Athiests - Who cares

Baggy Trousers · 14-01-2015 09:35PM

Corbin Silly Pan wrote: »

Not of anyone's concern.

You're in Galway I see, same here.

grizzly · 15-01-2015 12:08AM

Life on earth is the test for heaven. Either God will take you to heaven after the test or the devil with have you in hell.

Piliger · 15-01-2015 12:12AM

clear thinking wrote: »

Well for a christian who calls people gob****es and runs others out of the area for being honest I'll take your head in the sand view of my opinion as a compliment. In one fell swoop you have proved your own hypocrisy, ignoring love thy neighbour and the ban on false idols and proved the what a general negative effect religion has.

it bears repeating, you support running someone out for being honest about a fictional character. If 1 child in a school says Santa is fake why not make up more lies instead of engaging in vigilantism. Frankly that mob action is at the lower end of the spectrum that saw murderers shoot satirists in Paris.

if i knew you i would report you to the Garda for incitement to hatred.

maybe you assuaged yourself with prayer and a good aul confession and penance.

Og for goodness sakes get a grip. Boards is restrictive enough with that kind of nonsense. I am a militant atheist but get over yourself please. he says what he says and thinks what he things. Leave it be and/or report his post. No I am not back seat modding .. just commenting.

mrkiscool2 · 15-01-2015 12:13AM

grizzly wrote: »

Life on earth is the test for heaven. Either God will take you to heaven after the test or the devil with have you in hell.

Hahahaha funniest joke I've heard this year. But honestly? I'd hate to live in fear like that. Life is for living and if you are worried about following some rules (which are quite hypocritical if you think about them enough). Not having that fear means I can live my life my way (within the confines of the law of course) and it's so liberating.

One eyed Jack · 15-01-2015 12:43AM

grizzly wrote: »

Life on earth is the test for heaven. Either God will take you to heaven after the test or the devil with have you in hell.

I reckon I failed the test already, that's ok though, because Mila Kunis has probably failed it too...

Singing in choirs of angels, or shacking up with Mila Kunis for all eternity...

Hmm :pac:

strangel00p · 15-01-2015 12:51AM

3rdDegree wrote: »

I'm an atheist, but try not to be a dick about it. I don't want religion shoved down my neck, so I expect others don't want my beliefs shoved down their necks either. No all atheists are dicks - just the dicks.

Since when was religion ever shoved down anybody's neck? Honestly? I'm in my 40s, went to a strict christian brothers school and I can say religious beliefs were never shoved down my neck. As a kid I chose not to go to mass every Sunday, it was no big deal...

Each to their own, some atheists do have a massive chip on their shoulder though.

endacl · 15-01-2015 01:22AM

Corbin Silly Pan wrote: »

Just because you refuse to believe in the truth behind Christmas (and the catholic faith in general) in no way makes it a lie and in fact you have no right making accusations like that. Religion is an important part of a child's upbringing and I pity the children who are born into atheist familys and denied it.

Funny. Keep 'em coming.

Maximus Alexander · 15-01-2015 02:32AM

grizzly wrote: »

Life on earth is the test for heaven. Either God will take you to heaven after the test or the devil with have you in hell.

Based on the rules for getting into heaven as I understand them, it sounds like all the fun people will be in hell.

I hear the parties are to die for.

Pherekydes · 15-01-2015 08:34AM

I wonder what kind of a test it is when you die in utero, or when someone drags you out and dashes your head against a rock while you're minutes old? Or when you die of starvation while you're an innocent infant?

Grayson · 15-01-2015 08:54AM

Corbin Silly Pan wrote: »

Most people in Ireland's beliefs are right (i.e. Catholics), its the atheists that are wrong

The figures on this are a bit weird.
82% of Irish people in the republic identify as catholic. That's a lot but it's not as clear cut.

9% attend more than once a week.
36% attend mass once a week.
16% are once a month.
(the rest are less often)

Really less than 50% could be called devout. In the 70's that was between 88-95%.
The figures for mass attendance are quite low in Dublin. Only 19% go once a week. In the midlands it's 28%. It's highest in the border counties and the west. the figures show that mass attendance is highest in rural areas and the bigger the town or city the lower it gets.

