Official ATHEIST/AGNOSTIC THREAD

[kAjUn]

bush never said that, damn lie

and yes to the question

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/07/iraq.usa

George Bush has claimed he was on a mission from God when he launched the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, according to a senior Palestinian politician in an interview to be broadcast by the BBC later this month.

Mr Bush revealed the extent of his religious fervour when he met a Palestinian delegation during the Israeli-Palestinian summit at the Egpytian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, four months after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

One of the delegates, Nabil Shaath, who was Palestinian foreign minister at the time, said: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I am driven with a mission from God'. God would tell me, 'George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan'. And I did. And then God would tell me 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq'. And I did." lol @ u.

damn

she str8 lobbed that bitch from half court for this nicca to slam dunk that bitch

 

[refcortez]

before anyone who believes in a cyclops, fairies, unicorns and gods.

 

[Eternal Bachelor]

Most people wouldn't. Damn shame too. How the fuck is one's religion or lack thereof even relevant to their competency? I'd rather have an atheist with his mind based in reality making logical decisions that George W. Bush invading other countries because "God told him to"

^^^this...

but no politician in this will ever when president being an atheist...

this country is full of hypocrtical christians

 

[And Step]

It is a sin to annoy a believer.

 

[BiblicalAtheist]

Idk, a lot of atheists seem to take the bible as literally as the believers do.

 

[Skeratch]

I think an atheist could take a job as a theology professor and do a good job.

I think some sociopathic atheists may have already taken jobs as faith healers and televangelists, taking advantage of the gullible.

 

[theillestrator]

i thought about it. it would be a good way to make some money on the side.

 

[demandred]

Your aware that even though its has been a standard that the pastor of the church is typically the preacher... the original structure didn't necessarily have the two positions cross each other

He would prob have greater success as a teacher, even though it seems that there are no Atheist that I'm aware of who get into the depths of understanding of the Faith and do not get converted.. in fact they typically are converts with a greater purpose as they have the understanding required to bring other atheist into the Faith

Very popular one is Josh Mcdowell who was a hardcore Atheist hell bent on attempting to disprove the faith via hardcore fact.... the result was his first book Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Volume 1: Historical Evidences for the Christian Faith

The requirement of being a pastor is that (atleast the biblical standard) is that you love the people(sheep) (and no not literally), and that you are willing to sacrifice yourself to bring your people into whatever the destination is for your particular body of believers... I think you can be somewhat Atheist as long as you have some type of working knowledge of the scriptures....

Being a Atheist Preacher would be a different thing... unless you are a great actor and are willing to spend long lengths of time studying ancient history and text...... then even though you would have to know the right things to say... as no church will willingly accept your denial of God... unless perhaps you wanted to be a Mason ... they are quite a bit more flexible .... atleast at the lower ranks

 

[shootemwon]

I think there have been atheists pastors plenty of times in the past. There's money in religion, and that will attract all sorts of hustlers, atheist and otherwise. But I'm sure it's easier to sleep at night after scamming a bunch of poor saps out of their money if you don't actually believe in the hell you warned them about.

 

[Hyde Parke]

i would think that most atheist were believers at some point , at the least, the ones I know.

 

[demandred]

Ya their conman in everything else... no reason to think any differently bout the pulpit, eh....

 

[demandred]

i would think that most atheist were believers at some point , at the least, the ones I know.

Commonalities of Believers turn Atheist

1) Church Hurt (someone in the church did something outta pocket)
2) People that they look up to in the Faith have no clue what they are talking about
3) They become aware of the rampant hypocrisy and/or lack of conformity to the Bible
4) They hate their Church, The People in it, or all of the limitation they were forced to endure... They want/need #freedom
5) They tried to understand the Bible... it just doesn't make sense... and no one else could explain it... therefor they disregard it
6) They fell in love with preachers such as Jordan Maxwell, and therefor were converted

I can say I've never seen someone that has a solid working knowledge of Judaism, Christianity, Ancient History, Spirituality, and various text accompanied ... that are Atheist... they may have some weird believes ... but they believe in something...

