I'm a respectful atheist. Ask me anything

[Anonymous]

Do you believe you have a soul?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The Bible says "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." So my question is, I know you're certain that there's no One out there, but if you're wrong, have you truly thought about what an eternity in Hell will be like?

I know this is why many don't believe, but that is why Christ said, "Repent, and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:15)

Thank you for answering this. I ask this sincerely.

Not the OP, but also an atheist. I was brought up in a church, and the god I learned about there was forgiving and loving. If I am wrong, I don't actually believe I am going to hell. I think that if there was a god, the one I'd want there to be would be forgiving and judge me based on my morality and good works, not faith or lack of faith.

So I think I'll be fine, whether I believe or not.

You know, you inadvertently make the Christian case. You will be judged on your morality and good works. And they will be lacking. I don't know you personally, but I know that we all are sinful sometimes. And you contradict yourself. You want God to judge you on your good works AND be forgiving? The Bible says you that if you want to work for your salvation, you're welcome to it, but you will never be able to pay the debt you owe for the things you do wrong. But the Bible also preaches forgiveness, which comes through Christ. If you reject Christ, you reject the forgiveness. So if you put your faith in Christ and not yourself, then you will not be judged according to your works, but according to your faith. Where my understanding fails me is why you would put stock in living a moral life but be so antithetical to Christ, who taught nothing but righteousness. Why not identify with Him? I get it if you want to be a Hedonist. Yeah, I'm a Hedonist, keep your Jesus away from me. But you're trying to choose a moral path. Why reject Christ. Here are listed the fruits of the spirit of Christ: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. What's to reject here? Christ taught us to love our enemies and do good to them, to sacrifice for others. What's to reject?

I don't want to sound disrespectful, and I am not the OP, but I am an atheist. When you ask "What's to reject?" you are making an assumption that is obvious to atheists, but not to Christians. Atheists don't believe in God, or Christ, or the Bible. Those ideas are meaningless to us. We don't reject your beliefs, to us, there is no basis for them. To us, you have been indoctrinated into a tradition that is no more and no less than complete fantasy. To me personally, it is sad that you have to have this fantasy. We live on such a wonderful planet. Our presence in this place is a result of wondrous evolution and synergies of time and space. Our time here is so short and so beautiful. Why do you have to have more? Can't you accept and embrace the gift of your mortality and be content to leave this world a better place than you found it to honor those who came before and those who will come after us?

You are not being disrespectful. But you ask, "Why do you have to have more?"

But our presence in this place is a result of a wondrous Creator who loves us all individually. I would ask, "Why do you have to have less?" I can't be content to merely leave the world a better place when I know the Lord who loves me.

I will relate a personal story. Shortly after I became a Christian a few years ago, I was feeling an immense amount of grief for the sins I had committed in my life. And I was lying in bed, grieving for all I had done wrong. And I wasn't praying for a sign, or really even praying at all. Just grieving, feeling a deep sense of remorse. And as I lay there, a verse from the Bible came to my mind. I could actually see it in type, with my eyes closed. And this was a verse I had never read. I didn't know it existed, because I had never read that book of the Bible. Actually, I had barely read the Bible at all, to that point. But I did believe God, and I believed I was a sinner, and I believed Christ died for those sins. So I picked up my Bible and opened up to that verse, and it was a response exactly to what I had been lying there thinking. It was no less clear a response than if Christ had been sitting in my room and we were having a conversation. You may scoff or discount this, but this is not something I could have conjured up in my mind. And I knew that I was forgiven.

If you don't believe in God, you certainly won't see Him anywhere. But those who do believe find that He's everywhere they look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the PP 18:41. I am not the OP but I am a respectful atheist.

To your question - I know you're certain that there's no One out there, but if you're wrong, have you truly thought about what an eternity in Hell will be like?

