Is "Dublin" a real place?

Notavirus.exe · 22-08-2015 11:47pm

In response to all those who say "Why does God allow blah blah blah to happen to people?", I have the following to say:

I believe that life is just God giving us a taste of both pain and enjoyment, as well as being a test.

God wants us all to be saved and to live with him in his wonderful world called "Heaven".

God is a loving being. He wants us to be part of his family, but he doesn't want serial killers or thieves (i.e. sinners) in his home.

If life was perfect without disease or death or suffering then people would be too attached to false idols to want to know God.

I don't know why I'm here. Maybe we've all met God before. Maybe he has wiped our memories and put us here to test us.

I would like to ask certain people here, why does the idea of a being such as God seem ridiculous?

I find it quite difficult to believe that someone can be truly "atheist".

syklops · 22-08-2015 11:49pm

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

In response to all those who say "Why does God allow blah blah blah to happen to people?", I have the following to say:

I believe that life is just God giving us a taste of both pain and enjoyment, as well as being a test.

God wants us all to be saved and to live with him in his wonderful world called "Heaven".

God is a loving being. He wants us to be part of his family, but he doesn't want serial killers or thieves (i.e. sinners) in his home.

If life was perfect without disease or death or suffering then people would be too attached to false idols to want to know God.

I don't know why I'm here. Maybe we've all met God before. Maybe he has wiped our memories and put us here to test us.

I would like to ask certain people here, why does the idea of a being such as God seem ridiculous?

I find it quite difficult to believe that someone can be truly "atheist".

Look, most of us aetheists don't go wandering into the christianity forum and asking the unanswerable, so could the christians maybe stop wandering in here?

efb · 22-08-2015 11:50pm

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

In response to all those who say "Why does God allow blah blah blah to happen to people?", I have the following to say:

I believe that life is just God giving us a taste of both pain and enjoyment, as well as being a test.

God wants us all to be saved and to live with him in his wonderful world called "Heaven".

God is a loving being. He wants us to be part of his family, but he doesn't want serial killers or thieves (i.e. sinners) in his home.

If life was perfect without disease or death or suffering then people would be too attached to false idols to want to know God.

I don't know why I'm here. Maybe we've all met God before. Maybe he has wiped our memories and put us here to test us.

I would like to ask certain people here, why does the idea of a being such as God seem ridiculous?

I find it quite difficult to believe that someone can be truly "atheist".

Is earth like a reality tv series for god?

So god gives babies pain and suffering to stop people having false idols- sounds like a great guy...

efb · 22-08-2015 11:50pm

as the kids say- YOLO

nozzferrahhtoo · 22-08-2015 11:59pm

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

I don't understand how you can cope with life believing that when you die, that's it.

Better than I would if I thought this life was only a stop gap to an eternal one. An idea that would render everything I do in this world both insignificant and pointless.

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

If I had 100% definitive proof that there was no God, I'd turn into a depressed psycho murderer. That's if I didn't kill myself in a depression fulled rage.

Then as what people would call an atheist.... even though I do not call myself one.... I hope you never lose your faith.

Kidchameleon wrote: »

Op you can be atheist and also beleive in an afterlife so chill

But just as surely as i should have come after e..... you can not do so based on any kind of substantiation, oder?

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

Well think of it this way. Everything has to have a beginning. But before the universe, there was nothing. Why does anything have to exist?

Why does anything NOT have to exist? Why is that question more or less valid than yours?

We as humans seem to have this issue with "why does anything exist" which means we have some internal idea that not existing is the default...... so existing needs to be explained. But no one so far, least of all you, has explained to me why existing can not be the default.

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

There was nothing before the explosion that created the universe

You know this how?

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

It's hard to explain but if there definitely wasn't any God or supreme thing in charge of the universe then this world wouldn't matter.

Or.... just to fry your noodle as one of the matrix characters says.... would the concept of it even "mattering" exist if it was not for the universe? After all if there were no brains like yours, or mine, worrying about whether things "matter" or not..... would anything matter.

