Christians are easily startled, but they'll soon be back. And in greater numbers 36:11

[Gethelred]

Welcome to the Ask an Atheist thread II.

Previous part:

Win Prizes - Ask an Atheist - Shoe's on the other foot now!

Alright, we're going to have a change of tack. As I'm sure you can see, the thread title has been changed to Ask an Atheist. People who have a question to ask of the atheists who populate this thread - more than the christians do - should feel free to ask questions of them. If you've still got...

www.bigfooty.com

Standard board rules apply.

 

[Total Power]

When I jokingly referred to COKE, it was THE REAL THING slogan . As if you guys don't get that.

Special pleading again? But if we were to ask every human on earth: Do you think killing/genocide, hating people who can think for themselves, misogyny is wrong? What do you think the majority would answer? They would say yes. And where do we find pro-killing/genocide/anti-intellect/pro misogyny, pro slavery - Bible. But not in Buddhism. Thus the objective moral good is to follow Buddhism before Christianity.

Real thing haha please!

Anyway...
Why on earth do you suppose that Christians can't and don't meditate (on the Bible), walk among nature, do yoga, spend time in solitude... we can and do all those activities as Christians. You guys do not have exclusivity to such activities.

Gnostics knew and practised meditation, this didn't sit well with the Romans. Read a bit of history. Meditation is mostly working on self, acknowledging the "kingdom of god is inside you" and you are a tiny spec in the nature. Why you think the Gnostics were persecuted? The whole "believe me in your god" has to be sold to the people. Prayers were introduced, the concept of sin and salvation was introduced.

 

[Total Power]

You continue to be utterly disrespectful and assume you know anything about us posters. You are not the only nong who can meditate. Christians can and do meditate.

I know plenty of Christians who can. I am talking about YOU. Not all Christians are one eyed fundamentalists though.

Besides, running, swimming, cycling, rowing etc. can all lead to states of meditation.
Buddhism may be meditation based, but as if you don't know this, maybe you don't, one DOES NOT NEED TO BE A BUDDHIST TO MEDITATE.

I never denied any of that. I am saying the whole concept of meditation is not Christian. It existed thousands of years prior to Christianity in Eastern mysticism

 

[Vdubs]

I know plenty of Christians who can. I am talking about YOU. Not all Christians are one eyed fundamentalists though.



I never denied any of that. I am saying the whole concept of meditation is not Christian. It existed thousands of years prior to Christianity in Eastern mysticism

So what- worm your way out of your arrogance, or better still apologise. Meditation is free for everyone, and I certainly benefit from it; it may not be according to the edict of the mighty Total Power, but that is absolutely irrelevant.
We are not comparing. I am not anyway- you incessantly need to bring up other issues, even in this Ask an Atheist thread.

 

[Total Power]

So what- worm your way out of your arrogance, or better still apologise. Meditation is free for everyone, and I certainly benefit from it; it may not be according to the edict of the mighty Total Power, but that is absolutely irrelevant.
We are not comparing. I am not anyway- you incessantly need to bring up other issues, even in this Ask an Atheist thread.

What arrogance? there's ample evidence that you know **** all about other religions and practice. Calling "Christianity" the real thing based on what? your belief? how is that not disrespectful towards other religions? you tried to talk against Quran in the other thread without reading (or knowing) what you are copypasting and i am arrogant?

And i stand by what i said. You don't know what meditation is. Many Chrsitians may, but you don't. Many of my Christian friends found the app helpful cause mind is 'powerful' against meditation (trying to prevent you from it). But you had to make a smartarse comment against it.

 

[Vdubs]

What arrogance? there's ample evidence that you know **** all about other religions and practice. Calling "Christianity" the real thing based on what? your belief? how is that not disrespectful towards other religions? you tried to talk against Quran in the other thread without reading (or knowing) what you are copypasting and i am arrogant?

And i stand by what i said. You don't know what meditation is. Many Chrsitians may, but you don't. Many of my Christian friends found the app helpful cause mind is 'powerful' against meditation (trying to prevent you from it). But you had to make a smartarse comment against it.