What's really weird is this.
50% of catholics believe in hell. 71.6% don't believe in an afterlife. That's a pretty serious figure, that means that nearly 30% of catholics don't believe in life after death.

And finally most catholics who believe in God say that they feel connected to God on a personal level. Not through the church or services. They believe they have their own way of connecting with God and don't actually need or want the church. This would imply more of a general theism rather than a specific belief in catholic doctrine.

Catholicism isn't nearly as popular as you'd make it out to be. Yes it's still the dominant religion but it's members don't subscribe to most of the churches teachings and a surprising number don't even subscribe to the basic tenants (life after death etc)

When asked if people had faith in the church as an organisation the UN, EU and NATO scored higher. People trust political parties slightly less than they trust the church. And it should be remembered that this survey was performed in 2008.

btw, I took the information from a catholic review of an EU survey.
http://www.catholicbishops.ie/wp-content/uploads/images/stories/cco_publications/researchanddevelopment/evs_4th_wave_report.pdf

mrsbyrne · 15-01-2015 08:57AM

Peist2007 wrote: »

Mass numbers ever decreasing in my home town. Has been spoken at local meetings. But keep seeing what you want to see. It will be people like yourself who will be saying mass in 20 years

Local meetings of what, just out of interest?
Attendance at even daily masses in our local are up and weddings have exploded. Great to see people coming back.

Grayson · 15-01-2015 09:02AM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Local meetings of what, just out of interest?
Attendance at even daily masses in our local are up and weddings have exploded. Great to see people coming back.

Pretty much every survey done in the last 50 years has shown a decrease in mass attendance.

Do you live in an asylum centre or something? Is it filled with refugees from the Vatican?

mrsbyrne · 15-01-2015 09:03AM

strangel00p wrote: »

Since when was religion ever shoved down anybody's neck? Honestly? I'm in my 40s, went to a strict christian brothers school and I can say religious beliefs were never shoved down my neck. As a kid I chose not to go to mass every Sunday, it was no big deal...

Each to their own, some atheists do have a massive chip on their shoulder though.

No. Some atheists on boards say they feel that having to live in proximity to religious symbols like crosses on churches or overhear Aunty Carmel saying "its a lovely day thank God" causes them deep distress.

Ghost Buster · 15-01-2015 09:18AM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

No. Some atheists on boards say they feel that having to live in proximity to religious symbols like crosses on churches or overhear Aunty Carmel saying "its a lovely day thank God" causes them deep distress.

One example? Just one please.

Soft Falling Rain · 15-01-2015 09:45AM

Ghost Buster wrote: »

One example? Just one please.

I've witnessed threads on the A&A forum pop up over the years over the most inane reasons such as someone saying "god bless you" when you sneeze. They'd also turn into big threads.

I'm not religious, and there's one particular person who I deal with on a day to day basis that says the above to me when I sneeze, and I could not give a flying fcuk.

Anything like that wouldn't even register on the things to be bothered about in my daily routine. But if it bothers other people, fair enough.

Ghost Buster · 15-01-2015 09:59AM

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

I've witnessed threads on the A&A forum pop up over the years over the most inane reasons such as someone saying "god bless you" when you sneeze. They'd also turn into big threads.

I'm not religious, and there's one particular person who I deal with on a day to day basis that says the above to me when I sneeze, and I could not give a flying fcuk.

Anything like that wouldn't even register on the things to be bothered about in my daily routine. But if it bothers other people, fair enough.

And yet I virtually never encounter this.
No example from this thread then?

Soft Falling Rain · 15-01-2015 10:10AM

Ghost Buster wrote: »

And yet I virtually never encounter this.
No example from this thread then?

No because the keywords "god bless you" brings back results of about 1,500 pages in the A&A forum, and I'm afraid I haven't the time to look through that many pages.

I could go deeper into how I perceive the A&A forum but this isn't the place for that.

Penn · 15-01-2015 10:14AM

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

No because the keywords "god bless you" brings back results of about 1,500 pages in the A&A forum, and I'm afraid I haven't the time to look through that many pages.