Would "god" even "matter" if there was no subjective minds to make it so?

I am being tongue in cheek but the truth is the universe does not owe us an explanation. You think whatever the answer is.... it has to "matter" in some way. But this concept of things "mattering" only comes from our minds. Without our minds.... not only would it not "matter".... no one would care if it did not either way.

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

The extremely annoying thing is the fact that everything has to have a beginning

Except that is not a "fact".

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

It makes me crazy.

Mainly because you are caught up with this concept of things "mattering".

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

If death was the complete end of you, your thoughts, your emotions and your memories, then life is cruel.

Two fails there.

First one.... that would not make life cruel. That would make me lucky to have had that journey where countless infinities of other possible sentient beings did not.

Second one.... so what if it were cruel? That says nothing about a god. Truth is truth whether it be cruel or not. You are value judging truth claims based on whether they PLEASE you or not. Yet truth remains true, or false, regardless of your emotional reaction to it.

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

"Oh, I want to do this before I die, I want to do that before I die."... What's the point?

Do you want me to answer this? It might be longer than the post above so far

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 12:05am

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

If death was the complete end of you, your thoughts, your emotions and your memories, then life is cruel.
I love my relatives, close and distant, without limit. I believe myself to be very lucky to have been related to them and to have known them and to have had them as part of my life.
I've had a lot of good times with them. I have wonderful memories of occasions with them.

Having those memories, that love and the joy of knowing them completely wiped at death is the cruelest thing in the world.

"Oh, I want to do this before I die, I want to do that before I die."... What's the point?

Life /existence isn't cruel .This is part of God think in which we are punished or rewarded. Life is a condition of being . The universe does not revolve around us.
Having memories of loved ones wiped at death is a ridiculous concept. Your brain will have ceased to function. What really troubles you is an idea rather than an actuality.

“If we wish to draw philosophical conclusions about our own existence, our significance, and the significance of the universe itself, our conclusions should be based on empirical knowledge. A truly open mind means forcing our imaginations to conform to the evidence of reality, and not vice versa, whether or not we like the implications.” -Lawrence M Krauss

Notavirus.exe · 23-08-2015 12:13am

I might be going a bit off topic but I think I'm starting to work this all out.

I remember a story that someone once told me. I'll copy and paste it from another website. It seems to be a popular story.

****
""In hell, there is a huge feast laid out on the table, but everybody's knives and forks are so long that they can't get the food to their own mouths. Struggle as they may, in the face of all this food, they starve.

In heaven, the story is almost exactly the same. There is a wonderful feast laid out. The knives and forks are so long that you can't get your food to your own mouth. The difference is that, in heaven, the people stop trying to feed themselves and instead use their long knives and forks to feed each other.""
****

The first paragraph of that quote describes this greed filled world.
The second paragraph would describe this world if everyone loved everyone else and they put other people's needs before theirs, if everyone wasn't so selfish.

In that, I believe that this life is a test. Depending on how you live life, you're going to either Heaven or Hell.

That's what I believe. That's what gives my life a purpose. I want to know what you atheists believe is your purpose.

MagicHumanDoll · 23-08-2015 12:16am

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

I find it quite difficult to believe that someone can be truly "atheist".

"I intend to live forever, or die trying." ~Groucho Marx

"I don't believe in the after life, although I am bringing a change of underwear." ~Woody Allen

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." ~Abraham Lincoln

and my personal favourite

"Eternal nothingness is fine if you happen to be dressed for it." ~Woody Allen

Trust me, taking the piss out of people who can't acknowledge everything is a possibility (cough, being truly athiest cough) is what proves that I am 'truly athiest'

MagicHumanDoll · 23-08-2015 12:20am

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

That's what I believe. That's what gives my life a purpose. I want to know what you atheists' believe is your purpose.

Well then if you've lived to a certain point (let's say 20 years of age)why not get into heaven early, if the only thing in your life worth living for is heaven?

That's exactly what gives my life purpose, believing that I don't have that luxury and that I may only have a certain period of time before I cease to exist.

