I have been studying different religions for a while, and atheism as well, but i have a problem. I like them both!! I guess a breakdown is in order;
Atheism: I love how it enables me to feel like an individual, how it puts my destiny, in my hands. It makes me think of a utopian society in a way, like a world without religion would be without a large percent of the violence, hate, rebellion, murder, and other horrible things it now contains. Although, i am a big believer that without evil, there can be no good.Taking that into account, its time to move on to religion.
Religion: What can i say, its a nice thought. Although i have a feeling that may be all religion is, a thought. Starting with heaven, lets assume everything is true about the christian faith. I am not going to go into islam, hindu, judaism, or any other now, but i am open to conversation. Heaven seems like fun. All the good people hangin out, just relaxin, enjoying good wholesome family love and enjoyment. But then there's that whole hell thing, which personally i loathe the idea of. Hell seems more like half delusion, half bedtime story to scare you into paying a tithe, or being extra generous in the collection plate. But hey, I'm a good person, i love my family, and it would sure be nice to get to be with them forever.
So I'm stuck i guess. I need some third party opinions here, or its back to being a soldier without an army. On a side note, i want you to take into account the possibility of america going under, and realizing that being on the good side of a big church, with big money, land, and power may be a good thing.
So I'm stuck i guess. I need some third party opinions here, or its back to being a soldier without an army.
If you weren't making a positive affirmation of the existence in the belief of a deity that would make you an atheist, even if you were just saying "I don't know" as this isn't claiming belief in one.
i want you to take into account the possibility of america going under, and realizing that being on the good side of a big church, with big money, land, and power may be a good thing.
If the country they are in goes under all that money becomes worthless.
Both of them are sustained by the wealth. Though they do have power in the sense of people following what they say without thought. Though by joining them you get to be a follower not a leader.
Well there's always another school of thought you could try. But it takes a lot of understanding and experience to get into. I mean, well whatever floats your boat.
I've been to unity church meetings. My uncle goes to a unity church. They do tend to be very accepting of other beliefs including atheist. Though for a church claiming to be all inclusive I found them rather ignorant of other beliefs, though that could just be the one I've run into.
might be the one's you know but still, if the worse you can say is they are a touch ignorant of other's beliefs, then they aren't all bad.
No they seemed to be a pretty pleasant group. The service itself was rather upbeat. I reminded me a bit of the New Age spiritual meeting I went to held by a supposed Shaman.
what about mormons, they don't really believe in a hell either. its more like 3 different levels of heaven right? and they seem like really nice well to do people.
i ahve read that while polygamy is thought to be a belief of the church, that was actually stricken from the main churches gospel, and a group was formed called the RLDS. the actual reason behind the myth is that once married, a couple is "sealed" to each other in the temple. once sealed, the church believes that you are together for all eternity, even in the after life. now if a couple gets divorced, and marries again, then they are sealed to another person, they are also going to be with them for all eternity, therefore, if a man is sealed and divorced to 3 different women, in the afterlife, he will be with all three of the women, and their new men, if they have been sealed since. thats my understanding anyway. i can't say anything good about the underwear however. but i don't want this to turn into a mormon thread. lets have other options as well.
first of all hell is not a bed time story it is real and imagine being all alone in torment forever its not just about 1 year 10 years or evan 1000 years its forever and never ending on the other hand heaven is like the greatest thing on earth times 1000 and atheism leaves you with no hope when you die your just gone
first of all hell is not a bed time story it is real and imagine being all alone in torment forever its not just about 1 year 10 years or evan 1000 years its forever and never ending on the other hand heaven is like the greatest thing on earth times 1000 and atheism leaves you with no hope when you die your just gone
How do you figure it isn't just a story? Also how does not accepting a claim at face value but requiring evidence first before believing warrant eternal suffering? Further more if your belief is that God is an all loving being it would make absolutely no sense that he would set up such a system to begin with.
Unfortunately, like most other social animals, it is the male who is predisposed to obtaining multiple partners while the females tend to compete for status and 'ownership' of a partner, thus promoting monogamy within the species.
If you have to ask which one you should be, you are an athiest.
wrong, i believe in something greater than all of this, something that makes it worth something. if there is nothing after this, there is no point of doing anything in this life besides enjoyment. in which case, i wouldn't care about knowledge, or spirituality, or my family, because nothing would happen when i die. i am weighing my options, and it is people like you that force atheism on people, that give other atheists a bad name.
