Comments on: Grassroots Atheist Video http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video grep understanding Fri, 25 May 2012 02:15:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: rick http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-61745 rick Fri, 15 Jun 2007 03:10:52 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-61745 <p>organized religion is... after agriculture, the worst thing to happen to humanity, since agriculture we developed physical boundaries and developed faith as a means of securing and taxing populations within those boundaries. religion is a joke, it is an end to the means of wealthy men and governments to provoke a relatively uneducated population to blindly follow and give money and labor without thought.....</p> <p>signed</p> <p>born again and again and again</p> organized religion is… after agriculture, the worst thing to happen to humanity, since agriculture we developed physical boundaries and developed faith as a means of securing and taxing populations within those boundaries. religion is a joke, it is an end to the means of wealthy men and governments to provoke a relatively uneducated population to blindly follow and give money and labor without thought…..

signed

born again and again and again

]]> By: rick http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-247419 rick Fri, 15 Jun 2007 03:10:00 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-247419 <p>organized religion is... after agriculture, the worst thing to happen to humanity, since agriculture we developed physical boundaries and developed faith as a means of securing and taxing populations within those boundaries. religion is a joke, it is an end to the means of wealthy men and governments to provoke a relatively uneducated population to blindly follow and give money and labor without thought.....</p> <p>signed</p> <p>born again and again and again</p> organized religion is… after agriculture, the worst thing to happen to humanity, since agriculture we developed physical boundaries and developed faith as a means of securing and taxing populations within those boundaries. religion is a joke, it is an end to the means of wealthy men and governments to provoke a relatively uneducated population to blindly follow and give money and labor without thought…..

signed

born again and again and again

]]> By: Stefan http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-59134 Stefan Sun, 03 Jun 2007 06:08:26 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-59134 <p>@Tim:</p> <p>There is no such thing as "active rejection" of a belief. You either hold a belief or you don't. You are either an atheist or a theist.</p> <p>I know that theists feel threatened by atheists speaking up. But please, please don't be. We are not militant in the sense that Christians are. "Believe or go to hell." Our world view does not include a doctrine or commandment of "spreading the Good News". We do so because we genuinely think it would make the world a better place.</p> <p>So I would say we are atheist activists. There is a big problem with the word atheist however. It says so little. A nihilist is just as much an atheist as a buddhist. That's where a lot of the confusion comes from. The word atheist only helps to say that you don't happen to take part in most of the religions that are most common today. Whenever I say I am an atheist I am quick to add that I am also a naturalist, which is a positive belief in all things that we can observe and a rejection of everything that is just a figment of our imagination. And by rejection I mean that I don't think any of these are actually true. However I still enjoy many of them as stories with a message.</p> @Tim:

There is no such thing as “active rejection” of a belief. You either hold a belief or you don’t. You are either an atheist or a theist.

I know that theists feel threatened by atheists speaking up. But please, please don’t be. We are not militant in the sense that Christians are. “Believe or go to hell.” Our world view does not include a doctrine or commandment of “spreading the Good News”. We do so because we genuinely think it would make the world a better place.

So I would say we are atheist activists. There is a big problem with the word atheist however. It says so little. A nihilist is just as much an atheist as a buddhist. That’s where a lot of the confusion comes from. The word atheist only helps to say that you don’t happen to take part in most of the religions that are most common today. Whenever I say I am an atheist I am quick to add that I am also a naturalist, which is a positive belief in all things that we can observe and a rejection of everything that is just a figment of our imagination. And by rejection I mean that I don’t think any of these are actually true. However I still enjoy many of them as stories with a message.