At the end of the day though, it's not about trying to understand someone else's beliefs. Instead, be able to acknowledge they have them and move on with your life. That's what I do!

nozzferrahhtoo · 23-08-2015 12:21am

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

The first paragraph of that quote describes this greed filled world.

The second paragraph would describe this world if everyone loved everyone else and they put other people's needs before theirs, if everyone wasn't so selfish.

And both paragraphs show that you theists are so unimaginative.... that when asked to talk about concepts like heaven and hell.... the best you can do is talk about "eating".

Amazing is it not that while you revel in your unsubstantiated notions of more wonderful states of existence.... you mainly just sit around making gastronomic-porn versions of this one. Oh the "land of milk and honey" indeed. More food please.

Perhaps your lust for heaven is the test you fail?

NorthStars · 23-08-2015 12:24am

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

I know the title looks insulting to atheists but I am not attacking atheist beliefs.

I respect that you don't believe in God but I don't understand how you can cope with life believing that when you die, that's it.
If I had 100% definitive proof that there was no God, I'd turn into a depressed psycho murderer. That's if I didn't kill myself in a depression fulled rage.

Can you please explain how you live life believing there is no God without going insane?

Not having a God is the atheists god....

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 12:28am

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

I might be going a bit off topic but I think I'm starting to work this all out.

I remember a story that someone once told me. I'll copy and paste it from another website. It seems to be a popular story.

****
""In hell, there is a huge feast laid out on the table, but everybody's knives and forks are so long that they can't get the food to their own mouths. Struggle as they may, in the face of all this food, they starve.

In heaven, the story is almost exactly the same. There is a wonderful feast laid out. The knives and forks are so long that you can't get your food to your own mouth. The difference is that, in heaven, the people stop trying to feed themselves and instead use their long knives and forks to feed each other.""
****

The first paragraph of that quote describes this greed filled world.
The second paragraph would describe this world if everyone loved everyone else and they put other people's needs before theirs, if everyone wasn't so selfish.

In that, I believe that this life is a test. Depending on how you live life, you're going to either Heaven or Hell.

That's what I believe. That's what gives my life a purpose. I want to know what you atheists believe is your purpose.

The difference with atheists is that they do not expect eternal life for an act of kindness.
Purpose suggests we were created for a reason. We weren't.

newport2 · 23-08-2015 12:28am

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

I respect that you don't believe in God but I don't understand how you can cope with life believing that when you die, that's it.
If I had 100% definitive proof that there was no God, I'd turn into a depressed psycho murderer. That's if I didn't kill myself in a depression fulled rage.

You've just summed up exactly why all groups of mankind, globally throughout time as we know it, have felt the need to create a god or gods. Every society and every tribe, independently of each other.

There has to be something after i die.

It can't be just this.

That along with the fact that its a great way to control other people through fear.

Read back through your OP. It says that you couldn't live without believing in a god. What better reason is there to create one?

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 12:31am

NorthStars wrote: »

Not having a God is the atheists god....

Stupid is the new religion.

NorthStars · 23-08-2015 12:33am

Mark Tapley wrote: »

Stupid is the new religion.

You said it!!!

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 12:35am

NorthStars wrote: »

You said it!!!

You noticed. Did you draw any conclusions?

NorthStars · 23-08-2015 12:38am

Mark Tapley wrote: »

You noticed. Did you draw any conclusions?

Some people believe in religion, some people don't.
Who really cares?

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 12:40am

NorthStars wrote: »

Some people believe in religion, some people don't.
Who really cares?

That begs the question - What the fùck are you doing here then?

NorthStars · 23-08-2015 12:43am

Mark Tapley wrote: »

That begs the question - What the fùck are you doing here then?

Buzzin people who have an unhealthy interest in other's beliefs.....

MagicHumanDoll · 23-08-2015 12:45am

NorthStars wrote: »

Buzzin people who have an unhealthy interest in other's beliefs.....

But that's exactly what you are?

NorthStars · 23-08-2015 12:50am

MagicHumanDoll wrote: »

But that's exactly what you are?

