Australian Politics Forum - Is Atheism a Religion?

Grey

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #480 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:08am

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The thing about the scientistic view is that it has no more credible foundation than magic or religion. It is as magical and wonderful and unbelievable as the religious view. It requires a leap of faith, in other words.

Well not really, science tends to keep to the track of hard evidence; and fossil relics like you and Yadda of course.

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Soren

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #481 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:09am

muso wrote on Mar 16^th, 2013 at 11:57pm:

Serpents in gardens with forbidden apples is no basis for a system of morality. Hmmm reminds me of something:

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!

This was very droll about 70 years ago, I guess. You are implying that the whole of western morality is nothing but an extended riff on a snake and an apple.

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Grey

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #482 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:14am

Soren wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:09am:

muso wrote on Mar 16^th, 2013 at 11:57pm:

Serpents in gardens with forbidden apples is no basis for a system of morality. Hmmm reminds me of something:

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!

This was very droll about 70 years ago, I guess. You are implying that the whole of western morality is nothing but an extended riff on a snake and an apple.

No just religious morality. Tell us about the moral value of abstaining from condom use.

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"It is in the shelter of each other that the people live" - Irish Proverb

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Soren

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #483 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:45am

Grey wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:14am:

Soren wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:09am:

muso wrote on Mar 16^th, 2013 at 11:57pm:

Serpents in gardens with forbidden apples is no basis for a system of morality. Hmmm reminds me of something:

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!

This was very droll about 70 years ago, I guess. You are implying that the whole of western morality is nothing but an extended riff on a snake and an apple.

No just religious morality. Tell us about the moral value of abstaining from condom use.

Maybe we should issue condoms to the rabbits. Condoms seem to be the answer.

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Sir Spot of Borg Gold Member Offline WE ARE BORG Posts: 26513 Australia	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #484 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 4:46am Why is this thread so long? Seriously. Atheism = lack of belief in a deity. SOB
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muso Gold Member Offline Posts: 13151 Gladstone, Queensland Gender:	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #485 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 8:16am Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 4:46am: Why is this thread so long? Seriously. Atheism = lack of belief in a deity. SOB Damn skippy! Tell you what, I'll delete every post except yours and ask the group moderator to lock it. No need for discussion. Anybody disagree?
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muso

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #486 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 8:25am

Soren wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:09am:

[quote author=muso link=1304543494/477#477 date=1363442245]
Serpents in gardens with forbidden apples is no basis for a system of morality. Hmmm reminds me of something:

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government![/quote

This was very droll about 70 years ago, I guess. You are implying that the whole of western morality is nothing but an extended riff on a snake and an apple.

Grey got in before me. We're talking about religious morality, you know "Thou shalt have no other God but me"

"Thou shalt not suffer thy cow to work on the Sabbath"

That kind of thing. Having a cow of a time trying to understand that one, but I guess it was intuitive stuff in the Bronze Age.

What religious morality needs is a systematic review process.

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« Last Edit: Mar 17^th, 2013 at 9:07am by muso »

cow.jpeg (5 KB | 58 )

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Soren

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #487 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 11:09am

OK, an extended riff on a snake, an apple AND a cow.

Anyway, religion is evidently far more interesting and imaginatively fruitful in every way than atheism. There is nothing to discuss about atheism except its religious dimension.

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 4:46am:

Why is this thread so long? Seriously. Atheism = lack of belief in a deity.

SOB

Why are you so stupid? And why don't you fook off? These are the questions you should turn your.. er... "mind" ( Cheesy

) to.

Go away troll.

SOB

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muso

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #488 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 11:29am

Soren wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 11:09am:

Anyway, religion is evidently far more interesting and imaginatively fruitful in every way than atheism. There is nothing to discuss about atheism except its religious dimension.

As a religious naturalist, I tend to agree. The -ism pertaining to atheists is only valid when seen from a religious context. An atheist would probably not consider himself to be part of the great unwashed "Atheism", and those that do, in reality are identifying with an almost evangelical anti-theistic movement.

I think we can learn a great deal from religions, be they traditional or otherwise. One thing that we do have in common is an appreciation of the cultural and political dimensions of religion.

