BS: Militant atheism has become a religion

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket pissing himself
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 03:46 PM

The stamp collecting thread doesn't exist silly! It only exists in the minds of those with philatelist delusions!

Ok, if you want the point.. I, just like 99% of The UK don't go in for stamp collecting. In return, stamp collectors don't try to run the society in which I live, don't sit in The Lords voting on equality laws and don't insist on laws preventing me from shopping during parts of a Sunday.

I, just like 95% of the population am not a bloody Christian either. So why is a minority interest group allowed to influence law and society?

Sinking in yet?


By the way, you put I instead of i. Getting ideas above our station aren't we?

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 10:24 AM

has anyone seen the thread where the non stamp collectors are decrying those that collect stamps, or vice versa?                   I must have missed it somehow!

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 10:15 AM

Nah, sorry conc, we will have to let you go as creative writer I'm afraid. See, to be a creative writer you need, how can I put this, to be creative and be able to write. Whereas creativity in spelling, grammar and punctuation is all well and good it doesn't really float my boat.

You could try the Mormons I suppose.

Good luck.

Bollocks!

DtG,C,LBandSPS

Oh, and unless I have already missed it, 1500!

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Concerened
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 10:03 AM

This is getting to boring...now they cant understand basic english!
Hows them crayons working out for you gnomey?when you have finished chewing on em and dribbling out the corner of your mouth.. pass them on to ..the imposter shaw..then you will have more room for the thumb up bum scenario...pkease buck upall of you..at the moment this has been very average to have met you all.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 07:27 AM

psueds

Sounds like something fatty but nice to eat.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 07:09 AM

Ey up, conc. Have they let you on the keyboard again? Don't forget that you press with your fingers - You know what happened when you tried to type with your knees.

Bollocks!

DtG,C,LBandSPS

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,concerened
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 07:03 AM

Were is Seaman Stayns when you want him?

This thread just gets more and more bowel wrenchingly embarrassing.

The amazing thing is you psueds think you are being so smart with your half digested crap that you smugly think passes for humour!!

By the way gnomey...you can stick your crayons up your pretentious buttocks and chew on 'em for a while!!unless you are as constipated as your mind (Ha Ha) undoubtedly is. Have a nice day

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket evolving slowly
Date: 24 Aug 13 - 02:43 AM

Just stop you right there at the beginning. This and many other threads have thrashed out your first comment so it is not easy to take it at face value.

Lack of conviction is not a conviction. My dog has no religious conviction so where is his conviction? I have no conviction over the ins and outs of stamp collecting. Why should I? It has no bearing on me. Ditto religion.

No conviction is not a stance, not an assertion. It purely means that I have no interest in becoming superstitious in such ways, giving me the benefit of being able to enjoy the company of those who do whilst decrying those who use religion as a tool to control others.

Interesting that I am at a Sikh equivalent of a christening tomorrow in Sheffield. The parents, good friends of ours, asked if we we would be offended by being invited.

Is this what religions do? Is the one true path bollocks so ingrained that normal friends who take theirs seriously assume such stances are common? I assume they think we are Christians, although the basis would be that we are white with blonde hair and blue eyes, like Jesus was.

(Copyright the esteemed gnome regarding that wonderful Jesus observation. (

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Stringsinger
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 04:46 PM

I think that lack of conviction is a conviction. This is semantic word play.
I am interested in how people arrive at a lack of conviction as well as a conviction,
if you like.

I think Dawkins has been misinterpreted by many with religious convictions.

What I find prevalent in this thead so far is a lack of understanding. It's too easy to ridicule and call names. This requires very little intellectual ability and a resort to anger and insults in place of a thoughtful examination.

I would give everyone here the benefit of the doubt and suggest that you arrived at your conclusions by an honest search. I am more interested in that honest search than I am at half-assed ripostes and angry generalities. They come across as pompous and vacant.

An assertion of this magnitude about atheism deserves an honest and sincere answer and not a supercilious snide sarcasm. Pete and I will never agree on this issue but I have a little more insight into his, what I would call, conditioning. He would call it "faith".

