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[–]whereswhat 8 insightful - 3 fun8 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 3 fun -  (12 children)

Welcome! SaidIt is a happy place full of uncensored rainbows and gumdrops.

That said, I feel the need to warn you about people like me and to apologize in advance. Even though this isn't reddit, I will still try super hard to convince you that religion is just a tool to control the masses, especially when I'm drunk.

It's all out of love though so no hard feelings, ok? I respect your right to believe what you want.

[–]calmbluejay[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (11 children)

I will still try super hard to convince you that religion is just a tool to control the masses, especially when I'm drunk.

And I'll argue that atheists are the useful idiots of communism. Also, I'm Mormon so I don't touch alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, coffee or tea.

[–]xigoi 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (10 children)

As if communism could be the only reason to not believe in a fairy tale.

[–]calmbluejay[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (9 children)

Belief in God is at an all time low in America and look at the mess it's in. Also personally, I've never met an atheist that didn't have at least 1 foot in communism doctrine. Atheists are arrogant creeps that are drunk on their belief that they posses a superior intelligence when in reality they're just full of hot air.

[–]xigoi 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

I've never met an atheist that didn't have at least 1 foot in communism doctrine

Seriously? Here in Czechia, most people are atheists and most people hate communism.

[–]calmbluejay[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

That's because you had Soviets killing you. Just the same as long as you've got "most people" being atheist you'll start getting most people that believe relativism and eventually you'll have all the leftist chaos that's happening in the United States.

[–]xigoi 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I'm not too afraid of that. Many people still haven't even agreed on the good stuff like homosexual rights or allowing women to choose their surname.

[–]calmbluejay[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Personally the only "rights" I want are the ones that come from the bible. I also think that if a woman doesn't want to take her husband's name then she shouldn't be getting married and gays shouldn't be doing what they're doing.

[–]whereswhat 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Some athiests are so frustrated by religiosity that they lose all sense of tact when discussing the topic. I sincerely apologize on their behalf if that is the only type if nonbeliever you have come across.

Truth is, believing in God does not say anything about your intelligence. It can be all but impossible to break free from indoctrination forced upon us as children. I consider myself very lucky to have had some outstanding influences in my life (outside of my family) who helped me "wake up", so to speak. Most people are not so fortunate.

Please don't pre-judge me just because I am agnostic. If you have an issue with my beliefs, then debate me about my beliefs. Don't go making generalizations or unfounded accusations that athiests are somehow responsible for the mess we are in right now.

[–]calmbluejay[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

. I sincerely apologize on their behalf if that is the only type if nonbeliever you have come across.

Some of the politest and nicest people that I've met have been atheists. However, I've noticed 2 things. 1. Moral atheists have gotten their morals due to Christian influences. 2. Sooner or later most of them end up contributing to the decay of society and the worship of government. Afterall, if we're just the stuff of accidental primordial ooze then there are no moral absolutes and everything becomes subject to a permissiblity interpreted by someone's desires or whims.

[–]whereswhat 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

  1. Moral atheists have gotten their morals due to Christian influences.

I argue that Christian morality is in no way absolute because the bible is wildly inconsistent when it comes to morality in general. For example, the old testament advocates that we: [a] kill adulterers, homosexuals, and "people who work on the Sabbath" (Leviticus 20:10; Leviticus 20:13; Exodus 35:2, respectively); [b] commit ethnic cleansing (Exodus 34:11–14, Leviticus 26:7–9); and [c] commit genocide (Numbers 21: 2–3, Numbers 21:33–35, Deuteronomy 2:26–35, and Joshua 1–12). In the new testament (gospel of John) we also have implications that infants and anyone who never had the opportunity to hear about Christ are damned [to hell], through no fault of their own. The reason these passages seem at odds with modern Christian morality is because people take or leave religious morality according to an internal moral compass they already have.

If you have to "cherry pick" the bible to come up with a sense of morality that feels right to you, why invoke the bible at all? I believe it's not necessary and that people can be good without the threat of damnation or the promise of eternal life as a motivator.

  1. Sooner or later most of them end up contributing to the decay of society and the worship of government.

Actually, worship in any form is not likely to be supported by atheists/agnostics at all. The term implies a sort of blind faith that is incompatible with a questioning attitude.

In response to your argument that atheists contribute to the decay of society, I will point out that Iran was run by a secular government until 1979, when religious fundamentalism took over. Which version of society looks more "decayed" to you?: https://www.memecenter.com/fun/809948/iran-then-vs-now

Afterall, if we're just the stuff of accidental primordial ooze then there are no moral absolutes and everything becomes subject to a permissiblity interpreted by someone's desires or whims.

I believe there are indeed no moral absolutes that we can take for granted. We must argue, discuss, and reason with each other to craft moral standards that maximize justice for all living creatures (imo).

If you don't like the implications of what science tells us about the origins of our species, that has no bearing on the truth of the matter. In fact, the truth in any matter is in no way dependent on what you would like to be true.

[–]calmbluejay[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I argue that Christian morality is in no way absolute because the bible is wildly inconsistent when it comes to morality in general.

No it's not. When there appears to be contradictions that means you just need to further study the issues to find how they line up. It's one of the greatest reasons why so much time is devoted to study the bible

I believe there are indeed no moral absolutes

Henceforth the reason you're an atheist.

[–]whereswhat 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

When there appears to be contradictions that means you just need to further study the issues to find how they line up.

What is the stopping criteria for that exercise though? In my mind, it isn't a very valuable resource if it takes a lifetime to understand. Also, why would an all knowing and all powerful god leave us with such a convoluted guide for absolute morality?

The passges I cited cannot be reconciled within any modern moral lens, to the best of my knowledge. I have tried (as have many others) and I invite you to do the same. I promise to keep an open mind and thoroughly examine any claims you make.

I should mention I have spent countless hours studying the bible. As a piece of literature, it is one of the most important works in the western world and I feel for that reason it deserves much more attention in the public classroom than it currently gets. That said, it is nothing more than a piece of literature. It was written by humans after all.

To further demonstrate the ambiguous nature of the bible:

https://sciencebasedlife.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/biblecontradictions-reasonproject.png

the reason you're an atheist

Sorry, not even close. First of all, I am not an athiest, I am agnostic. To be an athiest requires a certain level of faith that no evidence of a god exists at all (I'm not a fan of faith, aka belief without evidence). Since I have not seen any credible evidence of a diety in my lifetime, I consider it overwhelmingly unlikely that such an enigma actually exists. I recognize that my life experience is insignificant compared to the cumulative information existing across time and space though. Hence, I am agnostic.

Just because I don't prescribe to moral absolutism doesn't mean all agnostics are the same. It also is entirely unrelated to the basis for my views on god. That said, all it would take is one clear example of an immutable rule of morality for you to sway my opinion on the subject of absolute morality. Might be a fun exercise to try if you like. Reply with any moral guideline you feel is immutable and I will see if I can think of a set of circumstances in which it doesn't hold up.