Garbage, puerile one.
And I don't need to know a thing about religions to understand the value of meditation.
Does it disturb you that a Born Again Christian can get into meditation?
Not that I owe you the courtesy of an explanation, but Mindfulness Meditation is used by colleagues and myself to assist in pain management and life issues. And Christian meditation is real. It does not need to stand up to your Buddhism realm.
And you have NO RIGHT to tell anyone here they have no idea about anything, including meditation.

 

[Vdubs]

I know plenty of Christians who can. I am talking about YOU. Not all Christians are one eyed fundamentalists though.



I never denied any of that. I am saying the whole concept of meditation is not Christian. It existed thousands of years prior to Christianity in Eastern mysticism

NOBODY said the concept of meditation is Christian, but you have a penchant for jumping at shadows.

 

[Total Power]

Garbage, puerile one.
And I don't need to know a thing about religions to understand the value of meditation.

Yeah that's typically you though, talk about stuff without knowing much about it. Cool.

Does it disturb you that a Born Again Christian can get into meditation?

Nope but it does disturb me when you know **** about it. If i talk about Christianity without reading the Bible, imagine? same goes for you.

Not that I owe you the courtesy of an explanation, but Mindfulness Meditation is used by colleagues and myself to assist in pain management and life issues. And Christian meditation is real.

There's no Christian/buddhist meditation, there 's 'meditation' period. The origins of meditation doesn't lie with Buddhism, mediatative practices were actually banned by Constantine cause and whatever didn't require worship. The early Christians were actually were aware of this.

Geez, learn a thing or two first about what you are on about.

It does not need to stand up to your Buddhism realm.

Of course, you do not wish to know where the practices came from? "Christian" meditation, hahah! please.

And you have NO RIGHT to tell anyone here they have no idea about anything, including meditation.

If you try to discredit something by copy pasting from other sources without knowing what you are on about you, i don't need to discredit you...you bring it on yourself.

I am merely pointing out your arrogance.

 

[western royboy]

Not trying to sell you anything.
Just explanations.
The reasons you left "organised religions" sadly have left you bitter about God.
It is far easier to leave Christianity than to adhere to it, we get that.
We lose nothing by maintaining our faith, you possibly lose everything. You may not, but you just don't know.
Had we not had personal conversion experiences, we may all be atheists- how depressing would that be.

What is depressing about aethiesm? We aren’t all moping around waiting for something that isn’t going to happen or wasting our time with fantasies.
How can I be bitter about God? It doesn’t exist. I am bitter about being conned / indoctrinated / forced v in to wasting so much time about believing lies but I’m more than happy having worked it out for myself that Religon / belief in Gods / Deities whatever is 100% bullshit.

There is a level of inner peace that comes from that.

 

[Total Power]

How can I be bitter about God? It doesn’t exist. I am bitter about being conned / indoctrinated / forced v in to wasting so much time about believing lies but I’m more than happy having worked it out for myself that Religon / belief in Gods / Deities whatever is 100% bullshit.

There is a level of inner peace that comes from that.

Very well put.

 

[Ghost Patrol]

Garbage, puerile one.
And I don't need to know a thing about religions to understand the value of meditation.
Does it disturb you that a Born Again Christian can get into meditation?
Not that I owe you the courtesy of an explanation, but Mindfulness Meditation is used by colleagues and myself to assist in pain management and life issues. And Christian meditation is real. It does not need to stand up to your Buddhism realm.
And you have NO RIGHT to tell anyone here they have no idea about anything, including meditation.

Sounds like you need mediation, not meditation.

 

[Vdubs]

What is depressing about aethiesm? We aren’t all moping around waiting for something that isn’t going to happen or wasting our time with fantasies.
How can I be bitter about God? It doesn’t exist. I am bitter about being conned / indoctrinated / forced v in to wasting so much time about believing lies but I’m more than happy having worked it out for myself that Religon / belief in Gods / Deities whatever is 100% bullshit.

There is a level of inner peace that comes from that.

Why come to a thread to discuss this God that does not exist?

 

[Total Power]

Why come to a thread to discuss this God that does not exist?

Why talk about flat earth to flat earthers? why talk about UFO abduction with tinfoil hatters? why would you talk about Islam if you think it's a false religion?

