Cargo cult? No, I haven't heard of it.
I'm not a member of "team atheism".

Oic...I just looked it up. People can be quite gullible can't they?

tallowood wrote on Oct 28^th, 2008 at 8:49pm:


Most Cargo cults are not atheist. The Prince Phillip and John Frum cults worship human beings as gods, similar to Christianity. Those are theist cults.

By the way, I have never disputed that some atheists follow a religion. Not all religions involve a god or gods. I use the broad definition of atheist as 'one who lacks a belief in gods'.

As you have no doubt gathered, that particular definition is not fully compatible with the one that involves denial of the existence of God.

As Freediver pointed out, you need to know about the concept of gods in order to deny them. Such a person would be agnostic according to FD. To me, anyone who doesn't believe in gods is atheist.

I tried to ask this question before, but it was ignored:

Is any theist here prepared to say that they deny the existence of Ganesh?

freediver wrote on Oct 28^th, 2008 at 4:36pm:


You cannot rely on personal accounts in isolation as an authoritative source of information

freediver wrote on Oct 29^th, 2008 at 4:01pm:


You can believe you could fly and jump of a cliff too, that does not make it a good idea or true.

freediver wrote on Oct 29^th, 2008 at 4:13pm:


Something I disagree with.  Beyond a shadow of a doubt is rarely upheld.

freediver wrote on Oct 29^th, 2008 at 6:05pm:


Of course.  When it comes to somebody's freedom though, there really should be proof.

for the atheists..

http://www.explosm.net/comics/1242/

mozzaok wrote on Oct 28^th, 2008 at 1:47pm:





LOL


Mozzaok,

I thank you for your concern.

But i do not hear voices in my head.




But hey Mozzaok,

I admit it, yes, i am a little strange.

And in confirmation of the 'strange' part, i believe that,

Angels are real.
Demons are real.
God is real [yes, my 'imaginary friend', the one from the bible].
Satan is real.

I believe that all of these entities are spirit.

I believe that [atm!] demons are largely constrained [and for the most part, are they *unable* to harm us].

I believe that all mankind are [also] spirits who are [somehow] constrained within these physical [earthen] bodies [until we die].

I believe that this physical 'reality', is a form of prison for us.
....or perhaps more accurately, compulsory 'school time'.

I also believe that this physical world is a 'construct' [a creation, a 'reality'] made by God.



Mozzaok,

In saying such things, i am not a 'Robinson Crusoe',
....i.e. I know i am not alone in these beliefs.

EXAMPLE....

Check out the post by the person called 'Lucy', here,
.....and i ask you, doesn't Lucy seem like a very sincere [convinced] person?

Hmmm, i wonder why?



"......My son has schizophrenia and believes that the goodness of Christianity has saved him. Since reading the bible he no longer sees demons- if the demons ever reappear he reads the bible again and prays and the angels save him. How can I argue with that? better to be saved by an angel than tormented by a demon. That is how he lives with it. I should mention that prior to his illness he was not religious."
http://www2b.abc.net.au/enoughrope/forum2/archives/archive8/newposts/1/topic1934...

I say, You are right on the mark Lucy!

Demons are real.

God [my 'imaginary friend', and our spirit father], is real.

see also.....
ARE THERE SPIRITS IN YOUR HEART?
http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1225068179/0#0



Mozzaok,

I would suggest that most ppl aspire, to be regarded as 'normal'.

But i could argue that what most ppl regard as 'normal' [today], is a form of insanity.

Consider,

Look at where the choices of all of the 'normal' ppl have brought us [in this world] to, today.
....[greed, poverty, lying, cheating, wars]

Look all over the world, at the type of leaders 'normal' ppl have [chosen] elected to power, in recent years.

It is wonderful, isn't it!
....i.e. being normal.
/sarc off



Mozzaok,

You may be familiar with this [once] common English expression.....

"He / She has been touched by God."

It is sometimes used to describe someone, of your acquaintance, who is a little 'strange', or unusual,
.....i.e. someone who is '...off with the faeries.'



Mozzaok,

Yadda = = strange.

I will tell you of my joy, my joy, my joy.

In all seriousness i say, i am  '...off with the faeries.'

God has touched me.




On a different tack, i also experience waking OBE's occasionally.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out-of-body_experience

Yadda = = strange.


p.s.

Just to be clear, I'm not on any medication, and i do not take recreational drugs.
.....[my advice, do not take recreational drugs, because these will 'open' you to demons! ....i am not kidding.].







'I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH'

The Bible [especially the OT] is a book full of stories.

Within many [almost all?] of these OT stories, there are HIDDEN-IN-PLAIN-SIGHT [spiritual] parables.

Dictionary...
parable = = a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

Why has God used parables to teach us?


Matthew 13:10
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.


1 Corinthians 1:18
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
....21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.


1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.


Job 19:25
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:



"....seek, and ye shall find."