How much time do you spend worrying about whether the Muslims, or the Buddhists or the Hindus are correct and the possible consequences to you of being wrong and missing out completely on Nirvana? Not much, or any, I imagine.

Well, that is what it is like to be an atheist. You don't worry about something that you don't find credible. It's like asking if I'm worrying about falling off the edge of the world when I'm on a cruise. I don't believe the earth is flat, so I don't worry about it.

Your point is taken. However, yes, I have thought about those other things. As I understand it, with Islam, you're entirely at the whim of Allah whether you get into paradise, despite any efforts you take. And as I understand it, with Buddhists and Hindus, your life is merely prelude for another experience in which you keep getting more and more chances to get to this Nirvana or heightened consciousness and bliss. Only in Christianity is there a personal God who has actually done something for me to cover my sinfulness and who cares what happens to me eternally. I get that you don't believe, so you don't believe. But Christianity is so different from other belief systems, is set so far apart from everything else, that I wonder why it's so cavalierly dismissed. It's the only belief where God loves you personally. Yes, I know the Hell we preach is distasteful, but that's the whole engine behind the love. God doesn't will anyone to Hell. Anyone there has chosen it. Heaven is there for the asking.

I'm sorry, I didn't see this response to my comment before. I think that it is admirable that you have considered the other religions. To me, that is a healthy thing for someone to do who professes to believe in a supernatural deity. However, I don't think Christianity is so different or so set apart, and I don't think it is cavalierly dismissed. It's another world religion, with many of the same themes as it's cohorts. At the bottom, it is a belief in a supernatural deity who knows when you've been good or bad, and distributes blessings or eternal life in line with predetermined rules that were set down in the Iron Age or before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The Bible says "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." So my question is, I know you're certain that there's no One out there, but if you're wrong, have you truly thought about what an eternity in Hell will be like?

I know this is why many don't believe, but that is why Christ said, "Repent, and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:15)

Thank you for answering this. I ask this sincerely.

Not the OP, but also an atheist. I was brought up in a church, and the god I learned about there was forgiving and loving. If I am wrong, I don't actually believe I am going to hell. I think that if there was a god, the one I'd want there to be would be forgiving and judge me based on my morality and good works, not faith or lack of faith.

So I think I'll be fine, whether I believe or not.

So, you're always good?

Atheists don't believe anyone is "always good." That's a simplistic view.

We are all flawed. But if I, for example, own my flaws and try my best to be the best I can be, must I ask god for forgiveness in order to enter heaven? (if there is such a place, that is) Couldn't I be judged based on my actions and not necessarily my beliefs?

Really, what's the difference?

It's a world of difference. You just admitted your actions are flawed. And you want to own them but not ask for forgiveness. The difference is a pride of heart that says you can do what you want without consequence. Yes, you must ask forgiveness. Why not? Don't we expect that among ourselves? "Oh, I'm so sorry I hurt you. Please forgive me." That's a good thing. Well, you sin against God when you sin against others. He cares about people, so your sins against others offend Him, too. But God is not petty. He forgives those who ask for it. (1 John 1:9) And it's such a dire issue that He had to send Jesus Christ to earth to die for those sins, and ALL He asks is that you believe Him. I do not understand why people hate God for this. All He asks is you to believe Him. It's really that simple.

If I've made peace with the one I've offended, why do I need a middleman (or middlegod)?

I don't hate god; I simply don't believe in god.

God isn't the middleman. When you offend others, you offend Him most of all. God cares about what we do to each other, since He made us. And He is offended when others offend you, too.

[Anonymous]

Do you think atheists are more susceptible to existensial angst than those who believe in God?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the PP 18:41. I am not the OP but I am a respectful atheist.

To your question - I know you're certain that there's no One out there, but if you're wrong, have you truly thought about what an eternity in Hell will be like?

How much time do you spend worrying about whether the Muslims, or the Buddhists or the Hindus are correct and the possible consequences to you of being wrong and missing out completely on Nirvana? Not much, or any, I imagine.

