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Permalink Reply by Onyango Makagutu on February 26, 2020 at 8:21am

When asking for help, to go ahead and say be honest as possible is gaslighting. It would only make sense if you had sought people's opinion here and they were not honest but lacking such an experience, the admonition on honesty is misplaced.

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Permalink Reply by Stephen on February 26, 2020 at 8:31am

Yeah, I noticed that Onyango. I thought I'd follow the admonition, to be honest by keeping my bloody mouth shut.

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Permalink Reply by Tara Mier on February 26, 2020 at 10:24am

Yeah, gaslighting isnt fun dude. But you know what, i'll poke the bear. 

The bible is a collection of fables at best from a time when people had no idea about science, or how the world really worked. The concept of God was created from a need to understand the universe and give people comfort. I fail to see how some random sky faerie would do that, but com se com sa!

I tend to feel sorry for those who beilieve. I am not going to go so far as to say its small brain syndrome. but when you give people like that solid evidence, or even just ask them to think citically, or at all, its like you rocked their whole world by asking them to perform a simple human act. 

In my experience there are two types of god believers. 1. The militant (who would still secretly use an abortionist for their teenage daughter) and 2. Sunday god believers. ( I have several issues with both groups, but the later is of particular annoyance)

Anyways, good luck with your paper.

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Permalink Reply by Ethan HAckley on February 26, 2020 at 10:31am

That was not my intention in the slightest. I apologize if I offended anyone. Please, however, leave me your thoughts. Need different POV's to form my own opinion. I, to not be biased, am also going to ask agnostic and christian followers as well.

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Permalink Reply by Stephen on February 26, 2020 at 6:49pm

Ethan. Keeping it simple Atheism is an absence of belief in the existence of deities.

Of course, there are some who feel absolutely certain that God doesn't exist.

But most secularists are always open to proof and if that proof was tangible I for one would listen.

Richard Dawkins puts it on a sliding scale between 1&7 he puts himself at 6.90. 

Anyone who says they are certain about the existence of the deity is a liar. 

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Permalink Reply by Fingered Moon on April 12, 2020 at 1:05pm

Albert Einstein said: “Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe-a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.”

Question: So those of you who are uncomfortable with "believers" are you uncomfortable with the concept of something that would humble we humans?

Or like me,are you uncomfortable with a "superbeing" that threatens a strict adherence to dogma "or else" I feel like my meditations have allowed me to connect with the spirit Einstein refers to. The only rule I have to follow is to get quiet and open myself to receive what some refer to as "grace".

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Permalink Reply by Stephen on April 12, 2020 at 2:18pm

Einstein used the terms god and spirit as a metaphor. I'm not uncomfortable with the notion of a being that is more powerful than we humans, that wouldn't be hard. As in all things religious, all I demand is proof.

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Permalink Reply by Fingered Moon on April 14, 2020 at 3:40pm

Yes Einstein used metaphor and thought experiments in both his scientific and in his spiritual research. He knew words alone would be totally inadequate.

If you demand proof of something before you will accept it as truth,

The Trouble with Truth
we demand proof
because we want to be certain
our belief is true
as our certainty increases
our tolerance
for those who are certain
about a different truth
may decrease
if different and wrong
become synonyms
then morally decent humans
justify hurting other humans
who happen to believe in the “wrong” truth

lack of tolerance
breeds conflict
with those who believe
in a different truth
a truth they are as certain of
as we are of our truth

war is the good guys
justifying the killing
of the bad buys
that consider themselves
the good guys

Religion and Science are not in conflict

They are two different methods of answering 

the same questions

Let's keep it simple

If it's not about Love

it's not about God

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