2 each man his own though... whatever you believe

 

[demandred]

^ exactly
Christian by title vs Christian by lifestyle

Regardless of who supposely told W to go to Iraq... I don't think it had nothing to do with all the profit he made ....

 

[theillestrator]

i honestly never took Christianity seriously. i would look through the bible at our house as a kid, and i was always pissed that I couldn't learn more about dinosaurs from it. i thought that would be the book to get all the answers, but I couldn't find anything (i was very interested in dinosaurs). since then of course, it has been more than the lack of dinosaurs that kept me away from believing in a deity. i also just never really was pushed into believing in it. i would go to church with my friends just because i'd happen to be over their house on sunday morning but it just felt silly. and actually to the previous post, i'm not sure how many were surveyed, but atheists/agnostics knew more about other religions than any other group.

 

[Heroine]

Idk, a lot of atheists seem to take the bible as literally as the believers do.

I think an atheist could take a job as a theology professor and do a good job.

I think some sociopathic atheists may have already taken jobs as faith healers and televangelists, taking advantage of the gullible.

Cosign.......

 

[Hyde Parke]

Commonalities of Believers turn Atheist

1) Church Hurt (someone in the church did something outta pocket)

2) People that they look up to in the Faith have no clue what they are talking about

3) They become aware of the rampant hypocrisy and/or lack of conformity to the Bible

4) They hate their Church, The People in it, or all of the limitation they were forced to endure... They want/need #freedom

5) They tried to understand the Bible... it just doesn't make sense... and no one else could explain it... therefor they disregard it

6) They fell in love with preachers such as Jordan Maxwell, and therefor were converted

I can say I've never seen someone that has a solid working knowledge of Judaism, Christianity, Ancient History, Spirituality, and various text accompanied ... that are Atheist... they may have some weird believes ... but they believe in something...

2 each man his own though... whatever you believe

im just sayin, the ones that i know of. I dont know in depth the reasons why they decided to become atheist. Could be none of the things you listed. idk, and dont care, like u say, to each man, his own.

 

[demandred]

i honestly never took Christianity seriously. i would look through the bible at our house as a kid, and i was always pissed that I couldn't learn more about dinosaurs from it. i thought that would be the book to get all the answers, but I couldn't find anything (i was very interested in dinosaurs). since then of course, it has been more than the lack of dinosaurs that kept me away from believing in a deity. i also just never really was pushed into believing in it. i would go to church with my friends just because i'd happen to be over their house on sunday morning but it just felt silly. and actually to the previous post, i'm not sure how many were surveyed, but atheists/agnostics knew more about other religions than any other group.

I'm searching for a middle ground in which we can relate in, I'm happy you were willing to share this part of your life with us... so I guess the only common part would be to share some of mine

I myself can never declare myself an atheist I think I was much more agnostic... growing up I just wanted to see God.... I didnt have a real purpose in it... other than I just wanted to know that it was real... I've had a long passionate disdain for church in what the black community does on sundays... because I just never felt like I could see God in it... it just didnt fit my image of what I thought God would be like... and I'll admit I was a bit selfish, self centered, and arrogant as a kid(we never change much) but I just couldn't see it.. I went to a Preschool that atleast taught us moral law... and when I reached the rest of the world and grew up some I had to shift or adjust to the point that people ... didnt care about what I learned in preschool... I went through my little brief time with the sex, drugs, gangbangin, alcohol, but I was a honor roll student at heart.. I just got caught up... for a nice portion of my life... I dont live in my regrets, but I do wish I did some things differently... but my male influences was ... rather limited.... I just needed answers and I reached a certain level of breaking... I decided that I would finally sit down and try to read the book I grew up calling the instruction book to life until I understood it... and it took a long time and I still wasnt able to comprehend it... it wasnt until I got around some preachers who were solid in their teaching as well as some jews who taught me the culture and help bring this book into reality to me rather than just the pages in just another book