Well, that is what it is like to be an atheist. You don't worry about something that you don't find credible. It's like asking if I'm worrying about falling off the edge of the world when I'm on a cruise. I don't believe the earth is flat, so I don't worry about it.

Your point is taken. However, yes, I have thought about those other things. As I understand it, with Islam, you're entirely at the whim of Allah whether you get into paradise, despite any efforts you take. And as I understand it, with Buddhists and Hindus, your life is merely prelude for another experience in which you keep getting more and more chances to get to this Nirvana or heightened consciousness and bliss. Only in Christianity is there a personal God who has actually done something for me to cover my sinfulness and who cares what happens to me eternally. I get that you don't believe, so you don't believe. But Christianity is so different from other belief systems, is set so far apart from everything else, that I wonder why it's so cavalierly dismissed. It's the only belief where God loves you personally. Yes, I know the Hell we preach is distasteful, but that's the whole engine behind the love. God doesn't will anyone to Hell. Anyone there has chosen it. Heaven is there for the asking.

I'm sorry, I didn't see this response to my comment before. I think that it is admirable that you have considered the other religions. To me, that is a healthy thing for someone to do who professes to believe in a supernatural deity. However, I don't think Christianity is so different or so set apart, and I don't think it is cavalierly dismissed. It's another world religion, with many of the same themes as it's cohorts. At the bottom, it is a belief in a supernatural deity who knows when you've been good or bad, and distributes blessings or eternal life in line with predetermined rules that were set down in the Iron Age or before.

I would respectfully ask you to sit down and think about all world religions and Christianity. Christianity is the only one built on love for you personally from a personal God. It is the only one that gives you eternal life based on your faith and not whether you earn it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The Bible says "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." So my question is, I know you're certain that there's no One out there, but if you're wrong, have you truly thought about what an eternity in Hell will be like?

I know this is why many don't believe, but that is why Christ said, "Repent, and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:15)

Thank you for answering this. I ask this sincerely.

Not the OP, but also an atheist. I was brought up in a church, and the god I learned about there was forgiving and loving. If I am wrong, I don't actually believe I am going to hell. I think that if there was a god, the one I'd want there to be would be forgiving and judge me based on my morality and good works, not faith or lack of faith.

So I think I'll be fine, whether I believe or not.

So, you're always good?

Atheists don't believe anyone is "always good." That's a simplistic view.

We are all flawed. But if I, for example, own my flaws and try my best to be the best I can be, must I ask god for forgiveness in order to enter heaven? (if there is such a place, that is) Couldn't I be judged based on my actions and not necessarily my beliefs?

Really, what's the difference?

It's a world of difference. You just admitted your actions are flawed. And you want to own them but not ask for forgiveness. The difference is a pride of heart that says you can do what you want without consequence. Yes, you must ask forgiveness. Why not? Don't we expect that among ourselves? "Oh, I'm so sorry I hurt you. Please forgive me." That's a good thing. Well, you sin against God when you sin against others. He cares about people, so your sins against others offend Him, too. But God is not petty. He forgives those who ask for it. (1 John 1:9) And it's such a dire issue that He had to send Jesus Christ to earth to die for those sins, and ALL He asks is that you believe Him. I do not understand why people hate God for this. All He asks is you to believe Him. It's really that simple.

If I've made peace with the one I've offended, why do I need a middleman (or middlegod)?

I don't hate god; I simply don't believe in god.

God isn't the middleman. When you offend others, you offend Him most of all. God cares about what we do to each other, since He made us. And He is offended when others offend you, too.

So it's secondhand for him.

That's why I don't understand why I'd have to apologize twice. If my 6 yo son shoves his 10 yo sister, I would expect him to apologize to her - and not to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The Bible says "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." So my question is, I know you're certain that there's no One out there, but if you're wrong, have you truly thought about what an eternity in Hell will be like?

