Any atheists here who were once believers?

[geeser]

Just leaving that thought, how would you cope if your neighbour robbed all the contents of your workshop? So you've been robbed what do you do?

Initially I would be upset, as some things may have sentimental value. Though it would not stop me having the memory. However I hope they would be found or I would simply buy new.

Your neighbour runs off with your wife, what do you do? You can be good to and apply your philosophy but it won't protect you.

Again initially I would be upset, however if that is what my wife wanted, then I would wish her the best. Why should we both be miserable, and why should I make her life miserable. Just for vengeance sake.

 

[wegs]

It was a moment in my life, a crossroad, this way or that way. I was already involved with the gangs and crime was a way of life for us then. Was that the way forward or not? OK the question was asked when I was about to go to University (18 years).
The most of them stayed with the gangs and some did well, and others got life sentences for murder or long jail sentences for bank robberies etc.
This must be a choice for a number of males, that have gang associations.

Yes. It was a choice. Theirs. Likewise, you made choices to depart from the gang life. You made them.

It is not for me to judge you or anyone else, if your belief in God provides you with a moral foundation. I don't mean to imply that you shouldn't follow a god, if you wish to.
But let's pretend that you disbelieve in God's existence...you might be surprised to find that you are quite capable of making sound, moral decisions, on your own...from your own sense of self worth and what you deem right from wrong.

 

[Robittybob1]

LOL. So, you actually believe they do the things they do because of a lack of God in their lives? Hilarious.



Way too funny. :roflmao:

I would think it would be hard to kill in cold blood if you believed in Hell. If you can rationalize that there is no God, then there is no Hell, so kill the bastards that annoy you. It is just a matter of not getting caught. Set out to be the perfect criminal. That is the way I was thinking my life could lead down such a road.

 

[Robittybob1]

Initially I would be upset, as some things may have sentimental value. Though it would not stop me having the memory. However I hope they would be found or I would simply buy new.
Again initially I would be upset, however if that is what my wife wanted, then I would wish her the best. Why should we both be miserable, and why should I make her life miserable. Just for vengeance sake.

And that is what I did, but it isn't easy. There are moments when your restraint is tested. I don't know if you have had to deal with these situations.

 

[Beer w/Straw]

I would think it would be hard to kill in cold blood if you believed in Hell. If you can rationalize that there is no God, then there is no Hell, so kill the bastards that annoy you. It is just a matter of not getting caught. Set out to be the perfect criminal. That is the way I was thinking my life could lead down such a road.

OK psychopath.

 

[(Q)]

I would think it would be hard to kill in cold blood if you believed in Hell.

Tell that to those who participated in the Inquisitions, Crusades and Witch Burnings.

If you can rationalize that there is no God, then there is no Hell, so kill the bastards that annoy you.

That's just plain stupidity.

It is just a matter of not getting caught. Set out to be the perfect criminal. That is the way I was thinking my life could lead down such a road.

BS, and you know it.

 

[(Q)]

We have to learn not to defame each other. "You are lying" is defamation in my opinion. Prove it or shut up.

You know damn well you're lying and you need to learn not to lie. Either that, or you're mentally disturbed and need to be locked up.

 

[geeser]

I would think it would be hard to kill in cold blood if you believed in Hell. If you can rationalize that there is no God, then there is no Hell, so kill the bastards that annoy you. It is just a matter of not getting caught. Set out to be the perfect criminal. That is the way I was thinking my life could lead down such a road.

Sadly we don't think the same, I would not kill. because I know this is the only life we have, and I would not wish to deprive anyone of the chance of life. My brother is religious and he says as you do, if it wasn't for his fear of god he could kill someone, I have no fear of a god, and I could kill no one. Which would you consider is the more moral.

 

[Billy T]

This is an excellent post, and it points to the fact that our consciences are a product of evolution.

thanks. Post here: http://www.sciforums.com/showthread...ce-believers&p=3117649&viewfull=1#post3117649

... Christianity can sometimes feel like a crutch for when you are not making sound decisions. You 'pray' to God to do better the next day. ...

Not always for "next day action." There was the drunk, womanizer's prayer: Something like this:

God I am a sinner, and weak. I need your help. Please make me a better man, but not just yet.

 

[geeser]

And that is what I did, but it isn't easy. There are moments when your restraint is tested. I don't know if you have had to deal with these situations.

Yes both. and I'm still a very happy person. We all have problems throughout our lives. our character comes from how we deal with them.

 

[Jan Ardena]

Okay, I'll play:



How do you decide what to count as scriptures and what not?

Why Srila Prabhupada's version of the Bhagavad-gita, why not Srila BV Narayana Maharaja's, or Gandhi's, or Srila Sridhar's Maharaja's, or Swami BV Tripuari's or yet some other version?

Sorry! I don't feel like playing.

jan.