and just to be real... when I was a little guy I use to always want my old man to come around, so I just grew tired of how things were, and I just spent a while and just prayed.. I didnt know what I was doing I tried it and I just hoped it would work... the day after my prayer was answered... so I knew prayer worked... perhaps the only people that need prayer for themselves this desperately are those in desperate need of something.... but now as Im a bit older... I am just figuring more and more out about God in prayer... it brings understanding to alot of things in life including the Word... it may sound crazy, but I can only share my experience for what it is

But ya that does suck that there may of really only been one reference towards dinosaurs in the word... I wish it woulda been more for you in there for you to read about dinosaurs, and I feel you on the Church thing... I spent a large part of the beginning dreading it, I just didnt enjoy it... but I found a place where I feel was made for me and accepts me how I am and even gives me a chance to share with the rest of the people....

and the biggest thing that I had to deal with before I was converted over was opening up my mind to the possibilities, allowing me to accept it from someone elses perspective, and then bringing it into my own perspective in terms of my own understanding and reality... I know quite a few even preachers that are powerful in the Word, but they are powerful in intellect... raw intellect 100% by itself rejects God... you have to almost throw it out and learn it from a spiritual aspect in order for it to start turning on the light bulbs within... contrary to some people though God is very much logical if you are willing to accept it on spiritual terms

Not to use a Bible story, but I feel that it clarifies it... Christ was rejected and killed not because he necessarily did something wrong... its just the people that rejected him could not accept the spiritualism that he was trying to bring into a very intellectualistic Judaism ... some of the things he spoke of seemed completely backwards, contradictory, impossible, and generally offensive to how they thought, lived, and did business.... only those who were willing to toss out their mindstate and enter into his and see it from his perspective were able to make sense out of whatever it was that Christ was to them...

 

[theillestrator]

demandred, much respect to you. i definitely understand your angle. as an atheist, i think people (not you) automatically think that I view religion/spiritual beliefs in a bad way. not necessarily, i just don't subscribe to it. to give christianity a chance, I would need to give every other "reasonable" view that same respect. however, I don't see a need to give any of them a chance because from what i know about them...it's not enough. to me, to become "spiritually convinced" means to falsely persuade myself of something. faith doesn't work for me, and I understand that it works for others. it's easy to believe and it's easy not to believe, it just depends on your state of mind. i'm cool with plenty people of different faiths. i don't knock anyone for that. the only problem i have is with people who try to force views on me.

 

[demandred]

theillestrator much love

Just a random general statement that I thought as I read what you stated

I do agree that whatever this whole mission to spread whatever faiths has grown perverted over time, I am always careful with stepping on other people's toes in whatever when it comes to belief, because I would def like the same respect... from my own viewpoint of God that I see... is that he gives us all freedom to choose whatever we all wish... If that is what he does... then why should I do something different... what makes me want to step over a boundary that not even who I believe to be God will cross?

I believe the strongest way to pull people into whatever it is that you are doing is your own lifestyle... not preaching and hounding them into the ground... all people are in different time periods in their lives and need different things at those time periods... part of life is having the freedom to evolve through these time periods..

I believe that if we focused less on the technicalities of the different faiths and instead focused on the general things that they have in common which is ALOT, when it comes in terms of societal growth... then we would be much better as a people growing in unity vs division as the result of division is never positive

So with all that said regardless of a person's faith or lack of ... if their focus is the overall growth of people and love for people.. then we are on the same side

 

[KTULU IS BACK]

Demandred has returned to write giant walls of text that I won't be reading, I see.

Truth is, God doesn't exist. People who believe in God are silly and should be mocked.

I've got a paper by Dan Dennet somewhere about preachers who have lost faith but still preach because they don't know how to do anything else. I'll upload it sometime in a better thread.