Question on Christianity

Originally posted by eddieboy Well said Walter.. Just out of curiosity, what do you believe in regards to god and an "after life" Hard question. I believe in cosmic order...but in the sense that Oswald Spengler, Francis Yockey, and Nietzsche talked about. Not in terms of "fate", "destiny" and things like that. I believe in transcendent principles, and I wonder a great deal about the unknown. So in that sense, yes, I am a theist. I really don't believe in an afterlife...I view death as a process. What the ultimate implications of that process are, I don't know. Death is really outside my scope of understanding, so I try not to fear it.

Originally posted by Walter E Kurtz Hard question. I believe in cosmic order...but in the sense that Oswald Spengler, Francis Yockey, and Nietzsche talked about. Not in terms of "fate", "destiny" and things like that. I believe in transcendent principles, and I wonder a great deal about the unknown. So in that sense, yes, I am a theist. I really don't believe in an afterlife...I view death as a process. What the ultimate implications of that process are, I don't know. Death is really outside my scope of understanding, so I try not to fear it. Very interesting. My view is that even the smartest men on the planet trying to figure out the univers, or death and what happens to us in regards to the "afterlife" is about as feeble as chimps trying to figure out what us humans are up to. Mabey the scale of humans to god would be like insects are to men?? who knows, its is beyond our scope of comprehension.

i think we are some sick fucks experiment. if there is a god im gonna give the fucker a serve, thats for sure ! what kind of sicko lets his so called children suffer the abuses of man and suffer down here on earth ? one word - sicko ! did any of you guys see that new south park episode where the earth is one big reality show that aliens are watching ? thats what i think is going on to an extent. some sick fucks put us here as slaves and thats all we are. also, i agree, we are like insects compared to them in development and in terms of intelligence. but the whole religon thing is just a control mechanism. and regarding the crystal meth addiction, its good that you found a way to get off that shit and religion seems to have done that for you, BUT, you do realize that once a speed freak has become delusional and is suffering severe mental problems that even if they stop the drugs they cannot be cured of most if not all of these illnesses ? they remain delusional and cant be helped. i respect what you've done but quoting the bible to argue a point is a problem mate and i hope you can realize this and find meaning to your life instead of being a sheep to a sick lord. oh yeah, jesus was a doormat. i cant believe he lived so long (approx 30 years)in such a barbaric time with his love everyone mentality. dont get me wrong, i believe the only way to live life is to be a good honest person but you cant win doing this in such an evil, fucked up world thats for sure. blackninja.

Originally posted by Walter E Kurtz Hard question. I believe in cosmic order...but in the sense that Oswald Spengler, Francis Yockey, and Nietzsche talked about. Not in terms of "fate", "destiny" and things like that. I believe in transcendent principles, and I wonder a great deal about the unknown. So in that sense, yes, I am a theist. I really don't believe in an afterlife...I view death as a process. What the ultimate implications of that process are, I don't know. Death is really outside my scope of understanding, so I try not to fear it. thats really interesting, right along the lines of what i believe as well......i figure we humans can never comprhend all the unknown, and that leaves room for some sort of higher power..the recognition of this unknown makes me somewhat of a theis...or at least agnostic

I'll say this again and this about the 100th time I've said this since I've been on here. Whenever there is a religious thread the atheists are always the first ones to start the name calling and belittling. They use the same rhetoric: believers are stupid, they are followers, they can't think on their own, yada yada yada. Arguing religion is actually silly. Believers will not be dissuaded and non-believers will not be dissuaded. Religion comes from within. If you don't believe in a religion, so be it, but don't bash other people because they believe. I've never made fun of those that don't believe, because their lack of belief and their belief in science is their belief. If you don't believe in religion fine, but there is no reason to bash those that believe. Peace.

