Any atheists here who were once believers?

[Seattle]

What will be written on your tombstone? "Here lies an Atheist."

Here lies a guy who wasn't into coffee, golf, or god.

 

[river]

All this arguing about who is right, who is wrong. Who cares? I'm glad I created this thread because it helped me get a sense of others' views, and at times, I too felt argumentative. But, now? I've made my choice and if others live out their own choices, whether that's following a god or not, so be it.

I just don't understand all the arguing.

My belief is this >> If God exists, and there is a heaven...he will ask us if/when we come before him..."Who did you love? Who did you help? How did you love?" He won't ask us to recite the bible or passages from another holy book. He won't be impressed with how many "arguments" you "won" in his defense.

No...He will ask us those kinds of questions.

My advice? Live your life in loving service and compassion to others. That is what life should be about, atheist or theist.

Just my ramblings for the night.

I understand wegs but understand this , when this god of yours asked me who do you love , it won't be him it will be Humanity , who did I help , two people who needed encouragement , the first I helped learn English , this was French Canadian person , who can now speak , read and write English and became a flight attendant

the second was a person who had low confidence , I built this person up so that this person understood success and then continued on there way with no further input by me

I'm not religious , but it was the right thing to do

I love my wife with respect as she does me , because it is the right thing to do , we get the most out of each other with no games , we are truly best friends

we do not need religion to bring out the best in our selves , just advanced Humanity based thinking

so the question is , would this god accept my Humanity based thinking as Humanity first and foremost and this god second ?

THAT is the question ?

 

[wegs]

I understand wegs but understand this , when this god of yours asked me who do you love , it won't be him it will be Humanity , who did I help , two people who needed encouragement , the first I helped learn English , this was French Canadian person , who can now speak , read and write English and became a flight attendant

the second was a person who had low confidence , I built this person up so that this person understood success and then continued on there way with no further input by me

I'm not religious , but it was the right thing to do

I love my wife with respect as she does me , because it is the right thing to do , we get the most out of each other with no games , we are truly best friends

we do not need religion to bring out the best in our selves , just advanced Humanity based thinking

so the question is , would this god accept my Humanity based thinking as Humanity first and foremost and this god second ?

THAT is the question ?

I'm of the opinion that I can't answer yes or no to the question..."is there a God?" For now, I'm ok with not knowing. That said, to answer your question...I think that is exactly the point I'm making in my above post. Yes!

You are the one who created that "humanity based religion" thread, and I couldn't agree more with it.

 

[wegs]

God is all powerful, and all knowing, so he will make his power known in time.
Now that might sound like preaching but how else can it be said?

Doesn't sound "preachy..."

No one was arguing we were just tossing ideas around. And I agree and I hope you are right. For that is my philosophy too.

Good, I'm glad.

 

[Jan Ardena]

river,

so the question is , would this god accept my Humanity based thinking as Humanity first and foremost and this god second ?

THAT is the question ?

If you ''love'' then would there be any need for first and second places?
Is it really love when we say ''I love this person, but I don't love that person''?
Is ''love'' supposed to be on condition?

jan.

 

[Robittybob1]

river,



If you ''love'' then would there be any need for first and second places?
Is it really love when we say ''I love this person, but I don't love that person''?
Is ''love'' supposed to be on condition?

jan.

Well Jan how do you approach humanitarian issues. I like what River has done, for I too have focused my attention of a few down and outers rather that everyone.

 

[river]

river

If you ''love'' then would there be any need for first and second places?

there is to god , god is first

Is it really love when we say ''I love this person, but I don't love that person''?

no , but you can respect them

Is ''love'' supposed to be on condition?

jan.

no

 

[Bells]

It's not a story I read too often. I was thinking that "Moses never entered the Promised land" so I stand corrected for this must have happened prior to the crossing of the Jordan.
They didn't have the Geneva Conventions in those days.

So much for God being the one to lead people to not doing bad things....

The irony of course is that the Geneva Convention is a secular construct.

 

[Balerion]

There is a wise, old saying..."To those who have faith, no explanation is necessary. To those who don't have faith, no explanation is possible."