So far, there has been no religious person making a statement that would change my views and if I were a religious person, here, there would be no non-believer that would change them also. Leaving all that aside, this is an opportunity for dialogue and learning and getting beyond the petty wisecracks and
that's why I ask again for information about why the various positions about religion or non-religion were formulated.

Hurling sarcastic snide remarks is really a bore.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket and his vanity
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 06:26 AM

You could do a Michaelangelo (have I spelt that right? Possibly not,) and allow artistic licence.

A bit more hair, less beer belly etc. If we ever get that token woman, don't forget to give a decent lunchbox, you never know. Plenty on utube but sadly of me in rock bands many many years ago, and luckily, nothing by name. I am however curious.. It would appear that a song or two recorded at Stainsby Folk Festival of just me and guitar can e viewed on utube, not too many years ago either, but they got my b^%€!y name wrong and I can't remember what I was told to search under! (Stainsby wasn't mentioned either, and he didn't say which songs. I'm so curious, I could do with divine intervention to find the bloody thing.)

I contacted a decent lass via Viz Introductions if you are interested. Becky Thump, seems to take no shit from pesky southerners.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 06:10 AM

They don't have to be that accurate in their depiction (a la Christian imagery)

You mean all those photos of Christ are not accurate? Surely the camera does not lie. You will be telling us he is not blond haired and blue eyed next. Not that I would doubt your divine revelations of course...

Bollocks!

DtG,C,LBandSPS

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 06:02 AM

"Messiahs S&M"? Funny you should mention that. I was sort of contemplating some new activities that might attract more punters...

And you can shut yer cakehole an' all, concerened. You took so long over those Wacko plank-walking medallions that they've gone out of fashion owing to Wacko's long-term disappearance from the map. I haven't flogged a single one this week and I'm having 'em melted down. Thinking of using the metal to make some mini-statuettes of the twin Messiahs. They don't have to be that accurate in their depiction (a la Christian imagery) and I have a photo to work from. Musket, I could just do with knowing whether you're fat and bald or not...

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket checking his file
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 05:20 AM

His key worker said he was ok but they are over stretched these day with large caseloads. I'll have a word with his CPN when she next reviews his meds.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 02:50 AM

Oh, come on, conc, put that crayon down. How many times must we tell you, they don't go up your nose. And I quite like my posterior being of acceptable appearance thanks you.

Messiah's S&M, I wonder if we may have made a mistake with this one. Did you check with his probation officer?

Bollocks!

DtG,C,LBandSPS

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Concerened
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 02:44 AM

Pathetic!! .....worse than that..unoriginal gnomey...signing yourself of with apropriase epithets dont make you clever, you pretentious clod..no one likes a smartarse..

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 07:48 PM

can't say I agree about dawkins, stringsinger, but I guess that's individual perpective for you. regards   pete.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket thoughtful
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 06:40 PM

Hey! How do you know so much about my school days?

Spooky

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 04:47 PM

I verilly believe that these buffoons had all been bullied at school... that is, of course if they ever bothered attending

You still have a job as scripture writer conc, owd lad. Your wonderful way with words will be invaluable to the idiots believing, er, sorry, the faithful congregation. What's keeping you anyway? I would have thought that you would have the first few chapters done by now? Can we help? I have a few books you may be able to crayon on if the warders are allowing you crayons yet that is...

Bollocks!

DtG,C,LBandSPS

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,concerened
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 04:14 PM

I see the usual up there own bumhole frauds, musket, gnome, shaw et al.. are still spouting their collective shite....I verilly believe that these buffoons had all been bullied at school... that is, of course if they ever bothered attending

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket again
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 04:05 PM

Any interest in lack of a conviction?

Most people arrive at a conviction after a Judge or magistrate says "guilty."

If you hadn't realised, it was demonstrated much earlier by many that you can't define atheism in such a narrow sense as the thread title.

