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Interesting trends in the Gulch

Posted by $ Susanne 11 years, 3 months ago to Philosophy
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I have been following with (not very) amused intrest how a lot of the conversations here in the Gulch go from their topic subject to either a heated debate about Religion, or, less frequently, a heated debate about Sexuality and Sex. It does wonders to boost a topic's point and post count... but really stinks when you see a good, timely, and interesting topic, go to add or comment, and it's now a theological or psychosexual discussion.

While I do know that Humanity tends to shy away from mental work, and instead default to the base and easy, I was surprised to see this becoming a rising trend here in the Gulch, and rising exponentially over the past 30-60 days.


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  • Posted by Zenphamy 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I don't know about that part of 'in God We Trust' s being the motto from which this countries founders followed and from which this country was formed.

    For the most part, the founders were deist, not Christians, (other than in the social context). Their moralities and philosophies tended to be centered around natural rights and individual liberty. One Nation Under God wasn't added to our Pledge of Allegiance till 1952 (?) or so.

    The major influences of Christianity seems to have been prohibition and Blue laws. What Christian is going to support the state's death sentence (particularly if the convicted then takes Jesus as his savior and is saved and asks for forgiveness)

    I continue to respect and defend the right of Christians to have their beliefs, even though I find a great deal of fault with them, but I simply don't want it shoved into every conversation I try to have.

    If a Christian or LGBT supporter has nothing better to comment about than those things, in conversation about any other topic imaginable, I honestly feel sorry for them.

    Personally, I'm content with the outlook on such subjects that I've formed based on my own reasoning, and I don't wear a LED illuminated ball cap flashing, "Here walks a Christian" or 'Here's a Gay Guy' or 'Here;s an Agnostic.' On the other hand, I might like that flashing ball cap with "KYFHO" on it.
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  • Posted by khalling 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    aetheist in a foxhole is a myth. Talked with a vet at pima air and space museum. He flew B17s in WW Ii He is actually quoted in a documentary saying that that 's a myth.
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  • Posted by $ stargeezer 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Can you prove God does not exist?

    I didn't think so.

    Now really, is that as far reaching as your reason extends? Offer some real mental exercise and I'll play, but this is too lame to even be recognized as thought..
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  • Posted by $ stargeezer 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    And some wackos go running in circles screaming that Satan is chasing them to throw them into hell. The scary part is they are right.
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  • Posted by mminnick 11 years, 3 months ago
    If one is of the Jewish, Christian or Islamic 9i think) say that man is made in the image of G-d. If this is in fact true, man does not and in fact cannot, give up rational thought even to the point od doubting the existence of G-d.
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  • Posted by Zenphamy 11 years, 3 months ago
    Ahh, someone else. I'm not alone in the world anymore!
    But I do enjoy the meandering at times.
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  • Posted by $ stargeezer 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    If you walk to the edge of a cliff with a thousand foot drop and there's a sign warning you that if you fall you will be killed, do you jump over the edge to "test" the theory? No, you assume based on logic that the sign is right.

    When the speed limit sign says 55MPH and you are given a ticket because you were driving 68MPH, do you argue with the officer or pay the ticket? Why it's not him who made the sign, law or even gave the authority to him. Telling him that you don't feel he has a right to ticket you will not change the outcome.

    When I am in my observatory looking at nebula that are 50,000 lightyears away my mind is not challenged to believe that the God who created all of this can manage little ole me.

    You claim that accepting the existence of God requires the abandonment of reason with the formula that begins with what you consider a wrong variable rendering everything following invalid. My logic demands that a formula where the existence of God is omitted gives you an incomplete answer leading to a failed existence. You ASSUME God does not exist. I KNOW that you are missing part of a whole life. We are reasoning creatures, God gave us the bible to guide us to him. In it you will find the truth you seek.

    But something leads me to doubt that you'll ever risk studying it enough to find the truth, you don't want that.
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  • Posted by BambiB 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Don't "natural rights" refer to the rights that even animals have? A right to self-defense? A right to self-determination? Rights that cannot be taken away by the state (even if, in fact, they are curtailed or impaired, the rights remain)?

    Natural rights? No god necessary.
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  • Posted by BambiB 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    So you think it's a nice whip to control the the riffraff AND the politicians?

    Hmmm. Maybe.

    But personally, I'm still more concerned that anyone that gullible might believe they can spend American into prosperity or decide for others whether they should drink, smoke pot or sacrifice their lives for oil conglomerates.

    I prefer the politicians be more afraid of the citizens (as appropriate) than god.
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  • Posted by BambiB 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    A personal relationship…

    I think if I hear that one more time I may puke.

    Okay… what was the Living Being who Created all wearing today and does she have an accent?
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  • Posted by BambiB 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Holy tam-o-le!

    You start out with an unsubstantiated assumption, then you ascribe characteristics to the assumption and THEN you call it "rational"???