]]> By: Stefan http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-247418 Stefan Sun, 03 Jun 2007 06:08:00 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-247418 <p>@Tim:</p> <p>There is no such thing as "active rejection" of a belief. You either hold a belief or you don't. You are either an atheist or a theist.</p> <p>I know that theists feel threatened by atheists speaking up. But please, please don't be. We are not militant in the sense that Christians are. "Believe or go to hell." Our world view does not include a doctrine or commandment of "spreading the Good News". We do so because we genuinely think it would make the world a better place.</p> <p>So I would say we are atheist activists. There is a big problem with the word atheist however. It says so little. A nihilist is just as much an atheist as a buddhist. That's where a lot of the confusion comes from. The word atheist only helps to say that you don't happen to take part in most of the religions that are most common today. Whenever I say I am an atheist I am quick to add that I am also a naturalist, which is a positive belief in all things that we can observe and a rejection of everything that is just a figment of our imagination. And by rejection I mean that I don't think any of these are actually true. However I still enjoy many of them as stories with a message.</p> @Tim:

There is no such thing as “active rejection” of a belief. You either hold a belief or you don’t. You are either an atheist or a theist.

I know that theists feel threatened by atheists speaking up. But please, please don’t be. We are not militant in the sense that Christians are. “Believe or go to hell.” Our world view does not include a doctrine or commandment of “spreading the Good News”. We do so because we genuinely think it would make the world a better place.

So I would say we are atheist activists. There is a big problem with the word atheist however. It says so little. A nihilist is just as much an atheist as a buddhist. That’s where a lot of the confusion comes from. The word atheist only helps to say that you don’t happen to take part in most of the religions that are most common today. Whenever I say I am an atheist I am quick to add that I am also a naturalist, which is a positive belief in all things that we can observe and a rejection of everything that is just a figment of our imagination. And by rejection I mean that I don’t think any of these are actually true. However I still enjoy many of them as stories with a message.

]]> By: bret http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-58984 bret Sat, 02 Jun 2007 07:26:51 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-58984 <p>The way i guess i would put it into words is that i feel religion naturally has a self biasing nature which in most cases leads into things that aren't usually the best for society in a whole. That's why I'm slowly making the shift to being comfortable with being an atheist, now if the proof was a little bit better... maybe I would be religious then. But unfortunately a book written 1900 years ago doesn't quite do it for me. If that's arrogant then so be it.. But I really don't think it's unreasonable to question, and why should questioning be such a bad thing?</p> <p>Anyways, I think it was very well put. I feel pretty much the same about religion and it's nice to hear it put into words so clearly, i think the argument is very logical.</p> <p>May the noodly appendage be with you.</p> The way i guess i would put it into words is that i feel religion naturally has a self biasing nature which in most cases leads into things that aren’t usually the best for society in a whole. That’s why I’m slowly making the shift to being comfortable with being an atheist, now if the proof was a little bit better… maybe I would be religious then. But unfortunately a book written 1900 years ago doesn’t quite do it for me. If that’s arrogant then so be it.. But I really don’t think it’s unreasonable to question, and why should questioning be such a bad thing?

Anyways, I think it was very well put. I feel pretty much the same about religion and it’s nice to hear it put into words so clearly, i think the argument is very logical.

May the noodly appendage be with you.

]]> By: bret http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-247417 bret Sat, 02 Jun 2007 07:26:00 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-247417 <p>The way i guess i would put it into words is that i feel religion naturally has a self biasing nature which in most cases leads into things that aren't usually the best for society in a whole. That's why I'm slowly making the shift to being comfortable with being an atheist, now if the proof was a little bit better... maybe I would be religious then. But unfortunately a book written 1900 years ago doesn't quite do it for me. If that's arrogant then so be it.. But I really don't think it's unreasonable to question, and why should questioning be such a bad thing?</p> <p>Anyways, I think it was very well put. I feel pretty much the same about religion and it's nice to hear it put into words so clearly, i think the argument is very logical.</p> <p>May the noodly appendage be with you.</p> The way i guess i would put it into words is that i feel religion naturally has a self biasing nature which in most cases leads into things that aren’t usually the best for society in a whole. That’s why I’m slowly making the shift to being comfortable with being an atheist, now if the proof was a little bit better… maybe I would be religious then. But unfortunately a book written 1900 years ago doesn’t quite do it for me. If that’s arrogant then so be it.. But I really don’t think it’s unreasonable to question, and why should questioning be such a bad thing?

