Being an Atheist in Ireland is a Cnut

JC 2K3 · 07-04-2009 02:18PM

Jakkass wrote: »

It's nothing more than nonsense, especially considering the research concerning the "God part of the brain". People are biologically geared towards belief in a higher power.

Being biologically geared towards a belief in a higher power doesn't make that higher power real....

Jesus Juice · 07-04-2009 02:19PM

I love being an atheist in Ireland...better yet an atheist in school especially religion class,its the highlight of my week to disagree with every point the teacher makes!!

The fact that they still teach religion is crazy and there even talking about bringing in a leaving cert course for it!:eek:

philologos · 07-04-2009 02:19PM

JC 2K3 wrote: »

Being biologically geared towards a belief in a higher power doesn't make that higher power real....

I never said it did. I was referring to the claim of brainwashing. People are going to be disposed to belief in something more than the existence of life due to people seeking explanation. As such it is really only natural for one to consider faith in a higher power. Just my two cents. However, I think the child abuse argument has been overdone, and has failed really.

Jesus Juice wrote: »

The fact that they still teach religion is crazy and there even talking about bringing in a leaving cert course for it!

Already exists, I did it last year. I don't see what's wrong with learning what other people believe and why they believe it. Rather it's productive. We also learned about secularism (humanism, agnosticism, atheism, reductionism) and so on.

Sam Vimes · 07-04-2009 02:25PM

Iang87 wrote: »

after reading through and seeing the arguments for and against all you can really say is what would jesus do :pac:

I beg to differ
http://eric-blue.com/images/blog/wwfsmd.jpg

Jesus Juice · 07-04-2009 02:27PM

Jakkass wrote: »

I never said it did. I was referring to the claim of brainwashing. People are going to be disposed to belief in something more than the existence of life due to people seeking explanation. As such it is really only natural for one to consider faith in a higher power. Just my two cents. However, I think the child abuse argument has been overdone, and has failed really.

Already exists, I did it last year. I don't see what's wrong with learning what other people believe and why they believe it. Rather it's productive. We also learned about secularism (humanism, agnosticism, atheism, reductionism) and so on.

Well I've been doing it for 4 years and not once have we ever learned about any other religion other than Catholicism.

Sam Vimes · 07-04-2009 02:27PM

Jakkass wrote: »

I never said it did. I was referring to the claim of brainwashing. People are going to be disposed to belief in something more than the existence of life due to people seeking explanation. As such it is really only natural for one to consider faith in a higher power. Just my two cents. However, I think the child abuse argument has been overdone, and has failed really.

Natural to believe in a higher power - maybe. Natural to believe in the Christian God - not necessarily

ShooterSF · 07-04-2009 02:28PM

Sam Vimes wrote: »

I beg to differ
http://eric-blue.com/images/blog/wwfsmd.jpg

Book is a good read

I love when people mention a non specific god only for me to start on about pirates and beer volcanoes.

Lockstep · 07-04-2009 02:29PM

I went to school in Belgium where philosopy was an mandatory and graded subject.
First thing we did was the existance of God and how he couldn't exist.
Etc

thelordofcheese · 07-04-2009 02:31PM

kickoutthejams wrote: »

I went to school in Belgium where philosopy was an mandatory and graded subject.
First thing we did was the existance of God and how he couldn't exist.
Etc

Could God create a syllabus so secular that he could not teach it?

ShooterSF · 07-04-2009 02:33PM

Jakkass wrote: »

Your argument is about equivalent to someone saying:

Oh my... those atheists and agnostics... brainwashing our children to not believe in God, oh noes!!!

From a theist.

But it's not. He listed psychological techniques shown to for want of a better word brainwash people. What tactics other than logic do atheists use?

Genghiz Cohen · 07-04-2009 02:50PM

ShooterSF wrote: »

But it's not. He listed psychological techniques shown to for want of a better word brainwash people. What tactics other than logic do atheists use?

Baby BBQ's, damn they're tasty.

jackdaw · 07-04-2009 02:50PM

Upward Spiral wrote: »

One of the women is a real Jesus freak, and part of the parish brigade. She looked visibly shocked at what I was saying and didn't even crack a smile.