 

[Robittybob1]

....
But let's pretend that you disbelieve in God's existence...you might be surprised to find that you are quite capable of making sound, moral decisions, on your own...from your own sense of self worth and what you deem right from wrong.

Well if I was going to think God didn't exist - crime was going to be my life. I wasn't going to be Mr Nice Guy.
I had no family to guide me. my brother and his friends were already out of control. LSD, burglaries, arson, violent beatings, rape, guns, and other drugs were the things happening, going on, around me. But I could see it was badly organized, it needed an intelligent crime boss to make it work.

 

[Robittybob1]

Yes both. and I'm still a very happy person. We all have problems throughout our lives. our character comes from how we deal with them.

You look too young for that!

 

[geeser]

You look too young for that!

That's my son when he was two. He's ten now.
But thanks, I am an Adonis.

 

[Billy T]

I mainly visit this thread for amusement / out right laughs at times, and I posts some jokes too as others may fail to see the natural humor so abundant here.

... Your neighbour runs off with your wife, what do you do? ...

The cop finally stopped the speeder after a 10 minute high speed chase, and his shift had just ended, so he said to the driver:
If you can tell me some reason I have never heard before why you were trying to escape, I'll let you go - I'm off duty now. I don't want to write up another ticket and go to court next week.

Driver said:
Well, last year my wife ran away with a cop, like you. I was afraid you were bringing her back.

Cop:
OK you're free to go, but don't speed.

 

[Robittybob1]

That's my son when he was two. He's ten now.
But thanks, I am an Adonis.

He must take after his mum!
Adonis thanks to Wikipedia

He is an annually-renewed, ever-youthful vegetation god, a life-death-rebirth deity whose nature is tied to the calendar. His name is often applied in modern times to handsome youths, of whom he is the archetype. Adonis is often referred to as the mortal god of Beauty.

I used to think the same too, but you have to allow for inflation and wear and tear.

 

[Balerion]

Sorry! I don't feel like playing.

jan.

In other words, you have no good answer for it.

From now on, every time Jan refuses to answer a question, we can take that as an admission of defeat.

I'm interested in hearing the answer to this, as well. Good question.

Since we're on the subject....(how does an atheist differentiate between right and wrong?)

http://asktheatheist.com/?p=776

Yeah, I'd love to read his answer to that. Both to the question I asked, and to the answer provided in your very helpful link. As evidenced above, he probably won't answer it, but I'm curious how he reconciles that in his mind. Then again, maybe he doesn't bother. Delusion works wonders in that way; if a truth is uncomfortable, you can just pretend it doesn't exist.

 

[Robittybob1]

Sadly we don't think the same, I would not kill. because I know this is the only life we have, and I would not wish to deprive anyone of the chance of life. My brother is religious and he says as you do, if it wasn't for his fear of god he could kill someone, I have no fear of a god, and I could kill no one. Which would you consider is the more moral.

So did you join the military?
These people were out to kill me. Was it going to be me first or them first? It gets really desperate. Have you had death threats? When the guys have guns and knives, and their cars are faster than yours, and there is a group of them and you feel alone, you struggle to maintain your moral stance.

 

[Trooper]

One last thing, wegs.

When you finally awake from a religious daze, it's perfectly normal to feel baffled by the preposterous things you once believed in. You'll start to take notice of what's in front of you, and then the multitude of people who are still afflicted with self-deception becomes even more baffling, if not frightening. Speaking out can be helpful for atheists and theists alike.

At one time, the term atheist itself was considered an insult. Today, an easy way to discredit an outspoken atheist is to couple it with other derogatory terms such as an atheist fundamentalist, atheist bigot, militant atheist, or another buzz word that is frequently shoved down my throat..."intolerance". The people who throw charges of intolerance are the ones who are the most notable exemplars of intolerance themselves.

Keep in mind that there is no single subject matter that should be excluded from scrutiny. Challenging a belief is not an act of intolerance. You're not violating anyone's rights. People disagree all the time. The "live and let" approach may sound good, but in excess it can be dangerous. Critical inquiry should be encouraged because critical thinking is in necessary in all aspects of life. Atheists are concerned and their concerns shouldn't be discouraged by branding them with religious intolerance. There are things that we should be tolerant of and many things that we should be intolerant of. Their misuse of religious freedom to cloak their own intolerance is something that comes to mind.

20 Reasons to Abandon Christianity

P.S. For your entertainment pleasure...

Authentic Mormon Temple Ceremony!

Christians Behaving Badly

 

[Balerion]

That is what I set out to find out, and God showed up. I'm telling the forum about it on the Christian Song thread but I have to take care to not preach, but I'm just telling my life story, so is that preaching? I need to define preaching.

But you are preaching. This whole thread is an exercise in preaching. You've even set it to song, for crissakes.

Why it's allowed to stand, I couldn't say. But then, I can't really come up with any pattern for how the forum is moderated. Sometimes the rules apply, other times they don't; the rules apply to some people, but to others they don't.