How about " I am an atheist, and proud of it?

[billvon 3,031]

>You are actively refusing to take action.

Are you an active non-Muslim?

[beowulf 1]

I am hereby declaring myself to be an active non-Muslim/ non-Christian/ non-Buddhist/ non-Hindu/ non-Taoist/ non-Jewish.

hmm what else can I add to the list?
Kinda silly isn't it.

[pajarito 0]

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>You are actively refusing to take action.

Are you an active non-Muslim?

No. I have no interest in that religion so it does not apply. I believe that you have an interest (as in investment) into the fate of your eternal soul whether you admit it or not. Therefore, with regard to God and the only religion that saves, I think you are actively taking no action. I think there is an internal struggle between right and wrong that all of us face every moment of every day. I think our conscience testifies to the truth. I just think many of us ignore that inner voice (actively).

[Dolph 0]

He may be an active a-Santaist.

And an a-EasterBunnyist.
And an a-GreenThingsInTheMiddleOfTheMoonThatEatPizzaist.

Using Rehmwa's earlier reclassification of atheism as a faith, all three things mentioned above are faiths.

Which would mean that even if you haven't heard about that last one, you still would havefaith in it. This seems like an indication that the redefinition isn't entirely solid.

Something is not right calling an absence of something the presence of something else. That doesn't necessarily follow. Remove the onions from a pizza, and mushrooms do not magically take their place. Had the onions not been present from the start - does that mean that the mushrooms are mandatory?

A statement such as "I believe God does not exist" could be taken as an opinion, or taken as faith. "I lack any belief in Easter Bunny or the moon pizza dudes and God" is a bit of a different animal.

In my opinion it is important to understand the differences in those statements - they are not merely semantic ones.

[billvon 3,031]

>I have no interest in that religion so it does not apply. I believe
>that you have an interest (as in investment) into the fate of your
> eternal soul whether you admit it or not. Therefore, with regard to
> God and the only religion that saves, I think you are actively taking
> no action.

Right. And Muslims consider Allah to be the path to salvation. So to deny your soul a chance for that salvation, you have to actively ignore that path.

If atheists have to actively deny God, you have to deny Allah just as actively. (An alternative is that they don't actively deny anything; they just don't believe in God as you don't believe in Allah.)

[pirana 0]

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. . . you have more important things to do than that. Like get your skis tuned up for next year.

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Appreciate the reminder. I have them poorly stored and should get them in for a pre-storage tune-up.

Astrology, Tarot, the various seers & sayers and others who peddle it ARE my pet peeves. And don't get me started on Santa Claus.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

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[pirana 0]

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I believe that you have an interest (as in investment) into the fate of your eternal soul whether you admit it or not.

My guess is most atheists do not believe in such a thing as a soul. Usually, lack of belief in a diety is part of a system that does not support incorporeal entities. It's amusing watching one of my friends struggle with the fact I do not believe in afterlife, heaven, hell, soul, etc.

I really have no thoughts or concerns about my soul, because I do not believe in such a thing. As Alan Watts said:

"This is it."

No matter how much we really, really, really might want there to be more; there is not one shred of good hard evidence that there is anything beyond THIS.

Enjoy IT, treasure IT, and don't leave anything on the floor. Because if you get to the end of IT, and find out you were wrong, you'll be very disappointed.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[pirana 0]

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I am hereby declaring myself to be an active non-Muslim/ non-Christian/ non-Buddhist/ non-Hindu/ non-Taoist/ non-Jewish.

hmm what else can I add to the list?
Kinda silly isn't it.

Don't forget the
Rastas and the Copts.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[pajarito 0]

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And an a-EasterBunnyist.
And an a-GreenThingsInTheMiddleOfTheMoonThatEatPizzaist.

Why do discussions with Atheists always degenerate into them speaking of examples of silly childhood or insane imaginative characters with which they try to compare? Is it just frustration setting in?

[pajarito 0]

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My guess is most atheists do not believe in such a thing as a soul. Usually, lack of belief in a diety is part of a system that does not support incorporeal entities. It's amusing watching one of my friends struggle with the fact I do not believe in afterlife, heaven, hell, soul, etc.

I really have no thoughts or concerns about my soul, because I do not believe in such a thing.

Sincerely. I think deep down you and everyone else knows that they are eternal beings that aren't here just for this extremely limited lifetime trapped in this physical shell. You can reject it but it's still there. If what the Bible says is true, there's a bunch of people who are in a lot of trouble for breaking God's laws.

[narcimund 0]

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Why do discussions with Atheists always degenerate into them speaking of examples of silly childhood or insane imaginative characters with which they try to compare? Is it just frustration setting in?

Or maybe it's because we can't see any real difference between a "big bearded dude who gives prezzies to widdle children at the Winter Solstice" and a "big bearded dude who gives prezzies to adults up in the clouds."

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[rehmwa 2]

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Sincerely. I think deep down you and everyone else knows that they are

You see, the word "knows" is what makes that whole thing wrong. If you can't speak to the crowd in front of you, then you can't get through. You're only preaching to the choir, so to speak. All that does is get you to the 'prove it' argument which is wasteful and totally against the concept of faith.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[beowulf 1]

Guess we will all find out soon enough.

It's not about rejecting it, it's about just plain not believing it to be true. I think this whole God belief is just wishful thinking from people can't handle the thought of dieing and there being nothing else. So people make up all kinds of Gods and Goddesses to explain where people go when they die. Makes life nice and convenient when there is an explaination.

