Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jackrabbit]

HIS SMUGNESS CAN PHASE THROUGH WALLS.

[Neruz]

Pff, that's easy, my smugness can travel through the internet.

You can feel it now, can't you, that undefinable presence of pure smugness. It is transmitting itself from your monitor even as you read this.

[Jackrabbit]

burns ussssss

[Neruz]

[FelixtheCats]

  I consider the process of moving human reason away form a superstitions mythology, which retards human rights and scientific progress, towards a future of logic and clarity a worthy goal. While I don't believe in god, the issue to me is not that some people believe in it, but that they believe in it in such a fearful way that it effects the world in a profoundly negative way.

[Kuraudo]

  I consider the process of moving human reason away form a superstitions mythology, which retards human rights and scientific progress, towards a future of logic and clarity a worthy goal. While I don't believe in god, the issue to me is not that some people believe in it, but that they believe in it in such a fearful way that it effects the world in a profoundly negative way.

As an Atheist, I feel inclined to point out that the vast majority of human suffering in this world has been caused by those sharing our beliefs.  The 20th century alone pretty much cements this even if you take the Nazi's out of the equation.

I've never *honestly* been religious (ie like so many others, I lied to myself hoping that would somehow make me actually believe... heh), so I might be coming at this from a different angle than my fellow (non)believers, but I can't see why anyone would think Atheism is a good thing.  Seems to me, it's something to be *avoided* if you can at all help it (which you probably can't).

[Kebooo]

Atheists have caused the vast majority of human suffering?  What about the crusades, inquisition, Islamic slave trade of Africa, or the Christian/European slave trade?  It was my understanding Nazis were Christian nationalists, so why take the holocaust out of the equation?

[Il Palazzo]

The important thig to consider is which evil deeds had been done in the name of belief system.
If Mr.Stalin decided to starve Ukrainians, and he was also an atheist, it doesn't mean that the deaths and suffering were caused due to him not believing in god.

[Andir]

The important thig to consider is which evil deeds had been done in the name of belief system.
If Mr.Stalin decided to starve Ukrainians, and he was also an atheist, it doesn't mean that the deaths and suffering were caused due to him not believing in god.

I'd also like to point out that the pilots of those planes were not Atheist... Saddam wasn't an Atheist... Hitler and the Nazis were very much Christian Nationalist as already pointed out.  Heck, they persecuted people based solely on their religion.

I'm trying to figure out who Kuraudo is referring to...

edit: heck, The entire Middle East (thousands of years of) conflict is over religion and this idea that someone deserves some section of land more than someone else.

[FelixtheCats]

As an Atheist, I feel inclined to point out that the vast majority of human suffering in this world has been caused by those sharing our beliefs.  The 20th century alone pretty much cements this even if you take the Nazi's out of the equation.

I've never *honestly* been religious (ie like so many others, I lied to myself hoping that would somehow make me actually believe... heh), so I might be coming at this from a different angle than my fellow (non)believers, but I can't see why anyone would think Atheism is a good thing.  Seems to me, it's something to be *avoided* if you can at all help it (which you probably can't).

  Are you refering to Mao and Stalin? I'm not sure I follow. If so I would argue that their actions were caused by the brutality of the political theory they subscribed to; communism is not a product of athiesm, or theism.
 And as for your statement that athiests are the cause for most human suffering, I would argue that enviromental issues, water issues and disease have caused much more suffering on this earth then people who don't believe in a creator being.

[kuro_suna]

Also keep in mind that a secular government and a atheist government aren't the same thing, for example the United states isn't a atheist country even though the government has no official religion.

[Pwnzerfaust]

  I consider the process of moving human reason away form a superstitions mythology, which retards human rights and scientific progress, towards a future of logic and clarity a worthy goal. While I don't believe in god, the issue to me is not that some people believe in it, but that they believe in it in such a fearful way that it effects the world in a profoundly negative way.

As an Atheist, I feel inclined to point out that the vast majority of human suffering in this world has been caused by those sharing our beliefs.  The 20th century alone pretty much cements this even if you take the Nazi's out of the equation.

Fun fact, the communist nations built personality and state cults which were essentially state religions. The Nazis did the same.

I've never *honestly* been religious (ie like so many others, I lied to myself hoping that would somehow make me actually believe... heh), so I might be coming at this from a different angle than my fellow (non)believers, but I can't see why anyone would think Atheism is a good thing.  Seems to me, it's something to be *avoided* if you can at all help it (which you probably can't).

Yes, because intellectual honesty should be avoided at all costs. [/sarcasm]

[smigenboger]

I invoke "If not X, then something else"

If not religion, something else will take it's place to fill in the gap, much as if WoW didn't exist, the fan base would have absorbed a similar game

Perhaps "If not religion, Law"
"If not religion, Science"
"If not true belief, aversions to a fictional universe"

[kuro_suna]

What about more specific or direct examples like the violence resulting from the sunni shi'ite divide?

[Siquo]

@kuro: Because those numbers are far less.
Stalin alone is responsible for tens of millions.
The point is kind of moot though, as most wars and are fought and genocides are committed for power and territory, and ideology and religion are only the excuse to make it seem "right".