Do atheists have beliefs?

DivingDuck · 23-08-2015 12:52am

NorthStars wrote: »

Do atheists have beliefs?

Religious beliefs, or beliefs in general?

The former would vary from person to person, the latter is almost entirely unavoidable. Everyone believes in something-- even anarchy and apathy are the result of specific beliefs.

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 12:54am

NorthStars wrote: »

Do atheists have beliefs?

I drew my conclusion early on.Nice to have it confirmed.

nozzferrahhtoo · 23-08-2015 12:55am

NorthStars wrote: »

Do atheists have beliefs?

Have you asked one?

NorthStars · 23-08-2015 1:02am

nozzferrahhtoo wrote: »

Have you asked one?

Seems to me their belief's are that anyone who has a religious belief is wrong in some way.

DivingDuck · 23-08-2015 1:06am

NorthStars wrote: »

Seems to me their belief's are that anyone who has a religious belief is wrong in some way.

Of course all atheists believe that religious people are, in a purely factual sense, wrong. If they didn't believe that, they would believe there was a god, so they would not be atheists. Believing that religion is incorrect/"wrong" is a core part of atheism.

However, not all atheists feel the need to be a plank about that, or go telling it to everyone who expresses a religious belief in front of them, or try to convert everyone else to their cause. The majority of people who do not have religion are happy to let others enjoy their beliefs. (Assuming "enjoying their beliefs" doesn't mean depriving others of their rights based on religious grounds, or trying to convert those who do not want or need religion in their lives.)

Some twits are atheists, but not all atheists are twits.

NorthStars · 23-08-2015 1:07am

DivingDuck wrote: »

Of course all atheists believe that religious people are, in a purely factual sense, wrong. If they didn't believe that, they would believe there was a god, so they would not be atheists. Believing that religion is incorrect/"wrong" is a core part of atheism.

However, not all atheists feel the need to be a plank about that, or go telling it to everyone who expresses a religious belief in front of them, or try to convert everyone else to their cause. The majority of people who do not have religion are happy to let others enjoy their beliefs. (Assuming "enjoying their beliefs" doesn't mean depriving others of their rights based on religious grounds, or trying to convert those who do not want or need religion in their lives.)

Some twits are atheists, but not all atheists are twits.

Fair point, well put.

keesa · 23-08-2015 1:08am

I don't call myself an atheist, even though by definition I guess I am. I don't want to be grouped with the people who A. Never believed and B. Are resentful that others believe. Basically every atheist on the Internet.

I genuinely believed in God. It wasn't about the Church. I didn't believe in Hell but I thought there might be a Heaven. But that didn't matter because God was there for me. He understood me. Everything. I didn't have to explain. He helped me when I asked almost every time. Ive never done things to get into heaven. I do them because theyre right.

Within the last year I started to lose my faith. It was a small doubt first, and then suddenly ripped my world apart. It was 2 things. Two tragedies happened without cause, on someone's behalf or by natural causes. That meant that either God wasn't real or he didn't care because if he did he wouldn't have done that. And it went from there.

I get the depression and delusion you mentioned OP. It's difficult to come to terms with. It makes the world much scarier and means you lose someone who's on your side. But now I try to do good things more often. Donate or raise money, help friends family, be more understanding etc because if we don't, there's no one else. I'm not sure why you would become a murderer..

the_syco · 23-08-2015 1:12am

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

If I had 100% definitive proof that there was no God

As there are a large number of gods, can you be more specific? By god, do you mean Thor, or the one who failed to stop the Holocaust?

Laphroaig52 · 23-08-2015 1:13am

Mr_Muffin wrote: »

Why doesn't God just come to Earth tomorrow to show everyone he is real and then go back to where ever he lives? That way we would all know that he is real and life would be easier.

I thought He did that already?

DivingDuck · 23-08-2015 1:14am

keesa wrote: »

Within the last year I started to lose my faith. It was a small doubt first, and then suddenly ripped my world apart. It was 2 things. Two tragedies happened without cause, on someone's behalf or by natural causes. That meant that either God wasn't real or he didn't care because if he did he wouldn't have done that. And it went from there.

