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Simple question...What do YOU believe?

  • Thread starter Thread starter J3K
  • Start date Start date
Franko wrote:

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A-Theists do not believe in ultimate consequences for their actions.
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What exactly is an "ultimate consequence"?


Anywho, I am a skeptical relativist. I am skeptical, but realize that everything is relative to perspective. What we call good someone else calls bad. What we call bad, someone else calls good, and on and on and on. That is why I have the taiji (yin yang) symbol as my avatar.
 
I believe in parsimony.

All things appear to function the same whether you wedge a god into the considerations or not. A church operates exactly like a lot like a bunch of people doing the same work.

Whether or not there is a god, it doesn't seem to make a difference. Therefore, either one or more gods exist, and are indifferent, or they don't exist.

Either way, I don't see a reason to bother with any gods.

Where religion comes into the picture, it seems a sad state to me. When people fight over religious differences, it looks a lot like geeks killing each other over "Star Wars" versus "Star Trek" issues.

"Captain Kirk would SO blow up the Death Star!"

"Would not!"

(click) *BLAM*

"Would so! ... I win!"

I could just see them marching off to battle and claiming "Obi Wan is on our side! The Force is WITH US!"

Perhaps "We need more federal money spent on JEDI based community initiatives!"

Or a politician comming up to the podium and stating "I believe in the ultimate being, Q. It would be Un-American not to."

I believe religion mixed with politics to be a danger to the welfare of society as a whole. It's fine to have your little fantasies about being "Super-Special" to an omnipotent being somewhere, if it keeps you from smoking crack until your head caves in. When people mix this utter fantasy bunk with political power that could launch a nuclear attack, or cause highways to be poorly maintained and kill people with structural failures, or even (as James Watt said) consider that environmental issues are of no relevence because "the second comming is at hand", then religion becomes a terrible danger.

I deeply believe in separation of Church and State. It's the only way.
 
fishbob said:
I believe that evildave is right. Especially the last part.
Click to expand...


du du du
another atheist says "Me too!"
du du du
another atheist says "Me too!"
and another one does
another one does
another atheist says "Me too!"
Hey, he's gonna be predictible
another atheist says "Me too!"
 
borrowed dogma

I believe that a woman should be placed on a pedestal - high enough . . . to look up her dress.

I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful and wonderful things . . . that money can buy.

I believe that George Bush can return this country to what it once was . . . a frozen wasteland covered with a 300 foot high glacier.

[a nod to Steve Martin]
 
I believe that at any given moment I believe whatever it is that I believe at that given moment, but only when I don't not believe what I think I believe, I believe.
 
what do you believe?

I believe in human's altruism.

I believe in human's capacity to find answers where it seems impossible to find answers.

I believe that matter exists independently from the observer.

I believe in logical reasoning and critical thinking as the only possible ways to generate knowlegde.


What else do I need?
 
What do I believe? Hmm...
I believe that people should be treated with the same respect and dignity that we would like for ourselves.

I believe that _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ is the best movie ever made (no really, it's true:D )

And I believe that God does not exist.
 
Franko said:


Try running every red light you come to. See how long you can do this for before your Karma catches up to you.



A-Theists do not believe in ultimate consequences for their actions. Entities who do not believe in consequences for their actions behave exactly as if they do not believe in consequences for their actions. This is why A-Theists are less moral than non-A-theists. (take a look at Trixy if you have any doubts.)
Click to expand...
The problem here is that Karma is a woowoo-laden term for common cause-and-effect thinking. Of course things catch up to you, but things a person does operates on so many levels, not just the obvious ones. It's a fascinating look into sociology and psychology. Is someone who harms none and keeps his/her business private, yet is deviant, truly worse off karmically as someone who is "well-adjusted"? Karma says yes, but I am interested in how this comes to be, logically. It isn't magic.

So, the question is, are atheists less moral? At first, perhaps. But answering to a higher power is simply an early step on the road to self-actualization. I posit that higher levels of moral activity, as per Maslow's Pyramid, come from within, no matter what the initial cause.

Followers of a religion learn that to keep free from sin, one has to be the best person they can. Atheists, upon the initial engorging of freedom from a deity, find that they must find some way to motivate themselves in life after their main purpose (serve God) is gone. For them, self-actualization is a willed process inflicted upon themselves in order to optimize.

So yes, atheists may be less moral in the short run, but you must look at the big picture. How does an atheist mature from that point of perceived freedom? The reason I think that religious and non-religious people still better themselves in similar ways is because of the make-up of a human being. We're the same blood and guts. We tend to act alike.
 
