Happy Easter!

Quote: petroglyph

Everybody is self serving, even those that argue against it, are doing it for their own benefit.

Yup, that's 100% accurate. Whatever
their reason for the so called selfless
act or career, they're doing it for
selfish reasons 99% of the time.

I admit it, that's all. I rarely to
never do anything I don't want to
do, but neither does anybody else.
I just aware of that, and they aren't.

Quote: Evenbob

Yup, that's 100% accurate. Whatever
their reason for the so called selfless
act or career, they're doing it for
selfish reasons 99% of the time.

I admit it, that's all. I rarely to
never do anything I don't want to
do, but neither does anybody else.
I just aware of that, and they aren't.

The difference is, we know there is nothing wrong with that, and don't pretend it is.

If it were that some supernatural being was going to judge me on my actions , I wouldn't be afraid of that. I have been decent and fair all of my adult years.

But it seems for the sellers of religion, how I have conducted my life isn't good enough. I'm supposed to surrender something else and believe what they conceive. I wish I didn't see the hypocrisy so vividly .

Quote: petroglyph

I wish I didn't see the hypocrisy so vividly .

I feel that way at times. I wish I
could become a stick my head
in the sand Xtion and be devout
and give my life to some god.
How easy that would be to have
all the answers.

Reality is much harder to live, but
once you're there it's impossible
to do anything else because you'd
know it's a lie.

Quote: Evenbob

Reality is much harder to live, but
once you're there it's impossible
to do anything else because you'd
know it's a lie.

You can't un swallow the "Red Pill"

Quote: petroglyph

You can't un swallow the "Red Pill"

Once you know reality, that there
is no god, you can't unknow that.

Hawking and Einstein and Sagan
died atheists, and they had every
chance to change their minds.
The had god people screaming
at them every day of their adult
lives. All these smart men required
was real evidence, not the faux
'evidence' the god people have.

Was that too much to ask?

I don't think we really have a choice. Most people are either born with a skeptical nature or not. It isn't just religion. I've noticed religious types to easily believe urban legends or whatever else they hear, as long as it fits into their paradigm of the world. Even the bible says "many care called but few are chosen," implying it isn't our choice to make but it's predestined. That, I agree with, except it is predestined by our genetics, not a divine power.

Thus all this arguing about whether or not god exists is a total waste of time. Has anyone here had the slightest change in their position on that after the many thousands of posts on the topic?

Quote: Wizard

Thus all this arguing about whether or not god exists is a total waste of time. Has anyone here had the slightest change in their position on that after the many thousands of posts on the topic?

That's never ever ever ever the
point of conversations like this.
We have them to solidify our
own positions, not to change
the minds of others. If that's
your intent, to change minds,
you have a big surprise coming.

I can guarantee FrG is a better
Xtion because of these years
of talking, I'm certainly a better
atheist. Mormon missionaries
learn quickly that they'll talk
nobody into their religion
unless the person in 90% there
already.

These are edge honing conversations,
not mind changing ones. If FrG
changed his mind about god, I
would lose all respect for him, and
I'm sure he feels the same about me,
whether he realizes it or not.

Quote: Wizard

Has anyone here had the slightest change in their position on that after the many thousands of posts on the topic?

Can't say as I've changed my mind, but the ongoing dialogue has helped me a great deal. Things that before, had only been lightly thought, have been brought into words. I wish I could get at least one of my kids to read them start to finish.

If you knew the abuse piled on my family from religion,[ granted,by their own free will] you would relish these threads as much I do.

Quote: petroglyph

Can't say as I've changed my mind, but the ongoing dialogue has helped me a great deal..

The point is to clarify the feelings you
already have, not to change them. That
is almost impossible to do. I have
learned a ton about Xtionity in the
last few years by being forced to look
things up. For instance, the Inquisitions
were far worse than I thought they were
before this started.

I'm glad some benefit has come of these debates. I, too, like my beliefs to be challenged and enjoy a vigorous debate with a worthy opponent.