Problem is saying this to someone like her is like me saying to you

" The Moon doesn't exist .... "

You wouldn't be even open to seeing my point of view ...

This is what it is with people _that_ indoctrinated ... they are so brain washed they can't even entertain such a view ...

Don't bother even trying to argue with such people , you will only frustrate yourself..

Sam Vimes · 07-04-2009 03:12PM

jackdaw wrote: »

Don't bother even trying to argue with such people , you will only frustrate yourself..

Reminds me of the phrase: "Don't try to teach a pig to dance. It wastes your time and annoys the pig"

Lockstep · 07-04-2009 03:30PM

thelordofcheese wrote: »

Could God create a syllabus so secular that he could not teach it?

The EU would find a way to make it so.

thelordofcheese · 07-04-2009 03:48PM

kickoutthejams wrote: »

The EU would find a way to make it so.

Thus proving the EU is awesome beyond measure.

dr.bollocko · 07-04-2009 03:50PM

thelordofcheese wrote: »

Thus proving the EU is awesome beyond measure.

The EU will find a way to measure.

thelordofcheese · 07-04-2009 04:01PM

dr.bollocko wrote: »

The EU will find a way to measure.

I have been hoist by my own petard, well played.

GA361 · 07-04-2009 04:06PM

I wonder are the opinions of ye boardsies anyway proportional to those in this country or even the world for that matter????!???!?

The reason I ask is because most people I've ever come across,although they may not go to mass every Sunday(in fact,few of them do so),but they still see them selves as Catholics or Agnostic at the very least. . .
Whereas here(boards.ie),the vast majority of people are atheist and have nothing but contempt for Agnostics/people of faith. . .
By the way,I live in the country-side which would probably be more conservative and the people there may be more respectful of other people's opinions than in the metropolitan areas(or whatever them big do-hickies are called).
It is for this reason that I think that the majority of boards users are from cities. . .

mayordenis · 07-04-2009 04:11PM

The majority of boards are brain-folk.

dr.bollocko · 07-04-2009 04:13PM

GA361 wrote: »

I wonder are the opinions of ye boardsies anyway proportional to those in this country or even the world for that matter????!???!?
The reason I ask is because most people I've ever come across,although they may not go to mass every Sunday(in fact,few of them do so),but they still see them selves as Catholics or Agnostic at the very least. . .
Whereas here(boards.ie),the vast majority of people are atheist and have nothing but contempt for Agnostics/people of faith. . .
By the way,I live in the country-side which would probably be more conservative and the people there may be more respectful of other people's opinions than in the metropolitan areas(or whatever them big do-hickies are called).
It is for this reason that I think that the majority of boards users are from cities. . .

Maybe the geographical prevalance in broadband at a time of boards.ie's growth would most likely back up your point that more users are city dwellers however then one would have to equate the city population to the rural population of athiests.
However "contempt" is a little strong. I would say that people don't like having the views of others pushed or forced upon them. Certainly asking for a religious belief to be accepted as fact tends to cause problems.

JC 2K3 · 07-04-2009 04:26PM

GA361 wrote: »

Whereas here(boards.ie),the vast majority of people are atheist and have nothing but contempt for Agnostics/people of faith. . .

I think you confuse contempt with having a strong opinion and debating it.

GA361 · 07-04-2009 04:28PM

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Maybe the geographical prevalance in broadband at a time of boards.ie's growth would most likely back up your point that more users are city dwellers however then one would have to equate the city population to the rural population of athiests.
However "contempt" is a little strong. I would say that people don't like having the views of others pushed or forced upon them. Certainly asking for a religious belief to be accepted as fact tends to cause problems.