So this thread became a launch pad for the one true religion, as revealed by the two co Messiahs and associated gnome.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Stringsinger
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 11:37 AM

Pete, I found your post sincere and interesting. I think the sense of belonging is an important aspect as to why people turn to religion. We all need a sense of community and in my opinion, this need for community is inherent in our DNA. My experience tells me that I want to continue to develop this idea but on a secular level. I think that Richard Dawkins, from what I've read and heard by him would support this sense of community and that he has been unjustly treated on this thread. In a society of conformity and media-control criticism is justifiable when aspects of religion or politics seem unreasonable or unjust. This is where Dawkins comes in. He has interviewed many religious people with a sincere scientific questioning without deriding any of them personally. He really wants to know how they think.

Revealing the reasons for a decision to adopt a religion or non-belief is an essential part of
understanding and a relief from the carping, brick-bat throwing and sarcasm that sheds no
light on this issue.

I would like to hear from others on this thread as how they happened to arrive at their convictions and thank Joe and Pete for their sharing.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket being patriotic
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 07:51 AM

Well said Brother Gnome.

On an adjacent thread I have just stopped my dog from playing with him. Can't have my lad mixing with wrong'uns.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 07:31 AM

In the words of the great prophet, GfS

Bollocks!

DtG,C,LBandSPS

PS - Although I would not gainsay or Messiahs, I don't think you have a place in our religion. We will accept most nutcases as they are ideal fodder to part with their dosh, but we do have some standards.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 07:06 AM

Again:

Science is the religion of guessing...
Religion is the science of pretending.

GfS

P.S...and it's all just vanity.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 06:19 AM

Slow day at work and still recovering from the ravages of Moira so looked up this bit of new research.

Just thought you may like it. My 'offering' if you like:-)

Bollocks!

DtG,C,LBandSPS

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket evolving slowly
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 01:57 AM

Well if you think of the mutual disrespect between me and an ex girlfriend of that parish, I would have no problems promoting the misogyny aspects of our new religion.

Hebden Bridge is fine I suppose. Closer to my place if nothing else.

Hi Goofus!   Ready to be covered in lard with an apple protruding from each orifice? We take our sacrifices seriously in our religion.   (Here, co Messiah and associated gnome. Have we come up with a zingy name for it yet? We can't just call it bollocks, people would confuse it with other profane religions. )

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 06:13 PM

I didn't know about that drive until this week! A cracker. I heard that Hebden Bridge was the lesbian capital of the world but I didn't have time to find out if the town has appropriate viewing platforms for it ( bugger off - it's allowed in our new religion!). I hear that some aeroplane magazine has voted Hebden Bridge the fourth quirkiest place in the world. Musket, are you sure Knott End is the right place for us?

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 01:25 PM

That Heptonstall to Colne run is a belter init, Messiah S. Bit scary at times on some of the narrow hairpins but as an all powerful being I guess it just don't bother you. :-)

Did you know Hebden Bridge is the Funky Lesbian capital of the UK?

This has one HUGE advantage. The reputation keeps Guffers and Ake well away.

Bollocks!

DtG,C,LBandSPS

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 12:29 PM

Dunno about speaking in tongues. Speaking with forked tongue, more like. Speaking in tongues my arse!

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 10:21 AM

Steve Shaw: "Mind you, at ten quid a letter you could shorten it a bit. How about "I was a twat"?"

Well, you are.

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,musket there you go
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 10:10 AM

Aye. I have been known to speak in tongues too. Theakstons Old Peculiar rather than God though. The brewery is in God's own county I suppose.

Pentacostal eh? It seems prayer is cheaper than anti retrovirals according to some of the criminal element of Pentacostal church leaders. So so sad and frankly disturbing.