that site is hardly a list of hardcore atheists..if you read the criteria at the bottom its pretty wide open, the bottom line being they rejected organized religion

i believe a power higher than humans exists. does it have anything to do with our existence??? maybe. is it a god??? no. gods are man made and people don't possess the intellect nor the senses to interact or even recognize a true higher power. there's a huge gap between believing in life beyond our own and believing jesus told you can't have sex before you were married. that's where you guys fuck up. you try to lump all people that know your religions are false into one category. it doesn't take an iq higher than about 80 to realize the difference so why is it so hard???? by most definitions of god i am certainly an atheist but i never said there is no higher entity in existence. this entity would obviously beyond our comprehension so why would you attempt to personify it and talk to it as if it cares???

satan you're confusing organized religion with theism theism is the belief in a higher power...i fall somewhere between that and agnosticism, the belief that we as humans cannot understand a higher power, if it exists being a theist doesn't make you believe the Bible word for word or any of that...thats organized religion...the Bible is an interesting piece of literature and history mixed with tradition and folklore....but actual events? no....too often you atheists lump anyone who believes in anything with the evangelists and fundametalists and everythng else and mikeb23, i agree with you on that, these religion threads go nowhere

xan, a theist believes in god/gods. the definition of "god" is actually quite narrow to most. i don't agree with those who believe in religion or those who are simply theists. people seem to have a need to personify their gods. they make them human. do you really think the supreme ruler of the universe gets mad or jealous?? applying human needs and emotions to a infinitely supreme entity is like comparing the emotional complexity of human to that of a single-celled organism....the ultimate truth is beyond our grasp. theism 1. belief in God: belief that one God created and rules humans and the world, not necessarily accompanied by belief in divine revelation such as through the Bible 2. belief in god or gods: belief in the existence of a god or gods God 1. religion supreme being: the being believed in monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Islam, and Christianity to be the all-powerful all-knowing creator of the universe, worshiped as the only god 2. christianity the Trinity: one supreme being worshiped by Christians in the form of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

ok satan, you got me...i confused my "isms"....i subscribe more to "deism", not "theism"..been awhile since my history of religion class, got confused de·ism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (dzm, d-) n. The belief, based solely on reason, in a God who created the universe and then abandoned it, assuming no control over life, exerting no influence on natural phenomena, and giving no supernatural revelation. that pretty much sums up my position...excpet clarified by that fact that i dont believe in an anthropomorphic god, but rather a higher power that we cannot comprehend, but could describe as "god"

in some aspects of belief i consider myself more of a deist. i argue with a lot of people on here but many times i realize we are not so different. i actually almost started a thread today asking people to define their faith but i was preoccupied. i choose to label myself an atheist because the consistent definition of "god" i encounter is of a being with human characteristics. i don't agree with this at all.

My own view is that while I don't believe in God, I can't totally discount the possibility either.

well i never thought i'd agree with on this topic, but i think i understand where you're coming from now.....cool discussion

Originally posted by mikeb23 You must have not read your own site that you provided a link to. Read what it said about Lincoln. What would the list look like if it were composed of those that believe in religion? It would be a lot more impressive than that list. Peace. Oh, I read it, and just because he may not have recognized being atheist later in his political life, you must theorize as to why. I suggest probably because he was in political office in the 1850's era and being an atheist was like being a witch at salem. To your second point, just because more people believe in a god than do not, does not make it right. I think something has to be said why the 2 richest men, and the 2 smartest men in the world are atheists (Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Einstein and Hawking).

Originally posted by bull35 I think something has to be said why the 2 richest men, and the 2 smartest men in the world are atheists (Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Einstein and Hawking). Bad example there. What does being rich have to do with it? What about before Microsoft took off. The richest men in the world were Arab Kings with their oil, the same ones that refer to Allah and the Karan. Still to this day ( I think, well last time I looked anyway) some of those same Arabs are among the richest men in the world still. They might not have quite as much $ as Bill Gates,,, but they are pretty damn close. So to say that it is something to be said is nothing to do with what this thread is about. Now if Bill Gates had been around for decades and his followers who also were atheists held onto Microsoft and still could claim the title for the richest man in the world, what you stated above would make sense. Just one thing I wanted to point out.