[pirana 0]

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And an a-EasterBunnyist.
And an a-GreenThingsInTheMiddleOfTheMoonThatEatPizzaist.

Why do discussions with Atheists always degenerate into them speaking of examples of silly childhood or insane imaginative characters with which they try to compare? Is it just frustration setting in?

Actually, they (dieties, fairy tale creatures, ghosts & goblins, etc) tend to share approximately equal amounts of solid evidence of existence. They also have at their roots some shared foundations in the form of the myths from which they grew.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[rehmwa 2]

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Or maybe it's because we can't see any real difference between a "big bearded dude who gives prezzies to widdle children at the Winter Solstice" and a "big bearded dude who gives prezzies to adults up in the clouds."

I think this is what's really true.

Although, it will always come across as extremely disrespectful to believers as they do see a difference.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[jakee 1,536]

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Sincerely. I think deep down you and everyone else knows that they are eternal beings that aren't here just for this extremely limited lifetime trapped in this physical shell. You can reject it but it's still there. If what the Bible says is true, there's a bunch of people who are in a lot of trouble for breaking God's laws.

Funny. Whenever I've seen deeply religious people break down in tears at funerals I think the exact opposite.

I also think its funny that you can recognise that (if there was a soul) this physical lifetime would be a miniscule, insignificant twinkle in your eternity of existence and yet still think it perfectly fair that what you do here is sufficient evidence to judge you for all time.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[narcimund 0]

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Although, it will always come across as extremely disrespectful to believers as they do see a difference.

I'm not worried about being disrespectful of believers. I DON'T respect their beliefs. I respect beliefs that are based on decent reasoning and the GOD-based beliefs don't seem to be of that sort.

However, I think what people usually mean by "respect" is "politeness". It's nice to be polite to people even if their beliefs seem wrong or even downright crazy.

That's why I wouldn't have put it that way in normal circumstances. This is a frank discussion though, and it seems appropriate to put things in frank terms here.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[jakee 1,536]

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I think this is what's really true.

Although, it will always come across as extremely disrespectful to believers as they do see a difference.

Now surely you're not suggesting we should all shugarcoat our opinions to avoid maybe causing offence.

That would be uncharacteristically PC of you

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[narcimund 0]

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Funny. Whenever I've seen deeply religious people break down in tears at funerals I think the exact opposite.

This truly is a strange paradox.

Deeply confident Christians mourn the death of other saved Christians. How come?

I don't buy the explanation that it's because they'll miss them for the next few years until they're re-united up in Candyland. If that's all it were, I could see them shedding a little tear and moving on.

Instead they cry and grieve and suffer long-term psychological problems -- JUST LIKE NON-BELIEVERS DO!

Christians are hiding massive disbelief and doubts -- probably even from themselves.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[pajarito 0]

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I also think its funny that you can recognise that (if there was a soul) this physical lifetime would be a miniscule, insignificant twinkle in your eternity of existence and yet still think it perfectly fair that what you do here is sufficient evidence to judge you for all time.

It's insignificant if I think the rules of the game are fair or not. There's no choice. You will be judged one day for everything (thought, deed, action) you've done in this life. You will either be going to heaven or to hell.

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And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews 9:27

[pajarito 0]

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Deeply confident Christians mourn the death of other saved Christians. How come?

What a ridiculous statement. Of course they'll be missed. We're human and this life is all we've known. Knowing that we will see them again someday, however, is comforting. That still doesn't make the feeling go away that a part of us has gone away. To tell you the truth, though, I'd mourn an unsaved person even more because I'd know that I'd never see them again. I've been to the funerals of many family members in which this was the case.

[beowulf 1]

Interesting and how would know if someone were saved or not?

[jakee 1,536]

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It's insignificant if I think the rules of the game are fair or not.

Either you think its fair or you do not believe in a just God.

Come on, eternity, no parole, no rehabilitation, no time off for good behaviour - it all hangs on this world. This crazy world where some get 100 years, some get 5 minutes, some are born into well off devoutly christian families, some are born in devoutly heathen families, some never even hear 'the' message, some get kidnapped, drugged and brainwashed into militias and forced to carry out rapes and massacres before they reach their teens. What's the magic formula?

I'll ask you this - how is a stillborn baby judged? If it goes to hell thats harsh by any standards - if it goes to heaven then thats just a free ride.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[narcimund 0]

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Deeply confident Christians mourn the death of other saved Christians. How come?

What a ridiculous statement. Of course they'll be missed. We're human and this life is all we've known. Knowing that we will see them again someday, however, is comforting. That still doesn't make the feeling go away that a part of us has gone away. To tell you the truth, though, I'd mourn an unsaved person even more because I'd know that I'd never see them again. I've been to the funerals of many family members in which this was the case.

When someone I love goes away for a few years I have a nice jolly last visit with them and wish them well. I might feel a little sad for a few days but that's about it.

Is that simiilar to how you feel when a saved person temporarily dies?

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[pajarito 0]

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When someone I love goes away for a few years I have a nice jolly last visit with them and wish them well. I might feel a little sad for a few days but that's about it.

Is that simiilar to how you feel when a saved person temporarily dies?

Only have time to answer this one. I'll respond to the previous ones later. I was very close to my Granddad. He died in 1995. I'm now 37. It will probably be a VERY long time before I see him again. That is very sad to me. I miss everything about him a lot. Much of that is selfish on my part because I'm quite sure I know where he is right now. I still miss him and it makes me sad that he's no longer around here with us. That is quite different from you're saying goodbye to a friend for a few years.