I know this is why many don't believe, but that is why Christ said, "Repent, and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:15)

Thank you for answering this. I ask this sincerely.

Not the OP, but also an atheist. I was brought up in a church, and the god I learned about there was forgiving and loving. If I am wrong, I don't actually believe I am going to hell. I think that if there was a god, the one I'd want there to be would be forgiving and judge me based on my morality and good works, not faith or lack of faith.

So I think I'll be fine, whether I believe or not.

You know, you inadvertently make the Christian case. You will be judged on your morality and good works. And they will be lacking. I don't know you personally, but I know that we all are sinful sometimes. And you contradict yourself. You want God to judge you on your good works AND be forgiving? The Bible says you that if you want to work for your salvation, you're welcome to it, but you will never be able to pay the debt you owe for the things you do wrong. But the Bible also preaches forgiveness, which comes through Christ. If you reject Christ, you reject the forgiveness. So if you put your faith in Christ and not yourself, then you will not be judged according to your works, but according to your faith. Where my understanding fails me is why you would put stock in living a moral life but be so antithetical to Christ, who taught nothing but righteousness. Why not identify with Him? I get it if you want to be a Hedonist. Yeah, I'm a Hedonist, keep your Jesus away from me. But you're trying to choose a moral path. Why reject Christ. Here are listed the fruits of the spirit of Christ: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. What's to reject here? Christ taught us to love our enemies and do good to them, to sacrifice for others. What's to reject?

I don't want to sound disrespectful, and I am not the OP, but I am an atheist. When you ask "What's to reject?" you are making an assumption that is obvious to atheists, but not to Christians. Atheists don't believe in God, or Christ, or the Bible. Those ideas are meaningless to us. We don't reject your beliefs, to us, there is no basis for them. To us, you have been indoctrinated into a tradition that is no more and no less than complete fantasy. To me personally, it is sad that you have to have this fantasy. We live on such a wonderful planet. Our presence in this place is a result of wondrous evolution and synergies of time and space. Our time here is so short and so beautiful. Why do you have to have more? Can't you accept and embrace the gift of your mortality and be content to leave this world a better place than you found it to honor those who came before and those who will come after us?

You are not being disrespectful. But you ask, "Why do you have to have more?"

But our presence in this place is a result of a wondrous Creator who loves us all individually. I would ask, "Why do you have to have less?" I can't be content to merely leave the world a better place when I know the Lord who loves me.

I will relate a personal story. Shortly after I became a Christian a few years ago, I was feeling an immense amount of grief for the sins I had committed in my life. And I was lying in bed, grieving for all I had done wrong. And I wasn't praying for a sign, or really even praying at all. Just grieving, feeling a deep sense of remorse. And as I lay there, a verse from the Bible came to my mind. I could actually see it in type, with my eyes closed. And this was a verse I had never read. I didn't know it existed, because I had never read that book of the Bible. Actually, I had barely read the Bible at all, to that point. But I did believe God, and I believed I was a sinner, and I believed Christ died for those sins. So I picked up my Bible and opened up to that verse, and it was a response exactly to what I had been lying there thinking. It was no less clear a response than if Christ had been sitting in my room and we were having a conversation. You may scoff or discount this, but this is not something I could have conjured up in my mind. And I knew that I was forgiven.

If you don't believe in God, you certainly won't see Him anywhere. But those who do believe find that He's everywhere they look.

This was a very sweet story. I'm sure that the people looking to have their belief in the Christian God will enjoy it and find it uplifting. I am glad that your belief system works for you and offers you comfort and hope. I don't need a belief in a supernatural deity or in the human sacrifice of what sounds like a very fine man to make me feel complete. I don't understand those who do, I don't want to take it away from them, all I want is for them stop trying to insert their religious beliefs into the laws of my beloved country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The Bible says "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." So my question is, I know you're certain that there's no One out there, but if you're wrong, have you truly thought about what an eternity in Hell will be like?