Your fantasy is just a fantasy. Period

 

[Vdubs]

Why talk about flat earth to flat earthers? why talk about UFO abduction with tinfoil hatters? why would you talk about Islam if you think it's a false religion?

Your fantasy is just a fantasy. Period

I am here to discuss the impact of God's Word, The Bible, on peoples' lives. But given this is The Atheist thread, perhaps I'm in the wrong place. But wait, The Ask A Christian thread has been usurped by the Atheists. Thank God we have our Bible thread.

 

[Total Power]

I am here to discuss the impact of God's Word, The Bible, on peoples' lives.

People are leaving in droves, if you haven't seen. The impact on peoples lives in 3rd world countries - go and see for yourself.

 

[Vdubs]

People are leaving in droves, if you haven't seen. The impact on peoples lives in 3rd world countries - go and see for yourself.

And here too. We live in an incredibly secular society and world.

 

[Total Power]

And here too. We live in an incredibly secular society and world.

Yeah go to Russia and Ukraine, they are quite religious there. It "shows".

 

[evolved2]

Not trying to sell you anything.
Just explanations.
The reasons you left "organised religions" sadly have left you bitter about God.
It is far easier to leave Christianity than to adhere to it, we get that.
We lose nothing by maintaining our faith, you possibly lose everything. You may not, but you just don't know.
Had we not had personal conversion experiences, we may all be atheists- how depressing would that be.

You keep reverting to Pascal's wager as if it means anything.

What if there is a god, but she values reason and logic, and chooses to bring atheists into her version of Heaven and send believers to Hell? You haven't thought this through at all.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

You keep reverting to Pascal's wager as if it means anything.

What if there is a god, but she values reason and logic, and chooses to bring atheists into her version of Heaven and send believers to Hell? You haven't thought this through at all.

I always think of Rowan Atkinson's skit when he's the devil welcoming people to Hell when Pascal's wager is raised. The bit where he welcomes in the Christians and notes "The Jews were right". It's not a two way bet.

 

[travelli]

Exactly. There's too many people on this planet already and it would be horribly crowded here if we didn't die eventually. It's the price of life.

Are you suggesting that christians are worried about dying?

 

[travelli]

To me this is what agnostic “spirituality” ultimately looks like because of the innate mystery surrounding the mind and what it is to exist

If you are a spiritual agnostic, are you an atheist?

 

[Total Power]

If you are a spiritual agnostic, are you an atheist?

It really depends what you mean by an atheist. I have experience consciousness as separate from my body, through meditation, yes i can't prove it to you but you know what i mean. I do not believe in the religious deities, any of them. Are all man made mythological deities, which Constantine wanted. Those Gospels which weren't approved were all burnt, but those Gospels contain stuff that potrays Jesus as an enlightened preacher.

 

[evolved2]

Are you suggesting that christians are worried about dying?

I think everyone is worried about dying, be they religious or atheist. Many people won't acknowledge or be aware of it, but survival is in our genes.

That fear of death is alleviated to some extent in my life because of my children who will hopefully outlive me.

 

[travelli]

It really depends what you mean by an atheist. I have experience consciousness as separate from my body, through meditation, yes i can't prove it to you but you know what i mean. I do not believe in the religious deities, any of them. Are all man made mythological deities, which Constantine wanted. Those Gospels which weren't approved were all burnt, but those Gospels contain stuff that potrays Jesus as an enlightened preacher.

It's not that complicated. Don't worry about the bible.

Do you think there might be a universal consciousness?

 

[travelli]

I think everyone is worried about dying, be they religious or atheist. Many people won't acknowledge or be aware of it, but survival is in our genes.

That fear of death is alleviated to some extent in my life because of my children who will hopefully outlive me.

Why not try to deal with it in your life time?

It's OK. We die. What happens then? Don't try to pass it on to your kids.

 

[Total Power]

Are you suggesting that christians are worried about dying?

One reason sure. Another reason is we are specks on this planet, solar system, galaxy, and universe. It’s a feeling of need to make sense of it all. Why are we here? Why are we conscious? Why do I feel guilt? None of it makes sense so there must be some higher power.

For me that’s not an answer. What doesn’t make sense or isn’t explained is only because of our own limitations and it’s all waiting to be discovered.