A new question for atheist. Do you enjoy atheism? What do you have to look foward to in atheism?
It's not something that brings comfort. Though leaving behind religious and theistic beliefs I do feel freer.
Would a religious belief affect any of you atheists personally in regards to relationships? (Girlfriend/boyfriend)
While it wouldn't cause me to automatically exclude someone who was religious it could cause issues. It could make it hard to be yourself at times if your with someone with radically opposing beliefs. If there was a young Earth creationist who thinks I'm going to hell how can I ever really open up to that person about my views on any sort of personal accepting level?
Fortunately for me my gf seems to also be an atheist with the comment "religion is bull****". (Been trying to get her to join me on here.)
Has anyone here ever read Richard Dawkins?
I have The God Delusion on my bookshelf and I have still yet to read it. I got it from being highest bidder during a charity.
From the previously posted definition of naturalism from Oxford, would you agree with this statement?
No I don't agree. You can hold supernatural beliefs but still not believe in any sort of god. For instance just because someone might believe ghosts exist doesn't mean they believe a god exists.
Deities aren't an atheist concept last time I checked.
Yes there are Buddhists who are theists, however this isn't the majority of the group from what I understand.
Yes there are Buddhists who are theists, however this isn't the majority of the group from what I understand.
Could you provide a source stating the majority of Buddhists don't believe in the Brahmins or the Devas? From what I have read they are quite important to Buddhism.
Deities aren't an atheist concept last time I checked.
From Wiki:
Buddhists accept the existence of beings in higher realms (see Buddhist cosmology), known as devas, but they, like humans, are said to be suffering in samsara,[17] and not particularly wiser than us. In fact the Buddha is often portrayed as a teacher of the gods,[18] and superior to them.[19]
Although the word deva is generally translated "god" (or, very occasionally, "angel" in English, Buddhist devas differ from the "gods" and "angels" of other religions past and present in many important ways. Buddhist devas are not immortal. They live for very long but finite periods of time, ranging from thousands to (at least) billions of years. When they pass away, they are reborn as some other sort of being, perhaps a different type of deva, perhaps a human or something beyond comprehension. Buddhist devas do not create or shape the world. They come into existence based upon their past karmas and they are as much subject to the natural laws of cause and effect as any other being in the universe. They also have no role in the periodic dissolutions of worlds. Buddhist devas are not incarnations of a few archetypal deities or manifestations of an all-embracing pantheistic One. Nor are they merely symbols. They are considered to be, like humans, distinct individuals with their own personalities and paths in life. Buddhist devas are not omniscient. Their knowledge is inferior to that of a fully enlightened Buddha, and they especially lack awareness of beings in worlds higher than their own. Buddhist devas are not omnipotent. Their powers tend to be limited to their own worlds, and they rarely intervene in human affairs. When they do, it is generally by way of quiet advice rather than by physical intervention. Buddhist devas are not morally perfect. The devas of the worlds of the RÅ«adhÄtu do lack human passions and desires, but some of them are capable of ignorance, arrogance and pride. The devas of the lower worlds of the KÄmadhÄtu experience the same kind of passions that humans do, including (in the lowest of these worlds), lust, jealousy, and anger. It is, indeed, their imperfections in the mental and moral realms that cause them to be reborn in these worlds. Buddhist devas are not to be taken as a Buddhist refuge. While some individuals among the devas may be beings of great moral authority and prestige and thus deserving of a high degree of respect, no deva can show the way of escape from saá¹sÄra or control one's rebirth. The highest honors are reserved to the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Saá¹...gha.
So devas aren't immortal, omniscient, omnipotent or morally perfect. They are just a higher form of being but still they are part of the reincarnation cycle. As far as I know you can be reborn as a deva (but I'm not sure).
Its not like that at all, they would leave to see people only they know, they would be gone for services and other meeting, and have huge part of their personality you can't relate to, you don't gtet that with skin colour!?
Its not like that at all, they would leave to see people only they know, they would be gone for services and other meeting, and have huge part of their personality you can't relate to, you don't gtet that with skin colour!?
Not all christians are constantly attending mass or services. It may be once a month or a few times a year or never. As for meeting people only they knew I'm sure you would have people that only you know too. Coughcough(AG)coughcough. And they wouldn't be able to relate to your atheist personalitly as well either. I just think that if someone is christian and you like them, give them a chance. I would give a chance to someone even if I knew they saddistic and satanic. To me personality plays a bigger part in any relationship then religon does.
Its not like that at all, they would leave to see people only they know, they would be gone for services and other meeting, and have huge part of their personality you can't relate to, you don't gtet that with skin colour!?
Not all people of religion attend service. I don't. I'm Christian, my partner is Muslim yet not being able to relate to eachothers religions as such hasn't affected us.
If they didn't attend mass or whatever, and you chose not to be with them because you couldn't relate to it, the same can be said for race. If you're a different race, you'll never relate to their history.
If they didn't attend mass or whatever, and you chose not to be with them because you couldn't relate to it, the same can be said for race. If you're a different race, you'll never relate to their history.
No because history, is just that, its history its the past, it has nothing to do with how that person behaves and conducts their life, however religion often stretches as far as to change someone personality from my experience.
Also i did not say i would choose not to be with them, only that it might cause difficulties.
I just think that if someone is christian and you like them, give them a chance
You realize we aren't talking about a genuine dilemma right? this is all hypothetical. Me? Like someone!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
So devas aren't immortal, omniscient, omnipotent or morally perfect. They are just a higher form of being but still they are part of the reincarnation cycle. As far as I know you can be reborn as a deva
Here's a question for atheists (or faux-atheists I guess)
Do you have a soul? Do you believe in the concept of the soul despite the fact that medical science has found no evidence of the existence of a soul?
Is reality monistic (having only material components which can be seen or measured) or is reality dualistic, composed of both material and supernatural entities?