I know this is why many don't believe, but that is why Christ said, "Repent, and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:15)

Thank you for answering this. I ask this sincerely.

Not the OP, but also an atheist. I was brought up in a church, and the god I learned about there was forgiving and loving. If I am wrong, I don't actually believe I am going to hell. I think that if there was a god, the one I'd want there to be would be forgiving and judge me based on my morality and good works, not faith or lack of faith.

So I think I'll be fine, whether I believe or not.

You know, you inadvertently make the Christian case. You will be judged on your morality and good works. And they will be lacking. I don't know you personally, but I know that we all are sinful sometimes. And you contradict yourself. You want God to judge you on your good works AND be forgiving? The Bible says you that if you want to work for your salvation, you're welcome to it, but you will never be able to pay the debt you owe for the things you do wrong. But the Bible also preaches forgiveness, which comes through Christ. If you reject Christ, you reject the forgiveness. So if you put your faith in Christ and not yourself, then you will not be judged according to your works, but according to your faith. Where my understanding fails me is why you would put stock in living a moral life but be so antithetical to Christ, who taught nothing but righteousness. Why not identify with Him? I get it if you want to be a Hedonist. Yeah, I'm a Hedonist, keep your Jesus away from me. But you're trying to choose a moral path. Why reject Christ. Here are listed the fruits of the spirit of Christ: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. What's to reject here? Christ taught us to love our enemies and do good to them, to sacrifice for others. What's to reject?

I don't want to sound disrespectful, and I am not the OP, but I am an atheist. When you ask "What's to reject?" you are making an assumption that is obvious to atheists, but not to Christians. Atheists don't believe in God, or Christ, or the Bible. Those ideas are meaningless to us. We don't reject your beliefs, to us, there is no basis for them. To us, you have been indoctrinated into a tradition that is no more and no less than complete fantasy. To me personally, it is sad that you have to have this fantasy. We live on such a wonderful planet. Our presence in this place is a result of wondrous evolution and synergies of time and space. Our time here is so short and so beautiful. Why do you have to have more? Can't you accept and embrace the gift of your mortality and be content to leave this world a better place than you found it to honor those who came before and those who will come after us?

You are not being disrespectful. But you ask, "Why do you have to have more?"

But our presence in this place is a result of a wondrous Creator who loves us all individually. I would ask, "Why do you have to have less?" I can't be content to merely leave the world a better place when I know the Lord who loves me.

I will relate a personal story. Shortly after I became a Christian a few years ago, I was feeling an immense amount of grief for the sins I had committed in my life. And I was lying in bed, grieving for all I had done wrong. And I wasn't praying for a sign, or really even praying at all. Just grieving, feeling a deep sense of remorse. And as I lay there, a verse from the Bible came to my mind. I could actually see it in type, with my eyes closed. And this was a verse I had never read. I didn't know it existed, because I had never read that book of the Bible. Actually, I had barely read the Bible at all, to that point. But I did believe God, and I believed I was a sinner, and I believed Christ died for those sins. So I picked up my Bible and opened up to that verse, and it was a response exactly to what I had been lying there thinking. It was no less clear a response than if Christ had been sitting in my room and we were having a conversation. You may scoff or discount this, but this is not something I could have conjured up in my mind. And I knew that I was forgiven.

If you don't believe in God, you certainly won't see Him anywhere. But those who do believe find that He's everywhere they look.

This was a very sweet story. I'm sure that the people looking to have their belief in the Christian God will enjoy it and find it uplifting. I am glad that your belief system works for you and offers you comfort and hope. I don't need a belief in a supernatural deity or in the human sacrifice of what sounds like a very fine man to make me feel complete. I don't understand those who do, I don't want to take it away from them, all I want is for them stop trying to insert their religious beliefs into the laws of my beloved country.

not pp. If there were a separation of church and state would you accept laws to retain some reference to morality as long as it weren't tied to God?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The Bible says "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." So my question is, I know you're certain that there's no One out there, but if you're wrong, have you truly thought about what an eternity in Hell will be like?