If you are still involved with that lot, I sincerely hope you are telling the lunatics amongst them to stop killing people.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 10:02 AM

you certainly have a varied and multifaceted background stringsinger, - mine not nearly so.
my parents were not practising believers.my brother and I only attending sunday school for a short while but soon bored with it.
as a young teenager I considered myself atheist, for no profound reasoning, but a friend invited me to a youth meeting at the local Pentecostal church. naturally speaking ,I don't know why I went then ,or continued to attend that,, and the usual service, for a long time still declaring myself an unbeliever.
I suppose it could be put down to a sense of belonging, and certainly I was welcome there.

my mindset began to change and I read about fulfilled bible prophecy and the unlikeliness of evolutionism, though the material then was a lot less than now, and eventually I believed in God.
it was a while later when I responded to the" alter call "professing faith in Christ as my lord and saviour.
I did not feel much different, though enthusiastic.
there used to be "waiting meetings" and at one of these I had a very powerful experience of speaking in tongues ,which I think further cemented my faith.
I don't consider it easy being a Christian but I have no doubt of my faith in God ,though some things in the bible have needed working through.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 09:12 AM

You excelled yerself there, all right, Guffers. I seldom read your rants these days but my eyes light up when I see something that might one day appear on your tombstone. Mind you, at ten quid a letter you could shorten it a bit. How about "I was a twat"?

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 09:12 AM

You excelled yerself there, all right, Guffers. I seldom read your rants these days but my eyes light up when I see something that might one day appear on your tombstone. Mind you, at ten quid a letter you could shorten it a bit. How about "I was a twat"?

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 21 Aug 13 - 09:04 AM

""Science is the religion of guessing...
Religion is the science of pretending.

GfS""

Very profound.....ly meaningless!

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 20 Aug 13 - 08:40 PM

Science is the religion of guessing...
Religion is the science of pretending.

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Aug 13 - 06:55 PM

Richard Dawkins is seeking truth, like all good scientists, by seeking evidence. 'Tain't hard.

Some religious people accept Darwin and others don't.

I have a big issue with this. Valiant though those believers are, they simply can't have their cake and eat it. If you believe in a God who is anything like close to the image of the all-powerful creator figure, then, try as you might, you simply can't espouse evolution as well. It really should be make-your-mind-up time if you're being honest with yourself. The creator God can't operate without goals, yet evolution has goals as its anathema. The ideas are mutually exclusive. I've seen brave stabs at this, for example "God kicked off evolution then let it run" and "God is the driving force behind evolution", but you are simply indulging in a massive and dishonest intellectual copout in your effort to avoid conflict with science. The fact is that God cannot be inserted into evolution at any point along the way, from the very first manifestation of life right up to the wonderful diversity we see today. He doesn't fit anywhere. The laws of nature take care of everything. Trying to give God a role is like trying to persuade people that prunes are wonderful in a Victoria sponge. You can try to make the case, but you have a hell of a lot of explaining to do, and you're doomed to failure.

Been oop north for a few days, taking me owld mum for drives out (her legs are all but gone these days). We tootled around Toddy and Hebden Bridge on Sunday, heading back over the tops to Colne via Heptonstall and gorgeous it was in the sparkling sun. On Monday we noshed at The Bull at Broughton near Skipton and then pottered around t'Dales via Grassington, Arncliffe and Malham. Gobsmacking. Frustrating not being able to get out for a ramble but couldn't really abandon Muvvah for that kind of stuff. Still, gorgeous to see it was. I wasn't a bad creator at all when I come to think of it. It wasn't you who made Burnley, was it, Musket? Not Turf Moor of course. That was me, clearly.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket in festival mode
Date: 20 Aug 13 - 12:45 PM

Here Dave.. You're not the only one with Swadlincote in his SatNav history... Not this time, but that there Moria lass has form. Sloppy seconds after a co Messiah could be dangerous to your health...

I wanted to go this year, if only because Paul Metsers borrowed a fiver off me in circa 1982 and he went to ground for many years. I met up with some mates in Whitby instead and had a bloody good time. That said, green to the gills with envy and hopefully next year......

