Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Brentai]

Dogs!  \o/

...aw, shit.

[Frocto]

My computer doesn't like Dailymotion for some reason. It loads the video like a third of the way then it just stops. They oughtta call that website Dallymotion.

(that's one)

[SCD]

That's the whitest wahabbi preaching I've ever seen!   

[Mongrel]

This thread wants George Burns as its icon so bad that even God himself agrees.

[The Artist Formerly Known As Yoji]

I know it's a parody (even though I was doubtful for the first half), but I feel pretty cheerful compared to the stereotypical view of the atheist. I'm pretty sure there's an XKCD about that.

[sei]

I think I'm missing something.  What is the "stereotypical view of the atheist?"

[Koah]

I think I'm missing something.  What is the "stereotypical view of the atheist?"

You wouldn't believe it even if I showed you.

[Catloaf]

God doesn't exist!  All religion is Stupid! 

You're an idiot because you believe in something! 

HAIL SCIENCE! 

You'd go to hell if it existed, I mean, you need an authority figure lording over you to keep you from killing people!

You're wrong and I'm right!  And I'm right for the sole reason that I 'don't believe in anything.*'

Hey, wanna go commit some multiple-partner sodomy in the parking lot of the abortion clinic?

This sort of thing?


*Actually, atheists do believe in something; specifically, the lack of a god or any sort of powerful deities.

[TA]

There's a difference between "lack of belief" and "belief in the lack", Catloaf.  One is the only rational default position in the complete absence of evidence, and the other is attempting to prove a negative.

[The Artist Formerly Known As Yoji]

I think I'm missing something.  What is the "stereotypical view of the atheist?"

You know, the ones that groan on about the meaninglessness of life, become all elitist when they find out someone's religious, perform abortions for fun, are actively involved in destroying Jesus, would euthanize their grandmother just 'cuz, and generally have no ethics or morals?

Honestly, I feel more like the Beret Guy than that.

[Misha]

People say that the strong atheist position, ie belief that there is no god, is illogical. But that's only the case if you only allow deductive  logic. You can't logically "prove" there is no god in general, but there's plenty of evidence against a benevolent all powerful god. There is no god who responds to prayers. There was never a flood that covered the entire world and it's impossible to put every animal on a boat.

The fact that you can't disprove a theoretical do nothing god that runs everything but makes it seem like there is no god is not actually relevant to a practical belief that there are no gods.

[Mongrel]

If you want to know what the "Stereotypical Atheist" is supposed to look like, just ask your freindly neighbourhood Republican! 

[sei]

There is no god who responds to prayers.

Regardless of what studies find on the matter.  There is no way to conclusively prove this.

Religious outs:
1) The people didn't pray with their whole hearts, didn't accept Jesus into their hearts, or failed to meet some immeasurable condition X that is requisite for God to actually fulfill the prayer.

2) God, as a matter of faith, refuses to make himself obviously manifest to the public eye, because plain verifiability of his existence/work would undermine the need for people to believe.

(The timeless catch-all:)
3) God works in mysterious ways.

[Pacobird]

There's a difference between "lack of belief" and "belief in the lack", Catloaf.  One is the only rational default position in the complete absence of evidence, and the other is attempting to prove a negative.

This statement implies rationality is superior to faith, which is only true if one first denies the absolute supremacy of God.

That the atheist accepts this (and that Catloaf is essentially correct) is the  main difference between an atheist and a nihilist.

EDIT: to clarify, the "this" the atheist accepts is that rationality is somehow intrinsically valuable.

[Misha]

There is no god who responds to prayers.

Regardless of what studies find on the matter.  There is no way to conclusively prove this.

Religious outs:
1) The people didn't pray with their whole hearts, didn't accept Jesus into their hearts, or failed to meet some immeasurable condition X that is requisite for God to actually fulfill the prayer.

2) God, as a matter of faith, refuses to make himself obviously manifest to the public eye, because plain verifiability of his existence/work would undermine the need for people to believe.

(The timeless catch-all:)
3) God works in mysterious ways.

My WHOLE point was that you don't need to conclusively prove this to disprove god for practical purposes. Any god who does this sort of nonsense in terms of picking which prayers to respond to is too petty to seriously be considered benevolent.

[Mothra]

You mean the idea of prayer as a system of bringing about good in the world is too retarded to exist? It could be argued that we're woefully underqualified to determine what is and is not befitting of god. Maybe there's some abstract reason as to why it's the perfect system but we're incapable of understanding it.

[Pacobird]

Or maybe the Bible makes about 8 million times as much sense if you read it as a Gnostic text.

[Doom]

Any god who does this sort of nonsense in terms of picking which prayers to respond to is too petty to seriously be considered benevolent.

God doesn't exist because he won't turn on easy mode for life.

[Misha]

So not being raped and/or murdered is easy mode these days?

[Doom]

Life without trial is not life at all, no.