Any atheists here who were once believers?

Mazulu said:
I meditated today after my TaeKwonDo workout. It's the first time in many months. I think meditation revitalizes the mind, at least that's what I experienced. I also meditated on what one of the characters said in the movie Never Back Down 2, The Beat Down. To paraphrase, he said that anger narrows your mind; and that you want to make your opponent angry because it narrows his mind.

Do you think that's true?
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I absolutely disagree! Lol Let me explain. I really don't like the idea of having an "opponent." I'm not about arguing and "winning" to the detriment of someone else. When I think of Buddhism, it just seems to be a catalyst for peace. The fact that one "can" have a leaning towards agnosticism AND practice Buddhism, makes me light up as it seems I have found a balance, perhaps.

Relating to what the character in the movie said however, I have heard that transferring negative energy to your opponent is a cunning technique. Haha! ;)

spidergoat said:
We don't have minds.
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Hmmm!

Mazulu said:
???What???
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lol :)
 
wegs said:
I absolutely disagree! Lol Let me explain. I really don't like the idea of having an "opponent." I'm not about arguing and "winning" to the detriment of someone else. When I think of Buddhism, it just seems to be a catalyst for peace. The fact that one "can" have a leaning towards agnosticism AND practice Buddhism, makes me light up as it seems I have found a balance, perhaps.

Relating to what the character in the movie said however, I have heard that transferring negative energy to your opponent is a cunning technique. Haha! ;)

Hmmm!

lol :)
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I totally understand your pursuit of peace and wish you well in your exploration of agnostic Buddhism. I used to be peaceful, but being on the physics websites with these dinky atheists (not you, them) has riled me up. I want to fight the spiritual battles against these whores of meaninglessness (not you, them). A kick to the head (metaphorically speaking) would do them all some good.
 
Mazulu said:
I totally understand your pursuit of peace and wish you well in your exploration of agnostic Buddhism. I used to be peaceful, but being on the physics websites with these dinky atheists (not you, them) has riled me up. I want to fight the spiritual battles against these whores of meaninglessness (not you, them). A kick to the head (metaphorically speaking) would do them all some good.
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You know...there is an old but very wise saying and it is this..."help others with their burdens for everyone you meet each day, carries a burden unto himself."

You may take someone's harsh words personally, but you are just in the way of perhaps what truly is troubling them. You can fight back or you can try to understand. Doesn't mean become like a piece of milk toast, but it means to seek to repair than destroy.

Not easy, but worth pursuing. That will strengthen you more than fighting back.

Yes, really. :)
 
wegs said:
You know...there is an old but very wise saying and it is this..."help others with their burdens for everyone you meet each day, carries a burden unto himself."

You may take someone's harsh words personally, but you are just in the way of perhaps what truly is troubling them. You can fight back or you can try to understand. Doesn't mean become like a piece of milk toast, but it means to seek to repair than destroy.

Not easy, but worth pursuing. That will strengthen you more than fighting back.

Yes, really. :)
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You are a wise young lady. But these heathens (not you, them) don't want their burden eased. They have no soul and are an aberration to God and nature.
 
Mazulu said:
You are a wise young lady. But these heathens (not you, them) don't want their burden eased. They have no soul and are an aberration to God and nature.
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You get more zealous as your faith gets battered by logic and reason. You're like a child who can't have his way and throws a tantrum until his parents acquiesce.
 
Mazulu said:
You are a wise young lady. But these heathens (not you, them) don't want their burden eased. They have no soul and are an aberration to God and nature.
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Good to see the bridge-building is in full swing. :rolleyes:
 
Balerion said:
You get more zealous as your faith gets battered by logic and reason. You're like a child who can't have his way and throws a tantrum until his parents acquiesce.
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You still haven't defined "material" yet. I quoted you to say that everything in reality is material. Then I proved to you with half a dozen examples of things that were not material, but they still existed. There is also this issue that the universe came from NOTHING (cosmologists say they don't know, yet) even as God claims responsibility. It seems as if your logic is coming up short.
 
Spidergoat, in truth, I respect your views. You are an atheist and a good man. I hold no grudge against you.

It's those other pitiful pathetic excuses for human beings, like Baleron, Q, dmoe who are a disgrace to your cause.
 
wegs said:
Thanks elte. Yes, there are parallels here. I was on the fence in doubt for a while but when my friend died who was an atheist and no one could answer the "hard" questions, I really slipped away.

It was gradual (coming to terms with the fact that I didn't believe the bible to hold literal truths within it) and my friend's death that sort of gave me a nudge away from spirituality.

For some reason though, over the past say two months, I have felt a pull to really examine Buddhism. I have been intrigued with a few aspects of it for years, so maybe I should just read about it to gain a full understanding of it.

The world is our oyster, right? :) Thanks, elte for sharing and kudos to you for making some tough choices in your life.
It's not an easy road, some days. :eek:
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Thank you Wegs.

I was agnostic for about the past 20 years, having crossed into that territory probably by the time I got out of high school. I tried to find new faith with the help of listening to Christian radio for several years after I later got out of college, yet about 13 years ago, I gave that up and switched to NPR. Lately, I realized that I don't really have any basis for any belief in the existence of God any longer. I try not to upset anyone I know personally with that, though. Out of all the people I know here in my physical sphere, only two of them are atheists, to my knowledge.

Some folks believe in reincarnation without a god. This seems too speculative to me. I don't see a way for this to work without some kind of supernatural machinery. It seems as unlikely as God.

I couldn't agree more about the road of life not being easy.

Be on the lookout for that pearl, though! :)
 
Mazulu said:
Spidergoat, in truth, I respect your views. You are an atheist and a good man. I hold no grudge against you.

It's those other pitiful pathetic excuses for human beings, like Baleron, Q, dmoe who are a disgrace to your cause.
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Mazulu, exactly what cause am I, dmoe, a disgrace to?

Mazulu, remember, Boris be Zirkoff's thoughts from THE THEOSOPHICAL FORUM, March 1938, pages 192-196.

......."Thoughts on Public Speaking".......

- quote - "By all means, do not take yourself too seriously. Do not think for a moment that you are 'saving' souls from 'hell,' or helping to place the Theosophical Movement on its feet once again..." - unquote -

from : http://www.katinkahesselink.net/other/boris.htm
 
Mazulu said:
It's those other pitiful pathetic excuses for human beings, like Baleron, Q, dmoe who are a disgrace to your cause.
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It's funny how atheists are called haters. There is a lot of hate there, dude.
 
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