I hope the more serious posters have noticed we had pulled off a new religion AND not needed a God?   The co Messiahs and associated gnome are merely a committee to rake off a percentage of all the money we end up making from the meek, lowly, pious and gullible. Mind you, very slow progress on that front.....

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Stringsinger
Date: 20 Aug 13 - 11:41 AM

I grew up as a non-believer but I explored a lot of religions. On my mother's side, a long line of Jews. My step-father was a non-believer. My mother oddly enough was raised Catholic but she never communicated any of this to me as a child. Later, I explored different religions, was baptized as a Congregationalist, got into B'ahai, Nichoren Shoshu, worked with the Quakers sending care packages to Europe, went to black baptist churches for the great music, and went through Sidha Yoga. I learned what I could about comparative religions and found them interesting. Mostly, my questions were about why people could believe in them. I attended different churches, even fundamentalist ones and Black churches associated with the Civil Rights Movement.

In short, I was exposed to many religions and as a result, the common denominator for me is that none of them make any sense to me. I am not out to denigrate anyone's belief system but I believe there are legitimate questions to be asked about the value of the nature of belief. I come to my views over many years of searching and exposure. I realize that any criticism of religion will be taken personally by those adherents.

Still, a discussion of the merits of belief is profitable because there are so many negative aspects as to how religion is employed. When Marx suggested that religion was the opiate of the people, in his day, opiates were in common usage and didn't have the stigma of today. He was stating a fact. I think that Stalinism is a religion and in fact he patterned his application in his version of Communism based on early religious training.

Naziism is a form of religion. Both Hitler and Stalin were gods. In Japan, Shinoism
supplied gods in the form of rulers.

The question remains, who are the militant atheists? Are those such as Richard Dawkins really militant or is he like so many others searching for truthful answers? I think that gross generalizations are made here. Some atheists appear militant. Others will offend if they dare to question religion.

I don't have any faith but I have hope that mankind will resolve differences with peace.
For this, no god is necessary in my opinion.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 20 Aug 13 - 06:04 AM

""go for it, sringsinger. a little intelligent discussion as to how we arrived at our convictions and beliefs would make a refreshing change.
I think I have expressed something of how I came to a faith position in the past but am happy to do so again at serious enquiry.
regards   pete.""

It's not your faith I have issues with Pete, it's the lunatic religion to which that faith has led you. In the face of the total impossibility of the bible being literal tuth, you have been brainwashed by a bunch of evangelising pseudo scientists into suspending every critical faculty you might once have possessed, in order to believe that every form of genuine scientific achievement which utterly disproves their bullshit is wrong.

The whole of scientific knowledge relating to the age of this planet covers numerous separate disciplines, which correlate and correspond too tightly for there to be any possibility of error beyond the acceptable margins of error of any scientific proof.

The sum total of Creationist "knowledge" would not be cramped in the space available on the back of a postage stamp.

I too have FAITH, but I haven't given up thinking for myself.

If your God is the being you think he is, why do you need other men to help you interact with him?

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket the Co Messiah
Date: 20 Aug 13 - 03:44 AM

You've missed nowt and bugger all.

pete seems too be monitoring this thread, so we had better be careful. No mobile phones when grouping together, checking the Met Office forecast for big lightning balls and associated dire prognostications, etc.

Our Bernard used to speak highly of a lass in Horwich called Knocking Nelly, thinking on. If she survived that 69er, we can see if she may be available?

In the meantime, the emissary from Dumbfuckistan has been quiet for a day or two. Hopefully mulling over our offer. I doubt he could get used to warm beer, pickled eggs and mushy peas but if we introduced snakes to our services, he may feel more at home?

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 20 Aug 13 - 03:19 AM

Yo, Messiahs

Of course you will already know that I have been away for the weekend. Moira Furnace. Nice girl, hot stuff...

Anyway, have I missed anything. Not having the omniscience can be a bit restrictive for us mere mortals, you know.

Bollocks!

DtG,C,LBandSPS

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket curious
Date: 19 Aug 13 - 04:48 PM

That's me out then. Serious enquiry isn't my strong point.