Quote:

OK, an extended riff on a snake, an apple AND a cow.

La vache! (celle qui interrompt)

La vache means the cow, but it's also an expletive. The song is a somewhat crude popular rugby / drinking song, but it seems strangely appropriate.

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« Last Edit: Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:33pm by muso »

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NorthOfNorth

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #489 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:26pm

Soren wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 11:09am:

Anyway, religion is evidently far more interesting and imaginatively fruitful in every way than atheism.

I guess that's true... at least in that it allows the imagination to run 'untethered and barefoot through the foothills of Olympus' for a spell... But (ultimately in the modern era) it descends into the bog of spiritual narcissism, where every colourful event is perceived as a personal message from 'the one'.... A new age world where a peregrine can't hover for prey without an 'enlightened' (read self-absorbed) observer taking it as a sign from beyond, to (say) 'keep sight of your goals and (I dunno), stay still.... or... something'.

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Conviction is the art of being certain

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Yadda Gold Member Offline Posts: 21897 A cat with a view	Re: Is Atheism a Religion? Reply #490 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:56pm muso wrote on Mar 16^th, 2013 at 11:01pm: Quote: Google; scientific fraud Google "The impropriety of religious exemptions to child abuse laws" muso, No argument from me, on that proposition.
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Yadda

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #491 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 1:12pm

muso wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 8:16am:

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 4:46am:

Why is this thread so long? Seriously. Atheism = lack of belief in a deity.

SOB

Damn skippy! Tell you what, I'll delete every post except yours and ask the group moderator to lock it. No need for discussion. Grin

Anybody disagree?

SPOT's opinion must prevail.

The 1st law of debate, in any forum where SPOT participates ?

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"....And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
Luke 16:31

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muso

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #492 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 2:07pm

Yadda wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:56pm:

muso wrote on Mar 16^th, 2013 at 11:01pm:

Quote:

Google;

scientific fraud

Google "The impropriety of religious exemptions to child abuse laws"

muso,
No argument from me, on that proposition.

Wherever man is involved, there is an intrinsic propensity to corrupt. That's true of all human endeavours including science and religion. On that we agree, but it isn't inevitable.

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Soren

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #493 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 7:32pm

NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:26pm:

Soren wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 11:09am:

Anyway, religion is evidently far more interesting and imaginatively fruitful in every way than atheism.

I guess that's true... at least in that it allows the imagination to run 'untethered and barefoot through the foothills of Olympus' for a spell... But (ultimately in the modern era) it descends into the bog of spiritual narcissism, where every colourful event is perceived as a personal message from 'the one'.... A new age world where a peregrine can't hover for prey without an 'enlightened' (read self-absorbed) observer taking it as a sign from beyond, to (say) 'keep sight of your goals and (I dunno), stay still.... or... something'.

I feel your pain. I do.

Nevertheless, one has to bring one's soul face to face with the Question.

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NorthOfNorth

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Re: Is Atheism a Religion?
Reply #494 - Mar 17^th, 2013 at 8:05pm

Soren wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 7:32pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 12:26pm:

Soren wrote on Mar 17^th, 2013 at 11:09am:

Anyway, religion is evidently far more interesting and imaginatively fruitful in every way than atheism.

I guess that's true... at least in that it allows the imagination to run 'untethered and barefoot through the foothills of Olympus' for a spell... But (ultimately in the modern era) it descends into the bog of spiritual narcissism, where every colourful event is perceived as a personal message from 'the one'.... A new age world where a peregrine can't hover for prey without an 'enlightened' (read self-absorbed) observer taking it as a sign from beyond, to (say) 'keep sight of your goals and (I dunno), stay still.... or... something'.

I feel your pain. I do.

Nevertheless, one has to bring one's soul face to face with the Question.

How about learning to live with the unanswerable question, without needing to seek its resolution, without losing sanity through obsessive - compulsive searching for THE knowledge of the unknowable, without the need to fill the abyss of narcissism with ersatz platitudes posing as 'meaning'...

Like the song that won't stop playing in your head, it cannot be eliminated by engaging it, seeking its 'true' reason for being ... So to with the unanswerable... Its 'resolution' lies in detachment from it.

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Conviction is the art of being certain

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