Zone1 Is Atheism Depressing?

[Thunderbird]

I prefer Hamlet:

What a piece of work is a man!​

how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty!​

in form and moving how express and admirable!​

in action how like an angel!​

in apprehension how like a god!​

the beauty of the world!​

the paragon of animals!​

Don’t forget the rest:

—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?​

Man delights not me— nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.​

 

[Thunderbird]

“I shouted “filth! what rotten filth!” and shook myself to get rid of this sticky filth, but it held fast and there was so much, tons and tons of existence, endless: I stifled at the depths of this immense weariness.” Jean-Paul Sartre

 

[BreezeWood]

I am only suggesting atheism is a bleak philosophy.

atheism and philosophy would be two different subjects no different than monotheism and philosophy or any subject and a corresponding limitless philosophy. good luck.

 

[alang1216]

Don’t forget the rest:

—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?​

Man delights not me— nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.​

Shakespeare is a lot like the Bible, there is so much there you can use any part you like. As Hamlet said "The rest is silence".

 

[ding]

That means your beliefs must be fantasy…..there is no middle ground

Ever hear of the happiness advantage? Check out the science on it. It's quite interesting. And then there's Darwin... if belief in a higher power did not provide a functional advantage it would have disappeared long ago.

Lastly, most people don't understand Pascal's Wager. What Pascal was saying was that even if God doesn't exist, the benefit of believing in a higher power far outweighs the benefit of not believing in a higher power.

 

[ding]

"When all is said and done, we are in the end absolutely dependent on the universe; and into sacrifices and surrenders of some sort, deliberately looked at and accepted, we are drawn and pressed into our only permanent positions of repose. Now in those states of mind which fall short of belief in a higher power, the surrender is submitted to as an imposition of necessity, and the sacrifice is undergone at the very best without complaint. In the life of a believer, on the contrary, surrender and sacrifice are positively espoused: even unnecessary givings-up are added in order that the happiness may increase. Belief in God thus makes easy and felicitous what in any case is necessary; and if it be the only agency that can accomplish this result, its vital importance as a human faculty stands vindicated beyond dispute. It becomes an essential organ of our life, performing a function which no other portion of our nature can so successfully fulfill." William James

 

[ding]

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ― Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

 

[Thunderbird]

Why is our ruling elite often hostile to religion?

1) They don’t want any restrictions on their behavior.

2) They want to be worshipped without any rivals.

3) They have chosen atheism as an arbitrary marker of superiority.

 

[Thunderbird]

Atheism is not popular so atheist evangelicals, atheist imperialists, atheist fundamentalists, atheist promoters will oppose democracy and populism.

A militant atheist would never want to empower the people.

 

[rightwinger]

Ever hear of the happiness advantage? Check out the science on it. It's quite interesting. And then there's Darwin... if belief in a higher power did not provide a functional advantage it would have disappeared long ago.

Lastly, most people don't understand Pascal's Wager. What Pascal was saying was that even if God doesn't exist, the benefit of believing in a higher power far outweighs the benefit of not believing in a higher power.

When considering facts, what is to your advantage to believe does not come into play

 

[ding]

When considering facts, what is to your advantage to believe does not come into play

You can't discover truth (i.e. facts) without dying to self. It is bias (i.e. subjectivity) or preference for an outcome which leads to rationalizations of reality. So I wholeheartedly disagree with you on that.

 

[rightwinger]

You can't discover truth (i.e. facts) without dying to self. It is bias (i.e. subjectivity) or preference for an outcome which leads to rationalizations of reality. So I wholeheartedly disagree with you on that.

Word Salad

 

[BreezeWood]

And then there's Darwin... if belief in a higher power did not provide a functional advantage it would have disappeared long ago.

and that has anything to do w/ the desert religions that are no more a higher power than whats written between 10k pages that long ago's only advantage is persecuting and victimizing the innocent -

than the higher power of self determination that is a true advantage proven by evolution.

 

[BreezeWood]

Why is our ruling elite often hostile to religion?

1) They don’t want any restrictions on their behavior.

2) They want to be worshipped without any rivals.

3) They have chosen atheism as an arbitrary marker of superiority.

... as how are the ruling elite not the desert religions primary goal

1 - 2 - 3 ... are each a different philosophy -

1-2 are exemplar more of the desert religions than atheism

3 - is just senseless.

 

[ding]

Word Salad

Often times ignorance is insolent, but it’s your loss, not mine.

 

[ding]

and that has anything to do w/ the desert religions that are no more a higher power than whats written between 10k pages that long ago's only advantage is persecuting and victimizing the innocent -

than the higher power of self determination that is a true advantage proven by evolution.

Get a new drum. You've beat that one to death.

 

[ding]

I think the answer is that Christians are afraid of Atheism because it challenges their beliefs.
Maybe there isn’t a God

So they post threads attacking Atheism

That might be true for Christians posting in an atheist forum, but that's not what's happening here.

It's funny that someone like you who claims he doesn't want religion shoved down his throat would come to a forum to have religion shoved down his throat. Maybe you should be honest with yourself about why you are really here.

 

[rightwinger]

That might be true for Christians posting in an atheist forum, but that's not what's happening here.

It's funny that someone like you who claims he doesn't want religion shoved down his throat would come to a forum to have religion shoved down his throat. Maybe you should be honest with yourself about why you are really here.

You mean a thread called “Is Atheism Depressing”?

Who do you expect to respond?

 

[ding]

You mean a thread called “Is Atheism Depressing”?

Who do you expect to respond?

In a religious forum that atheists attend for the express purpose of mocking Christians. And you are surprised? Would you be surprised if you took a swing at someone and they swung back?

You come here looking for this. Are you really surprised that you got what you were looking for?

 

[ding]

You mean a thread called “Is Atheism Depressing”?

Who do you expect to respond?

Would it offend you if I said that atheists see no distinction between good and evil? That atheism proceeds on the belief that all that matters is the satisfaction of material needs and primitive animal impulses? Or would you agree with me?