Comments on: Read the Atheism one first

By: WBThacker

WBThacker — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:53:49 +0000

“I cannot give a logical explanation of how I know there is a God, or explain why I know what I believe about my faith to be true—I only know that I understand it. Faith gives me an understanding to know what can’t be proved.”

You keep using “know” as a synonym for “believe”. Stop that.

This is the root of my disapproval of theism. It manipulates people to be dishonest, to claim certainty where they cannot possibly have certainty.

You think there is a god. You believe it. You’ve accepted it. You’ve staked your immortal existence on it. But you don’t KNOW it. That’s a mockery what it means “to know.”

Use the right words.

By: Dacey

Dacey — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 02:14:00 +0000

I’m an atheist and I certainly believe in powers greater than myself: science, mathematics, the universe, nature, etc. I don’t need to read ancient mythology to tell me how to be a good person.

By: Marty Kay Zee

Marty Kay Zee — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:05:45 +0000

Atheism is to religion as abstinence is to promiscuity.

By: Cooper

Cooper — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 20:35:58 +0000

Such eloquent words defending the “knowledge” that God exists, based on an argument from ignorance!
You yourself say you are completely unqualified and too lazy to learn or judge what is true: come back and tell us something productive after you’ve made a critical analysis of the scriptures or religion for the first time in your life.
You say we all have common morals (even atheists), but then:
“Having a belief in a power greater than yourself…is key to truly living the values and principles you believe in.”
By all means, if you are going to rape, kill, and steal without your belief, then please keep believing.
Except what would you do if God told you to kill me? Your scriptures and prophets can’t justify something so simple as not bashing infants’ heads in with rocks. Belief subserviates humans to the idea of a tyrannical Demon-God, whose might makes right, and good men…

By: Paul Sanders

Paul Sanders — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:15:48 +0000

There’s a huge difference in fundamental ways of discovering truth, here. Some people believe that they can “choose” what reality is by simply sticking with whatever feels good. Fortunately, truth doesn’t conform to the whims and preferences of anyone, even if it feels really good.

Choosing to believe in God because to do so gives you confidence, comforts you during hard, makes you feel less alone or even gives your life purpose doesn’t mean that a god exists.

“Because it feels right” has got to be the worst reason in the world to believe in something. It leaves you open to emotional manipulation, self-deception and the type of moral relativism that allows whoever speaks for God (In the case of Mormonism, that’s particularly relevant.) to have an incredible opportunity to abuse your gullibility. All because it “feels good.” We need to abandon that way of finding truth to…

By: Julie

Julie — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 15:34:04 +0000

Jon,
I read both articles, thank you for sharing them. While I do not understand athiesism, it is within each of us to choose what feels the best, what resonates with us spiritually or non-spiritually.

My comfort and faith does not come from dogma of organized “religion.” My faith is a result and culmination of my 53 years of life experience. A personal study of how life flows when I surrender to faith, that all is well and that I am forgiven. I don’t go to church,I do pray and it does feel right.

I believe that we are here to evolve & grow. Many tragic are a result of human kind – not to be blamed on God. We were given bodies, minds and hearts to grow with, and mature with. We must accept responsibility for the world we are creating. Whether we “believe” or do not, we are all responsible for our thoughts and actions and must allow space in our hearts for one another.

By: Jeanie

Jeanie — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 10:29:26 +0000

I go by what Jiminy Cricket said, “Let your conscience by your guide.”

Personally, I find the fact the that it all “fades to black” when its over, makes each second in this life and my connection with people here and now, are precious, and sacred, and making the most of each second, knowing I have the power to do that, and I am responsible for my life, makes me feel powerful beyond measure.

Believing the same creator that made everything also stands by and watched The Inquisition, genocide, starvation, religious myth inspiring torture, murder, slavery, polarization and exclusion in his name, is a primitive frame of mind I do not care to return to.