Museum of Atheism

PoliTalker said:
Within many religions, an individual who expresses disbelief is quickly shunned. It could be a good way to lose all your friends and become estranged from your own family. There is a lot of pressure to believe.

Another bothersome thing is that, while atheists do not proselytize or try to spread their belief system, most religions do.

I see that as a weakness.
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Very good comment. This is the core of the problem.
 
Why do Christians think it is acceptable to approach strangers and try to convert them to their religion?

Has anyone ever gone to a stranger and said, did you know Quine criticized the analytic and synthetic judgment distinction?
 
Wolverine said:
Marriage is a Biblical institution, Homosexuality goes against Biblical teaching! Was the church the only organization objecting to Mixed marriages, and were republicans the only ones against it the Klan sure was against it and that is a liberal institution ? It was wrong they Church makes mistakes!
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So you admit, sometimes religion is an obstacle to freedom.

The Russian Orthodox church conspired with the tsar and Russian nobility to keep 80 million Russians in a state of abject serfdom for centuries.

So while I think the Soviet atheist museums were distasteful and an affront to civilized pluralism, at another level I can understand some of the hostility to the traditional Orthodox church
 
PoliTalker said:
Hello Cypress,



I don't think there is any point in yelling at Christians. They are not going to listen anyway. If people are going to become atheists they need to reach their own conclusions. Any belief system which is forced upon people is unlikely to be truly embraced by them.

My contention is that there are a lot of atheists and agnostics within religion who are simply afraid to admit it to themselves. They have their inner disbeliefs and doubts, but they are reluctant to admit them because of the backlash they would face if they talked about it with others.

Within many religions, an individual who expresses disbelief is quickly shunned. It could be a good way to lose all your friends and become estranged from your own family. There is a lot of pressure to believe.

Another bothersome thing is that, while atheists do not proselytize or try to spread their belief system, most religions do.

I see that as a weakness. A belief system on this level must be between the individual and him or herself. The very fact that religions gather in groups to share their religion suggests it is not possible for them to maintain their religion individually. Why else is it necessary to do this in groups if it is not simply a big security blanket?

Atheists are not afraid to face the cosmos on their own.

It can be extremely liberating to become an atheist.
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I think everyone should decide for themselves what to believe.

The inquisition's pursuit and execution of supposed heretics was criminal

The persecution and murder of christians, Muslims, and Buddhists by the Soviet atheist state was also a crime.

I believe there is strength in pluralism.

That is why I made the point that the enemies of pluralism are found all across the spectrum.
 
Wolverine said:
I live by his tenet of judge a man by his character, there is only one race the human one, maybe you should stop trying to undue the good he did, by calling anyone who you disagree with a racist!
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You don't either you lying bastard!

You judge people by whether they eat the peanuts out of Donald Trump's shit- like you do- OR YOU INSTANTLY HATE THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T!

DUDE- WE KNOW YOU WELL ENOUGH!
 
Hello Cypress,

Cypress said:
I think everyone should decide for themselves what to believe.

The inquisition's pursuit and execution of supposed heretics was criminal

The persecution and murder of christians, Muslims, and Buddhists by the Soviet atheist state was also a crime.

I believe there is strength in pluralism.

That is why I made the point that the enemies of pluralism are found all across the spectrum.
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It was a valid point. I just wanted to clarify the way it came across to me.

Part of the freedom felt when becoming an atheist comes from moving beyond the insecure feelings of being 'left out' of groups such as a church. There are all kinds of social groups which can be joined. Crafts, books, cooking, sports, bird watching, fan clubs, country clubs flaunting great wealth, yacht clubs, volunteer organizations, etc. Nearly all of them purposely stay away from religion because members can come from many religions or none at all. There are many ways to have the feeling of being part of something without being in a church.

But ultimately, the feeling of realizing that one is merely a human life form on a tiny speck of a blue planet, during a relatively short duration of time, orbiting a star, one of many billions of stars, all of them apparently moving away from the same point and dying out, and knowing that one is such an infinitesimally small part of that, but a far larger part of the human race? Well, that's just a feeling of belonging right there in itself.

You know. In the grand scheme of things.

Being in a church is not required in order to realize that we are all connected by simply being human.
 
PoliTalker said:
Hello Cypress,



It was a valid point. I just wanted to clarify the way it came across to me.

Part of the freedom felt when becoming an atheist comes from moving beyond the insecure feelings of being 'left out' of groups such as a church. There are all kinds of social groups which can be joined. Crafts, books, cooking, sports, bird watching, fan clubs, country clubs flaunting great wealth, yacht clubs, volunteer organizations, etc. Nearly all of them purposely stay away from religion because members can come from many religions or none at all. There are many ways to have the feeling of being part of something without being in a church.

But ultimately, the feeling of realizing that one is merely a human life form on a tiny speck of a blue planet, during a relatively short duration of time, orbiting a star, one of many billions of stars, all of them apparently moving away from the same point and dying out, and knowing that one is such an infinitesimally small part of that, but a far larger part of the human race? Well, that's just a feeling of belonging right there in itself.

You know. In the grand scheme of things.

Being in a church is not required in order to realize that we are all connected by simply being human.
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I can respect that.

Having had christian, Muslim, Jewish, and atheist friends throughout my life, there has never been a problem I have observed of anyone telling anyone else what to believe.

In my opinion, we do not learn any moral lessons from history, without confronting some of it's darkest chapters.

Whether that includes the Spanish inquisition.

Or the anti-religious excesses of Soviet state atheism.

I do not think free thinking and contemplative persons get defensive about any of it (not saying you did)
 
Hello Cypress,

Cypress said:
I can respect that.

Having had christian, Muslim, Jewish, and atheist friends throughout my life, there has never been a problem I have observed of anyone telling anyone else what to believe.

In my opinion, we do not learn any moral lessons from history, without confronting some of it's darkest chapters.

Whether that includes the Spanish inquisition.

Or the anti-religious excesses of Soviet state atheism.

I do not think free thinking and contemplative persons get defensive about any of it (not saying you did)
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When I think about the cosmos; and what a small part of that [all of humanity] is?

It reminds me of an old saying I like.

"2 Rules:

Rule #1. Don't sweat the small stuff.

Rule #2. Everything is small stuff."
 
BidenPresident said:
Why do Christians think it is acceptable to approach strangers and try to convert them to their religion?

Has anyone ever gone to a stranger and said, did you know Quine criticized the analytic and synthetic judgment distinction?
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Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission
The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
 
Geeko Sportivo said:
You don't either you lying bastard!

You judge people by whether they eat the peanuts out of Donald Trump's shit- like you do- OR YOU INSTANTLY HATE THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T!

DUDE- WE KNOW YOU WELL ENOUGH!
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You don't know me at all! I voted for Donald trump because he was the alternative to godless communism!
Tell me someone I have judged according to anything but their character!
 
Wolverine said:
Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission
The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
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duhhhh Bible duhhh
 
BidenPresident said:
Children are taught religion but not philosophy. I think that is why adults who learn philosophy reject religion. Religion is for children.
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Philosophy is man thinking! You reject Christianity because you do not wish to adhere to a moral lifestyle according to your creator, so you worship yourself, or the creation! The part about it being for children, is an example of you trying to place yourself above people who think differently than you do.
 
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