I am an atheist, but remain open minded...

zoldos · May 23, 2012

My parents raised me as a Catholic, I was baptized, confirmed, the whole deal. But did I ever have a true belief in any of it? I'm not ashamed to say no. I've always been into science and things like this. I tend to only believe in things that can be proven via experiment. Hence, no ghosts, no God, nothing like that.

I do stay open minded tho, and would never put someone down for their religion....

Exel · Jun 6, 2012

To be honest, me, too.
My parents raised me as a Christian, and I didn't question it.
I guess I still do believe in it, but what always gets to me is how all these religions claim that their way is the right way. How can anyone be 100% certain of that? You can't. And if you tell them that, they'll bring in the having faith and believing stuff, but still.. how can one religion say the other is wrong?

Likewise, I'm open minded, you believe what you want to believe, and I'll believe what I want to believe.

Off-topic; Nice avatar.

zoldos · Jun 6, 2012

I think the problem with modern religion(s) is that the true meaning behind it all seems to have been skewed over the years and distorted. That's a shame.

Yes, it's from Matrix Reloaded.

Exel · Jun 7, 2012

zoldos said:
I think the problem with modern religion(s) is that the true meaning behind it all seems to have been skewed over the years and distorted. That's a shame.

Yes, it's from Matrix Reloaded.

Very true, and many times people have used religion as a way to start war.
Even when most religions are against cruelty, hatred, etc.

Nice, nice.. I love those movies. :smug:

zoldos · Jun 7, 2012

I think all wars are because of religious intolerance...

clax · Jun 8, 2012

i am sorry, i don't understand. you "believe" fact? fact is knowledge therefore requires no belief. if it is proven then why would you believe it. you know fact, you use evidence to support a belief.

i don't see where science and God conflict, god is simply the answer we give for things that we cannot comprehend. science is the method in which we understand our world, God is the thing that we will never understand.

take the big bang, we can use science to explain how it happened, but what about why, can any person answer that.

people see the church, which is an organization of people with a common belief, not God. there is a component of the belief i God which you don't get as an outsider looking in. it is when God speaks to you. god will not speak to you until you take a leap of faith. act as a scientist. a leap of faith is necessary to break the sound berrior, when the whole world tells you you are wrong and you believe and know you are right that is where advances are made, not sitting in a lab denying possibilities.

i really never understood conflict of God and science, they go hand in hand to me.

Exel · Jun 9, 2012

clax said:
i am sorry, i don't understand. you "believe" fact? fact is knowledge therefore requires no belief. if it is proven then why would you believe it. you know fact, you use evidence to support a belief.

i don't see where science and God conflict, god is simply the answer we give for things that we cannot comprehend. science is the method in which we understand our world, God is the thing that we will never understand.

take the big bang, we can use science to explain how it happened, but what about why, can any person answer that.

people see the church, which is an organization of people with a common belief, not God. there is a component of the belief i God which you don't get as an outsider looking in. it is when God speaks to you. god will not speak to you until you take a leap of faith. act as a scientist. a leap of faith is necessary to break the sound berrior, when the whole world tells you you are wrong and you believe and know you are right that is where advances are made, not sitting in a lab denying possibilities.

i really never understood conflict of God and science, they go hand in hand to me.

I agree with your last statement, they can definitely go hand in hand.
I think what bothers me the most is many people use religion as an excuse for everything, or they're waiting for something to happen and they put it all on God. I think they should go out and do the work, and try. People have twisted religion to the point where the religion someone believes in is the right one, and if someone else believes something else, then they're wrong. We don't have facts, and believing in something is completely fine, having faith is fine, but at what point do people stop and say.. okay, he has his beliefs, I have mine, but we're both in the same track, we believe in God, and that's okay. A lot of people don't get there.

clax · Jun 12, 2012

Exel said:
I agree with your last statement, they can definitely go hand in hand.
I think what bothers me the most is many people use religion as an excuse for everything, or they're waiting for something to happen and they put it all on God. I think they should go out and do the work, and try. People have twisted religion to the point where the religion someone believes in is the right one, and if someone else believes something else, then they're wrong. We don't have facts, and believing in something is completely fine, having faith is fine, but at what point do people stop and say.. okay, he has his beliefs, I have mine, but we're both in the same track, we believe in God, and that's okay. A lot of people don't get there.

people dont seem to be able to seperate religion from God. Religion is people, acting in their intrest, God is a concept that we can bearly comprehind.

