30 Oct 06
Originally posted by telerionI didn't read your post.
If there is a god, let us pray to him to interpret your horrible sentences!
Let me help you. You are not asking what keeps us from doing bad things. You want to know where the definition of good comes from. I agree with others that any definition is subjective. Even the theist suffers from Euthyphro's Dilemma (despite some rather vigorous attempts ...[text shortened]... .
Okay, sorry to bother you with reason. Please, continue with your selfish prostelytizing.
Sorry for my bad English, I pray to GOD to help me improve my English too. I promise you I will do some research. Thank you for advise.
30 Oct 06
2 edits
Originally posted by ahosyneyWhy do flies exist?
This is the first time for me to talk about this. So please help me to understand. If there is no God, no afterlife, and nothing, why do you think your life is for. Why do you exist? and why do you die?
why do dogs exist?
why do goldfish exist?
what is the purpose of their lives?...do they believe in a god?...do all flies go to heaven???...what happens to a fly when it dies?...what doesn't go to heaven/hell??...heck why *should* humans go to heaven or hell in the first place???...what makes us so damned special!
how do you *know* all this?...been to heaven have you?, did your mummy tell you?...or a teacher/priest???...exactly how do you know?...what if they made a mistake and it is actually the Flying Spaghetti Monster that is the only real deity. What if there is no deity at all and irrationally you're just *hoping* there's a god because non-existance scares you!
30 Oct 06
Originally posted by amannionCould be a bus crash too. Or getting your balls stuck in the blender while
Why do I die?
Because my metabolic processes shut down.
experimenting with new physical forms of stimulation.
Just kidding. Not. No really I am. Kind of. He...
And now a few words to any theists it may concern:
This past year I've been going from complete atheist to agnostic to I
don't really know what. I'm now convinced that no human can ever find a
plausible answer to the question why we exist, and like amannion over
there I wonder why we would even need a higher purpose.
I'm also curious about why some would want an afterlife. Life to me
is the most incredible thing imaginable. I haven't seen anything as
extraordinary, so why spend those relatively few years I get, pondering
what happens after life? That's just a waste of time.
No, step out into nature and just enjoy it for a while. Inhale the air, feel
the wind, enjoy the sunlight or laugh in the rain. That's called living. I'm
sure of one thing alone. If God exist, and xe created us, I'm sure xe
meant for us to experience nature to the fullest. Why else would xe
make it fit so well for us animals?
30 Oct 06
Originally posted by stockenIn the end what does it really matter what label you give to your position.
I have no idea what a Camusian absurdist would mean. I think a good description for me would be, as always: extremely confused and loving it too much to really attempt a change.
I call myself an atheist, but so what?
I'm with you - life's about exploration; about finding out about things; about experiencing things ...
31 Oct 06
Originally posted by EcstremeVenomBut is it really much different?
no i was just joking around. you have faith not hope.
I mean people will say 'I've experienced God in my life' and hang their faith on that.
'I know God exists before I have experienced Him.'
That's the basis of their faith.
But isn't it possible - even more likely I would argue - that this basis for faith is little more than hope? 'I hope what I've experienced is God and so will believe in Him.'
I take the absolute diametric position. I hope God doesn't exist - because it's one meaningless world if he does.
31 Oct 06
Originally posted by amannionso then you are just as bad as someone who "hopes God exists". i believe partially cuz people that i trust wouldnt lie to me, mom, sis, aunt etc. have said they have experienced miracles. i believe i have too.
But is it really much different?
I mean people will say 'I've experienced God in my life' and hang their faith on that.
'I know God exists before I have experienced Him.'
That's the basis of their faith.
But isn't it possible - even more likely I would argue - that this basis for faith is little more than hope? 'I hope what I've experienced is God and s ...[text shortened]... position. I hope God doesn't exist - because it's one meaningless world if he does.
31 Oct 06
Originally posted by EcstremeVenomNo, I'm sure they're not lying to you.
so then you are just as bad as someone who "hopes God exists". i believe partially cuz people that i trust wouldnt lie to me, mom, sis, aunt etc. have said they have experienced miracles. i believe i have too.
I'm sure they really believe that miracles have occurred - and I'm sure you could too - although I'd question that at your age.
Have miracles occurred?
I don't believe they have.
I would argue that people have experiences that are outside what they would normally come across, and people being people we want to understand and label our experiences (labelling something being part of our way of yunderstanding it.) For some people, the easiest label to fix to an unexplained experience is - miracle.
Which of course doesn't mean that a miracle has occurred -simply that something's happened that someone calls a miracle.
As for me being as bad as someone who hopes God exists, what else is there? I can either hope God exists or hope that it doesn't - I can';t really see a third position to take.