Ahh, missed the essence of the question, I got carried away in explaining.
That I follow them? No, I've never had a doubt in my mind that those were imposed on me. I follow rules because I want to follow them, not because of the consequences if I don't.
But would I consider it? Sure, maybe, just maybe they did.

I've read the debate, and akar is being very open-minded about his opponent's(everyone) counter-arguements, and is trying to argue in a fresh way. You are the only person here trying to express your own thoughts, instead of a 'consensus'.

Everyone else is attacking like a stuckup dick. Do you people know your words would have more impact of you put yourself on the same level as the person you are talking to? When you give short, smart-ass retorts to someone's paragraphs of thoughts and views, people ussually hit the 'off' button and then its all over. Atleast try to be thought provoking in your responses.

You see akar, there are 2 ways people typically become aethiests:
1) The individual just doesn't have faith. They don't hate god, or became what they are due to a horrible religious experience. They just don't feel this 'ultimate love' that people talk about. I like to believe I fall into this category. We can hae strong relationships with people of faith because we are secure in ours, or lack there of. I shouldn't care if someone is preaching at me when I know it won't change the way I feel. I have nothing to fear. And if it does, it still doesn't harm me in any way.

2) Then there are ugly people. I mean literally ugly people. People that are very unattractive and unliked. I swear to god every poor fat kid, or acne ridden loser is a smug aethiest. They hate the god that they at the same time somehow don't believe in, and they hate the world. The thought of people loving life, finding purpose, and creditting a greater power disgust them. They have been dealt horrible hands. The reason they so zealously argue with believers is because, well think about this:
Jimmy is an unpopluar ugly boy w/o a girlfriend.
Brad has a very hot g/f, and is taller, and more handsome than Jimmy. He also happens to go to church, and is filled with faith and thanks god for everything he has.
Jimmy tells Brad there is no god, and that his worship is all pretend.
Jimmy then shows Brad all the scientific evidence he found on the internet, showing step by step how his life is a lie, and won't go to heaven. Brad is shaken.
Suddenly, life is fair again.
Ofcourse this scenario never happens, but logically it should. So they keep chasing this impossible dream fro the classroom to the internet.

I think this makes up a good deal of our blasphemous population.


I just wish akar would stop talking about how science=/=religion but science+religion=truth

I disagree, most of the atheists I have gotten to know are somewhat introverted, and do not even talk about religion unless someone else brings it up. The ones that are loudest, can clearly articulate the dangers of religion and wish to stop religion from hurting people. I am sure some exist, but I have never met anyone that identifies as atheist just to make a fashion statement, or to get back at people who are more fortunate.

Of course, the atheists I know are virtually all adults.

This.

One of my friends who happens to be religious recently found out I was an atheist. Basically, he goes out of his way to bring it up whenever I offer a moral opinion, or a tidbit about religion.

As I am probably one in about 3 members of my church on SeN, I've found that there is really nothing that comes from arguing about this, no one is going to be converted over online chat forums, as you can't really feel any emotion from reading text... Arguing about religion is useless online, especially when you are arguing with atheists who have never read any religious books all the way through themselves, yet are trying to argue about something they have no information about.

The 10 commandments are still followed as they were taught by Christ and his apostles even after the law of Moses was fulfilled, so that is why we follow it, even if we use a scriptural reference to Exodus 20, the same principals can be found in the New Testament, that's just a list that summarizes them very nicely.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Nov 27 2007, 3:17 am by Falkoner.

Who hasn't read the bible? Most atheists are well read on the topic of religion, including the Bible and Koran, even more so than a large proportion of religious people.

I can guarantee that I am one of the few here that has actually read the Bible all the way through.

Most of them, if not all, are well read on the fundamentalist interpretation of the bible or for some, the "religion" of these people. Reason is because these people happen to be the loudest "christians" (note that this does not mean the majority) right now when carelessly recking the image of their religion through w/e means (George W Bush is a typical example). The problem is that many atheists justify that interpretation as the interpretation of religion.

Fundamentalism is the most dangerous and harmful interpretation of religion, and the only reason that entire set of interpretations is not ridiculed to oblivion is because of the tolerance meme, and the taboo surrounding critical analysis of religion.

Very few aethiests have read the bible all the way through.
We really just read the parts concerning contradictions, but to say we have 'no inforamation on it' is over the top.

like the bible?!

I have, and at least 15 of the 20 atheists I know have as well, most of them were raised by Christian parents.

Whatever, there's no reason for me to argue about this, I simply have no proof as it relies on faith, and trying to argue about it with people who want factual evidence is useless.

I will probably never understand the desire to take something on blind faith; If an idea or belief is so fragile that it needs to be protected from critical thought, what good is it?

I used to claim to be agnostic, but it was mainly due to myself trying to sound more approachable and compromising to religious persons. I'm not somebody who wishes to burn Bibles and wear shirts that say, "Jesus is a dog and God is a pig!" It's not worth my time to tell somebody their beliefs are wrong and explain why when their beliefs do not affect me; especially when most of the time, the other does not waver in their faith. I suppose I'm a tolerant, introverted atheist when it comes to topics like this.

*fixed

Nobody should be like that. Being so only indicates one's lack of intelligence as well as his or her abundance of ignorance. This actually applies for everyone.

How so?

Going around, spreading slander (or truth, however you want to see it). It's one thing to hold a belief or grudge against something, but nobody wants to see you do unnecessary shit.

And like I said, this also applies to religious people as well. Going around on campus holding cardboard signs saying "BELIEVE IN GOD OR YOU SHALL BE ETERNALLY DAMNED!" or "ALL HOMOSEXUALS ARE GOING TO HELL!" Sure some religions are proselytic in nature, but the way many people are doing it isn't right and is to many eyes, shit nobody wants to see.