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When does Atheism Become a Belief System

RAMOSS said:
That makes it a tad difficult to convey the results of the experiment to others.
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Yes, but that is their problem. You asked me how I would test it. Arguments like this are always futile and pointless. A religious belief by its very nature cannot be proved either true or false, and I have heard nothing new about it in at least 70 years.
 
RAMOSS said:
That is a nice opinion. Care to show that it is more than rhetoric?
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Of course it is an opinion. We are not dealing in any facts or evidence based knowledge in discussing gods we are only giving opinions.

One of the main uses of a religious belief is that it gives comfort. For example to tell grieving parents that the death of their child had a purpose in gods way and that they have gone to a better place etc, etc. Which is the purpose of an opiate, to give comfort against the pain suffered by an injury. The analogy fits and is an accurate description of religion.

The same can be said in that people who have bad intentions will use religion to make others dependent on them and even commit terrible acts in the name of that religion and a belief in god. The same as an opiate can be used to get some one addicted and have them commit crimes to supply that habit. Again the analogy fits and the description is accurate.
 
soylentgreen said:
You hit the nail on the head there. That is the only purpose of religion. To act as an opiate that like any addictive substance gives control over others by those who push that drug.
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I didn't say it was a purpose of religion. You did. I said it was a benefit of religion.
 
fmw said:
You didn't put the motto on the money. You've wound yourself up to the point that you can't simply ignore unimportant things. It indicates a lack of confidence in your atheism to me.
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Do you think freedom of speech is important? They are putting words in my mouth. That's not right. Do you think freedom of religion is important? They shove a particular religious belief down my throat. Does it keep me up at night? No. If on a discussion forum will I mention the issue? You bet.

And what is confidence in atheism? I have no belief to hold a confidence in. .
 
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Russell797 said:
Do you think freedom of speech is important. They are putting words in my mouth.
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I see. You don't think "they" should have freedom of speech. Only you? Think it through.

That's not right. Do you think freedom of religion is important? They shove a particular religious belief down my throat. Does it keep me up at night? No. If on a discussion forum will I mention the issue? You bet.
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If that keeps you up at night then you may want to seek some medical assistance. Nobody shoves anything down my throat unless I allow it. Why don't you simply ignore things you don't like. It is obvious you have little confidence in your atheism.

And what is confidence in atheism? I have no belief to hold a confidence in.
 
And what is confidence in atheism? I have no belief to hold a confidence in.
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If that were true you wouldn't be losing sleep at night. You believe religion is bad. You believe people with religious beliefs should lose their freedom of religion and speech. You believe religious people are a threat to your "non-belief". You are a confused individual. It is easy for an outsider to see. Self introspection is difficult but you should try.
 
fmw said:
What do those things have to do with the existence of god? A better statement would be that the existence of god is not proven. What you are trying to do is to prove a negative. That doesn't work.
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He is not referring to an existence of god in this case. He is referring as he explicitly states to religion. A belief in god and religion are not synonymous in meaning. One can believe in god and not follow any religion at all.
 
cabse5 said:
Ideological beliefs are also delusions. Religion may not be allowed in US government but ideology sure is.

Religion is just a smaller branch of the ideology tree.
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Religion is allowed in U.S. government. Specifically Christianity.

If you think all ideological thinking is delusional you would be wrong. Maybe your ideology lacks a basis in reality, but I can assure you my ideology is rooted in demonstrable reality. Especially science, logic, rationality, evidence and determinism. Sprinkle in a little empathy, love and respect for good measure only.
 
Russell797 said:
He is not referring to an existence of god in this case. He is referring as he explicitly states to religion. A belief in god and religion are not synonymous in meaning. One can believe in god and not follow any religion at all.
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Then he should be clear. He is very confused.
 
fmw said:
I see. You don't think "they" should have freedom of speech. Only you? Think it through.



If that keeps you up at night then you may want to seek some medical assistance. Nobody shoves anything down my throat unless I allow it. Why don't you simply ignore things you don't like. It is obvious you have little confidence in your atheism.

And what is confidence in atheism? I have no belief to hold a confidence in.
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The government is not the individual. The government is supposed to be neutral. The government should not be aligning with a particular religion like it does. You haven't thought it through. In this country, supposedly indifferent to religion, the government endorses and places symbols of that endorsement all over government properties, engages in religious rituals such as swearing on a Bible and including god in the pledge of allegiance. That's not freedom of religion and free speech, it's forcing it on me.
 
Russell797 said:
The government is not the individual. The government is supposed to be neutral. The government should not be aligning with a particular religion like it does. You haven't thought it through. In this country, supposedly indifferent to religion, the government endorses and places symbols of that endorsement all over government properties, engages in religious rituals such as swearing on a Bible and including god in the pledge of allegiance. That's not freedom of religion and free speech, it's forcing it on me.
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It isn't forcing anything on you unless you allow it. The constitution goes out of its way to force government allow people to practice religion as they wish. It is you and those like you who do not want to allow it. The government is tolerant of religion. You are not. Since you live in the U.S. you have to live with things you view as imperfect. We all do. Stop sniveling about it. None of it is hurting you. You are being your own enemy.
 
fmw said:
It isn't forcing anything on you unless you allow it. The constitution goes out of its way to force government allow people to practice religion as they wish. It is you and those like you who do not want to allow it. The government is tolerant of religion. You are not. Since you live in the U.S. you have to live with things you view as imperfect. We all do. Stop sniveling about it. None of it is hurting you. You are being your own enemy.
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Your boy Trump seems to be a wee bit intolerant of a certain religion. Let's see if you can guess which one.
 
fmw said:
If that were true you wouldn't be losing sleep at night. You believe religion is bad. You believe people with religious beliefs should lose their freedom of religion and speech. You believe religious people are a threat to your "non-belief". You are a confused individual. It is easy for an outsider to see. Self introspection is difficult but you should try.
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Can you read? I said I lose no sleep over god being shoved down my throat. It does bother me when religious folks deny gay people civil rights, health insurance, curtail embryonic stem cell research, try to force Creationism into public school science curriculum, outlaw abortion etc.