I get the depression and delusion you mentioned OP. It's difficult to come to terms with. It makes the world much scarier and means you lose someone who's on your side. But now I try to do good things more often. Donate or raise money, help friends family, be more understanding etc because if we don't, there's no one else.

I'm very sorry that you have lost your faith when it was something that brought comfort and meaning to your life. Have you considered talking to an experienced figure in your religion (a priest or equivalent) about your feelings to see if they could help you with this? Most religions have explanations for these types of events, and while they don't work for everyone, maybe they would be enough to restore your faith and the sense of comfort it once brought you...?

If not... Well, I think it's beautiful that you've found new meaning in being kind to others. The world does not have to be a bleak place if you don't believe in god, and you can create plenty of meaning on your own through your interactions with the world and the people in it.

nozzferrahhtoo · 23-08-2015 1:15am

NorthStars wrote: »

Seems to me their belief's are that anyone who has a religious belief is wrong in some way.

Thats a "no" then?

clear thinking · 23-08-2015 1:17am

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

Well think of it this way. Everything has to have a beginning. But before the universe, there was nothing. Why does anything have to exist? Our universe is expanding. There was nothing before the explosion that created the universe so what's outside the universe? Just thinking about an endless open space of nothing makes me go berserk. How did that come into existence?
It's hard to explain but if there definitely wasn't any God or supreme thing in charge of the universe then this world wouldn't matter.
The extremely annoying thing is the fact that everything has to have a beginning and that includes the emptiness of space and the particles that caused the "big bang".

For some reason I'm convinced that my consciousness would have had to have existed before the universe was created. To me the universe is a game and I'm trapped inside that game.
Basically what I'm saying is that trying to imagine that nothing existed then all of a sudden sticks and stones and everything just existed gives my brain that pain you get when you make both of your eyes look at your nose. It makes me crazy. I might have exaggerated what I'd do if I thought for a second that there was no God but I still know I'd go crazy.

you are pretty much nailed on there as to why people in general fear death and ultimately give themselves the comfort of a god, it is a difficult thing to think about never mind come to terms with. It is also why the masses brainwash their kids as it is even difficult for adults to deal with.

time is a result, or at least correlated to the expansion of the universe, most likely before the expansion there was no time as there was no expansion. As for something from nothing, negative and positive energy in the universe offset to nothing meaning no god or 3rd party was needed, it just happened.

As for god, who is god's god? How far back can you go... Not a dissimilar concept to multiverses springing from singularities.

And worst case scenario for all the believers out there is that there is an infinity:infinity probability that this is all a computer simulation anyway.

And as to the game you mentioned, it is actually possible (ie based on science, not belief) that the universe exists because there is one observer, in your case, you, or in my case, me.

anyway, best of luck working all that out. Personally I'm atheist, but if I'm wrong I'll be telling god to take a running jump on judgement day as any of his litterature would lead you to believe he an absolute egomanic, fond of murder and allows his son to be cannibalised every sunday.

keesa · 23-08-2015 1:24am

DivingDuck wrote: »

I'm very sorry that you have lost your faith when it was something that brought comfort and meaning to your life. Have you considered talking to an experienced figure in your religion (a priest or equivalent) about your feelings to see if they could help you with this? Most religions have explanations for these types of events, and while they don't work for everyone, maybe they would be enough to restore your faith and the sense of comfort it once brought you...?

If not... Well, I think it's beautiful that you've found new meaning in being kind to others. The world does not have to be a bleak place if you don't believe in god, and you can create plenty of meaning on your own through your interactions with the world and the people in it.

I was never truely catholic to begin with. I thought since a young age that evil was mans doing as a result of free will. Gays are loved by god as love is really the only good in the world. Didn't believe in Hell (mainly because I didn't find out about it til I was about 10) but also because God wouldn't send someone he loved to suffer for eternity. At most I thought it would be more of a detention in purgatory deal. So a priest won't do much.

