What I like about atheists is ...

[Joe]

... they don't come knocking on your door trying to convert you.

'I don't believe in God or any of that religious stuff. But I'm still a Catholic'
Dara O'Brein.

[John]

I love early Dara O'Brein

[Themis]

In my family we've been atheists for generations.

But being an atheist doesn't make me being "good" or anything approaching. In the same way that being a believer makes others neither "good" nor "bad".

It's our own ideals and actions that makes us what we are.
At least that's how I see things. And how we see things in our family for generations.;)

[Spectral Morn]

... they don't come knocking on your door trying to convert you.

'I don't believe in God or any of that religious stuff. But I'm still a Catholic'
Dara O'Brein.

Well...if you are one ? You have more faith than me....to believe the whole of creation is just a set of ohhhhhh:scratch: Trillions of random accidents/coincidences is well, frankly not credible imho.


Regards D S D L

[Joe]

I'm an agnostic; I don't see how anyone can be certain about the existence or non-existence of God. But I was raised as a Catholic.

[Spectral Morn]

I'm an agnostic; I don't see how anyone can be certain about the existence or non-existence of God. But I was raised as a Catholic.


Wasn't sure where you stood. Agnostics good at least you are still asking questions and don't have a closed mind.


Regards D S D L

[Joe]

I resent people knocking on my door wanting to talk to me about their own peculiar version of Christianity.

My brother likes to invite them in for a chat (he's a practising Catholic and a dab hand with a Biblical quote). I just politely close the door in their faces (or hide behind the sofa).

[Haselsh1]

I used to hide behind the sofa in about 1965 whenever Dr Who started...:rolleyes:

[Spectral Morn]

I resent people knocking on my door wanting to talk to me about their own peculiar version of Christianity.

My brother likes to invite them in for a chat (he's a practising Catholic and a dab hand with a Biblical quote). I just politely close the door in their faces (or hide behind the sofa).

I am not much in favour of that myself however, after I heard this story I feel differently...I know of a case were a life was saved directly by door to door evangelism. I will try to remember it...

An evangelist/church worker was putting tracks through doors and encountered an angry man who opened the door and threw the tract back at the person who had put it through the door. Upset at the open hostility the evangelist shrugged his shoulders and walked on. However he felt that he should try again and sometime later went back and put the track through the door but then after walking away The Lord spoke to him and told him to go back and not give up until he spoke to the man. So full of fear and nerves he goes back and rings the door for a while...no answer he wants to give up but God speaks to him again and tells him not to give up. So he continues to ring the door bell until he eventually hears someone stomping down the stairs and up the hall.

"What the F.... do you want ? Go away " is what the man screams at the evangelist/church worker. Full of terror he hands the man another tract and tells him that God loves him. The man looks at the track and the message on the front reads " You shall not loose your life because the Lord Jesus loves you" or something like that I can't remember exactly.

The man reads the tract and starts to cry. "Why did you not give up when I didn't answer the door? " he asks. The evangelist/church worker says "Because God asked me not to give up on you, but ring your bell until I got an answer and spoke to you"

The man says come with me. He takes him upstairs and through an open door shows him a chair and a rope hanging from a beam. I was trying to kill myself but you wouldn't go away. "Why did you not just go away when no one came to the door ?" Once again the evangelist/church worker tells him "That God asked me not to give up on you."

The man says "Tell me about your God"

This is a true story as presented by someone I trust..he having heard it from the leader of the team who were doing work in the area where the man lived...somewhere in England.

Why God choose to intervene in this mans life directly and not in others is a mystery I can't explain.

So door to door work can be vital. The workers in question were Christians not JW's or Mormons who are the usual people who knock on doors.


Regards D S D L

[Jonboy]

I have been a non believer for many years after making my own mind up about my own "direction" in life
The world would be a better place IMHO without some religions and there stance against those who don't have a belief in there type of indoctering.

If you believe in a higher Plain then thats your perogative but please don't cast aspertions on those that don't follow your mind thought, we have equal passion about being non believers.

I'm sorry if this upsets and offends some but you can't ban or dismiss someone for their personal beliefs, because they don't agree with your own, this is being narrow minded.

I have my own personel demons about dying and "after Lifes" but i'm afraid religion dosn't help me to "see the light" i sometimes wish it would.

My father was bought up a strict Catholic due to the Irish part of our family and had to serve mass in latin every week as a boy, this eventually turned him against religion because it was rammed down his throat, perhaps this has influenced me in life but i was still alllowed to make my own mind up.

