To the converted atheists: What do you miss from believing ?

[Evo]

Anytime I sit though a religious ceremony, I want to walk up and punch the guy giving the talk in the face. When I was at a funeral, the bozo was talking about how 'we come from the orb and we return to the orb".

Orb, what god damn orb? Is there a spaceship that I am not seeing? ...and people just stand around like bobble heads. Mmmm hmmmm, orb yes. We DO come and go to the orb... meanwhile I am the only one shaking my hide side to side giving the guy talking the ole stink eye

Orb? That's one I hadn't heard before.

 

[Cyrus]

Orb? That's one I hadn't heard before.

I mean, I was really getting mad because here is my friends family sobbing their eyes out, and this guys taking advantage of them telling them a load of bullsh!t about orbs. They are muslim. The guys an f'in con artist IMO.

 

[Poop-Loops]

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=glRAN_8CkvQ&feature=related

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=bkhQLt1vbWU&feature=user

 

[B. Elliott]

Anytime I sit though a religious ceremony, I want to walk up and punch the guy giving the talk in the face. When I was at a funeral, the bozo was talking about how 'we come from the orb and we return to the orb".

Orb, what god damn orb? Is there a spaceship that I am not seeing? ...and people just stand around like bobble heads. Mmmm hmmmm, orb yes. We DO come and go to the orb... meanwhile I am the only one shaking my hide side to side giving the guy talking the ole stink eye

I don't mean to go too off topic, even though this does somewhat relate to the OP original question, but I flat out don't like the positions that religions sometimes put me in. For example with my friends. I have a few friends that are religious and to this day I guarantee you that they don't with 100% accuracy know my stance on religion. I feel as though I don't want to mention it due to being labeled or discriminated against... not on a harsh level, but knowing their feelings and beliefs, I know what thoughts would run through their head.

Whenever they would ask me if i'd like to go to church with them, i feel compelled to make up an excuse rather than tell them that I don't believe in their god. To me, religions do more discriminating and segregating than anything else.

 

[Cyrus]

I don't mean to go too off topic, even though this does somewhat relate to the OP original question, but I flat out don't like the positions that religions sometimes put me in. For example with my friends. I have a few friends that are religious and to this day I guarantee you that they don't with 100% accuracy know my stance on religion. I feel as though I don't want to mention it due to being labeled or discriminated against... not on a harsh level, but knowing their feelings and beliefs, I know what thoughts would run through their head.

Whenever they would ask me if i'd like to go to church with them, i feel compelled to make up an excuse rather than tell them that I don't believe in their god. To me, religions do more discriminating and segregating than anything else.

You're in Tenn. I can imagine they won't be too nice down there about not loving JEEBUS.

 

[B. Elliott]

You're in Tenn. I can imagine they won't be too nice down there about not loving JEEBUS.

Definitely. I tell you, it's Southern Baptist heaven down here... no pun intended.

 

[Cyrus]

Definitely. I tell you, it's Southern Baptist heaven down here... no pun intended.

I don't think I could ever live in the south. I don't love religion, and I don't love G.W. Bush. I could be wrong, but southerners just seem to radically conservative to me.

 

[B. Elliott]

I don't think I could ever live in the south. I don't love religion, and I don't love G.W. Bush. I could be wrong, but southerners just seem to radically conservative to me.

As much as I hate to generalize, as a whole, compared to the rest of the nation, it is. It's not as intense as the rumors that go around, but it's definitely there.

To add to what I was saying previously, it also makes me have to stay on my toes to not offend anyone. I know I shouldn't really care if I offend anyone or not, due to it being their religion, but overall I like to consider myself a respectful person. An older gentleman that I used to work with would almost on a weekly basis ask me if i'd like to attend church with him, or would tell me that church would help me, or make me feel better. I flat out did not liek being but in those positions due to me not wanting to disrespect them, nor would I want them to have any thoughts of feeling sorry for me... or feeling that I 'could be doing better' with religion. I just think those positions don't need to be present or presented at all. To me, all it does is draw lines in the sand, if you know what I mean.

 

[binzing]

I'm all for an afterlife. I'd love to meet my ancestors, the great people of history, music, art, science, etc.

 

[Daniel Y.]

I live in Missouri - Mormon capital of the world (or so it seems). If I miss something about having faith, it was being able to run with the tigers instead of get eaten by them.

 

[end3r7]

I live at Texas and I go to Texas A&M (the most conservative public school here, I'd contend).
Needless to say that unless someone asks me specifically, they won't know my (lack of) beliefs.

 

[Poop-Loops]

Tigers are solitary...

 

[Poop-Loops]

I live at Texas and I go to Texas A&M (the most conservative public school here, I'd contend).
Needless to say that unless someone asks me specifically, they won't know my (lack of) beliefs.

I'm interested in knowing how your physics friends feel about that. Are there plenty of religious physics majors?

 

[binzing]

Ha, you know nothing of Mormons Daniel, I live in New Mexico (Four Corners Area) damn near 70% of people are Mormons, I swear.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

What I don't like about atheism is knowing that when a person dear to me dies, I will never, ever see them again.

You mean that you don't like having faith that you will never see them again.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Atheism is a leap of faith in the that it denies claims of direct experience.

