Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Technically, you cannot prove or deny the existence of God. Just because there is no physical proof that doesn't mean he doesn't exist. Just because you have a bible and a bunch of stories, that doesn't mean he exists.

In a perfect world, we'd all be Agnostic.

+1

I honestly don't know how people can say "you can't deny science" with a straight face. Yes, you can. In fact, scientific theories are disproven all the time. Okay, today scientists think the Universe came out of nowhere 13.8 billion years ago. Who's to say it was not 13.9 or 13.7 billion years ago? A mathematical model? Give me a break. For ages we've been taught about the Big Bang. Now many say it is highly questionable. I won't even mention that science doesn't bother to explain what was before the Big Bang. And these people will lecture others about the scientific method? Pathetic. (And I'm not even religious in the traditional sense.)

Why can you accept that God is eternal, but not accept that the Universe is eternal and continuously expands and contracts?

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Anonymous wrote:OP - I am with you on not getting atheism.
I think many of these atheists have never witnessed the miracle of birth.
People talk about the “randomness of the universe.”
It is not random at all.
The fact that so many, many things can go wrong with the birth of a child and most often, a baby is born nearly perfect proves to me that God’s hand is at work and that we have a good and loving God.
And, to think that a giant maple tree can grow out of a seed that is the size of a pea - simply miraculous.
I have witnessed miracles nearly every day.
There are some things that we simply cannot understand or explain through science.

So if a seed doesn't sprout or a baby does in childbirth is it an anti-miracle?

Not at all. It simply was not meant to be - for whatever reason.
Not everything can be explained.
I don’t have all the answers, but I do have a strong faith in God.
There have been many unexplainable miracles in my life.

Just because YOU don't understand the science doesn't mean that the explanation is "God" instead of biology.

Ahh... but science does not have all the answers.
Science explains SOME of the miracles of life, but not all.
God’s hand at work.
I don’t expect you to believe. You can choose your course in life.
I choose to believe because of the miraculous events I have witnessed.
One of which is the birth of a child.
It doesn’t get much more miraculous than that.

Science has the ability to explain everything in time.

I have delivered two children personally and been present at other births. There is nothing miraculous about biology and technology. Sorry.

And you know that exactly how?

It's really funny how much ignorance can be demonstrated by those who claim to be enlightened.

It's inherent to the scientific method. I'm sorry that you don't understand that. We desperately need better science education in our schools.

I was not educated in "your" schoold. Enlighten me how something like this can be inherent in a method.

Oh, dear...

Read: "A Beginner's Guide to the Scientific Method"
http://www.amazon.com/A-Beginners-Guide-Scientific-Method/dp/1111305552

If you're not scared of Dawkins, "The Magic of Reality" is a great book.

The TV series "Cosmos" was beautiful, but is limited by its format. Worth watching, though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lot of what religions teach is irreconcilable with the observable world and truth, contradictory, and deeply offensive. It's easy enough.

NP. I think this is a source of frustration for me regarding atheism. Religion =/= God.

Not pp. How are you determining belief in God, or attributes about God, without religion? What is informing your ideas that, for example, God is a loving and understanding being, rather than a hateful and vengeful being? What are you using to determine how you describe your belief in God?

I'm not trying to snark, I'm genuinely trying to understand what informs this kind of belief in a god, but not religion.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the latest American fashion, nothing else. I will die out just like it did in most cultures that tried to instill it as the official state religion.

I grew up in a mostly atheist household, although my parents were not nearly as militant as some atheists on DCUM LOL I find atheism kind of pointless and very narrow-minded. It's a pitiful way to go through life. I'd rather be happy (or at least at peace) than right.

That sounds really sad, that you seem to not be able to have or even perceive happiness or peace without religion and/or God. I guess I just don't really understand that.

My family, my friends, community, the outdoors, hobbies, interests, and even experiences with other humans give me plenty of happiness, peace, and joy. I feel fulfilled, and feel like my life is full in this life. I don't need to concern myself with an "afterlife" - my happiness in the present is enough. That doesn't mean it's perfect, but I feel plenty of contentment and purpose, as is, right now.

I am happy for you. Enjoy feeling superior to me. I guess it is one way to feel content

Huh? Where are you getting "superior" from? That sounds like insecurity speaking. I very genuinely wish you peace and happiness in your life, as is, right now.

You are not the first on to assume that faith is for the weak. Strong successful people don't need its solace. Well, you are wrong. That's as much as I care to say.

Anonymous wrote:I lot of what religions teach is irreconcilable with the observable world and truth, contradictory, and deeply offensive. It's easy enough.