I believe Franko doesn't understand the difference between Karma and stupidity.
 
Whodini said:
du du du
another atheist says "Me too!"
du du du
another atheist says "Me too!"
and another one does
another one does
another atheist says "Me too!"
Hey, he's gonna be predictible
another atheist says "Me too!"
Click to expand...
Does the fact that your views are NOT shared by many on this board mean your views carry more weight? Do similar views automatically mean the person is a parrot and has a lack of skeptical thought? Is predictability not compatible with correctness?

I think the answers are: no, no, and no. If parroting and lazyness is prevalent on these boards, we must do our best to ferret them out through debate, not through lyric poetry.
 
What I believe:

I believe in rainbows, and puppy dogs and fairy tales. And I believe in the family: Mom, and Dad, and Grandma, and Uncle Todd, who waves his penis.

And I believe in 8 of the Ten Commandments, and I believe in going to church every Sunday, unless there's a game on.

And I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, wholesome, and natural things that money can buy.

And I believe it's derogatory to refer to a woman's breasts as "boobs", "jugs", "winnebagos", or "golden bozos". And you should only refer to them as "hooters".

And I believe you should place a woman on a pedestal, high enough so you can look up her dress.

And I believe in equality, equality for everyone, no matter how stupid they are, or how much better I am than they are.

And people say I'm crazy for believing this, but I believe that robots are stealing my luggage.

And I believe I made a mistake when I bought a 30-story, one-bedroom apartment.

And I believe that the "Battle of the Network Stars" should be fought with guns.

And I believe that religion can make this country what it once was: an arctic region, covered with ice.

And I believe the United States should let all foreigners into this country, provided they can speak our native language: Apache.

And lastly, I believe that of all the evils on this earth, there is nothing worse than anthing Franko says.

(Blatantly stolen from Steve Martin and modified slightly)
 
What do I believe in?

I believe in the soul, the c*ck, the p*ssy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, long replay, show tunes, and that the novels of Thomas Pynchon are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, I believe that there oughtta be a constitutional
amendment outlawing astro-turf and the designated hitter, I
believe in the "sweet spot", voting every election, soft core pornography, chocolate chip cookies, opening your presents on
Christmas morning rather than Christmas eve, and I believe in
long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last for 7 days.
 
I believe Franko doesn't understand the difference between Karma and stupidity.
Click to expand...

Maybe you could explain the difference between stupidity and Bad Karma for me?

... or are you just another stupid A-Theist?
 
Franko said:


Maybe you could explain the difference between stupidity and Bad Karma for me?

... or are you just another stupid A-Theist?
Click to expand...
I may be new here. But, I have already determined from reading your posts that you are incapable of having a rational discussion. So, attempting to explain something to you would be a waste of my time.
 
Celtic Warrior said:

I may be new here. But, I have already determined from reading your posts that you are incapable of having a rational discussion. So, attempting to explain something to you would be a waste of my time.
Click to expand...

About once a month someone new tries to debate Franko by being polite and carefully explaining their ideas or beliefs. It always ends the same. Franko drags out the same tired, repetitive, and illogical statements and ignores anything anyone else posts. Then he demands proof of "free-willy". I tried to talk to him, but I got lost in his sea of babbling so I swam to safety and put him on ignore. It's nice to see someone figuring out what I did without having to be blugeoned with silliness like I was.
 
J3K said:
And that you should follow your heart in the decisons you make in your life ... So when it comes down to these exceptions, that is where following your heart would come in. Following your heart and being honest to yourself(not doing what your heart doesnt believe because you are going to go to "hell" when you die) will make your life a lot smoother.
This is just a simple question that if you are honest to yourself shouldn't be hard to answer.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree with your use of the word "heart" to describe instinct. Usually when "heart" is involved in your decisions, it means that emotions are also involved. While it is nearly impossible to exclude emotions from one's life decisions, a person should recognize when he or she is doing so.

My heart tells me I should believe in an afterlife because it would be nice to not fear death. My heart tells me I should believe in some cosmic buddy (God) who, when on my side, will give me some control over the uncontrollable.

My brain tells my heart to be careful, to not be deceived by the nice feelings these beliefs invoke.

I believe one's feelings should be cherished, but leave the decision making to the brain. People who do otherwise tend to be disappointed or susceptible to charlatans.

I admire the honesty of your post, however.
 
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