I can't believe. (moral, hell, bible, point of view, faith)

[Dunemeister]

Originally Posted by Father Heathen

"Radical"? yeah, I guess using reason and logic is kind of fringe these days.

Radical skepticism is the sort of skepticism that implies we can't know anything. It doesn't refer to the responsible use of reason.

[Yes Man]

Originally Posted by Super Universe

Well, for starters, try to find a way to completely separate religion from God because religion hasn't got a clue.

That's quite easy to do actually.

Look at a fruit tree that blooms after the spring rains when the weather warms and there are bees to help polinate it so it can provide us with food. But you think it's all just coincidence upon coincidence, upon coincidence. "Thank God for coincidences!"

Perhaps the universe simply mimics purpose? You're opening up a whole other can of worms here. I don't want to debate metaphysics in this thread. That was not the purpose of me making it.

It's too easy to be negative and bitter about every little imperfect thing in life, it's like a child that gets angry when he has to clean up his toys as if he didn't get to play with them at all. The hard part is enjoying the work, whatever it is.

I'm not sure what this has to do with anything but I thank you for your input anyway.

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by Yes Man

Yet certain religions are fit to condemn me to a hell because of this.

If by some misfortune there exists a god who is so woefully petty, cruel and immoral as to condemn to a hell people simply for not believing in him, then maybe that hell is the place to be. Would you actually want to praise for eternity a tyrant you know to be petty, cruel and immoral? Would you want to associate with others who have no problem praising such a deity? Who are themselves wicked enough not to see the immorality, pettiness and cruelty of such a deity perhaps because they care only that their own butts have been saved? Such a deity seems almost infinitely impossible, and if he actually exists, he is not worthy of worship.

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by Father Heathen

Their god is the projection of their own egos, so atheism is seen as a defiant slap to their face.

Excellent insight!

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by Super Universe

It's too easy to be negative and bitter about every little imperfect thing in life, it's like a child that gets angry when he has to clean up his toys as if he didn't get to play with them at all. The hard part is enjoying the work, whatever it is.

Nice sermon. What does it have to do with the OP?

[+Xausted]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

If by some misfortune there exists a god who is so woefully petty, cruel and immoral as to condemn to a hell people simply for not believing in him, then maybe that hell is the place to be. Would you actually want to praise for eternity a tyrant you know to be petty, cruel and immoral? Would you want to associate with others who have no problem praising such a deity? Who are themselves wicked enough not to see the immorality, pettiness and cruelty of such a deity perhaps because they care only that their own butts have been saved? Such a deity seems almost infinitely impossible, and if he actually exists, he is not worthy of worship.

right on
wanted to frubel you for this post but it wouldnt let me, so have to send you imaginary ones instead.......

[Random]

Originally Posted by Father Heathen

You can't compare organisms to machines.

That's good philosophy, but poor science. After all, if there are purely physical processes which gave rise to Man and no-thing else that is transcendent or immanent, such as the soul, then I'm afraid organisms are empirically indistinguishable from machines. That's why an Atheist has no option but to identify with the body; that's all there is in their own view. I AM MY BODY and MY MIND IS MY BRAIN, and nothing else exists. Ergo, you are a machine.

[stephenw]

Originally Posted by Father Heathen

It's all about cultural subjugation. Their god is the projection of their own egos, so atheism is seen as a defiant slap to their face.

I don't think it's about cultural subjugation. It's about those that believe such things themselves.
It is a projection, that of an internal conflict. I think hell is a projection of the super ego and atheism is a projection of the id. Nothing some psychotherapy couldn't help with !