Atheists... Your life is pointless

@Frank Apisa,

Rubber, glue... :yawn:

@fresco,

Quote:

I think the 300o deaths of 9/11 qualifies as "mass destruction",

For sure it does but it wasn't using "weapons of mass destruction". Iraq wasn't invaded because Saddam was thought to have some guns and knives.

How about non-religious fanatics? Is it okay WMDs falling into their hands?

I'm very encouraged by WMDs. Nothing like the top brass getting it to stop wars is my view. I think your general superiority complex probably allows you to not bother too much about the poor bloody infantry.

We do know who has deployed WMDs and it wasn't religious fanatics.

0 Replies

@FBM,

FBM

If you truly think I am "stuck in a self-feeding, one-upsmanship cycle with regards to intelligence"...please give me 5 to 8 instances of posts of mine that indicate that to you...and we can discuss it intelligently.

You brought up IQ...I did not. For the record, I do not consider a high IQ to be a useful indicator of "smart" nor a low IQ to be a useful indicator of dumb.

So let's see the references...and we will discuss it.

1 Reply

@fresco,

Quote:

The price homo sapiens pays for its anticipatory cognition is "fear the void/meaningless existence". Religion is never going to go away as the palliative solution to that.

Never say never. An alternative is pharmaceutical calming. Or even surgical processes.

The "brotherhood of man" might be a sort of prayer. If we recite it often enough it might come true. Scoff at it and it never will. The relief to Haiti and other disasters show that it is more than just an advertising slogan. Before Christianity those places would simply have been taken advantage of. And often were.

1 Reply

@FBM,

Quote:

Rubber, glue... :yawn:

Hey FB-- you could say that about somebody telling you to only spread the syrup on one side of the bread.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

You brought up IQ...I did not. For the record, I do not consider a high IQ to be a useful indicator of "smart" nor a low IQ to be a useful indicator of dumb.

IQ is a measure of precociousness. Meaning if a ten year old scores the average score of 13 year olds, 10 is divided into 13, and moving over the decimal place gives us a 130 IQ. It just means that this ten year old thinks like the average 13 year old. Well, the average 13 year old is not usually a genius, but usually smarter than a ten year old. The assumption is that a ten year old that scores the test like a 13 year old will continue to accumulate knowledge at a precocious rate, and since schooling is a "race," can achieve success in school, in the alloted time.

However, there is supposed to be a correlation between creativity and a certain IQ range (120-130)? Doctors, and other professionals tend to be higher. Perhaps, a reflection of all the memorization needed that the individual developed in those early years of scoring like an older child?

But, since society "gives up" on many a child that doesn't meet society's expectations of being a quick learner, we do have many people that consider themselves just of mediocre intelligence, and accept that as their fate. Possibly reinforced by a culture that denigrates high intellectual achievement as putting on airs, or outgrowing one's family, in my opinion.

1 Reply

@spendius,

I suggest you might read Derrida's analysis of "gift" before making pronouncements on "charity". And recent far reaching empathy is more a function of modern telecommunications than it is the province of a religion.

BTW The argument that WMD are available to secularists who might turn out to be lunatics ignores the central point that some religious fanatics place little value on this life including their own.

1 Reply

@spendius,

Proof that the assertion reaches the very top in the US is President Wilson believing his own assertions that the US was a disinterested party at the Versailles conference and that Lloyd George, Clemenceau and Orlando didn't represent the views of their own peoples.

Both were wrong, the opposite of the truth and mere wishful thinking, and the consequences were what happened.

That Iraq had WMDs was another. That if South Vietnam went communist there would be a domino effect.

0 Replies

@fresco,

Quote:

I suggest you might read Derrida's analysis of "gift" before making pronouncements on "charity".

What? That it's only a deal? That idea has been known for millenia.

Food banks are to prevent hunger riots or bodies in the streets. Is that what you mean?

0 Replies

@Foofie,

Thank you for that information, Foofie. And that sounds reasonable for kids of age 10 or 13.

If I may, a question:

Quote:

IQ is a measure of precociousness. Meaning if a ten year old scores the average score of 13 year olds, 10 is divided into 13, and moving over the decimal place gives us a 130 IQ. It just means that this ten year old thinks like the average 13 year old. Well, the average 13 year old is not usually a genius, but usually smarter than a ten year old. The assumption is that a ten year old that scores the test like a 13 year old will continue to accumulate knowledge at a precocious rate, and since schooling is a "race," can achieve success in school, in the alloted time.

What happens when we have a 20 year old person scoring a 140? How about a 40 year old scoring a 180?

2 Replies

@Frank Apisa,

140 is £400 for the test. 18o would be at least double.

0 Replies

@Frank Apisa,

Quote:

You are probably correct about the positive assertion. I have never claimed that I have it all correct.

What I am mainly interested in is what people call absurdity. What is this fine line between a God concept being absurd and an elf concept being absurd? What is the qualifier?

Quote:

I think it was Spendius who talked about "absurdity", RL. You have to ask him. I do not remember using the word on this issue, but if I did, I'd have to see where I used it.

Quote:

RL, but I do want to congratulate you on your success at using absurdity to share your view.

1 Reply

@reasoning logic,

Quote:

Quote:
RL, but I do want to congratulate you on your success at using absurdity to share your view.

