Brilliant, Alabama Superthread

[Varitek]

Ultimately, I feel sorry for folks who just give up on any sort of spiritual life because evolution has a larger amount of material evidence than creationism. But maybe they just don't want to waste their time. It's an odd subject.

This isn't why I'm an atheist. I've never had spiritual beliefs or believed in god, ever. My parents raised me as a secular jew with a congregation that is god-free - I'm sure there are congregation members who believe in god, but it isn't in the services outside of tradition and wasn't in the sunday school education I received. I was never told there was a god but I also have never been told there isn't a god, and honestly I don't know for sure what each of my parents believe because we have NEVER talked about it. (I know their thoughts on morality, and how you should live a good life, and on political aspects of religion, and we agree that certain religious figures are crazy in their extremity...but never have we discussed god.) So all on my own, I have always felt that there isn't - no spiritual connections, no logical path to thinking there should be, nothing.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I'm atheist, but I don't like being called an 'atheist' - does that count?

 

[Axver]

Spiritual beliefs change for many reasons. I don't believe FACTS really have much to do with spiritual faith. At all. My faith has been strengthened by my personal experiences, while others have become discouraged because of them. I think that's mostly what it comes down to...you become biased and you find what you look for. Ultimately, I feel sorry for folks who just give up on any sort of spiritual life because evolution has a larger amount of material evidence than creationism. But maybe they just don't want to waste their time. It's an odd subject.

If I can't prove it, if facts do not sustain the assertion, then I see it as a thorough waste of time. This whole "leap of faith" stuff strikes me as believing something because it suits you, not because it actually has any demonstrable validity. This isn't to say that I won't accept something unless it has been definitively proven - very little, if anything, can be. What I am trying to say is that I seek the conclusions of falsifiable, verifiable evidence, and anything that cannot offer falsifiable, verifiable evidence to substantiate its claims is unprovable and, in all likelihood, completely wrong. After all, if it were correct, should I not be able to demonstrate that with appropriate evidence?

 

[LemonMelon]

This isn't why I'm an atheist. I've never had spiritual beliefs or believed in god, ever. My parents raised me as a secular jew with a congregation that is god-free - I'm sure there are congregation members who believe in god, but it isn't in the services outside of tradition and wasn't in the sunday school education I received. I was never told there was a god but I also have never been told there isn't a god, and honestly I don't know for sure what each of my parents believe because we have NEVER talked about it. (I know their thoughts on morality, and how you should live a good life, and on political aspects of religion, and we agree that certain religious figures are crazy in their extremity...but never have we discussed god.) So all on my own, I have always felt that there isn't - no spiritual connections, no logical path to thinking there should be, nothing.

No, I'm not talking about folks like you in particular...I'm just talking about someone who's on the fence. Folks that aren't interested will probably just stay uninterested.

 

[Varitek]

I found one of the bottles. It is Fluoxetine.

My mom usually comes along but I can her to leave the room. I know I should tell my shrink all this but I just want to accept it and move on. I don't want them to...I don't know. I just want to move on.

It is wildly inappropriate for your mother to be at your therapy sessions if you are 20 years old, and it is clearly preventing you from getting certain things out into the open and dealing with them with your therapist. Furthermore, I think a therapist that would allow your mom to be there and not want to see you alone is probably not a good therapist. I really think you need to find someone you click with, as DOL and I have both talked about, and see them one on one and open up to them.

 

[Axver]

I'm atheist, but I don't like being called an 'atheist' - does that count?

I'm more comfortable with the agnostic label, but it seems some people misinterpret it, and frankly, I need to be honest with myself and say that I don't qualify as an agnostic any more and shouldn't use the label. I am perhaps an agnostic atheist, but not an agnostic.

 

[Varitek]

I'm atheist, but I don't like being called an 'atheist' - does that count?

why not? :curious:

 

[Varitek]

Let's see...who else...

I don't think Mia is atheist...I just don't think she really cares that much.

Pfan believes in an afterlife, not sure what faith he subscribes to though.

I think Mia and Pfan have both "lost" some faith or whatever, and are questioning their churches (and parents!) and moving away a little....but I can't speak for them, that's just what I've picked up in conversation

 

[bono_212]

This my be too heavy a conversation fo r me to join in on tonight, religious as I am, but also as inebriated as I am...don't think I'd be useful,

But Screwy (is it ok if I call you that?) I liked what you had to write, but are you planning on making it very similar to X-Men, or are you going to veer away soon?