I know this is why many don't believe, but that is why Christ said, "Repent, and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:15)

Thank you for answering this. I ask this sincerely.

Not the OP, but also an atheist. I was brought up in a church, and the god I learned about there was forgiving and loving. If I am wrong, I don't actually believe I am going to hell. I think that if there was a god, the one I'd want there to be would be forgiving and judge me based on my morality and good works, not faith or lack of faith.

So I think I'll be fine, whether I believe or not.

So, you're always good?

Atheists don't believe anyone is "always good." That's a simplistic view.

We are all flawed. But if I, for example, own my flaws and try my best to be the best I can be, must I ask god for forgiveness in order to enter heaven? (if there is such a place, that is) Couldn't I be judged based on my actions and not necessarily my beliefs?

Really, what's the difference?

It's a world of difference. You just admitted your actions are flawed. And you want to own them but not ask for forgiveness. The difference is a pride of heart that says you can do what you want without consequence. Yes, you must ask forgiveness. Why not? Don't we expect that among ourselves? "Oh, I'm so sorry I hurt you. Please forgive me." That's a good thing. Well, you sin against God when you sin against others. He cares about people, so your sins against others offend Him, too. But God is not petty. He forgives those who ask for it. (1 John 1:9) And it's such a dire issue that He had to send Jesus Christ to earth to die for those sins, and ALL He asks is that you believe Him. I do not understand why people hate God for this. All He asks is you to believe Him. It's really that simple.

If I've made peace with the one I've offended, why do I need a middleman (or middlegod)?

I don't hate god; I simply don't believe in god.

God isn't the middleman. When you offend others, you offend Him most of all. God cares about what we do to each other, since He made us. And He is offended when others offend you, too.

So it's secondhand for him.

That's why I don't understand why I'd have to apologize twice. If my 6 yo son shoves his 10 yo sister, I would expect him to apologize to her - and not to me.

Really, as the father to both children, you don't feel that your son has not only offended his sister, but also offended you, who also loves his daughter and has taught his son to respect others? You don't see an offense both against your sister as a person, and against your authority as his father? It's not secondhand, it's two offenses with one action. He knows he's not supposed to shove his sister, because it's hurtful to her and disrespectful to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the PP 18:41. I am not the OP but I am a respectful atheist.

To your question - I know you're certain that there's no One out there, but if you're wrong, have you truly thought about what an eternity in Hell will be like?

How much time do you spend worrying about whether the Muslims, or the Buddhists or the Hindus are correct and the possible consequences to you of being wrong and missing out completely on Nirvana? Not much, or any, I imagine.

Well, that is what it is like to be an atheist. You don't worry about something that you don't find credible. It's like asking if I'm worrying about falling off the edge of the world when I'm on a cruise. I don't believe the earth is flat, so I don't worry about it.

Your point is taken. However, yes, I have thought about those other things. As I understand it, with Islam, you're entirely at the whim of Allah whether you get into paradise, despite any efforts you take. And as I understand it, with Buddhists and Hindus, your life is merely prelude for another experience in which you keep getting more and more chances to get to this Nirvana or heightened consciousness and bliss. Only in Christianity is there a personal God who has actually done something for me to cover my sinfulness and who cares what happens to me eternally. I get that you don't believe, so you don't believe. But Christianity is so different from other belief systems, is set so far apart from everything else, that I wonder why it's so cavalierly dismissed. It's the only belief where God loves you personally. Yes, I know the Hell we preach is distasteful, but that's the whole engine behind the love. God doesn't will anyone to Hell. Anyone there has chosen it. Heaven is there for the asking.