NP. I think this is a source of frustration for me regarding atheism. Religion =/= God.

Anonymous wrote:Technically, you cannot prove or deny the existence of God. Just because there is no physical proof that doesn't mean he doesn't exist. Just because you have a bible and a bunch of stories, that doesn't mean he exists.

In a perfect world, we'd all be Agnostic.

+1

I honestly don't know how people can say "you can't deny science" with a straight face. Yes, you can. In fact, scientific theories are disproven all the time. Okay, today scientists think the Universe came out of nowhere 13.8 billion years ago. Who's to say it was not 13.9 or 13.7 billion years ago? A mathematical model? Give me a break. For ages we've been taught about the Big Bang. Now many say it is highly questionable. I won't even mention that science doesn't bother to explain what was before the Big Bang. And these people will lecture others about the scientific method? Pathetic. (And I'm not even religious in the traditional sense.)

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Anonymous wrote:OP here, I'm not a troll. Yes, I'm VERY insecure, but I don't lack any critical thinking skills at all and I find offense with your post. I am a free thinker because I don't let religion influence my beliefs.

Something is not adding up.

Are you struggling with your beliefs? I'm an atheist, but one's faith should provide them with a level of comfort, should it not? Do you really have faith, or are you just going through the motions of your religion?

OP here, I was born a Catholic, raised a Catholic and I will die a Catholic. That said, I'm open about the fact that I've reconciled my sexuality with God and that for 8 months back in 2012, I guess you could say I "experimented" with Atheism, before returning to my faith. My father was an Atheist and he never tried to convert me; it was my decision he said and my mother agreed. I come from a liberal (in terms of faith) household and maybe that influences my positions on things like evolution and the big bang (well that and my love for cosmology). That said, I am not struggling with anything as I am a faithful person; not as much as I used to be, but I still remain faithful.

Are you gay?

bisexual

People may be reacting very strongly because Catholicism is not LGBT friendly

Anonymous wrote:Why?

I'm 23 and supposedly most my age aren't religious, but I don't understand how you can just say you don't believe in God anymore? Do you think you're more intelligent because you're an Atheist? I'm pretty free thinking myself, so I obviously don't let religion influence my thinking. So what is it about Atheism that is appealing to you all?

No, I'm not more intelligent. Not at all. I simply think differently than you do. I didn't just decide one day that I don't believe anymore. It took years. It isn't that Atheism is appealing per se, it's simply what feels right to me. I could have remained a hypocrite, going to church and trying/pretending all was well and good. But it wasn't. So I'm honest with myself and no longer pretend to believe in something that makes no sense to me even after growing up going to church etc. That's the thing for me. All I ever did was GO to church. I sat in a pew for an hour/week, and as a kid attended Sunday school classes. I don't think I ever got anything out of it. For a while as an adult I went to church, I took my kids. I did the bible readings every day. But I was just going through the motions. Now I don't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the latest American fashion, nothing else. I will die out just like it did in most cultures that tried to instill it as the official state religion.

I grew up in a mostly atheist household, although my parents were not nearly as militant as some atheists on DCUM LOL I find atheism kind of pointless and very narrow-minded. It's a pitiful way to go through life. I'd rather be happy (or at least at peace) than right.

That sounds really sad, that you seem to not be able to have or even perceive happiness or peace without religion and/or God. I guess I just don't really understand that.

My family, my friends, community, the outdoors, hobbies, interests, and even experiences with other humans give me plenty of happiness, peace, and joy. I feel fulfilled, and feel like my life is full in this life. I don't need to concern myself with an "afterlife" - my happiness in the present is enough. That doesn't mean it's perfect, but I feel plenty of contentment and purpose, as is, right now.

I am happy for you. Enjoy feeling superior to me. I guess it is one way to feel content

Huh? Where are you getting "superior" from? That sounds like insecurity speaking. I very genuinely wish you peace and happiness in your life, as is, right now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - I am with you on not getting atheism.
I think many of these atheists have never witnessed the miracle of birth.
People talk about the “randomness of the universe.”
It is not random at all.
The fact that so many, many things can go wrong with the birth of a child and most often, a baby is born nearly perfect proves to me that God’s hand is at work and that we have a good and loving God.
And, to think that a giant maple tree can grow out of a seed that is the size of a pea - simply miraculous.
I have witnessed miracles nearly every day.
There are some things that we simply cannot understand or explain through science.

So if a seed doesn't sprout or a baby does in childbirth is it an anti-miracle?

Not at all. It simply was not meant to be - for whatever reason.
Not everything can be explained.
I don’t have all the answers, but I do have a strong faith in God.
There have been many unexplainable miracles in my life.

