain, but I still believe because A) I haven't seen any truly conclusive proof that God doesn't exist (on the other hand, I have seen no conclusive proof that he does exist, either) B) God sort of fits into my philosophy on life. I have an extremely optmistic world view (at times), and being an Atheist just seems....depressing. There's nothing to work for, it seems, if you're just going to die eventually. At least, with God, I always know that no matter how shit my life becomes, no matter what happens, no matter how what kind of suffering I may possibly go through, that I can still hit it big (going to Heaven) in the end. If I'm just going to die and rot in the ground, what's the point? And if I do end up rotting in the ground anyway, I'll have at least tried to live my life to its fullest anyway. |
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Post by impatiens on May 6, 2011 17:18:17 GMT -5
If you acknowledge that this is the sole reason for your belief, then how can you still believe it? Can it even truly be called belief at this point? It's hard to explain, but I still believe because A) I haven't seen any truly conclusive proof that God doesn't exist (on the other hand, I have seen no conclusive proof that he does exist, either) B) God sort of fits into my philosophy on life. I have an extremely optmistic world view (at times), and being an Atheist just seems....depressing. There's nothing to work for, it seems, if you're just going to die eventually. At least, with God, I always know that no matter how shit my life becomes, no matter what happens, no matter how what kind of suffering I may possibly go through, that I can still hit it big (going to Heaven) in the end. If I'm just going to die and rot in the ground, what's the point? And if I do end up rotting in the ground anyway, I'll have at least tried to live my life to its fullest anyway. I would argue that finding no reason to live other than the hope of dying and going to Heaven is quite depressing in and of itself. I'm kind-of, sort-of Christian myself, but the concept of an afterlife has nothing to do with that. I believe because I have had an ineffable spiritual experience that allows me to believe. Many of the members here who have a religious belief have had spiritual experiences of their own. |
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Post by Bluefinger on May 6, 2011 17:20:59 GMT -5
If you acknowledge that this is the sole reason for your belief, then how can you still believe it? Can it even truly be called belief at this point? It's hard to explain, but I still believe because A) I haven't seen any truly conclusive proof that God doesn't exist (on the other hand, I have seen no conclusive proof that he does exist, either) B) God sort of fits into my philosophy on life. I have an extremely optmistic world view (at times), and being an Atheist just seems....depressing. There's nothing to work for, it seems, if you're just going to die eventually. At least, with God, I always know that no matter how shit my life becomes, no matter what happens, no matter how what kind of suffering I may possibly go through, that I can still hit it big (going to Heaven) in the end. If I'm just going to die and rot in the ground, what's the point? And if I do end up rotting in the ground anyway, I'll have at least tried to live my life to its fullest anyway. Who needs a reward at the end? So what if when you die, you just rot in the ground or get turned to ash? You aren't going to care at that point, on the count of being dead. Life itself is worth living. The wonders of the cosmos, the beauty of this tiny planet circling around a hot, burning ball of gas. As much as people can make me despise humanity, there's still things about the world around us that are reward enough to be able to experience. The point is not the destination that matters, but the journey itself. It isn't depressing when there's still so much to experience and to live for. So when you do come to the end, you can at least be happy with what you have achieved/seen/etc. Having been given the chance to live is the reward, so make use of it. You only live once. |
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Post by impatiens on May 6, 2011 17:42:26 GMT -5
Blue is dead-on.
Back when I lived in the country a few years ago, there was this tiny Methodist church that our street was named after. I went there with my father and sister once. There was this guest pastor giving a sermon, about how life sucks and Heaven will be so much better. The congregation was mostly elderly people, some with visible disabilities, and this guy actually pointed out people in the audience. My dad, my sister, and I were all horrified, and we never went back to the church again. Since I was an atheist at the time, that sermon really did not help my opinion of Christianity.
Now, let me point out that my dad loves Christianity. So much that he attended college and studied theology for four years. He even used to be a pastor. He's also a conservative Christian. Yet, he still found that pastor's views abhorrent.
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Post by Bluefinger on May 6, 2011 17:58:37 GMT -5
I also want to take the chance to point out that despite the view I have, I still find the idea of dying scary. Why? Because it is instinct. It is normal to feel scared of that big unknown, the end of us in every sense of the word. But, I haven't turned away from that fact. I accepted that fear. I acknowledged it and moved on. I did not hide that fear away with hopes of rewards, of continuation, etc.
To me, I did not choose to be born, I did not choose to be who I am, but here I am regardless. For some 13 billion years since the Universe as we know it began, I did not care about not existing. Now, here I am, experiencing it. When I think of things in this perspective, I need no God in order to feel special, I need no religion in order to feel part of something grand. I am a part of this Universe, an evanescent and sentient spark. And then, I will pass away, and I will not care any more in the same I did not care before I was born. I will just cease to be. But, for this single moment, I am. I am here, and I'm alive. This is my story, my journey, another small dream of this sleeping Universe. And when my journey ends, I will just be part of the sleeping Universe once more.
And I'm done with being preachy. Hopefully, I at least shared with you how I view my life from the perspective of a Metaphysical Naturalist.
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Post by Chi Shiro on May 6, 2011 20:08:34 GMT -5
Blue, that was so beautiful.
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Post by Admiral Lithp on May 6, 2011 20:28:02 GMT -5
This is gonna look like shit in comparison to that:
The natural consequence of being an atheist is not "nothing happens after you die," that's the natural consequence of being a naturalist. It just so happens that naturalists are also atheists.
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chagen
Junior Member
Not Banned
Posts: 71
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Post by chagen on May 6, 2011 21:39:49 GMT -5
I also want to take the chance to point out that despite the view I have, I still find the idea of dying scary. Why? Because it is instinct. It is normal to feel scared of that big unknown, the end of us in every sense of the word. But, I haven't turned away from that fact. I accepted that fear. I acknowledged it and moved on. I did not hide that fear away with hopes of rewards, of continuation, etc. To me, I did not choose to be born, I did not choose to be who I am, but here I am regardless. For some 13 billion years since the Universe as we know it began, I did not care about not existing. Now, here I am, experiencing it. When I think of things in this perspective, I need no God in order to feel special, I need no religion in order to feel part of something grand. I am a part of this Universe, an evanescent and sentient spark. And then, I will pass away, and I will not care any more in the same I did not care before I was born. I will just cease to be. But, for this single moment, I am. I am here, and I'm alive. This is my story, my journey, another small dream of this sleeping Universe. And when my journey ends, I will just be part of the sleeping Universe once more. And I'm done with being preachy. Hopefully, I at least shared with you how I view my life from the perspective of a Metaphysical Naturalist. I really don't mean this to sound insulting.... ...but that sounds very.... off to me. Not creepy...but....more like an Uncanny Valley thing. I can't figure out why. |
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Post by Art Vandelay on May 6, 2011 21:45:49 GMT -5
Life-is-beautiful spiel aside, how exactly is wishful thinking reason to believe in God in the first place? I wish I was so rich I could live off the interest of the interest of the interest of my savings and still make the British royal family look homeless by comparison. That, however, doesn't make it any more true.
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Post by Mlle Antéchrist on May 6, 2011 21:49:44 GMT -5
I really don't mean this to sound insulting.... ...but that sounds very.... off to me. Not creepy...but....more like an Uncanny Valley thing. I can't figure out why. Likewise, I don't mean this in an insulting way, but: Is it possible that you're uncomfortable with it because it challenges your worldview, and what you've been raised to believe? |
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