We start learning from our experiences probably before we are born. Very early, our parents teach us to learn through the shortcut of learning from them instead of having to learn from experience. Quickly, we learn to learn from other people, via language spoken word, then from written word. And...
Only because you are wording it that way. If I've never been exposed to the idea of fairies being tiny humanoids with wings who exist in wooded areas and cause mischief, I can still not believe in them in that, they are not in that set of things I believe in. I don't have to ponder them if I've...
Now that you mention it, I do remember reading about a Christian missionary who went to study a native tribe (South American IIRC) that held no theistic beliefs, hoping to convert them, and instead converted to atheism himself. So that might be a place to examine this concept.
(I am replying to...
Maybe I'm missing something but here is how I see it.
Babies cannot process logic on the level of adults and not only don't have a belief about there being or not being a god, they can't even comprehend the idea of a god.
At some point, most humans gain that ability and subsequently are...
I haven't read the whole thread, but here's my take on the OP...
I self-define as a strong atheist and avoid the term agnostic atheist in general when talking with new acquaintances.
The reason for this is strongly related to how most people interpret 'agnostic.' They usually believe it means...
If you want to ensure a non-religious funeral, I recommend seeing an attorney who specializes in wills, estates, probate, and similar legal issues. They can draw up end of life directives that dictate things like the type of funeral or memorial that will be held. That can't keep others from...
I'm with Revoltingest (post 7), more or less.
I don't reject all authority -- However, just because someone or some group claims authority, doesn't mean I am going to give it to them. That is why I am an atheistic agnostic libertarian. (without a theistic belief, believes it is impossible to...
As usual, the law is based on good intentions but is applied with a broad stroke. Which is more harmfiul? Sterilized siblings marrying or Fertile cousins twice removed marrying? The first typically cannot marry while the latter are free to do so. There is a greater chance of birth defects in the...
As an atheist and member of an AHA chapter, I can say I heard several atheistic and agnostic humanists taking issue with how unfriendly the local UUS had become. I don't enjoy the "church" experience integral to Unitarian Univeralist membership, so I can't say from first hand experience.This was...
Finding your religious or other supernatural beliefs to be absurdly laughable does not mean I disrespect you. I find Christianity to be absurdly laughable and Catholicism to be piling on the absurdity. Yet when divesting my late mother's things, I gave a Lladro nun figurine to my Catholic...
Dan Barker, co-president of the FFRF, was under contract to write Christian songs when he became an atheist. He approached the other party and explained, but they still wanted him to write them, so he did. Hence, those songs are both Christian and atheist depending on how you look at it. LOL
I was born atheist, like everyone else.
Simplifying the situation, I would say I was raised Protestant and was a true, if not fervent believer till I hit 18. At that time I moved out and was trying to figure out what church to attend. About a week later, I was an agnostic with a challenge...
I did an an informal gathering of info about this a few years ago. Using natiomaster and adherents(.com?) I found a loose but marked correlation between murder rates and religiosity. Russia bucked the trend most if I recall correctly.
I chose murder because it is so obvious. Now if we chose...
This is all well and good, but if they had not been displaced, by your account there would have been no reason for them to be slaves in the first place. Imagine on a smaller scale, I invade my neighbor's house because I don't like his religion and tell him his house is now mine, but he can be my...
Maybe another day... I'm about ready to head out of here. I do love it when the guys in short sleeve white shirts and ties show up at my doorstep though. :) Look forward to it. Maybe we could start a new thread next time we're both online. I'll friend ya.
Actually if I recall correctly from Hawking's "A Brief History of Time," the inverse square law of gravity to which you refer and I believe is also known as Newton's law isn't really precisely accurate and Relativity changed that but we still use it for practical purposes 99.9% of the time...