Atheism

Francis, my friend, you appear to be having a hard time seeing beyond your preconceptions. Please read what I actually wrote.

I have made Pascal's bet. Besides, I believe it is the less irrational of the options, in that it better satisfies Occham's rule concerning the simplicity and number of the assumptions required to rationalize it. Both involve leaps of faith, but one is a shorter jump.

But I'd still have a drink with you. When are you coming to San Francisco ?

Your position, as I have explained to you, is not based on a growing trend. It is based on its completion.

How do you know the trend to atheism is growing? Do mean in cities where the appreciation of nature is almost non-existent. Where even the parks have been extruded. Don't growing trends produce reactions?

I hope we will share a whole meal.

For various reasons my going to San Francisco has been delayed a few times already.

However, I think it's quite close now (in a few weeks)..

God forbid they should have nothing

To paraphrase: Spendi abhors a vacuum.

Generally, atheists are comfy with the nothingness after death or the lack of religion in a society.

But I can see how this would make you uncomfortable.

We have "nothing" in the United States . . . it's called a secular society. Sadly, the earlier governments were probably better about observing the separation of church and state than has been the case in recent decades.

Oui, c'est vrai

A world-wide conference of different Athiests' groups convened in washington, which Obama was expected to attend. Haven't heard anymore news of that, has anybody else? He said he just wanted to be sure that he has listened to all the differing groups in U.S.

I get that Athiests (athiests) don't believe in God as that concept is discussed or understood in religion, but where do athiests plan to go 'as a group?'

I don't have any interest in religion for many reasons, but stop short of thinking I'll die into "nothingness." This "age" could be considered the Church Age, the coming age something closer to the teachings of the ancient Greeks, or the first Christians who were all killed.

It doesn't make me uncomfortable pan. It has nothing to to with my comforts. I won't be here to see a society without religion. Saying that atheists are comfy with the nothingness after death is a fatuity of the highest order. It's a word game.

The argument is about a society in which everybody is comfortable with such an idea to the extent that it would never even consider the matter. One where only the law can constrain people from indulging their animal drives. Even a profoundly religious society like the US has great difficulty in restraining those drives so without religion it would require strenuous measures to be enacted and by people who have those drives themselves.

Religion can be seen as the ballast under the water that keeps a bouy from drifting anywhere the forces of nature take it. Atheists might be seen as being sat on the bouy demanding the connection to the ballast be cut but while it isn't cut it's a nice and easy thing to be.

Wikipedia says-



A prominent A2K atheist has suggested "re-education camps" in the US where Christians can be re-oriented.

And George extends the hand of tolerance and friendship towards such things I presume. That's why he's a popular guy.

Anybody can talk about being comfortable with a lack of religion in society when living in a society where there is no lack. Such talk is airy-fairy self indulgence. Just as anybody can talk about getting rid of pollution when pollution is rampant and those talking about it are polluting as fast as the economy allows.

They either have no idea or are keeping quiet about it.

Atheists, in my view, are going nowhere, as an organization. I sort of understand forming something, the way unions and political parties are formed, in dire circumstances. But, as it is now, I would never join a group, simply because it is made up of atheists. Who would make up rules for us? Wouldn't a group be conducive to nurturing dogmas? No group for me.

This is a rather obscure question. Do you mean "go" somewhere when we die? I'd say into the ground, or into the incinerator. Not that i have any plan regarding this, other than that as a veteran, i'm entitled to be buried in a American military cemetery.



Please . . . do you really believe that?

. or the first Christians who were all killed.

Oops. Missed that.

Nope. They're going to Australia.

Seems to be sold out, but maybe they'll entertain SRO accomodations.

Where do athiests plan to go 'as a group?'
I'm asking what will athiests do other than say they are athiests. I thought people would learn something more about athiests if any of you knew about Obama's plan to attend this "meeting."

The first Christians were killed?
I think the Cathars were considered to be Christians but I don't think they called themselves Christians. They taught and lived by the teachings of Jesus, mostly the Book of John. The Albigensian Crusade began in 1209 and ended in 1321. There were also several other religions that existed at the time. Anyone who didn't agreed with the Catholics died. Most people know that. After that Crusade came The Inquisition.

Permerson, you don't seem to understand many/most of us - we really do not care, except than when religion implodes our lives.

I missed what Obama meeting, will have to look back on the thread.

This sounds odd to me, starting with that atheists would group in the first place.
Obama going to visit, I'd be wide eyed, but y'never know.


Wherever two or three are gathered together..

I don't like religion imploding my life, either. Maybe I am an athiest, too.

I have to read back, and this time I'm going to (don't take that as a threat, as I'll fall asleep).

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I'm still trying to get a grasp of atheists' groups as a concept. We, if there is any we, are not coherent. (I also do not care about the first christians or ancient greeks' pov as some sort of whole, or even in parts. Ok, I'm bad.)


I'm still trying to find this Obama meeting. You mean we have some nut jobs representing the rest of us?

I'll be back with further research, but in the main I see us taken over by the loud.