    Your train has left the track.

    See, I already know what your answer is to all the hard questions about the sanity of a christian god… It will be some variant of "only god knows", or, "I don't know because I'm not god". But in all that ignorance, you still choose to "believe".

    Con men must love you.
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  • Posted by BambiB 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Not quite. They very ACT of becoming a christian is an ABANDONMENT of reason. It is accepting axiomatically that god exists - without the slightest shred of evidence. The axiom, "Go wrong at first and afterwards nothing will go right" applies here.

    It's the old "Garbage In, Garbage Out" principle.

    If you ASSUME that horse apples are diamonds, you can apply all the reason and thought you wish. But because your fundamental assumption is wrong, everything you "prove" will be… horse apples.

    So it is with religion. You ASSUME the existence of a god. You ASSUME that of all the millions of "gods", that your vision of god is THE correct one. Having assumed that, what's left to prove?

    But it's ONLY an assumption.

    For sake of discussion, ASSUME that "god" is a purple dinosaur who runs arounds singing, "I love you. You love me…" How do any of the conclusions change? (Qualitatively, they do not.)

    Now I know that engineers are not as rigorous as mathematicians, but holy hannah! How can you make such a huge assumption? Do you look at a piece of wire and say, "That must have 100 amps flowing through it"? Or do you measure the amperage?

    How can you abandon your education and training and just ASSUME?
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  • Posted by BambiB 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Not sure what your point was. Apparently you misunderstood. Your color, sex, schooling can all be verified.

    Can you verify god?

    Didn't think so.
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  • Posted by BambiB 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    In some people, that small little voice says, "They're reading your brainwaves. Wear a tin foil hat."

    David Berkowitz (The Son of Sam) thought he heard a small still voice… but it turned out it was just a dog. Oh wait! Maybe he was dyslexic! Now I get it! ;-)
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  • Posted by BambiB 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Fair enough. And no, I didn't miss the reference, I simply didn't assign it any significance. It's what we used to call, "buying your fire insurance". We've all heard of "deathbed conversions", and that there are no "atheists in the fox holes". I suppose when you think you're about to die anyway, it costs nothing to say, "Okay… NOW I'm a believer!"

    The choice of a philosophy is fine. Choose to live your life however you want.
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  • Posted by $ stargeezer 11 years, 3 months ago
    With the direction this thread has taken with some "challenged by my faith in God I will certainly concede the OP's thought. It seems that some are so challenged that they must resort to attacking every aspect of a believers life. One thing I've found that is consistent with most atheists, they must attack Christians on their faith. We have seen most of their standards attack lines here.

    1. You think there's a God? Prove it
    2 There must have been something lacking in your upbringing, varies but along the lines of cousins marring cousins.
    3. Education - did they have schools where you grew up?
    4. You believe in something you can't see so you are stupid.
    5. You are suffering from hallucinations. And you are deluded. When all else fails.

    Frankly, I've not been so attacked online ever as I have been tonight. I suppose it's the keyboard troll syndrome. Every basement keyboard jock is a FBI agent and a fighter pilot in their spare time.

    Then to top it off according to them I insulted them. What a can of stinking worms.
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  • Posted by $ stargeezer 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    CG - The only thing that exceeds the hardship man can endure is mans depravity. I understand that you can't really grasp that, just never attack a person who comes to know God in such a place. They have gained a faith forged in hardship. And that steel is unbreakable.
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  • Posted by $ stargeezer 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    That's all solid Will, in that situation, in those kind of places, men on both sides are as close to God as possible. I grew up in a home where religion was not important at all. Not rejecting God, just not church going people. Dad was a WWII combat infantry who fought across N Africa up Italy, went to England and made the landing at Omaha Beach, Battle of the Bulge and on in Germany. Cursing was an art form.

    When I came home after having three boats shot out from under me and losing far too many friends, Dad just hugged me and we went to his office and sat and talked about God and war and things we had never spoken of before. As horrid as that was, it brought us closer than we had ever been. His moment of decision was at the bulge and he couldn't talk about it anymore than that.
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  • Posted by $ WillH 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I am sure you have heard the old sayings that there is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole? That's pretty much true. Just about everyone who gets to a certain point calls upon god.

    It's the point when you believe you luck has run out, the situation is beyond your skill, you are totally out of options, and you just don't want to die. It's also the point where many truly learn how much they love life. Atheist veterans are not very common.

    I am not knocking your views, just seen it happen to atheists a few times is all.
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  • Posted by CircuitGuy 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Wow. I just can't get my mind around it. As an atheist the story does not thing as evidence to sway my opinion on falsifiable claims, but this story does have an impact on my notion of the level of hardship humans can face, a level I can't even imagine.

    I believe this life is all there is, and I'm amazed at young people with their whole life ahead of them being able to face death.

    Thank you for sharing that story.
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