 

[Varitek]

damn it i just realized eits guy ate my cookie earlier!!!!!

i'm hungry : pouts:

 

[LemonMelon]

If I can't prove it, if facts do not sustain the assertion, then I see it as a thorough waste of time. This whole "leap of faith" stuff strikes me as believing something because it suits you, not because it actually has any demonstrable validity. This isn't to say that I won't accept something unless it has been definitively proven - very little, if anything, can be. What I am trying to say is that I seek the conclusions of falsifiable, verifiable evidence, and anything that cannot offer falsifiable, verifiable evidence to substantiate its claims is unprovable and, in all likelihood, completely wrong. After all, if it were correct, should I not be able to demonstrate that with appropriate evidence?

I dunno. After all these years, I've just found that science is at odds with spirituality and shouldn't be mixed. People try, but I don't get it. You find what you look for by just living life and letting things happen. But you can't prove or disprove God by measuring the strength of the magnetic field around the earth or some shit. I know people who waste their days arguing over fossil records and ancient ruins, looking for truth. More power to them, I guess. I just feel that you're more likely to find God when taking a walk or having a chat with someone you love.

 

[Varitek]

This my be too heavy a conversation fo r me to join in on tonight, religious as I am, but also as inebriated as I am...don't think I'd be useful,

sounds like you had a fun night

 

[Axver]

As an aside, I find myself quite interested in ignosticism/theological noncognitivism and perhaps I may actually be classifiable as one.

 

[bono_212]

I dunno. After all these years, I've just found that science is at odds with spirituality and shouldn't be mixed. People try, but I don't get it. You find what you look for by just living life and letting things happen. But you can't prove or disprove God by measuring the strength of the magnetic field around the earth or some shit. I know people who waste their days arguing over fossil records and ancient ruins, looking for truth. More power to them, I guess. I just feel that you're more likely to find God when taking a walk or having a chat with someone you love.

I think you've finally put into words what I've been trying to say for quite some time

 

[coolian2]

I wouldn't call myself an atheist despite my atheist beliefs. It's such a generic tag. How about i don't really care either way?

 

[bono_212]

sounds like you had a fun night

Oh man, first I sang along with Bob Dylan, then one of my friend read me a children's story, but jut hte first line of each page, and it ended up eing a porno it was hilariou

 

[Varitek]

I dunno. After all these years, I've just found that science is at odds with spirituality and shouldn't be mixed. People try, but I don't get it. You find what you look for by just living life and letting things happen. But you can't prove or disprove God by measuring the strength of the magnetic field around the earth or some shit. I know people who waste their days arguing over fossil records and ancient ruins, looking for truth. More power to them, I guess. I just feel that you're more likely to find God when taking a walk or having a chat with someone you love.

I'd much rather someone feel that they can separate science and religion and respect science than somoene use religion to deny scientific claims.

but when i take a walk i appreciate nature and maybe my thoughts, and when i have a chat with someone i love i appreciate them and my relationship with them.... i don't see where god fits.

it's actually kinda weird, eits guy is "a christian" and i never imagined i could date someone who believed in god, let alone feel so close to them. still not sure how i feel about that. as a philosophy major friend of mine said, if someone believes in god, it shows that they have a fundamentally different perception of what constitutes the grounds for believing something. and that's something i see as making me incompatible with someone in the longrun.

 

[Screwtape2]

But Screwy (is it ok if I call you that?) I liked what you had to write, but are you planning on making it very similar to X-Men, or are you going to veer away soon?

It is going to veer off once we meet the other two main characters. It is going to be about exploring and deal with the decisions made by those in the Marvel Universe.

 

[The Sad Punk]

why not? :curious:

Well, a few reasons. Firstly, I think people have prenotions about what an atheist is, simply from the word. Secondly, while I comfortably don't believe in god enough to say that I'm not agnostic, I still think, with a subject like this, we are all ignorant of what's out there, so I think it's a bit full on to say that anyone can be certain that there is a god or not. I'm not really sure how that came out. I just don't like labels for this sort of personal thing, though. There's no wrong or right.

 

[Axver]

I dunno. After all these years, I've just found that science is at odds with spirituality and shouldn't be mixed. People try, but I don't get it. You find what you look for by just living life and letting things happen. But you can't prove or disprove God by measuring the strength of the magnetic field around the earth or some shit. I know people who waste their days arguing over fossil records and ancient ruins, looking for truth. More power to them, I guess. I just feel that you're more likely to find God when taking a walk or having a chat with someone you love.

