faith, religion, spirituality

[Dominic]

I'm an atheist but don't pretend to know anything about what happens when we die, how the universe was created or where my self-awareness comes from. In fact, is there any scientific argument for self-awareness? Is it by evolutionary design? If so, what are the benefits of having it to the species?

When I die, either my consciousness will be snuffed out or it will go on in some unfathomable way. Either possibility both frightens and comforts me at the same time.

[tpir]

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You say you don't know any "like that". I do. What can I say? Some do, some don't.

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I guess I am saying that -- given your misunderstandings earlier in this thread -- I have my doubts you know as many people "like that" as you claim to.

[jeffnc]

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jeffnc,

I really didn't want to gay up this thread, but statements like this...
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since the non-existence of God can be proven logically

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should be backed up with said proof if it actually exists.

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You misterpreted my post. That sentence fragment makes no sense taken out of context of the rest of the sentence. Read my last reply a couple posts up.

[jeffnc]

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You say you don't know any "like that". I do. What can I say? Some do, some don't.

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I guess I am saying that -- given your misunderstandings earlier in this thread -- I have my doubts you know as many people "like that" as you claim to.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have my doubts about your intentions with your replies to me, since I never claimed to know any particular number of people "like that". Most of the stuff I said is intuitively obvious. Is it really a topic you want to argue about - that there are different types of atheists that having differing views? Is it somehow necessary to your counter argument (whatever that might be) that I have claimed to have known a certain large number of them?

[Anacardo]

JaBlue -

I hope your poor, martyred thread here goes to Heaven.

[tpir]

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I have my doubts about your intentions with your replies to me, since I never claimed to know any particular number of people "like that". Most of the stuff I said is intuitively obvious. Is it really a topic you want to argue about - that there are different types of atheists that having differing views? Is it somehow necessary to your counter argument (whatever that might be) that I have claimed to have known a certain large number of them?

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All I am saying is that I have enough evangelical friends whereby I have seen the "conversion playbook", replete with bad examples of why atheism is dogmatic (and/or evil). Obviously, I am not accusing you of going down this path, but your earlier posts in this thread were like cut-and-pastes out of the "information" they provide to their young leaders. My intention was for you to realize that, in general, those opinions re: atheism are unfounded and silly.

[AMT]

i dont mean to hijack/go off on a tangent but:

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a Messianic Jew, or Jew that believes Jeshua, Jesus, was the Messiah.

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this is not a real Jewish person, for the record. These are polar opposite beliefs and do not comprise one religion.

[jeffnc]

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I have my doubts about your intentions with your replies to me, since I never claimed to know any particular number of people "like that". Most of the stuff I said is intuitively obvious. Is it really a topic you want to argue about - that there are different types of atheists that having differing views? Is it somehow necessary to your counter argument (whatever that might be) that I have claimed to have known a certain large number of them?

[/ QUOTE ]
All I am saying is that I have enough evangelical friends whereby I have seen the "conversion playbook", replete with bad examples of why atheism is dogmatic (and/or evil). Obviously, I am not accusing you of going down this path, but your earlier posts in this thread were like cut-and-pastes out of the "information" they provide to their young leaders. My intention was for you to realize that, in general, those opinions re: atheism are unfounded and silly.

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Wait a minute, did you get the impression I'm an atheist? Or are you saying I was just copy-pasting information I've read? If indeed that's the information that's given to "young leaders", then I guess those opinions exist in some significant way, which was basically my point.