 

[end3r7]

I'm interested in knowing how your physics friends feel about that. Are there plenty of religious physics majors?

I'm a math major, so I only know literally a handful of physics undergrads. All of them are Christian.

Although I contend that Biology is the field of science with most believers. I actually know some that don't believe in evolution (but these are getting a bio degree exclusively for med school).

What always annoyed me were the people who do pre-med and smoke, and the pre-vets who hunt as a sport, hehe

 

[Cyrus]

Atheism is a leap of faith in the that it denies claims of direct experience.

huh? Come on, people also claim to be probed in the butt by aliens.

 

[end3r7]

huh?

Why did you bite? :(

 

[Cyrus]

Why did you bite? :(

Nibble, just a nibble. No bite.

 

[lisab]

You mean that you don't like having faith that you will never see them again.

It would be so comforting if I could! The thought of leaving my daughter alone in the world is sad beyond belief (no pun intended!). But in my heart of hearts, I just can't make the leap.

I have a wonderful Christian friend who tells me I'll be the nicest person in hell!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

huh? Come on, people also claim to be probed in the butt by aliens.

Logic by Cyrus: Since we assume that some claims are false, we can conclude that all claims are false.

 

[Phlogistonian]

People with terrible diseases have been deliberately made to suffer if you are a believer.

May I ask to those who were or are comforted by an eternal after-life concept, why is that so comforting?

OK, I'll take a crack at this.

Many churches teach a watered-down version of Christianity that basically says that God exists to make you happy and improve your life. But this is backwards. If there is a God, then He is not the one who exists to serve. Rather, God created you to serve Him. And the point of religion is not just to find comfort, but to understand God and do what He wants. And if you disobey God, He has the power and authority to inflict any suffering He wants on you.

This is why the Bible says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10)

So what about comfort? Comfort comes from forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. Some commenters have argued that eternal life would be boring, but they are limiting heaven to what they can imagine. An omnipotent God can create an infinite number of worlds to explore. I'm looking forward to it. :)

 

[Cyrus]

It would be so comforting if I could! The thought of leaving my daughter alone in the world is sad beyond belief (no pun intended!). But in my heart of hearts, I just can't make the leap.

I have a wonderful Christian friend who tells me I'll be the nicest person in hell!

Funny you should say that. There was some Korean guy from a ministry (I guess) bothering people on campus. He came to me and asked me my name and I told him. He then happily showed me where my name was in the bible and told me about how my name is important. He asked me if I am christian and I told him....nooo? He said, "Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but you will go to hell. You don't want to go to hell do you?" He then said we should get together and talk about JEEBUS and friends. I told him SURE! We set up a date and he really couldn't stress enough how he had to drive all the way to campus so to be sure I'd be there when he arrived. I even gave him my phone number. When that day finally showed up he called me on my phone and asked where I was. I told him I was busy and hung up on the bastard.

Gimme a break, I am studying for my classes and he's going to come up to me and preach how I am going to hell...talk about digusting.

 

[Cyrus]

Logic by Cyrus: Since we assume that some claims are false, we can conclude that all claims are false.

Talk to any aliens lately? Just because a bunch of people say something doesn't make it so.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

So you not only admit to the fallacy, but you are too small-minded to respond directly?

 

[OmCheeto]

It would be so comforting if I could! The thought of leaving my daughter alone in the world is sad beyond belief (no pun intended!). But in my heart of hearts, I just can't make the leap.

I have a wonderful Christian friend who tells me I'll be the nicest person in hell!

My brother has always said that he's volunteering to go to hell, to comfort the suffering. I think that's so nice of him. Even though he's a demon, god denying gay, and is going to hell whether he volunteers or not!

But then again, so am I...

We'll have tea and crumpets ready for you all. Sunscreen and lip-balm for the fair skinned ones. And don't forget to bring lots of water.

 

[Cyrus]

So you not only admit to the fallacy, but you are too small-minded to respond directly?

The answer to that question is that the brain has many, many mechanisms to cope with stress. I.e. seeing a 'light at the end of the tunnel', etc.

That, in no way, proves the existence of the divine, nor does it mean it holds weight.

LOTS of people claim to have seen UFOs. That does not mean there are UFOs. Nor does that validify it.

Lots of people also swear by homeopathics - so what.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

There are UFOs. Sometimes they get identified.

You are still using the logic that since some claims are false, all claims are false. And history is full of reports of direct encouters with God, or Angels, or whatever, so it is not a matter that can be discarded by logic or by rationalizing select experiences. You make a choice to believe a claim or not, but it is a choice, and unless you can prove otherwise, a leap of faith.

By your logic, I can point to UFO claims that were true as evidence for God.

 

[lisab]

My brother has always said that he's volunteering to go to hell, to comfort the suffering. I think that's so nice of him. Even though he's a demon, god denying gay, and is going to hell whether he volunteers or not!

But then again, so am I...

We'll have tea and crumpets ready for you all. Sunscreen and lip-balm for the fair skinned ones. And don't forget to bring lots of water.

Thanks, OmCheeto! See you and your brother there...I need to find some sunscreen that's SPF 2,279...and maybe a welder's shield...