Atheism As A REJECTION OF--Not Disbelief In--An Evil God (Buddhism, Buddha, atheist)
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We all have a pretty clear idea what actually exists; the earth, the sun, other planets. Ourselves. Rocks, paper and scissors. We also have a pretty clear idea what doesn't exist; Santa Claus. The Easter Bunny. Unicorns and gnomes.
People don't worship things we know exist. I don't either. People worship things no one can prove exist. Some people do anyway...
Actually, that's not true.
Some people DO tend to worship what exists. Sex...drugs...themselves...spouse...kids...footbal l...Take your pick.
Yes, but there's a difference between conception and what I"m talking about. The difference is that each sperm is capable of creating a "me". When talking about odds to form 1.2x1027 molecules x's 8 billion people not to mention every living thing in nature we're talking a number so vast that the zeros to express it would reach to the end of the known universe and back. That's when it enters the realm in reality of being Impossible to occur even though theoretically as long as one chance exists it is possible. Here's a good definition:
Generally speaking, although each case is different, as the odds rise, the possibility of this particular thing happening or existing decreases to the point where it is effectively seen as so highly improbable that it’s regarded as impossible!
I forgot to include the odds of all these molecules coming together in just the right formation to produce all the different systems with the body i.e. molecules to form the digestive system instead of the urinary system, etc.
Last edited by thrillobyte; 04-13-2022 at 08:29 AM..
AGAIN...and I note this every time the anti-Religionists put it up: This represents a outlier area of the world. It may hold more significance to you since it is where you are...but it does not represent the overall global trend of Religion gaining and Atheism losing.
Why should I yet again ignore such a comment?
Is it because you want to describe my point of view as "anti-religionists?" At least in part, yes.
Is it because you want to interpret these statistics, these trends, so narrowly? Incorrectly. At least in part, yes.
Is it because yet again you can't distinguish between what is the result of shear population growth? How more and more people pass along their religion to their children as more and more people populate the planet? At least in part, yes.
Is it because none of these explanations get through to you in any detectable way? No doubt.
If I am anti-religious, then you are anti-critical thinking. Can you see how that works?
I'll move along without any great expectations along these lines...
What do you mean when you say "all these molecules coming together just precisely?"
Seems part of the problem here is that you don't understand once life was spawned on this planet, beginning with the most simple of cell organisms, what transpired over billions of years was proteins aligning in all variety of random ways. More than most did not survive. Just as randomly for all variety of reasons. What did survive and continue to reproduce eventually became what you/we marvel about today, and we're still unraveling the complexities that have you defacto believing in some sort of supernatural creator.
In another few years, none of those 8 billion human bodies may even still be on this planet! None of those single protein molecules may be forming in the future into what they have become today.
You can look at a sand dune in the Sahara desert or a forest covering thousands of miles or the way a river makes it's way from the melting snow to the ocean in the same way. Look at the end result of any of these things as it exists today, and it all looks like it was perfectly formed into the "complex" end product we can all observe today. But all of it is the random result of miniscule particles landing "perfectly" where they do over periods of time we have a very hard time contemplating. At any point past or present forever changing. In no time (cosmically speaking) all transforming into yet another end product just as randomly.
I look at it this way, Learn:
What are the odds of a tornado blowing through an old aircraft carrier parts junkyard assembling an aircraft carrier. Theoretically, it's possible, isn't it? But what are the odds it will? And then how do you get the spark of life into it?
I don't read that thrill denies God. He's simply got another version for a god or "something out there" that doesn't align with your version. I think you are partly right about thrill's reasons. thrill also can't possibly understand how your god can allow so much going on around us that thrill also can't understand or accept too well. The sort of confusion that manifests itself in all those other billions of people "perceiving" a god.
Also correct about how "what is worshipped is ENTIRELY dependent upon what the individual INTENDS to worship and why." Not sure I could put it better. Nothing but human nature really...
I think Mystic says that because I deny HIS god. To a Christian, to deny THEIR god is to deny ANY god.
Some people DO tend to worship what exists. Sex...drugs...themselves...spouse...kids...footbal l...Take your pick.
Okay. You got me I guess, if you want to use the word worship in these cases, but I was thinking more in terms of the definition that first comes up when Googled...
wor·ship
noun
the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.
"the worship of God"
verb
show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.
I love my wife and kids dearly, but I'm not sure I "worship" them. Very close but not quite. Please don't let my wife know this. Off the top of my head, I'd pick the word adoration in such a case, but my wife is no deity or angel...
What are the odds of a tornado blowing through an old aircraft carrier parts junkyard assembling an aircraft carrier. Theoretically, it's possible, isn't it? But what are the odds it will? And then how do you get the spark of life into it?
I like the question how? Not so much the wild guessing or speculation as if claims of truth. The only conclusions possible...
We know a tornado can't assemble an aircraft carrier. We know what can assemble an aircraft carrier.
Just because, theoretically, it was not considered possible humans could fly, did this prove impossible?
It is important to ask these questions and think them through. Yes. Also to answer them correctly or simply admit you don't know. No need for anyone to see and marvel at an aircraft carrier and just because they can't imagine how such a thing could get built, decide it must have been created by "something out there."
Right?
Again I'd like to know if you believe all things too complex for you to understand or comprehend must have been created by something supernatural. Again, do you think yourself or the rest of us humans that brilliant?
Agnosticism as I comprehend it simply means "not sure if there's a God". If a higher power is really out there and it chose to make itself known then we'd all be theists. But it chooses to not make itself known hence agnosticism and atheism--the beliefs there might be a god and there is no god. I'm agnostic. I don't know if there's a God but I suspect there might be so I"m agnostic. I"m a deist because if there is a god/higher power out there I'm certain because of its refusal to manifest itself in any way that it is a deist God, one who doesn't involve itself in human affairs.
You're making me work a bit harder than usual this morning...
Perhaps it makes sense for you to be agnostic about things for which there is no proof or evidence they exist, but that doesn't make much sense to me. I suspect the problem is having to choose such words to describe what we believe and what we don't. If I don't see any proof or evidence something exists, I can't believe it exists.
Where I think you blur this distinction quite significantly is the suggestion you don't believe in god, when at the same time you obviously do, because all you see as too complex for you to understand any other way is proof for you that there is "something out there." AKA as Intelligent Design. A deity. The supernatural. A god.
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