I could go deeper into how I perceive the A&A forum but this isn't the place for that.

Difference between discuss the historical and cultural aspects of a practice pertaining to religion and saying it "causes them deep distress".

Dravokivich · 15-01-2015 10:37AM

Corbin Silly Pan wrote: »

Christmas is very much about the above for children and much of it for adults too but there is no need to forget the religious side of it either including the crib, Christmas mass etc.

Christmas as a Christian thing is about a religious side. But there's been many feasts and festivals associated with the same time of year to do with Seasons since before there were Christians. As there were are in Spring (Easter), Summer (Mayday) and Autumn (Halloween).

15-01-2015 11:06AM

Grayson wrote: »

Pretty much every survey done in the last 50 years has shown a decrease in mass attendance.

Do you live in an asylum centre or something? Is it filled with refugees from the Vatican?

The point is that a few years ago attendances hit a low point and in the last few years numbers are up again.

There are a lot more people going to mass now than 5 years ago, in particular a lot more young people are starting to go again. It doesn't suit the agenda of vocal atheists so it will of course be ignored.

Zubeneschamali · 15-01-2015 11:12AM

Corbin Silly Pan wrote: »

The point is that a few years ago attendances hit a low point and in the last few years numbers are up again.

Do you have a link to a survey saying this, or are you just counting heads in your local church?

Because I very much doubt that that is a national trend.

15-01-2015 11:22AM

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Do you have a link to a survey saying this, or are you just counting heads in your local church?

Because I very much doubt that that is a national trend.

Attendance didn't dip as much in my local two churches as it did in a lot of places, that said there are more people now going again.

I'm basing it on a number of different churches in two different cities as depending on where I am for the weekend and what time I go to mass I actually end up going to a number of different churches throughout the year.

How disgusted would you be if it did turn out to be the national trend that what I want to know :pac:

Ush1 · 15-01-2015 11:24AM

I don't worry about it, religion will die soon enough. The world is becoming a more logic, fact and information rich place.

The internet and access to information is at an all time high, peoples consciousness's are being expanded in a way not possible previously.

irish coldplayer · 15-01-2015 11:29AM

Corbin Silly Pan wrote: »

The point is that a few years ago attendances hit a low point and in the last few years numbers are up again.

There are a lot more people going to mass now than 5 years ago, in particular a lot more young people are starting to go again. It doesn't suit the agenda of vocal atheists so it will of course be ignored.

I can find no evidence anywhere online to back up your claims, however there is a wealth of news articles claiming the opposite based on surveys with a sample size of much larger than 2, which is what you rely on.
Numbers in the seminary are also down or stagnant.

The fact is that the Republic of Ireland is abandoning religion faster than almost any other country
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/republic-of-ireland-abandoning-religion-faster-than-almost-every-other-country-28778850.html
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/08/29/fourteen-seminarians-welcomed-in-ireland/
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/previous-generations-would-be-astounded-at-attitudes-to-churches-in-ireland-today-1.2004480
http://www.irishcentral.com/news/numbers-in-irelands-catholic-church-continue-to-drop-stigma-attached-to-attending-mass-200315991-237575781.html

DamagedTrax · 15-01-2015 11:30AM

Corbin Silly Pan wrote: »

The point is that a few years ago attendances hit a low point and in the last few years numbers are up again.

There are a lot more people going to mass now than 5 years ago, in particular a lot more young people are starting to go again. It doesn't suit the agenda of vocal atheists so it will of course be ignored.

maybe wherever you're from, im not doubting that.

but in my parent's local church you'd be hard pressed to find 50 people at a mass. the priest would be the youngest in the room. and we're possibly one of the biggest single church areas (ie 1 church serves the entire area).

i dont know anybody who goes to mass. i dont know anyone who doesnt look at the catholic church with disdain.

im presuming you're rural? (apologies for the assumption).

One eyed Jack · 15-01-2015 11:34AM

Ush1 wrote: »

I don't worry about it, religion will die soon enough. The world is becoming a more logic, fact and information rich place.