Anyways, I think it was very well put. I feel pretty much the same about religion and it’s nice to hear it put into words so clearly, i think the argument is very logical.

May the noodly appendage be with you.

]]> By: Tamas http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-58967 Tamas Sat, 02 Jun 2007 04:05:29 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-58967 <p>Agnosticism is the belief that it doesn't matter whether there is a god or not. Atheism is the assurance there there isn't one. Those are two different things. I find that atheists are sometimes just as bad as religious zealots. Usually they back their arguments up with facts, but even this is a belief, so you cannot say "I KNOW I'm right", as Micki has done. I'm agnostic, exclusively because of the Big Bang. I just don't see how anything could have appeared out of nothing. But if there is a god, He doesn't impact my life, so I really don't care. I'm pro-science, but that doesn't mean I have to shove my belief system down other people's throats, and telling everyone to convert to Agnosticism. Isn't it a bit hypocritical to blame religious people for trying to preach when you are preaching too?</p> Agnosticism is the belief that it doesn’t matter whether there is a god or not. Atheism is the assurance there there isn’t one. Those are two different things. I find that atheists are sometimes just as bad as religious zealots. Usually they back their arguments up with facts, but even this is a belief, so you cannot say “I KNOW I’m right”, as Micki has done. I’m agnostic, exclusively because of the Big Bang. I just don’t see how anything could have appeared out of nothing. But if there is a god, He doesn’t impact my life, so I really don’t care. I’m pro-science, but that doesn’t mean I have to shove my belief system down other people’s throats, and telling everyone to convert to Agnosticism. Isn’t it a bit hypocritical to blame religious people for trying to preach when you are preaching too?

]]> By: Tamas http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-247416 Tamas Sat, 02 Jun 2007 04:05:00 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-247416 <p>Agnosticism is the belief that it doesn't matter whether there is a god or not. Atheism is the assurance there there isn't one. Those are two different things. I find that atheists are sometimes just as bad as religious zealots. Usually they back their arguments up with facts, but even this is a belief, so you cannot say "I KNOW I'm right", as Micki has done. I'm agnostic, exclusively because of the Big Bang. I just don't see how anything could have appeared out of nothing. But if there is a god, He doesn't impact my life, so I really don't care. I'm pro-science, but that doesn't mean I have to shove my belief system down other people's throats, and telling everyone to convert to Agnosticism. Isn't it a bit hypocritical to blame religious people for trying to preach when you are preaching too?</p> Agnosticism is the belief that it doesn’t matter whether there is a god or not. Atheism is the assurance there there isn’t one. Those are two different things. I find that atheists are sometimes just as bad as religious zealots. Usually they back their arguments up with facts, but even this is a belief, so you cannot say “I KNOW I’m right”, as Micki has done. I’m agnostic, exclusively because of the Big Bang. I just don’t see how anything could have appeared out of nothing. But if there is a god, He doesn’t impact my life, so I really don’t care. I’m pro-science, but that doesn’t mean I have to shove my belief system down other people’s throats, and telling everyone to convert to Agnosticism. Isn’t it a bit hypocritical to blame religious people for trying to preach when you are preaching too?

]]> By: Martyn http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-58437 Martyn Thu, 31 May 2007 16:22:02 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-58437 <p>Byrath said;-</p> <p>A person who is an atheist simply does not believe in any god(s). Nothing more, nothing less. Being an atheist does not require you to completely reject any possibility of a god existing.</p> <p>I think a better definition is that an agnostic does not believe in a god (or gods). An atheist believes that there is no god.</p> Byrath said;-

A person who is an atheist simply does not believe in any god(s). Nothing more, nothing less. Being an atheist does not require you to completely reject any possibility of a god existing.