You will never understand Jan's faith and he will never understand your/my/others' lack of it.

I disagree. While I may never agree with Jan's beliefs, I'm perfectly capable of understanding what it is that makes him believe. All he needs to do is share.

Though, to be fair, it appears he already did. By saying "It's a feeling," he let us in on what makes his faith tick. The problem is, once he saw the responses to it, he went "Whoops. That's no good," and began his full retreat.

 

[Balerion]

I understand wegs but understand this , when this god of yours asked me who do you love , it won't be him it will be Humanity , who did I help , two people who needed encouragement , the first I helped learn English , this was French Canadian person , who can now speak , read and write English and became a flight attendant

the second was a person who had low confidence , I built this person up so that this person understood success and then continued on there way with no further input by me

I'm not religious , but it was the right thing to do

I love my wife with respect as she does me , because it is the right thing to do , we get the most out of each other with no games , we are truly best friends

we do not need religion to bring out the best in our selves , just advanced Humanity based thinking

so the question is , would this god accept my Humanity based thinking as Humanity first and foremost and this god second ?

THAT is the question ?

Not if you go by scripture. But who says you have to?

 

[Balerion]

Here lies a guy who wasn't into golf.

Mine will say "Here Lies A Guy Who Played Too Much Grand Theft Auto V"

 

[wynn]

I’m not offended by you, wynn. You reached out to me in a kind way through pm over the weekend. I was very appreciative to you. And then, you wish to insult me (over and over) out in the forum. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised; Balerion calls me naïve, and maybe I am.

I don't know what motivates you to insult me out in the open, but you have nothing to offer me.

Sorry you feel that way.

 

[wynn]

I'm perfectly capable of understanding what it is that makes him believe. All he needs to do is share.

That is so only from the perspective of strong atheism.

 

[Seattle]

That is so only from the perspective of strong atheism.

It's got nothing to do with "strong atheism". Can you not understand what a home run is (if explained properly) without being a baseball player (or fan)?

Someone may have supernatural beliefs but they shouldn't need supernatural words to explain that belief. If they do, why bother with this thread?

 

[Robittybob1]

That is so only from the perspective of strong atheism.

It is like Balerion wants all the answers but is not going to take any of them to heart.
What did you mean "That is so only from the perspective of strong atheism"?

 

[Robittybob1]

So much for God being the one to lead people to not doing bad things....

I would really like to know what Jesus would say to you when you talk like that?

 

[Seattle]

It is like Balerion wants all the answers but is not going to take any of them to heart.
What did you mean "That is so only from the perspective of strong atheism"?

He hasn't been given any answers. That's the issue.

 

[wynn]

It's got nothing to do with "strong atheism". Can you not understand what a home run is (if explained properly) without being a baseball player (or fan)?

Someone may have supernatural beliefs but they shouldn't need supernatural words to explain that belief. If they do, why bother with this thread?

The reference to "supernatural" is all yours.

Like we were discussing earlier with Sarkus, it all comes down to what one means by "God."

There are concepts of God available to us for consideration which suggest that God is involved in the details of our daily lives, meaning that also any conversation we might have on the topic of God, is still possible only with God's involvement.
If we work with such a concept of God, simply one person sharing something about their belief is not enough to make the listener understand; there has to be some acknowledgement of God's involvement in the whole matter.

It is only from the perspective of strong atheism that God is understood in such a way that it seems appropriate to completely exclude God from any and all conversation on the topic of God, and as such, only two people exchanging words is deemed enough for understanding to come about.

 

[wynn]

He hasn't been given any answers. That's the issue.

He wants answers, but he also wants to stick with his current understanding of "God." And it just doesn't work out ...

 

[Balerion]

It's got nothing to do with "strong atheism". Can you not understand what a home run is (if explained properly) without being a baseball player (or fan)?

Someone may have supernatural beliefs but they shouldn't need supernatural words to explain that belief. If they do, why bother with this thread?

That's a great analogy. Fleshing it out a bit, what I'm asking Jan to do is explain to me what a home run is, not to make me feel what it's like when his favorite team hits one.