Anyway, one of the things that caused doubts was that crash in January where the 5 girls died. There was no drink driving or ice or speeding or wind/rain, mechanically the car was fine. But a tire blew out, and five young people died on the side of a road with no one or nothing to blame. What. . . Of the billions of people since the beginning of time he needed to take them back early? Or. . He's working in mysterious ways? Or what? Can you think of a reason?

DivingDuck · 23-08-2015 1:42am

keesa wrote: »

I was never truely catholic to begin with. I thought since a young age that evil was mans doing as a result of free will. Gays are loved by god as love is really the only good in the world. Didn't believe in Hell (mainly because I didn't find out about it til I was about 10) but also because God wouldn't send someone he loved to suffer for eternity. At most I thought it would be more of a detention in purgatory deal. So a priest won't do much.

Anyway, one of the things that caused doubts was that crash in January where the 5 girls died. There was no drink driving or ice or speeding or wind/rain, mechanically the car was fine. But a tire blew out, and five young people died on the side of a road with no one or nothing to blame. What. . . Of the billions of people since the beginning of time he needed to take them back early? Or. . He's working in mysterious ways? Or what? Can you think of a reason?

...I'm probably the wrong person to speak to about this, as I have basically been agnostic for my entire life. The best I can say is this: according to the Google, about 150,000 people die worldwide daily. That's a lot of people. Statistically, a huge chunk of them will not be dying from old age, but from murder, diseases, accidents, suicide, poverty, deprivation, etc.

Assuming (for the purposes of this conversation) the truth of a religious figure, it is not and never has been unusual for god to take people back early. It is a facet of life which has been with us from the dawn of time. If there is a Godly Intelligence, it would differ so greatly from human intellect in terms of scope and experience that we would always struggle to understand it. If there is a master plan, it involves uncountable billions of lives over hundreds of millennia. I certainly don't have the intellectual capacity to process all those lives intersecting and overlapping with one another. I don't think any human brain could.

I wouldn't like to comment on any specific event or life, because I don't think that's fair to the people who are grieving for them, but there could be many reasons why a god figure would remove some people from the world. Maybe to give others a chance to grow and learn, maybe to reward them for some deed they'd done, maybe to prevent them from unintentionally aiding or causing some terrible tragedy down the line-- perhaps someone's grandchild would say something to their friend that would inspire them to create a device that brought an end to humankind. A godlike figure would know these things, but there are so many possibilities that a human mind could never follow them all.

The bottom line for me, though, is that if there is a god and an afterlife, the portion of a soul's existence that's spent on Earth is tiny. Like, the hundred or fewer years you spend "alive" make up such a small fraction of the eternal afterlife promised by religion that it's almost inconsequential. If someone dies at young age and is reunited with their loved ones in the afterlife for eternity, I'm sure that after a few thousand years, the pain of those few decades without them would be forgotten.

Maybe that's why god thinks it's okay for people to die young, and for suffering to be allowed to continue. Maybe he thinks humans need to learn to be kinder to one another-- and if that means hurting one another when they're alive, it's worth it for the sake of humanity as a whole, because any individual that suffers in life will eventually forget it during their blissful eternity in the hereafter. Maybe god is taking a long-term view of things: so long-term that we can't possibly understand it in this life, but will understand it with the benefit of eternity like god has.

The fact that bad things happen to good people doesn't have to mean there's no god, it just means that god's understanding of experience would be very different to our own... Which is to be expected considering what would be required to be god.

I don't know if that helps; it was a bit of a ramble. My bad.

seamusk84 · 23-08-2015 1:42am

You enjoy life and do your best to make the lives of the people around you better. Then you go to sleep knowing you did your best.

Don't need a load of made up ****e to do that.

keesa · 23-08-2015 1:50am

I've gone past the point of wanting to believe. You can't make yourself believe you either really do believe it's real in the same way you believe Obama is real. You've never met him. You've never seen him. People just tell you about him but you're sure if you go to the white house and sit in the oval office he'll show up. Or you think he won't.

