New Atheist Billboards in California:"I Believe in Humanity, Not god"

[Robert]

I think that Bertrand Russell once nearly died when his plane dumped itself in a Norwegian fiord. Afterwards he was asked what had gone through his mind while he was in the icy waters. He replied : 'I remember thinking "I'm cold." '

[Ally]

I suspect not many. There would be some of course, because fear can make rational people do irrational things. If the test is facing your possible death without turning to god for comfort, I've passed that one, as has everyone who has ever had a major serious illness, had a car spin out of control on an icy highway, got smacked by a big wave and held under for one second longer than you thought you could hold your breath, etc. All these moments where you are faced with the possibility of your own mortality.

But if the only reason you believe in god is because you are afraid, that's not true worship anyway, and if god actually exists and he's actually so shallow that he'll boost his numbers with any fake show of professed piety, is that the sort of god you want to worship anyway?

I have a deeply, devoutly religious friend who actually believes in the Bible literally ( I know, I can't believe it either) and we've had the discussion before where if her god came down and gave me indisputable proof that he actually existed and yes, all that crap in the Bible was true, I still wouldn't worship him because he's a total dick.

I would admit he was god, if given the proof, but worship him? No, not in a million years.

[louisa]

I wonder how many atheists would suddenly find God if they were up in a plane and it was about to crash?

My reasons for not believing in God is that there is so much unnecessary cruelty on this planet, even in the natural world.

[caz]

Funny story I heard that may or may not be true. On a certain ward in a certain hospital somewhere in South Africa, patients hooked up to a certain machine began to die suddenly at exactly the same time each day. When doctors were at the scene early on the next occasion to investigate, they saw the cleaning lady arrive and unplug the machine so she could plug in the vacuum cleaner. She was working in mysterious ways, God's wonders to perform.

Wouldn't happen here in the UK with our National Health Service the way it is. Not more than once a year, anyway.

Love,

Caz
X

[Ally]

Ooh thank you Caz, Because that's what I thought the response would be. To which I would of course reply, well then by that logic, god also created the abortion procedure and the medical know how to do it, so clearly there can be nothing wrong with that then either.

It's always interesting when they call in "god's will" to justify doing things they want to do, and never think it all the way through. Like they hook up machines to brain damaged people and claim it's god's will if they live or die -- wouldn't the better test of that be to unhook the machines and really allow god to make the decision???

[caz]

Hi Ally,

Well of course, the answer is that God created everything, so he created TB and also the doctors who can now prevent and treat it.

Being all-powerful, the almighty - sorry, the Almighty (mustn't be disrespectful to Tom, even while he's away from the boards watching internet porn and cranking one out) - left plenty of time between the two, so thankfully life was never dull for my grandfather, coughing his lungs up and dying from consumption before I was born.

Love,

Caz
X

[Ally]

LOL Caz, I had much the same thought but I had planned for the eventuality of FM having a reasoned response (I know, it is to laugh) where I would propose we both infect ourselves with TB and he goes to the church and prays for an answer and I'll go to the doctor and we'll see who gets a better result. True, his experience will no doubt be more exciting than mine, but I like my eventual answer/outcome a lot better.

[caz]

Dullsville

I agree with FM: it is indeed a DULL world when we look to science for all the answers.

If we had looked to God instead, just think how many of us would now be savouring the same unending joys of raging toothache - to name but one example - that our ancestors did?

Love,

Caz
X

[Ally]

Aye, Ally, compared with you I'm the heir to the throne of Gandhi and associated peace advocates.

And yet I've managed to post several replies to you without insulting you at all, and you can't claim the same. So I would possibly get off that high horse if I were you before you fall and it kicks you in the head.

And, you're misrepresenting what I actually said: "science doesn't have all of the answers", which is an entirely different proposition and one that would be supported by scientists.

No you are misrepresenting what you actually said. You stated that it would be a DULL world to look to science for all the answers, which is your opinion and only your opinion and a fairly judgmental opinion at that. Science is an ongoing process and of course scientists will admit they don't have the answers, that's what they are out there looking for. But it is purely your insulting opinion that the work of scientists and those who look to them makes for a dull world.

[Fleetwood Mac]

Ah yes. This must be an example of your reasoned, tactful, religious, non-confrontational ideology of inclusion at work.

Well, speak with some sort of sense then instead of acting like a neurotic fart trying to get out of a milk bottle.

[Fleetwood Mac]

And you are a model of tact and politeness and non-judgmental conversation?

Aye, Ally, compared with you I'm the heir to the throne of Gandhi and associated peace advocates.

Hunker down in the dirt means to sit on your butt and do nothing. A mentality of laziness and non-adventure. Which you seemed to be advocating by stating "don't look to science for answers" and stating you don't look to the sky for wonder but are content with your little piece of the earth.

And, you're misrepresenting what I actually said: "science doesn't have all of the answers", which is an entirely different proposition and one that would be supported by scientists.

And, you're clearly devoid of the capacity to grasp what I said, either that or you've cynically manipulated it: I'd go back to Sam's point that you should do it for yourself, rather than what other people expect you to do, except I don't necessarily agree that Christianity is 'herd mentality'.

[Ally]

Jesus Christ. I know you have a history of cults over there, but it's worse than I thought. I mean, you're not even in a cult, at least I assume you're not, physically, at this point in time; but yet you're talking like you're on some serious mind-bending drugs.

Ah yes. This must be an example of your reasoned, tactful, religious, non-confrontational ideology of inclusion at work.

[Ally]

[QUOTE=Fleetwood Mac;281864]

You seem to do a lot of 'telling' Ally in a style what can only be described as confrontational without any trace of humour.

And you are a model of tact and politeness and non-judgmental conversation?

Speaking of 'segregating people into right and wrong', you have to be joking? Two minutes ago you were saying something about hunkering around in the dirt (whatever that means, do people lie around in the dirt in America?

Hunker down in the dirt means to sit on your butt and do nothing. A mentality of laziness and non-adventure. Which you seemed to be advocating by stating "don't look to science for answers" and stating you don't look to the sky for wonder but are content with your little piece of the earth.

[Fleetwood Mac]

[QUOTE=Ally;281863

you insulted the entire group of people that I belong to.

[/QUOTE]

Jesus Christ. I know you have a history of cults over there, but it's worse than I thought. I mean, you're not even in a cult, at least I assume you're not, physically, at this point in time; but yet you're talking like you're on some serious mind-bending drugs.

[Fleetwood Mac]

The problem is that by and large it is the religious who feel that they are required by their divine purpose to tell and enforce by law how the rest of us choose to live our life. They segregate people into "right" and "wrong"

You seem to do a lot of 'telling' Ally in a style what can only be described as confrontational without any trace of humour.

Speaking of 'segregating people into right and wrong', you have to be joking? Two minutes ago you were saying something about hunkering around in the dirt (whatever that means, do people lie around in the dirt in America? Out of sheer boredom I'll throw in that we call dirt 'clarts' in the North East of England which is derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'claert', fancy that eh)