I’m a little late to the game, but just so you know, Trader Joe’s is open on Easter.
As an incidental note, what’s the deal with all those Cadbury Creme Eggs commercials in which the egg eagerly seeks some gruesome way to spill its gooey guts (i.e. jumping on top of a popping champagne cork to get smushed against the ceiling, jumping beside a typewriter in time to get crushed between the returning carriage and the wall, or standing in front of a hair dryer to ecstatically melt)? Isn’t suicide an odd theme going into what is largely a Catholic holiday?
As opposed to deicide which is what the religion revolves around?
Conservatives: “Well little Johnny, gays are very bad people who have embraced the devil as well as each other. Don’t worry, they’re going straight to hell when they die and you will too if you become gay. BTW, stay away from them because it’s contagious.”
Atheists: "Well little Johnny, it’s not too hard to explain why people used to believe in the supernatural. It has to do with anthropomorphizing natural but invisible forces. In order to survive, humans have to predict outcomes. Social animals like humans typically use their own desires and behaviors to make these predictions. Also, early in childhood development, humans learn that just because mommy isn’t in sight, she didn’t disappear. This becomes extended to the death of loved ones. Finally, strong, stimulation of the senses or, conversely, prolonged sense deprivation results in a diminishing of activity of the right front of the brain. This part of the brain is strongly correlated with the sense of “self” that needs to interact with but be protected from the outside environment. As you would guess, this strong sense of “self” is also a source of great anxiety. Therefore, diminishing this feeling of self results in euphoria in which the person feels great universal love and awe. They become one with a god(s) or the universe. They’re no longer afraid of death. Of course these feelings are short-lived and once they’re gone the person starts to rationalize what they have felt.
Now this brings me to the harder question. Why do people still believe these things in the modern age? Well, speaking of death, fear of one’s own death and the pain of losing loved ones is the strongest motivator for religion. This is why people still cling to religion (and guns 
) long after a lack of evidence for the supernatural has been shown. Most importantly, as tribes became larger and more complicated, tribal leaders use these strong fears and emotions to control the population and create social norms. So what originally evolved as survival mechanisms for social animals in small groups became hijacked for survival within more complex societies.
What, Johnny? What does the crucified man have to do with all this? Well, it’s a great example of everything I’ve been telling you. You see…" 
It wasn’t my first choice either, but I blame Hallmark.
No. Let’s not make a couple of overstuffed douchebags into a bouncy castle.
I have got to remember this for down the road when we get a dog… 
I’m presuming you’re going to show some evidence for that remark aaaaany second now.
Granted, I’m Zen Buddhist, so I’m religiously obligated to not give a shit in general. Or is that give all the shit? I’m sure it’ll come to me.
Absolutely not. I didn’t come to that conclusion because you are an atheist, I came to that conclusion based on what you wrote. And if you can’t put yourself in someone’s shoes who is religious in order to entertain my someone might believe in God and practice a religion, then I think it’s a pretty safe bet to say that you lack both empathy and imagination. So while an atheist generally may have as much empathy and imagination as a religious person, you evidently don’t.
Wrong again. I have no problem with atheists, or agnostics. I do have a problem with evangelical types, whether they’re pushing Catholicism, Calvinism, or Atheism. Like you. Anyone who actually thinks through these things should have a healthy dose of “…but, I may be wrong.” as part of their belief. So although it might make you feel better to think that I’m ascribing some negative qualities to you based on you being an atheist, you’d be wrong. And the critical thinking you find so important to you should reveal that to be the case. I have respect for people who respect others, like the many Atheists in this very thread who have made a point to distance themselves from the likes of the trollish, idiotic OP and others who someone think their detestation of religion gives them license to be rude cocks. So, like I said, nice try, but your wrong. My opinion of you and my comments to you were not sparked by you being an Atheist, but by the words you wrote. And by the fact that you seem to think that your righteousness gives you license to be insulting in your writing. That and the fact that you seem to not even be aware of it.
But I do hope that you have found here ways to explain things to your daughter. Though you seem to bristle at the advice. You, like any other self-sure evangelical need a little humility in your belief that there is no God. Because the fact of the matter is, just like anything one cannot prove, you may be wrong.
Now, that was funny. I never heard that one before. Well done.
Intereresting because it has everything to do with Simulacra and Simulation. One example, the recently released stamps of The Statue of Liberty - “distinguish real from copy”. What is the frame of reference for The Statue of Liberty? Pop culture? The “real” or the “copy”?
magellan01
Be honest, the internet is the worst possible place to try and discern a person’s character.
I don’t know you, you don’t know me. I am fully aware that the written word in a forum is not the best medium for a going back and forth and exploring the nuances of an argument.
The OP was unnecessarily confrontational to religion, I don’t agree with them.
I do think religions and your own theistic position are unnecessarily complicated and not supported by evidence so I can’t go along with you on that. I know why people do hold these beliefs but I think they are wrong at best and nonsensical and dangerous at worst.