In the statement about science not being in any conflict with god. In my opinion we are inquisative and thirst for understanding as part of our design. The conflict exists when there is an ethical issue, ethical issues are cultural, so therefore religion may play a role in it but if we were a non religious sociaty we would still limit study when the means border the unethical. I have never met an "atheist" that didnt have a moral compass, the only difference is the do the right thing because they were raised to, exactly the same as christians but we may factor in the question on weather it is a sin or not.

I am with the atheists that are tired of loudmouthed hypocrites telling everybody else how to live, but at the core religion is supposed to be the following and worshiping of our God, not the chastizing of those that dont.

chris7375 · Jun 13, 2012

I am Christian yet I remain open minded. I don't see a problem with one being atheist. I will not tell you how to live your lives nor will I press my views on a person if they don't want to hear them. Though if you ask me my view I will very well share it with that person.

Cerise · Jun 13, 2012

I am an Atheist now. Everyone can believe whatever they like. We might not agree about it but I don't belittle believers and hope they would extend that same courtesy to me.

clax · Jun 13, 2012

Cerise said:
I am an Atheist now. Everyone can believe whatever they like. We might not agree about it but I don't belittle believers and hope they would extend that same courtesy to me.

Absolutly agree.

zoldos · Jun 13, 2012

Open minded is definitely good and if someone is religious and that works for them, then right on!

clax · Jun 13, 2012

zoldos said:
Open minded is definitely good and if someone is religious and that works for them, then right on!

I have learned that people who belittle others over their religous beliefs or lack there of tend to need others to agree with them to validate their beliefs. I tend to be cuorious about others and their belief stucture, and cerise opened my mind to ahtists also. Who have a belief structuer but is not nessacarily in a deity. I find discussions with people of diferent beliefs, who can be open minded, some of the most intellectually stimulating.

zoldos · Jun 14, 2012

Cool, right on.

MPR · Jun 14, 2012

If someone believes in a religion…let me repeat, if someone BELIEVES in a religion then it is pretty simple to see why they think they are right and others are wrong. In order to have a real belief, a real faith, in something then you, by definition, think it is right. However thinking you are right does not give license to be a pompous prick. Also, having a strong faith does not preclude open-mindedness; many of the great religious figures throughout history were very open-minded yet very devout.

clax · Jun 15, 2012

MPR said:
If someone believes in a religion…let me repeat, if someone BELIEVES in a religion then it is pretty simple to see why they think they are right and others are wrong. In order to have a real belief, a real faith, in something then you, by definition, think it is right. However thinking you are right does not give license to be a pompous prick. Also, having a strong faith does not preclude open-mindedness; many of the great religious figures throughout history were very open-minded yet very devout.

i think the same thing can be said with atheists. if someone does not believe in a deity (religions an institution) let me repeat dose not BELIEVE in a deity. doesn't mean people who do are deluded or stupid. it just means we have different opinions, to believe or not is an opinion. no proof exists either way

having no belief in a deity dose not give you license to be an arrogant jerk.

Nemo · Jun 16, 2012

"Man is certainly stark mad. He cannot make a worm an yet he will be making Gods by the dozens."
- Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1553-1592)

I doubt that there are many true atheists. The first that comes to mind would be David Hume, who was one of the great moralists of his time. And before him, certainly, Thomas Hobbes; but not openly, for people were burned in his day for not subscribing to the right religious beliefs. For my own part, I would agree with Montaigne: there are too many gods - and such troublesome beings for all their meddling in the affairs of men - we would be well rid of them. Let them have their heaven for all its cold comfort; for their sake, man has made a hell on earth.

zoldos · Jun 16, 2012

Nemo said:
I doubt that there are many true atheists

How's that? I've never truly believed in "God" and I doubt I ever will. I am definitely an Atheist.

clax · Jun 16, 2012

Nemo said:
"Man is certainly stark mad. He cannot make a worm an yet he will be making Gods by the dozens."
- Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1553-1592)

I doubt that there are many true atheists. The first that comes to mind would be David Hume, who was one of the great moralists of his time. And before him, certainly, Thomas Hobbes; but not openly, for people were burned in his day for not subscribing to the right religious beliefs. For my own part, I would agree with Montaigne: there are too many gods - and such troublesome beings for all their meddling in the affairs of men - we would be well rid of them. Let them have their heaven for all its cold comfort; for their sake, man has made a hell on earth.

Is this supposed to be poetic? You are hholding God accountable for what man does? What has God done that was so bad

Nemo · Jun 16, 2012

How can one be so sure about such things with all our doubts? Either you believe; or not believe - no doubts about it.
http://www.politicalfray.com/showpost.php?p=7933&postcount=19

I am an atheist, but remain open minded...

Similar threads