I agree,I guess a Christian will never notice a pushy Christian as much as an atheist would,whilst an atheist will never notice a pushy atheist as much as a Christian would.Thats a bit of a long sentence,but co-herent none-the-less.
There are loads of parts of the Bible that are just made up.I am well aware of this,but,I still believe in God.
Remember Evolution and creationism are both just theories.I personally find creationism to be a bit of a crock but I still pray every night and Believe. . .
Tis amazing where you can get inspiration for Belief.Derek Walcott's poetry for instance.In a poem that he wrote,about his father who died as a young man,he expresses his belief.A religious old woman writes to him praising his father.This human decency ultimately restores his belief in all the good on this earthly planet,and in God-

''So this old lady writes,and again I believe.
I believe it all,and for no man's death I grieve.''

GA361 · 07-04-2009 04:29PM

JC 2K3 wrote: »

I think you confuse contempt with having a strong opinion and debating it.

Nope.

asdasd · 07-04-2009 04:37PM

To get back to the OP's "problem". It is, not really a problem, now is it? except one of intolerence on the OP's side. A relative comes over and tries to get him to go to an external event which he doesnt want to do - and this seemingly has him up in arms about how being an atheist in Ireland is a cnut.

what? Was Ireland forcing him to go to Mass? Is that the law?

In real adult life we sometimes have to do stuff we dont like, or think rubbish. I once went to a save the whale talk with an ex, and my fondness for whales cannot be underestimated. If they died out tomorrow asdasd would still tuck into his morning bacon with relish.

And, as someone whose 60+ year old dad is an agnostic, I have to say that the most angry polemic atheists are from the kind of family who held relgious views strongly until 2009. This may be a reaction against the family belief; but in terms of certainty, sanctimonious self absorption, polemical self-belief and single mindedness clearly the apple has not fallen very far from the tree.

Maybe this kind of thing is genetic.

JC 2K3 · 07-04-2009 04:41PM

GA361 wrote: »

Nope.

Then please explain how you've come to the insulting conclusion that the atheists on here have contempt for others because they disagree with their beliefs.

Sam Vimes · 07-04-2009 04:47PM

I would never have contempt for someone because of their beliefs but if they start to preach those beliefs to all who will listen and all who won't while sticking their fingers in their ears and ignoring everyone who points out any logical flaws in them, then a bit of contempt starts to develop, whether the belief they're preaching is religious or not

pablomakaveli · 07-04-2009 04:49PM

JC 2K3 wrote: »

Then please explain how you've come to the insulting conclusion that the atheists on here have contempt for others because they disagree with their beliefs.

When you see some atheist posters (not saying you or all of the athiest posters) calling people who believe in a god retards/stupid etc it sort of looks that way.

Calibos · 07-04-2009 04:53PM

I am sorry to have to do this mate but.....

Remember Evolution and creationism are both just theories

Gets a huge stream of :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

from me.

This misconception about the meaning of the word theory in science and the word theory in everyday usage is very common.

Me saying I have a 'Theory' about why UTD lost the match the other week is totally different than what the word theory in science means. A scientific hypothesis is closer to the everyday meaning of theory. A scientific theory is as good as proven fact. Science just never calls them facts because it is humble enough to know that new evidence and experiments may mean this theory may need to be modified slightly as new info comes in.

The Theory of evolution is one of the most robust theories in science with such a huge weight of evidence and experimentation behind it that it is one of the closest 'Theories' thaty is a scientific de facto fact.

Evolution is a FACT!

Creationism on the other hand is ignoring all of the 999,000 pieces of proven evolutionary facts and figures, finding the 1 out of a million pieces where some scientist proved another scientist wrong about how this particular part of an animal or organism came to evolve and then creationism says, "HA, see evolution can be wrong, which means its all wrong and 'its only a theory'". The mistaken scientist on the other hand, "I got that bit wrong, and I am thrilled someone proved me wrong and came up with the correct answer.

chop86 · 07-04-2009 04:58PM

pablomakaveli wrote: »

When you see some atheist posters (not saying you or all of the athiest posters) calling people who believe in a god retards/stupid etc it sort of looks that way.

But............they are!

asdasd · 07-04-2009 05:00PM

But............they are!

So are people who believe in Astrology. And Hippies. Hippies are dumb. And sociology lecturers.

Still, being an adult means not always pointing this out.

Being an Atheist in Ireland is a Cnut

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