Anyway, if you read what is put rather than who put it for once, you may notice I seriously tried to answer the atheist v agnostic conundrum from my perspective.

If you were to consider a genuine curiosity question; is your creationism coming from your faith or does your faith come from your analysis of what creationism logically leads to?

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 19 Aug 13 - 03:09 PM

go for it, sringsinger. a little intelligent discussion as to how we arrived at our convictions and beliefs would make a refreshing change.
I think I have expressed something of how I came to a faith position in the past but am happy to do so again at serious enquiry.
regards   pete.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: GUEST,Musket sans blood of the Messiah
Date: 19 Aug 13 - 02:32 AM

How can this thread be too long? Our religion is fledgling yet!

We haven't got to the bits where we swap our pious hypocrisy for people's land and worldly goods. At least let us have our crusades, inquisition and looking down on people first!   We also haven't got as far as exporting it to the colonies although Sailor Boy seemed to be courting the idea of being our scapegoat Messiah at one stage, if I read his comments correctly. Difficult to tell sometimes.

Ok. Am I atheist or agnostic? I have no idea. You tell me. After all, both words were developed in order to label people as different to the mainstream, as such people were in the more superstitious past. Me? I'm just Musket or Ian or "Wrong key you pillock, we're in D now! " I answer to all sorts of names. Co Messiah has a ring to it.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Stringsinger
Date: 18 Aug 13 - 01:24 PM

I think we've crossed the rubicon into the land of generalizations. Some atheists may have a faith and others don't. Some atheists call themselves agnostic. Some atheists go out of their way to attack religious people, some don't. Some religious people are fundamentalist in their view that the bible is meant to be taken literally, not metaphorically. Some claim that Jesus existed and others say that it doesn't matter, what matters is what he stood for. Some claim that Jesus was not a pacifist and others claim he was. Some religious people accept Darwin and others don't. Some like the Old Testament and others prefer the New. Some atheists decide not to express their view in order to convince religious people that they are wrong. Some special religionists decide not to deride atheists for not believing, being able to empathize with that point of view.

This is the nature of warfare, the insistence on generalizing and making people wrong.

It has to stop. Otherwise as we see in the world today, the generalizations and enemy posing of countries, tribes, cults etc. lead to bloodshed and no resolution to basic human problems such as will we exist in fifty to one hundred years? Will some in the world go hungry while others are wealthy at their expense? Will we stop building weaponry that can exterminate the human race? Or certain members of it?

I see no resolution to the arguments that have been presented here. I don't see an attempt on the part of the people here to try and understand why others think differently from them. I come back to this thread looking for new information that is enlightening and all I find is hurled insults and self-righteous lines in the sand.

Surely there are intelligent people on this thread that can present their personal points of view which apply to them only. That would be interesting. A little history, background on how you arrive at the conclusions without speaking for others would be enlightening. I think Joe Offer did do this and although I come from a different point of view, I found Joe's expression interesting and I could understand it without trying to make him wrong.

This post is already too long but I might try to give you some background in the future as to how and why I arrived at my conclusions in hope that you might find that interesting.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Ron Davies
Date: 18 Aug 13 - 11:40 AM

Here's an idea:    let's go back to the beginning of time;   that is, to the start of the thread.

McGrath had an explanation of the difference between agnosticism and atheism. He said atheists "do have a 'faith' , by which I mean a settled belief about how the world works."

On that basis, are you atheist or agnostic?

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Ron Davies
Date: 17 Aug 13 - 11:44 AM

That's too bad. Missed the fall of Constantinople.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 16 Aug 13 - 08:41 PM

I don't know whether it's of interest to you two divinities and acompanying garden fisher of ......er......Koi Carp, but if you are thinking of expansion in the future, there is a plavce in Kent called Pratts Bottom.

Has a kind of holy ring to it, don't you think.

Bollocks!
Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Militant atheism has become a religion
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Aug 13 - 08:31 PM

OK, but do we know of anyone selling a minibus cheap?