If God was omnipotent and omniscient and had a plan for us. Which is basically the basis of all theistic religions. Then the world would be different and if I'm wrong. The God I believed in will understand my rationale and my reluctance to not believe

Keplar240B · 23-08-2015 2:04am

All of this happened before and all of it will happen again.

Stealthfins · 23-08-2015 2:20am

I kinda make up my own God,depending on my mood like
Then I get bored and decide I'm an atheist again,then get bored of that and go all woo and into makey uppy spiritual gobbledygook,then pick up where I left off in the God dillusion.

It's like a cycle I'm actually immersed in agnosticism,atheism,spirituality and metaphysical sthuff.....

It's all quite intriguing isn't it lol

Most people here have a vast interest in religion and are fairly confused about it all to be honest.

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 2:29am

Stealthfins wrote: »

I kinda make up my own God,depending on my mood like
Then I get bored and decide I'm an atheist again,then get bored of that and go all woo and into makey uppy spiritual gobbledygook,then pick up where I left off in the God dillusion.

It's like a cycle I'm actually immersed in agnosticism,atheism,spirituality and metaphysical sthuff.....

It's all quite intriguing isn't it lol

Most people here have a vast interest in religion and are fairly confused about it all to be honest.

No its not intriguing, sounds daft. Not confused, interested in the ability of the human mind to self delude.
As intolerant as I am of religious beliefs, I find the vague higher power stuff more annoying.

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 2:32am

Keplar240B wrote: »

All of this happened before and all of it will happen again.

Is this a joke or is it meant to be profound? Or are you talking about watching Dave?

umop apisdn · 23-08-2015 2:39am

Mark Tapley wrote: »

Is this a joke or is it meant to be profound? Or are you talking about watching Dave?

It's from Battlestar Galactica. What self respecting atheist doesn't know science fiction ?

endacl · 23-08-2015 2:40am

Notavirus.exe wrote: »

Can you please explain how you live life believing there is no God without going insane?

Easy. I just wake up every morning and crack on with it!

On a less facetious note, you do get that there's a world of difference between 'believing there's no god' and 'not believing there is a god'? All things being equal, when left to our own devices, the latter is our natural state.

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 2:48am

umop apisdn wrote: »

It's from Battlestar Galactica. What self respecting atheist doesn't know science fiction ?

Contrary to what some believe there is no atheist groupthink.

I have heard BSG referred to as Mormons in Space.

umop apisdn · 23-08-2015 2:50am

Mark Tapley wrote: »

Contrary to what some believe there is no atheist groupthink.

The borg knows this

DoYouEvenLift · 23-08-2015 2:52am

Did anyone post the Ricky gervais interview where he answers this question?

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 2:54am

umop apisdn wrote: »

The borg knows this

You have obviously been incinerated.

Overheal · 23-08-2015 4:36am

Mark Tapley wrote: »

You have obviously been assimilated.

FYP

Mark Tapley · 23-08-2015 4:42am

Overheal wrote: »

FYP

Nope.

Ramza · 23-08-2015 5:56am

I don't understand the logic you're putting forward, OP. You're implying if there's no afterlife then life is not worth living? That sounds like a huge paradox to me. Why should life be measured and based upon what potentially comes next after we die?

Just because finality is most likely certain for me doesn't mean I shouldn't enjoy life. I don't believe in God, or a God. I don't believe in an afterlife. When I die, I die. This doesn't affect my day to day decisions or my quality of life. It's just a fact that I can't change and have to accept as a self aware, yet biological organism. It doesn't stop me from being happy, it doesn't stop me from being a good person.

Being alive is a pretty damn good thing. While life isn't perfect, and bad things happen, being given a chance to have a life and experience it is amazing. We shouldn't have to gauge our enjoyment of this gift of life upon whether we will go to heaven or not. We should measure it upon itself; the people we influence, the things we do, the things we experience, the choices we make.

I hope this answers your question OP.

Is "Dublin" a real place?

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