I think a better definition is that an agnostic does not believe in a god (or gods). An atheist believes that there is no god.

]]> By: Martyn http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-247415 Martyn Thu, 31 May 2007 16:22:00 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-247415 <p>Byrath said;-</p> <p>A person who is an atheist simply does not believe in any god(s). Nothing more, nothing less. Being an atheist does not require you to completely reject any possibility of a god existing.</p> <p>I think a better definition is that an agnostic does not believe in a god (or gods). An atheist believes that there is no god.</p> Byrath said;-

A person who is an atheist simply does not believe in any god(s). Nothing more, nothing less. Being an atheist does not require you to completely reject any possibility of a god existing.

I think a better definition is that an agnostic does not believe in a god (or gods). An atheist believes that there is no god.

]]> By: SCUMDOG http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-58434 SCUMDOG Thu, 31 May 2007 15:45:06 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-58434 <p>be careful my friends. if you can PROVE something there is no need to BELIEVE in it as an act of faith. it is not faith that leads one to expect the lights to come on when you flip the switch.</p> be careful my friends. if you can PROVE something there is no need to BELIEVE in it as an act of faith. it is not faith that leads one to expect the lights to come on when you flip the switch.

]]> By: SCUMDOG http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-247414 SCUMDOG Thu, 31 May 2007 15:45:00 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-247414 <p>be careful my friends. if you can PROVE something there is no need to BELIEVE in it as an act of faith. it is not faith that leads one to expect the lights to come on when you flip the switch.</p> be careful my friends. if you can PROVE something there is no need to BELIEVE in it as an act of faith. it is not faith that leads one to expect the lights to come on when you flip the switch.

]]> By: Arjun Ratra http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-58429 Arjun Ratra Thu, 31 May 2007 15:09:01 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-58429 <p>She can say what she wants if she is sitting on my face.</p> She can say what she wants if she is sitting on my face.

]]> By: Arjun Ratra http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-247413 Arjun Ratra Thu, 31 May 2007 15:09:00 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-247413 <p>She can say what she wants if she is sitting on my face.</p> She can say what she wants if she is sitting on my face.

]]> By: Austin http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-58427 Austin Thu, 31 May 2007 14:44:36 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-58427 <p>Fuck yeah I'm agnostic towards the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I'm sure it could be created. Seriously.</p> Fuck yeah I’m agnostic towards the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I’m sure it could be created. Seriously.

]]> By: Austin http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-247412 Austin Thu, 31 May 2007 14:44:00 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-247412 <p>Fuck yeah I'm agnostic towards the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I'm sure it could be created. Seriously.</p> Fuck yeah I’m agnostic towards the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I’m sure it could be created. Seriously.

]]> By: Byrath http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-58423 Byrath Thu, 31 May 2007 14:19:05 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-58423 <p>A person who is an atheist simply does not believe in any god(s). Nothing more, nothing less. Being an atheist does not require you to completely reject any possibility of a god existing.</p> <p>I feel that 'agnostic' is really a meaningless term, used by people who feel that 'atheist' implies more than it actually means. If you are more than just a little unsure about the existance of a god, then you are an atheist, period.</p> A person who is an atheist simply does not believe in any god(s). Nothing more, nothing less. Being an atheist does not require you to completely reject any possibility of a god existing.

I feel that ‘agnostic’ is really a meaningless term, used by people who feel that ‘atheist’ implies more than it actually means. If you are more than just a little unsure about the existance of a god, then you are an atheist, period.

]]> By: Byrath http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-247411 Byrath Thu, 31 May 2007 14:19:00 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-247411 <p>A person who is an atheist simply does not believe in any god(s). Nothing more, nothing less. Being an atheist does not require you to completely reject any possibility of a god existing.</p> <p>I feel that 'agnostic' is really a meaningless term, used by people who feel that 'atheist' implies more than it actually means. If you are more than just a little unsure about the existance of a god, then you are an atheist, period.</p> A person who is an atheist simply does not believe in any god(s). Nothing more, nothing less. Being an atheist does not require you to completely reject any possibility of a god existing.