The internet and access to information is at an all time high, peoples consciousness's are being expanded in a way not possible previously.

Yes, the size of Kim Kardashian's arse was something everyone needed to know... :pac:

Religion isn't going anywhere, and while people have access to more information than ever before, religions are keeping step with technology and society just as much as anyone else - can't make it to mass? No worries, you can catch it broadcast live on the Internet is just one example.

People's consciousness' are being shrunk just as much as they're being expanded, because while the information is all out there, it's the people themselves who decide what information they choose to seek out, and what information they choose to ignore.

Grayson · 15-01-2015 11:34AM

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

No because the keywords "god bless you" brings back results of about 1,500 pages in the A&A forum, and I'm afraid I haven't the time to look through that many pages.

I could go deeper into how I perceive the A&A forum but this isn't the place for that.

have you ever looked at religious groups on facebook? Those guys are nasty. And the main posters/groups are batsh1t crazy.

Richard Dawkins has nothing on the venom that comes out of these groups.

I've never seen an atheist on here say anything about being offended if someone says "bless you"or "happy xmas" or anything like that.

I wish people happy xmas. I say "Oh Jesus fcuking Christ". I also refer to the fourth day of the week as Thursday and I'm not the slightest bit annoyed that it's names after a Norse god. (I will however get annoyed if anyone says the week starts on a Sunday

).

I have no problem attending funeral masses, weddings or christenings. I even have a God Daughter.

Most atheists are like me. They don't get annoyed when they need to get involved in religious life. We do get annoyed when religious life impinges on our freedoms. For example when religious groups try to ban homosexuality or even criticism.
However if I were to be in a group of random Catholics and say "God doesn't exist" you can be certain that probably half of them would take offence at it.

nozzferrahhtoo · 15-01-2015 11:37AM

Seems quite similar here in Germany where I live too. I was just listening in to a conversation at a fest in the local town between some locals and the parish priest. He was talking about church closures and amalgamations of parishes that is going on here in Germany. The numbers just are not enough to warrant separate parishes any more.

He was lamenting this because when you amalgamate it all into one church, it causes people on the outskirts of this parish restructuring to not bother going because it is not too far. It seems giving thanks and worship to their god for some people is dependent on whether they can walk around the corner to do it, or have to make some actual effort to travel 10 minutes in a car. So the restructuring they are doing to react to falling attendance.... is in turn causing further falling attendance.

The priest himself was of foreign origin with broken German. Seems the lack of attendance also means they can not afford the local born priests any more and have to import the cheap labor. It was not that long ago I was reading all about priests pay cuts and priests considering second jobs to make ends meet.

The business model, which is all I see religion as these days: A business, just does not seem to be as profitable any more and the business restructuring they are forced to do is compounding the issue.

DamagedTrax · 15-01-2015 11:41AM

nozzferrahhtoo wrote: »

The business model, which is all I see religion as these days: A business, just does not seem to be as profitable any more and the business restructuring they are forced to do is compounding the issue.

all religions eventually die out to be replaced by a newer, better, more profitable model.

the last millenia was christianity at the helm, the ruling religion for the new millenia is capitalism.

'GOD' is making more money now than he could have ever hoped to get from a collection basket.

Ush1 · 15-01-2015 11:41AM

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Yes, the size of Kim Kardashian's arse was something everyone needed to know... :pac:

Religion isn't going anywhere, and while people have access to more information than ever before, religions are keeping step with technology and society just as much as anyone else - can't make it to mass? No worries, you can catch it broadcast live on the Internet is just one example.

People's consciousness' are being shrunk just as much as they're being expanded, because while the information is all out there, it's the people themselves who decide what information they choose to seek out, and what information they choose to ignore.

The very fact the information is accessible will change things. I seriously doubt many people are watching mass broadcast on the internet. I would even doubt many watch it on RTE, which has been on years.

But you now have the likes of Richard Dawkins on the Late Late show, doing talks in the RDS, tweeting from Sam Harris, the Young Turks, etc....

Just as Kodak tried to cling to a redundant tech, the world around the religious will change and it will be gone eventually.

Athiests - Who cares

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