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ORIGINAL: BenevolentM
I am not an atheist, but I agree with some of their claims. I agree that according to objective measures religion performs poorly.

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ORIGINAL: GotSteel

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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24

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ORIGINAL: GotSteel
What does awe of god have to do with anything?

It is not obvious to you that some things should not be experimented with? That some things that come into existence really should never come into existence?

Awe of the cosmos causes many of us to want to understand as much as we can about it. I can't recommend the show Cosmos highly enough, Neil Degrasse Tyson does a great job sharing that awe. It seems strange to me that your awe doesn't work the same way and I suspect that it has quite a bit more to do with fear than my awe which is why people choose the work fear not awe to describe their fear of god.

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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24
Awe of God directs one. If used in the correct way, it guides one to have finer tuned internal voice. Its about taking responsibility, and gaining knowledge from a place you can not really explain, its just there.

This sounds suspicisiously like priming. It skews perceptions and undermines objectivety. It'll reliably "fine tune" your "internal voice" to find god, assuring that you do even if there's no god to find.

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ORIGINAL: Greta75

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ORIGINAL: BenevolentM
I am not an atheist, but I agree with some of their claims. I agree that according to objective measures religion performs poorly.

I like to think Atheist got it right that there is no God and you are the decider of your own destiny. It's called taking responsibility for your own life and taking the driver seat.

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: Greta75

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ORIGINAL: BenevolentM
I am not an atheist, but I agree with some of their claims. I agree that according to objective measures religion performs poorly.

I like to think Atheist got it right that there is no God and you are the decider of your own destiny. It's called taking responsibility for your own life and taking the driver seat.

we


I find it is interesting that you seem think people who believe in God are not in control of their own lives and responsible for their own actions. I have been to a lot of different churches and none of them taught that.

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ORIGINAL: vincentML

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: Greta75

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ORIGINAL: BenevolentM
I am not an atheist, but I agree with some of their claims. I agree that according to objective measures religion performs poorly.

I like to think Atheist got it right that there is no God and you are the decider of your own destiny. It's called taking responsibility for your own life and taking the driver seat.

we


I find it is interesting that you seem think people who believe in God are not in control of their own lives and responsible for their own actions. I have been to a lot of different churches and none of them taught that.

Quite the contrary. Many believe God has a plan for them. Many believe in praying for help from above.

I think Atheists got it right: there is no God. And uncontrollable, unpredictable, bad shit happens in Nature no matter how many rain dances, prayers, or sacrifices are offered up to appease the fictitious super heroes.

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ORIGINAL: BenevolentM

It joins the words together.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins#Evolutionary_biology

In his scientific works, Dawkins is best known for his popularisation of the gene as the principal unit of selection in evolution; this view is most clearly set out in his books:

The Selfish Gene (1976), in which he notes that "all life evolves by the differential survival of replicating entities".

The Extended Phenotype (1982), in which he describes natural selection as "the process whereby replicators out-propagate each other".

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ORIGINAL: BenevolentM

Like how Catholics out-propagate atheists.

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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24
I have awe of the cosmos too, I have no problem with studies, and investigation.

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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24
Obviously I have a different way of thinking, which isn't a bad thing.

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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24
Attempting or Understanding God, objectivity and rationality has very little to do with it. You just do it.

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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24
Seems like a crazy concept Im sure unless that is what interests you. That is what interests me. I am also left handed, so one side of your brain might be more active then mine, and vice versa.
I have never watched the show Cosmos, I will check it out.

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ORIGINAL: BenevolentM
Like how Catholics out-propagate atheists.

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ORIGINAL: GotSteel

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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24
I have awe of the cosmos too, I have no problem with studies, and investigation.

You routinely make statements that would seem to be mutually exclusive with this one, from explanations that you deny knowledge to your previous statement that I was responding to. Could you walk me through how it's possible to hold both positions at the same time?
I don't deny all knowledge, just some things I really have no desire to know.

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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24
Obviously I have a different way of thinking, which isn't a bad thing.

It is a bad thing. The way you hobble yourself by relying so heavily on your intuition instead of embracing the full capabilities of your brain does have negative consequences. I've been showing you that for a while now.
I call being myself a good thing. Sure there is more I can improve, but that goes with everyone. I do have a career whenever I decide to pick it back up.

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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24
Attempting or Understanding God, objectivity and rationality has very little to do with it. You just do it.