My father has been and still is a big part of my life and i have utter respect for him, he has now taken to not slamming the door in the face of Jehovahs but will now talk to them and try to help these picked upon and vulnerable people to think about "life" in a different way,

[Steve Toy]

I'm sorry if this upsets and offends some but you can't ban or dismiss someone for their personal beliefs, because they don't agree with your own, this is being narrow minded.



We've banned nobody for their personal beliefs alone.

[Jonboy]

We've banned nobody for their personal beliefs alone.


I'm very glad to hear it, beliefs and views are what makes the world go round.

This wasn't meant as a dig, just a point of view;)

[Joe]

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's intolerance.

[Themis]

Intelligence and intolerance are mutually exclusive for non-critical (life and death) situations, imho. ;)

[hifinutt]

Well...if you are one ? You have more faith than me....to believe the whole of creation is just a set of ohhhhhh:scratch: Trillions of random accidents/coincidences is well, frankly not credible imho.


Regards D S D L

brilliantly put . doing my a level in biology was mindblowing, seeing all the components of a cell etc

[Steve Toy]

Yes but add the sheer timescale and anything is possible. Once molecules are able to reproduce there is life. From that point on over time living organisms can then develop and adapt according to their environment and availability of resources. The develpment to ambulant creatures and ultimately those that can communicate and reason takes a long time.
To be somehow struck with awe at the wondrous complexity of living organisms or even life itself is but a subjective emotional response.

Is there a collective conscousness in the Universe?

Probably.

Is there some kind of singular higher being on which humanity is based in form with a magic wand spontaneously creating life from nothing?

Never.

[ONIX Addict]

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's intolerance.

I like this one!!! ;)

About religion(s), one you all know, for sure, but makes me smile each time I see it:

"Shit happens" in various believes:

* TAOISM: Shit happens.
* CONFUCIANISM: Confucius say, "Shit happens".
* ZEN: (What is the sound of shit happening?)
* JESUITISM: If shit happens and when nobody is watching, is it really shit?
* ISLAM: Shit happens if it is the will of Allah.
* COMMUNISM: Equal shit happens to all people.
* CATHOLICISM: Shit happens because you are bad.
* PSYCHOANALYSIS: Shit happens because of your toilet training.
* SCIENTOLOGY: Shit happens if you're on our shit list.
* ZOROASTRIANISM: Bad shit happens, and good shit happens.
* UNITARIANISM: Maybe shit happens. Let's have coffee and donuts.
* RIGHT-WING PROTESTANTISM: Let this shit happen to someone else.
* JUDAISM: Why does shit always happen to US?
* REFORM JUDAISM: Got any Kaopectate?
* MYSTICISM: What weird shit!
* AGNOSTICISM: What is this shit?
* ATHEISM: I don't believe this shit!
* NIHILISM: Who needs this shit?
* AZTEC: Cut out this shit!
* QUAKER: Let's not fight over this shit.
* FORTEANISM: No shit??
* 12-STEP: I am powerless to cut the shit.
* VOODOO: Hey, that shit looks just like you!
* NEWAGE: Visualize shit not happening.
* DEISM: Shit just happens.
* EXISTENTIALISM: Shit doesn't happen; shit is.
* SECULAR HUMANISM: Shit evolves.
* CHRISTIAN SCIENCE: Shit is in your mind.
* BUDDHISM: Shit happens, but pay no mind.
* SHINTOISM: Shit is everywhere.
* HINDUISM: This shit has happened before.
* WICCA: Mix this shit together and make it happen!
* HASIDISM: Shit never happens the same way twice.
* THEOSOPHY: You don't know half of the shit that happens.
* DIANETICS: Your mother gave you shit before your were born.
* SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST: No shit on Saturdays.
* JEHOVAH's WITNESSES: No shit happens until Armageddon.
* MOONIES: Only happy shit really happens.
* HOPI: Corn fertilizer happens.
* BAHA'I: It's all the same shit.
* STOICISM: This shit is good for me.
* OBJECTIVISM: Our shit is good for you.
* EST: If my shit bothers you, that's your fault.
* REAGANISM: Don't move; the shit will trickle down.
* FASCISM: Shit makes the trains run on time.
* CARGO CULT: A barge will come and take all the shit away.
* EMACS: Hold down Control-Meta-Shit.
* DISCORDIANISM: Some funny shit happened to me today.
* RASTAFARIANISM: Let's smoke this shit.
* CHARISMATIC: This is not shit and it doesn't smell bad.
* MASONIC: Shit happens, but we can't discuss it during Lodge.
* RED CROSS: Shit happens - send money.

O.A.;)

[Themis]

* THEQUEEN: The rule is, shit to-morrow and shit yesterday - but never shit to-day.

[hifinutt]

a bit of sennakot will soon fix that !