I'm sorry, I didn't see this response to my comment before. I think that it is admirable that you have considered the other religions. To me, that is a healthy thing for someone to do who professes to believe in a supernatural deity. However, I don't think Christianity is so different or so set apart, and I don't think it is cavalierly dismissed. It's another world religion, with many of the same themes as it's cohorts. At the bottom, it is a belief in a supernatural deity who knows when you've been good or bad, and distributes blessings or eternal life in line with predetermined rules that were set down in the Iron Age or before.

I would respectfully ask you to sit down and think about all world religions and Christianity. Christianity is the only one built on love for you personally from a personal God. It is the only one that gives you eternal life based on your faith and not whether you earn it.

Christianity is built, first and foremost, on a belief in a supernatural deity. Therefore, it is like most world religions. What that particular God feels about you personally is secondary. First, as with all the others, you have to accept the idea that there is a God, or Buddha, or Allah. Then, the details will differ from one to the other. But, unless you are ready to take the jump into believing in the supernatural, none of them have any "legs". I think that as humankind matures, gains knowledge and perspective, the need for supernatural deities of any kind will gradually fade away until all that is left are some holidays and entertaining superstitions.

[Anonymous]

Responding to 20:50. What is morality? If a law says, don't kill people. That just makes sense. If a law says, you can't get married because God doesn't like homosexuality, that makes no sense. That is inserting religion into law.

[Anonymous]

Really, as the father to both children, you don't feel that your son has not only offended his sister, but also offended you, who also loves his daughter and has taught his son to respect others? You don't see an offense both against your sister as a person, and against your authority as his father? It's not secondhand, it's two offenses with one action. He knows he's not supposed to shove his sister, because it's hurtful to her and disrespectful to you.

Not OP but no, I don't see this as an offense to me. In this example once he's apologized to his sister he is done what I expect of him. No need to apologize to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Really, as the father to both children, you don't feel that your son has not only offended his sister, but also offended you, who also loves his daughter and has taught his son to respect others? You don't see an offense both against your sister as a person, and against your authority as his father? It's not secondhand, it's two offenses with one action. He knows he's not supposed to shove his sister, because it's hurtful to her and disrespectful to you.

Not OP but no, I don't see this as an offense to me. In this example once he's apologized to his sister he is done what I expect of him. No need to apologize to me.

I am seeing something interesting here. Atheists don't want a supernatural boss. They may have a marginal respect for authority. I think religious people WANT a boss. They want AN authority. As an atheist myself I have to admit, I have never been a joiner. I can't imagine wanting to spend time with a group of people who are trying to figure out how best to do what a supernatural third party wants them to do. I can't imagine spending my precious time on this wonderful planet reading over some old book of rules and stories to find meaning for my life. In fact, I shouldn't be here now, counting how many fantasies can dance on the head of a pin.

Good luck to you! i am going out to count some stars!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Really, as the father to both children, you don't feel that your son has not only offended his sister, but also offended you, who also loves his daughter and has taught his son to respect others? You don't see an offense both against your sister as a person, and against your authority as his father? It's not secondhand, it's two offenses with one action. He knows he's not supposed to shove his sister, because it's hurtful to her and disrespectful to you.

Not OP but no, I don't see this as an offense to me. In this example once he's apologized to his sister he is done what I expect of him. No need to apologize to me.

I am seeing something interesting here. Atheists don't want a supernatural boss. They may have a marginal respect for authority. I think religious people WANT a boss. They want AN authority. As an atheist myself I have to admit, I have never been a joiner. I can't imagine wanting to spend time with a group of people who are trying to figure out how best to do what a supernatural third party wants them to do. I can't imagine spending my precious time on this wonderful planet reading over some old book of rules and stories to find meaning for my life. In fact, I shouldn't be here now, counting how many fantasies can dance on the head of a pin.

Good luck to you! i am going out to count some stars!

You are not OP, though, right? I hope OP will continue to post here and respond to questions. This has been quite a good discussion