Note, the beliefs are nonsensical and wrong. I make no judgement of the people. Should you care to scour my posts with this in mind I’m sure you realise this.
I don’t claim perfect knowledge. I may be wrong and indeed my day job depends on me exploring the many ways in which I am wrong. I am professionally interested in the fallibility of human perception and belief and I know I am not immune.
I have never said that I can’t, won’t or don’t tell my daughter that “I don’t know”. I do so regularly.
As for empathy? did you miss the part about me trying to avoid painting religious people as crazy?
It seems like you did.
Look, maybe you don’t come into contact with too many who share my views, perhaps you have been upset by the OP and are unconsciously painting anyone not obviously on your side as being with them. That isn’t the case.
Nothing I have said is particularly insulting or offensive in my culture. Fact is, In real life I have never been called upon to explain what I believe or why. It simply never comes up. Similarly I have never felt the need to challenge a religious person directly on their beliefs.
I think they are nonsense, I don’t say it. Why would I? I do have respect and concern for people’s feelings and I have nothing to gain by being confrontational on that subject.
In any case, no-one religious ever asks and the majority of people who I interact with shrug it all off in the same way I do. Welcome to the UK.
Of course part of the benefit of such a forum is the chance to air to an audience who might actually be interested. I find it surprising that the mild things I have said have irked you so much and caused to react with such hostility. I am not the OP, remember that.
And finally, I do not “push” atheism. What an odd thing to say. I don’t have to. It is a default position. It is for those who propose a religious viewpoint to make their case and as yet I’ve still to find any coherent argument to be made.
I’m sure if you try hard enough and really want to be offended you will find something in this post to suit, but then I think so far you have very much read what you wanted to read.
Feel free to quote me any attacks I have made or insults on the person. Other than my criticisms of your approach you won’t be able to because I neither wrote it nor think it.
That’s mostly true. And I’d would like to say thanks for the thoughtful response. That said…
I wouldn’t say that I was offended as much as much of what you wrote is offensive to Christians. The fact that all this was presented on a holy day magnifies it.
This is just the thing, you don’t even realize it. You’re so cock-sure of your position and think so little of the intellect of those who are religious that you see the following as benign. It’s not:
(This one doesn’t go to you be insulting, but ignorant of Christianity’s stance on sin and sinners and the distinction made between the two. You also leave out the fact that Christianity believes that we are all sinners and that we can all be saved, the groups you mention included.)
So, you have no opinion on the beginnings of the world, the cosmos? And as a Theistic adherent (Creator god, sans religion), I think that my position makes more sense than a no Creator God reality. But that’s another discussion for another time. To continue:
How nice. Happy Easter.
If you could prove that their is not a Creator God then this would make sense. But since you can’t, another opportunity for you to blindly trumpet your disdain for weak-minded religionists from you high horse.
Here’s where the lack of empathy and imagination come in. Can you not put yourself in the shoes of a good and intelligent man who might be a Christian—or imagine such a being—and offer an explanation in which the man still might be good and intelligent. If not, as you claim, you are mighty short on the empathy and imagination attributes. Or just to deeply entrenched in the religion is stupid camp. Or both.
So, the BEST explanation is nonsensical. It must be nice to think you’re more intelligent than every person of faith on earth. Make sure to give yourself a nice pat on the back. :rolleyes:
Oh, well that makes it just dandy, doesn’t it. :rolleyes:
You know, I don’t think you’re as good at this critical thinking thing—that you hold in such high esteem—as you think you might be.
Well, I guess if you define your culture as the space between your ears or the sphere you share with other high-and-mighty atheists, you might be right.
Now I am gratified to hear that you object to that trollish, assholish OP. But what I don’t think you see is that you seem to be of the same mind. Yes, you have the class to not to want to flagrantly, or even intentionally, insult people, but the insults are there just the same.
Hopefully, these quotes you asked for help you realize that your posts are laced with insults, even if unintentionally.
But I LIKE bouncy castles! They’re so much fun! (The ball pits suck – you have to worry about all the little kids who’ve probably pissed their pants)
I am happy to consider that the universe came from nothing whereas you think the universe came from a creator god which presumably came from nothing. Your explanation includes an additional, substantial, complicated step…but as you say, another time.
No, I don’t accept that at all. If someone said that any element of my political views was nonsense, I would not see that as an insult. It is an opinion. And a political opinion carries no more and no less status than a religious one.
Someone may well feel insulted or offended by something not offered as an insult.
Guys like you are so tired. But you never seem to weary of spewing your BS. Just another provocateur.
Merry Christ-mas! & Happy Easter (for next year)
Meh, I’m atheist so I just refer to easter as “choco-bunny day”
At long last! The burning question can be addressed! Do you, in fact, put sugar on your porridge?
This…isn’t helping.
that sounds suspiciously racist and delicious.
I explained to my children ( one had decided he’s an atheist, but I’ve told him to keep his options open and no mocking others.) that Easter is the day that a Dead Jewish Carpenter rises from the grave and is a zombie and goes looking for brains.