Hmmmm.
Some religions like to soften up the 'rules' by saying they are 'guidance' and of course you are free to to choose your path. Some religions take it to an extreme and use it as a blunt instrument to control or persecute people - quite often, their own believers!
Either way, eventually, if you don't follow the rules, you don't go to heaven - which means you go elsewhere. Nasty.
Nice way to live your life. Trying to follow the rules of a perfect being. Of course you CAN'T. Because YOU are not perfect. YOU will make errors of judgement. YOU are a deeply flawed individual. YOU have been corrupted by all the nasty little temptations in life. YOU may have even listened to
Us atheists eh? Look at us, living our lives without worrying about whether we might upset god(tm). Using our OWN moral judgements, considering what effect it will have on others around us, ENJOYING life, freethinking, gasping with wonder at the universe - the chaos - the very LIFE! Hey, we don't even have 'self worth' issues about having a common ape-like ancestor - we revel in the fact that all life is linked. We don't need fairy tales to help us understand the 'difficult' science.
But if you are a believer in whatever plethora of gods that really most likely don't exist, don't worry about it.
Seriously.
Those damn, happy atheists will not be laughing when YOU prove them wrong. When you have lived a flawless life. Given up your gut instincts and followed someone else's moral code. Picked the ONE TRUE religion (or splinter group of that religion) out of the tens of thousands. Chosen how EXACTLY how to interpret the holy book and know which phrases did not really apply and reinterpret some phrases so they are more convenient for you.
You KNOW there is a true god(tm). So you simply can't be wrong...
Personally, I'll remain a damned, happy atheist, than you very much. :-)
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I really think it is our happy go luckiness that drives them batty. "How dare you be happy- I'm miserable!"
ReplyDeleteA true case of you think that we think that you think we're unhappy that your happy.
ReplyDelete...you're...
ReplyDeleteUnhappy that we are happy? Some are... but then I am happy that christians are happy too. Happy people = better planet for all! :-)
ReplyDeleteI've had the expererience of a christian telling me that they are 'happier' since finding a god and that I would be too. Which kinda 'implies' that I am not as happy as I could potentially be...
Thanks for the comment (and the grammar) ;-)
Personally, I'll remain a damned, happy atheist, than you very much. :-)
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If you truly thought you were damned then you would not be happy about that. What you are really saying is you are quite pleased with yourself for not succumbing to a belief in a God or an afterlife. That is for the weak minded and weak willed out there...but not you. You are educated and a very nice guy and possibly a very fine golfer. These qualifications have granted you immunity from the self induced struggles of the ordinary folks who foolishly acknowledge God's existence.
Oh, but what have we here?!?!? What did that say?!?! Happy people = better planet. Ah ha... I see that the "save the planet-climate change" spaghetti monster may be your choice of opiate. Now there's some irony; you might actually believe you'll end up in a much warmer place after all!
Found out! ;-)
ReplyDelete"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was 'Arrrgh!'"
Piraticus 13:7
Spaghetti Monster aside (and He doesn't mind) I really do find it refreshing and great to be an atheist. I love telling christians that I am happier than they are. It ABSOLUTELY confounds them! They either
a) are offended!
b) think I am lying.
c) believe that I have not found true happiness!
(Some have even felt sorry that I have not found *their* god.)
I simply smile in return... :D
I love telling christians that I am happier than they are.
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Well, happiness, like most things in this life is fleeting and is not necessarily the only guage by which true or correct faith is measured. It comes and goes and is not guaranteed to anyone for any length of time. However, Christians can attain a "peace that surpasses all understanding". This can't be had or willed by smiling as hard as you can.
Oh I fully agree that faith is not measured by happiness. It is just that it was a claim made by a specific christian friend that they were so much happier. I'm sure they never meant to be patronising, but they also claimed that I didn't understand and would only really know if I found their god.
ReplyDeleteI found that a rather insubstantial claim to make. I have seen the claim made on many more blogs, YouTube clips and websites.
In all fairness I applaud this approach of 'Be Happy!' rather than 'Believe or Burn!'. Unfortunately for them (or maybe myself?), it doesn't work for me. As you know, I AM already happy. (And I'm not gonna burn!)
Can I also assume that by 'peace', you don't mean 'blissful ignorance' as far too many religions offer as the alternative. Or a 'Don't Worry. Be happy!' approach? Or is it just the old chestnut that if you have 'true faith', one will be convinced that a god will look after them?
Now I love looking for answers - science provides a large percentage of them - but in my opinion, religion creates simply more questions or at worst, celebrates ignorance and mythology. If I truly thought it would make my life better and others around me, then I possibly would be religious.
As always, thanks for the comments. A pleasant debate about faith is one of the things I enjoy. :-)