Just because YOU don't understand the science doesn't mean that the explanation is "God" instead of biology.

Ahh... but science does not have all the answers.
Science explains SOME of the miracles of life, but not all.
God’s hand at work.
I don’t expect you to believe. You can choose your course in life.
I choose to believe because of the miraculous events I have witnessed.
One of which is the birth of a child.
It doesn’t get much more miraculous than that.

Science has the ability to explain everything in time.

I have delivered two children personally and been present at other births. There is nothing miraculous about biology and technology. Sorry.

And you know that exactly how?

It's really funny how much ignorance can be demonstrated by those who claim to be enlightened.

It's inherent to the scientific method. I'm sorry that you don't understand that. We desperately need better science education in our schools.

I was not educated in "your" schoold. Enlighten me how something like this can be inherent in a method.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the latest American fashion, nothing else. I will die out just like it did in most cultures that tried to instill it as the official state religion.

I grew up in a mostly atheist household, although my parents were not nearly as militant as some atheists on DCUM LOL I find atheism kind of pointless and very narrow-minded. It's a pitiful way to go through life. I'd rather be happy (or at least at peace) than right.

That sounds really sad, that you seem to not be able to have or even perceive happiness or peace without religion and/or God. I guess I just don't really understand that.

My family, my friends, community, the outdoors, hobbies, interests, and even experiences with other humans give me plenty of happiness, peace, and joy. I feel fulfilled, and feel like my life is full in this life. I don't need to concern myself with an "afterlife" - my happiness in the present is enough. That doesn't mean it's perfect, but I feel plenty of contentment and purpose, as is, right now.

I am happy for you. Enjoy feeling superior to me. I guess it is one way to feel content

OP, I'll bite the bullet. You're very young, or very dumb, or both.

And it has nothing to do with you being religious. You sound like you believe because that's what you think you're supposed to be (ie, "was born and will die a Catholic"). Like you don't have an option, and that it's the paradigm you're in no matter what.

There are a lot of intelligent religious people who make informed and educated understandings about faith and religion. They really research. They believe they have a choice about what to believe and identify as. They don't just go to church because it's what they're supposed to be and die as, but because of a sincere search.

So maybe you have some growing up to do, or maybe you should really study religion (not just Catholicism, but other traditions) so you have an informed understanding. You could be young, you could be dumb, but it has nothing to do with belief/unbelief.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I'm not a troll. Yes, I'm VERY insecure, but I don't lack any critical thinking skills at all and I find offense with your post. I am a free thinker because I don't let religion influence my beliefs.

Something is not adding up.

Are you struggling with your beliefs? I'm an atheist, but one's faith should provide them with a level of comfort, should it not? Do you really have faith, or are you just going through the motions of your religion?

OP here, I was born a Catholic, raised a Catholic and I will die a Catholic. That said, I'm open about the fact that I've reconciled my sexuality with God and that for 8 months back in 2012, I guess you could say I "experimented" with Atheism, before returning to my faith. My father was an Atheist and he never tried to convert me; it was my decision he said and my mother agreed. I come from a liberal (in terms of faith) household and maybe that influences my positions on things like evolution and the big bang (well that and my love for cosmology). That said, I am not struggling with anything as I am a faithful person; not as much as I used to be, but I still remain faithful.

Are you gay?

bisexual

So you can't make up your mind about anything, then.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I'm not a troll. Yes, I'm VERY insecure, but I don't lack any critical thinking skills at all and I find offense with your post. I am a free thinker because I don't let religion influence my beliefs.

Something is not adding up.

Are you struggling with your beliefs? I'm an atheist, but one's faith should provide them with a level of comfort, should it not? Do you really have faith, or are you just going through the motions of your religion?

OP here, I was born a Catholic, raised a Catholic and I will die a Catholic. That said, I'm open about the fact that I've reconciled my sexuality with God and that for 8 months back in 2012, I guess you could say I "experimented" with Atheism, before returning to my faith. My father was an Atheist and he never tried to convert me; it was my decision he said and my mother agreed. I come from a liberal (in terms of faith) household and maybe that influences my positions on things like evolution and the big bang (well that and my love for cosmology). That said, I am not struggling with anything as I am a faithful person; not as much as I used to be, but I still remain faithful.

Are you gay?

bisexual

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no reason to believe in a god. I have never seen one. I have not met anyone that I agree with 100%. So, why should I adopt someone else's myth? Life it complex and you should not try to fit it into a box. Look at what's happening in the middle east.

It's complex, but in the end it's simple. Good vs Evil.

If everything was created by God, then God is the creator/origin of evil.