Religious folks can sing the praises of religion all they want. Just don't insert it into government. As soon as they do it become my issue.

You seem to know so much about me...How do you do that? It's amazing how you assume things about me and then you believe them....At 66 years of age, a trained scientist, a millionaire in retirement, I don't think you know a damned thing about me. I suspect you would be a global warming denier...Am I right?
 
Russell797 said:
Can you read? I said I lose no sleep over god being shoved down my throat. It does bother me when religious folks deny gay people civil rights, health insurance, curtail embryonic stem cell research, try to force Creationism into public school science curriculum, outlaw abortion etc.

Religious folks can sing the praises of religion all they want. Just don't insert it into government. As soon as they do it become my issue.

You seem to know so much about me...How do you do that? It's amazing how you assume things about me and then you believe them....At 66 years of age, a trained scientist, a millionaire in retirement, I don't think you know a damned thing about me. I suspect you would be a global warming denier...Am I right?
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You are a confused person despite your background. I know that about you. I gather that from what you write. I'm not a global warming denier. I am a global warming supporter. I find more good than bad in the concept of global warming. Unfortunately I doubt I will be able to plant palm trees in my back yard before I die.
 
fmw said:
It isn't forcing anything on you unless you allow it. The constitution goes out of its way to force government allow people to practice religion as they wish. It is you and those like you who do not want to allow it. The government is tolerant of religion. You are not. Since you live in the U.S. you have to live with things you view as imperfect. We all do. Stop sniveling about it. None of it is hurting you. You are being your own enemy.
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Oh really? Does that mean I don't have to swear on a Bible in a court of law. A child does not have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance with the god inclusion before school every day? Can I rub out the In God We Trust on the money I pass? Even if there are exclusions, why must someone be made to feel like and outsider in their own country? Or feel peer pressure to conform in the case of children?

People can practice religion all they want. Just keep it out of MY government.
 
Russell797 said:
Oh really? Does that mean I don't have to swear on a Bible in a court of law. A child does not have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance with the god inclusion before school every day? Can I rub out the In God We Trust on the money I pass? Even if there are exclusions, why must someone be made to feel like and outsider in their own country? Or feel peer pressure to conform in the case of children?

People can practice religion all they want. Just keep it out of MY government.
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Ok, we'll keep it out of your government and allow it only for everyone else's government.
 
fmw said:
You are a confused person despite your background. I know that about you. I gather that from what you write. I'm not a global warming denier. I am a global warming supporter. I find more good than bad in the concept of global warming. Unfortunately I doubt I will be able to plant palm trees in my back yard before I die.
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So you are a denier of climate science, which implies a disruption to natural systems. OK, but that wasn't my point. The point was to show how easily I could have been wrong by assuming you to be something because of other traits which I detect in you. Turns out I was right, but I could have been wrong very easily. Stop thinking you know much about me, because you don't. Guilt by association is a form of prejudice.
 
Russell797 said:
So you are a denier of climate science, which implies a disruption to natural systems. OK, but that wasn't my point. The point was to show how easily I could have been wrong by assuming you to be something because of other traits which I detect in you. Turns out I was right, but I could have been wrong very easily. Stop thinking you know much about me, because you don't. Guilt by association is a form of prejudice.
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I don't know much about you. I only know what I read of your writing. That is what I said earlier. I'm not a climate science denier. I believe that there has been some global warming.
 
fmw said:
I don't know much about you. I only know what I read of your writing. That is what I said earlier. I'm not a climate science denier. I believe that there has been some global warming.
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Russell797 fails to differentiate between climate change denial and climate change exclusively caused by man denial (AGW). I guess Russell797 fails to understand his ideology at play, here. *Snort*. Ideology is a belief system and has little to do with actual facts.

To tie this to this thread, Russell797 will demand some evidence of a god but not of AGW. *Snort*, snort*.
 
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cabse5 said:
Russell797 fails to differentiate between climate change denial and climate change exclusively caused by man denial (AGW). I guess Russell797 fails to understand his ideology at play, here. *Snort*. Ideology is a belief system and has little to do with actual facts.

To tie this to this thread, Russell797 will demand some evidence of a god but not of AGW. *Snort*, snort*.
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Wrong. I demand no evidence for god. I don't ask for the impossible. Since there is no evidence for god I do not accept the notion.

When we speak of current day climate change we are speaking of AGW. AGW is based upon over a century of observation and physics. Specifically an enhancement to Earth's existing greenhouse effect.

I am a man of science. There is no ideology involved in science. If, when and how to make use of science is a matter of ideology and politics.
 
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