I feel that ‘agnostic’ is really a meaningless term, used by people who feel that ‘atheist’ implies more than it actually means. If you are more than just a little unsure about the existance of a god, then you are an atheist, period.

]]> By: Mookie http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-58420 Mookie Thu, 31 May 2007 13:57:52 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-58420 <p>Nice video. I agree that religious belief leads to unnecessary violence. To those who would disagree - Challenge: find me a religion that is based on a leap of faith that has not performed some vicious, violent act in the name of some deity. Good luck. Yes, humans have the capacity to be violent, but nothing gives someone an excuse like 72 virgins in heaven, or some such divine reward.</p> <p>Atheism is necessarily a rejection of theistic beliefs, but supposing such beliefs did not exist, the word atheist would just mean "one who is honest with reality". I like to think of it as beginning free of internal assumptions and based on external observations. When the arrangement is vice versa, that's dangerous religion. If we are honest with ourselves, we'll notice that the way the universe works does not even suggest there is a supreme being of any kind - the very premise is absurd and without ANY supporting evidence. You know religion is bunk when it is defined as a cultural phenomenon.</p> Nice video. I agree that religious belief leads to unnecessary violence. To those who would disagree – Challenge: find me a religion that is based on a leap of faith that has not performed some vicious, violent act in the name of some deity. Good luck. Yes, humans have the capacity to be violent, but nothing gives someone an excuse like 72 virgins in heaven, or some such divine reward.

Atheism is necessarily a rejection of theistic beliefs, but supposing such beliefs did not exist, the word atheist would just mean “one who is honest with reality”. I like to think of it as beginning free of internal assumptions and based on external observations. When the arrangement is vice versa, that’s dangerous religion. If we are honest with ourselves, we’ll notice that the way the universe works does not even suggest there is a supreme being of any kind – the very premise is absurd and without ANY supporting evidence. You know religion is bunk when it is defined as a cultural phenomenon.

]]> By: Mookie http://danielmiessler.com/blog/grassroots-atheist-video/comment-page-1#comment-247410 Mookie Thu, 31 May 2007 13:57:00 +0000 http://dmiessler.com/archives/1290#comment-247410 <p>Nice video. I agree that religious belief leads to unnecessary violence. To those who would disagree - Challenge: find me a religion that is based on a leap of faith that has not performed some vicious, violent act in the name of some deity. Good luck. Yes, humans have the capacity to be violent, but nothing gives someone an excuse like 72 virgins in heaven, or some such divine reward.</p> <p>Atheism is necessarily a rejection of theistic beliefs, but supposing such beliefs did not exist, the word atheist would just mean "one who is honest with reality". I like to think of it as beginning free of internal assumptions and based on external observations. When the arrangement is vice versa, that's dangerous religion. If we are honest with ourselves, we'll notice that the way the universe works does not even suggest there is a supreme being of any kind - the very premise is absurd and without ANY supporting evidence. You know religion is bunk when it is defined as a cultural phenomenon.</p> Nice video. I agree that religious belief leads to unnecessary violence. To those who would disagree – Challenge: find me a religion that is based on a leap of faith that has not performed some vicious, violent act in the name of some deity. Good luck. Yes, humans have the capacity to be violent, but nothing gives someone an excuse like 72 virgins in heaven, or some such divine reward.

Atheism is necessarily a rejection of theistic beliefs, but supposing such beliefs did not exist, the word atheist would just mean “one who is honest with reality”. I like to think of it as beginning free of internal assumptions and based on external observations. When the arrangement is vice versa, that’s dangerous religion. If we are honest with ourselves, we’ll notice that the way the universe works does not even suggest there is a supreme being of any kind – the very premise is absurd and without ANY supporting evidence. You know religion is bunk when it is defined as a cultural phenomenon.

]]>