Originally Posted By davewasbaloo It is an interesting take on Athiesm and Agnosticism. This is very interesting. I personally am agnostic. I do not know if there is a god. There may be a higher spirit (it would be comforting, no doubt). But I am tired of athiests, agnostics and pagans being vilifies in the US. So, I urge you to watch this. It is interesting. As was said, religion is the opiate of the mass...es. After all, I have never heard of a Jihad, Holocaust or Christian Crusade by agnostics and athiests. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdVucvo-kDU&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...embedded</a>
Originally Posted By ecdc I love Penn & Teller but I'm at work and won't be able to watch it until later Their show's one of my all-time favorites.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo well, it is only slightly related to Penn and Teller, but very cool
Originally Posted By ecdc Okay, snuck away for a few minutes to watch it and really enjoyed it. The only thing I thought was a little weak when they showed a string of actors. Not that those people are "vile" as the Bible describes them, but just the fact that they're famous doesn't make them good examples of atheists. Overall, excellent. Atheists are almost always people like me, raised in religious households who have gone through very difficult, often painful changes and transitions to get where they are. We've often been on both sides of the fence - believer and non-believer. Yet we're often treated like ignorant fools by believers - people who themselves could never walk a mile in our shoes. In reality, atheists are almost always more educated and more knowledgeable about religion; Bill Maher said it really well: religious people often don't know very much about religion. Most atheists get where we are through lots of thought, questioning, and study. We don't just wake up one day and say, "Ah, the heck with it."
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Agreed, I thought the actor bit was a little week, but when they then went into the others, it was cool. I just wish the theists could realise people can be moral without religion.
Originally Posted By mele And often atheists/agnostics are *better* people, have more morals (and actually live by those morals instead of just jibberjabbing about them) than many of the most vocal theists.
Originally Posted By danyoung An interesting piece, although I do have a slight problem with the premise. Why would someone proposing the theory of there being no God take anything out of the Bible to prove or disprove a point? It's kinda like a liberal trying to disprove everything about conservatives by quoting everything Rush Limbaugh has to say (well, not the best analogy but you get my point). I've long thought that religion and a belief in a higher power that had all things under control were just man's way of coping with the big question of "Why am I here?" "What's the meaning of life?" "Who put all this in motion?" It's something that we may never know. But to build a being that knows all, sees all, listens to everyone, and decides who prospers and who fails, and who lives and who dies - well, I just can't buy that this being exists. So dave, why the Penn & Teller reference?
Originally Posted By LoyalOrderWaterBuffa ~~~~~ After all, I have never heard of a Jihad, Holocaust or Christian Crusade by agnostics and athiests.~~~~ DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER!!!! don't be too fixed on your beliefs mr. Joesph Stalin, we'd like you to meet davewasbaloo davewasbaloo, this is mr. Joseph Stalin. This Russian wasn't a very nice person to 10 or more million people.
Originally Posted By LoyalOrderWaterBuffa I need to slowwwwwww down because I'm driving 50mph in a residential neighborhood ~~~~~nice person to 10 million people or more ~~~~
Originally Posted By LoyalOrderWaterBuffa kind of goes with what I was saying before ecdc decided to do a cowardly personal air raid on my compound which defied laughingplaces' geneva convention and rules of warfare. but anyway, savagery can come from an atheist, muslim, catholic or christian protestant. So dwelling on the major's faiTh won't help put an end to these types of selfish acts. lately though the organized savagery has been performed by Islamic followers. But then again Virginia tech wasn't Islamic inspired.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***mr. Joesph Stalin, we'd like you to meet davewasbaloo davewasbaloo, this is mr. Joseph Stalin. This Russian wasn't a very nice person to 10 or more million people.*** Sure, but neither was Stalin an atheist or even an agnostic. Communism is a religion unto itself; Stalin was just as much a "god" as the Emperor of Japan was when he committed all his atrocities against his own people and others...
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>I've long thought that religion and a belief in a higher power that had all things under control were just man's way of coping with the big question of "Why am I here?" "What's the meaning of life?" "Who put all this in motion?" It's something that we may never know. But to build a being that knows all, sees all, listens to everyone, and decides who prospers and who fails, and who lives and who dies - well, I just can't buy that this being exists.<<< I am with you there. In fact that is exactly how I feel Dan. As I say, I am not an athiest, and I do think there are some great lessons to be learned from all the world's religions. AS for Penn and Teller, as I said, I recieved this from them.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Indeed, also Stalin did not do anything in the name of Atheism or Agnosticism. There are good and evil in all walks of life, creeds and beliefs.
Originally Posted By danyoung So dave, I guess my next question is are you a member of some Penn & Teller website, or do you actually know them? And if you do know them, how did that come about? Just curious.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo A little bit of both. This one is from a P&T facebook group. But I have also met them a couple of times. Dad used to be a member of the Magic Circle.
Originally Posted By pecos bill The video is pretty much standard fare to anyone who has explored atheism, although it is always reassuring to see brilliant people who think as you do. I cant recall ever being a true believer. Even as a small child, I would roll my eyes whenever people were praying. I remember enjoying the stained glass windows of churches, but nothing more. I cannot help myself from having an air of superiority over those who have given so much away to such primitive beliefs. I absolutely loathe people who preach revelations and armageddon with a gleam in their eyes, as if they couldnt wait for such things to happen, and futher despise the apathy this thinking creates in terms of conservation and ecology. I could go on all day.
Originally Posted By danyoung My dad was a preacher, so I was raised in the church. I guess I started having a problem in junior high or so, when it seemed that all of the religious talk I would hear surrounded being patient and dealing with the trials and the hardships and the torment of daily life, becuase we'll be rewarded in the next life. It just didn't seem like a very cool way to live. What's wrong with enjoying THIS life, of doing everything you can to make sure that you're living life to the fullest? It seems to be working for me.