Obviously I did use the word "absurdity" there...but I think you can recognize that I was being a wise ass in response to your comment.

I did go back further, however, and saw that I used the word in a response to ci...where things were going on that I considered absurd...so I will grant that I have used it. I honestly did not remember doing so...and I did remember Spendius using it in a reply he made to someone other than me.

I think the places where I have used it, the use of the word pretty much explains itself. But I will certainly acknowledge that one person's "absurdity" can easily be another's "clearly logical thinking."

We have gone off on a tangent though. Not sure where this leads, but if you put the car back on the track, I will respond to your thoughts. You may not like my responses...I clearly see that some of my responses do not sit well with you, but I am trying to speak and respond as honestly, openly, and thoroughly as possible.

1 Reply

@edgarblythe,

edgar, Very well stated and concise, but I doubt Frank will agree; he just doesn't know.

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

Like I said to Edgar, ci, I do not know if there are any gods.

If you do...or if Edgar does...you ought really to explain how you KNOW.

If you do not know, but are just guessing, you ought to have the integrity to simply acknowledge that you do not KNOW...and characterize your guess as best you can.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

Quote:

We have gone off on a tangent though. Not sure where this leads, but if you put the car back on the track, I will respond to your thoughts. You may not like my responses..

No actually I do like your responses regardless if I agree with them or not because I am studying human behavior and where better to learn human behavior then from fellow humans? I am hoping to hear intellectual honesty but it is not so important of a factor.

Quote:

I will certainly acknowledge that one person's "absurdity" can easily be another's "clearly logical thinking."

By using the below quote that I used, would you be kind enough to share with us why you may find it to be "clearly logical thinking? Maybe you could give an example of why it is not or maybe another person who would not find it to be logical thinking.

Quote:

OK so if I were to assert that there are no elves going at it on each side of your head because I see no evidence to support that they are giving you an ear job, Are you suggesting that this lack of evidence should not be taken into consideration to better understand the probability of its nonexistence

Quote:

I clearly see that some of my responses do not sit well with you, but I am trying to speak and respond as honestly, openly, and thoroughly as possible.

That is what I am hoping for but I will be honest I do question your sincerity. Not that I have a valid reason to do so but I question all people.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

Quote:

I do not know if there are any gods.

Are you just as uncertain about Gods that are capable of creating everything as you are about invisible elves having ear sex with your ears and if not would you please explain why?

2 Replies

@reasoning logic,

reasoning logic wrote:

Are you just as uncertain about Gods that are capable of creating everything as you are about invisible elves having ear sex with your ears and if not would you please explain why?

Not wishing to speak for Frank, but it's probably got something to do with one of them being a belief held by countless civilisations over millennia, and the other one being something you've just made up.

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

Quote:

Not wishing to speak for Frank, but it's probably got something to do with one of them being a belief held by countless civilisations over millennia, and the other one being something you've just made up.

I find credibility in your reply and I think you are correct but is there any logic that you can think of that would would lead you to think that a God concept is any more valid than a fairy concept?

1 Reply

@reasoning logic,

Quote:

Quote:
By using the below quote that I used, would you be kind enough to share with us why you may find it to be "clearly logical thinking? Maybe you could give an example of why it is not or maybe another person who would not find it to be logical thinking.

OK so if I were to assert that there are no elves going at it on each side of your head because I see no evidence to support that they are giving you an ear job, Are you suggesting that this lack of evidence should not be taken into consideration to better understand the probability of its nonexistence

I do not find it to be clearly logical thinking at all, JL…I find it to be gibberish saying nothing of importance and not doing anything to further what you seem to be trying to further, namely that there is something inherently inconsistent and perhaps even hypocritical in my assertion that I do not know if gods exist while not being interested in discussing elves, unicorns, the tooth fairy, or the Easter Bunny.

I am uncertain of lots of things that I am not interested in discussing in this forum. Fact is, I have come to the conclusion that I do not KNOW much of anything. But there are some things I want to explore…while at the same time there are others about which I am totally without interest.

I am interested in discussing possible answers to the question “What is the true nature of REALITY?” I am interested in discussing, “Do we have any idea of what actually IS?”

The question of whether or not there are gods involved in that area of interest matters to me. I am particularly interested in why so many people are absolutely certain there are gods (some even insisting there is a GOD, and that they know what the GOD expects of us humans and what offends and pleases that GOD)…

…and in why so many people are absolutely certain there are NO gods of any kind.

I, on the other hand, cannot rule out gods…and certainly cannot assert they must exist. There is no evidence which convinces me that gods are necessary to explain existence…and there is no evidence which convinces me that the existence of a god or gods is an impossibility.

Elves, unicorns, tooth fairies, Easter bunnies, CPA’s working on one of the moons of Saturn, and flying spaghetti monsters do not play any part in the consideration of those questions, so I do not desire to discuss them.

I have made that point abundantly clear on dozens upon dozens of occasions, JL…and the topics still come up. I must acknowledge there are times when I see the fact that they keep up to be absurd.

I understand and acknowledge that intelligent, well-intentioned, reasonable people (like you, for instance) can (and often do) disagree with me. But at some point we each have to make a decision about how we are going to conduct ourselves…and on this issue, I have decided.

I hope you can consider this response to be honest, open, and thorough, JL.

0 Replies

Atheists... Your life is pointless

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know