I'm painfully aware of that. There have been many geniuses to try, Sir Isaac Newton for instance wasted a significant portion of his life on the endeavor. Some atheists have concluded that there is a reason for the lack of results. Others such as myself have simply concluded that it's appropriate to withhold belief in the existence of a deity until such time as there is evidence for the existence of a deity.
ITs not a waste to me, its a part of me. There is no reason one can not pursue rightful knowledge and practice their beliefs also

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ORIGINAL: chatterbox24
Seems like a crazy concept Im sure unless that is what interests you. That is what interests me. I am also left handed, so one side of your brain might be more active then mine, and vice versa.
I have never watched the show Cosmos, I will check it out.

I can't recommend the new version of Cosmos enough. It's visually stunning and I love hearing Dr, Tyson speak, he's such an impassioned orator.

As for the left handed bit, you may want to check up on the recent research there are a good deal of myths floating around on the subject. I'm cross-dominant myself though I don't think that should be relevant to the conversation.

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: vincentML

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: Greta75

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ORIGINAL: BenevolentM
I am not an atheist, but I agree with some of their claims. I agree that according to objective measures religion performs poorly.

I like to think Atheist got it right that there is no God and you are the decider of your own destiny. It's called taking responsibility for your own life and taking the driver seat.

we


I find it is interesting that you seem think people who believe in God are not in control of their own lives and responsible for their own actions. I have been to a lot of different churches and none of them taught that.

Quite the contrary. Many believe God has a plan for them. Many believe in praying for help from above.

I think Atheists got it right: there is no God. And uncontrollable, unpredictable, bad shit happens in Nature no matter how many rain dances, prayers, or sacrifices are offered up to appease the fictitious super heroes.

Yes many believe that but that doesn't mean they don't have to take responsibility for their actions. Many also believe in prayer and since I have seen it do good, I would have to agree with them. It can help. But if you believe there is no god, you are welcome to that opinion also and I might suggest you don't join a church. Then you won't have to worry about it. See how easy that is.

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi
I find it is interesting that you seem think people who believe in God are not in control of their own lives and responsible for their own actions. I have been to a lot of different churches and none of them taught that.

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ORIGINAL: vincentML


Yeh, well, yanno, this is a Board open to the expression of a variety of opposing opinions. Your suggestion that I simply avoid going to church is a trite evasion of the issue under discussion. So, in a similar vein, if my opinion offends you do not respond. Just ignore me. However, if you wish to have a discussion of opposing views, let's do so with some degree of honesty and mutual consideration.

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ORIGINAL: Greta75

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi
I find it is interesting that you seem think people who believe in God are not in control of their own lives and responsible for their own actions. I have been to a lot of different churches and none of them taught that.

I always have the impression that people who believe in God, believe that if something bad happens, God is testing them, if they can't get what they want, God is telling them to wait or practically saying no. They do tend to associate alot of things in their life with God's interference, or they may even ask for God's interference.

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: Greta75

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi
I find it is interesting that you seem think people who believe in God are not in control of their own lives and responsible for their own actions. I have been to a lot of different churches and none of them taught that.

I always have the impression that people who believe in God, believe that if something bad happens, God is testing them, if they can't get what they want, God is telling them to wait or practically saying no. They do tend to associate alot of things in their life with God's interference, or they may even ask for God's interference.

I am sure there are some who do. I just haven't found it to be the majority. But just like any group of people you are going to find some crackpots who go to extremes. That is just part of life.

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ORIGINAL: vincentML

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: Greta75

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi
I find it is interesting that you seem think people who believe in God are not in control of their own lives and responsible for their own actions. I have been to a lot of different churches and none of them taught that.

I always have the impression that people who believe in God, believe that if something bad happens, God is testing them, if they can't get what they want, God is telling them to wait or practically saying no. They do tend to associate alot of things in their life with God's interference, or they may even ask for God's interference.

I am sure there are some who do. I just haven't found it to be the majority. But just like any group of people you are going to find some crackpots who go to extremes. That is just part of life.

Your position is kinda confusing, boi. It seems you are saying that religious people don't believe in a personal, interventionist God to whom they may pray; only crackpots believe this extreme. Is that what you mean to say?

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ORIGINAL: Greta75

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi
I find it is interesting that you seem think people who believe in God are not in control of their own lives and responsible for their own actions. I have been to a lot of different churches and none of them taught that.

I always have the impression that people who believe in God, believe that if something bad happens, God is testing them, if they can't get what they want, God is telling them to wait or practically saying no. They do tend to associate alot of things in their life with God's interference, or they may even ask for God's interference.

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No, it's not. I meant to say exactly what I said. Greta and yourself seem to be under the impression that anyone who believes in god doesn't take responsibility for anything and leaves everything to god. I was explaining why I thought that was bullshit.