Well, science and theology do deal with different academic fields, but there is crossover and they have implications for each other. My perspective, as somebody who demands substantiation and evidence, is that pure theology is worthless as long as it is non-falsifiable, and crosses over into science when it makes falsifiable claims, as those claims can be examined and proven or disproven with scientific methods.

I however remain thoroughly fascinated with theology for its function within social, political, and cultural history, and have my own opinions on which claims make the most sense within the internal belief structure of a religion (primarily Christianity, and I'm sure that if we got into an eschatology discussion, I could fool a lot of you into thinking I had reconverted with my arguments in favour of amillennialism).

 

[Varitek]

btw screwtape, re: meds. i looked up what you're on and it deals with seratonin. i really think you have some dopamine imbalance problems so that might be why the meds aren't working. but there are meds you can try for dopamine issues.

 

[coolian2]

Well, a few reasons. Firstly, I think people have prenotions about what an atheist is, simply from the word. Secondly, while I comfortably don't believe in god enough to say that I'm not agnostic, I still think, with a subject like this, we are all ignorant of what's out there, so I think it's a bit full on to say that anyone can be certain that there is a god or not. I'm not really sure how that came out. I just don't like labels for this sort of personal thing, though. There's no wrong or right.

I spent an age thinking of how to post my thoughts on the issue and went for that mindless bollocks i posted earlier. This is what i wanted to say.

 

[bono_212]

It is going to veer off once we meet the other two main characters. It is going to be about exploring and deal with the decisions made by those in the Marvel Universe.

So, are you not done writing yet? was that only a first few page? It ended so upruptly. I cna't wait to see it with illustration so I can get a better feel, but I really did turly like where itwas going....Truly I mean

 

[Varitek]

Well, science and theology do deal with different academic fields, but there is crossover and they have implications for each other. My perspective, as somebody who demands substantiation and evidence, is that pure theology is worthless as long as it is non-falsifiable, and crosses over into science when it makes falsifiable claims, as those claims can be examined and proven or disproven with scientific methods.

I however remain thoroughly fascinated with theology for its function within social, political, and cultural history, and have my own opinions on which claims make the most sense within the internal belief structure of a religion (primarily Christianity, and I'm sure that if we got into an eschatology discussion, I could fool a lot of you into thinking I had reconverted with my arguments in favour of amillennialism).

ax i had to wikipedia several of those words

put me in the category of i don't care (hence i had no idea what any of that meant) but i also do firmly believe there is no god, and i believe that organized religion can be dangerous (put me also with the interest in the political and social effects of religion), both as it manipulates followers and tries to restrict everyone to fit its vision.

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

I found one of the bottles. It is Fluoxetine.

That would be the almighty Prozac

Nothing made me worse than Prozac. Being on Prozac made me so numb that I couldn't even laugh. I physically could not garner enough joy to laugh. It was terrible. Being that numb is what made me start hurting myself in the first place.

I should mention that being wrongly medicated when it comes to mental health drugs is quite dangerous, as it can lead to new, worse symptoms. It's more than a little scary that antidepressants have been linked to suicide.



By the way y'all. I'm an agnostic, leaning toward Christianity but not really wanting to go there

I certainly believe in a higher power/deity, and my mind leans toward the God of Christianity/Judaism simply because I was raised in it and spent several years quite religious (I certainly know my bible, and can usually quote circles around bible-thumpers. It's quite fun to quote parts of it that make no sense at them!) but really, I try not to put a label/name/face on my beliefs, because if I think about it too much I just get confused.
I'm a believer because I've personally felt the presence of something bigger than us, and have felt loved by it, but mainly because I need to ("And though I can't say why, but I know I've got to believe...") because if I didn't, I'd feel hopeless and depressed. I cling to it in a vague way.

That said, I kind of don't want there to be an afterlife. One life is enough. When I get old and tired (hell, I'm already tired), I'm gonna want it to END. I just... I just can't imagine myself being happy in heaven... but maybe that's because Christians annoy the hell out of me.

 

[LemonMelon]

I'd much rather someone feel that they can separate science and religion and respect science than somoene use religion to deny scientific claims.

but when i take a walk i appreciate nature and maybe my thoughts, and when i have a chat with someone i love i appreciate them and my relationship with them.... i don't see where god fits.

it's actually kinda weird, eits guy is "a christian" and i never imagined i could date someone who believed in god, let alone feel so close to them. still not sure how i feel about that. as a philosophy major friend of mine said, if someone believes in god, it shows that they have a fundamentally different perception of what constitutes the grounds for believing something. and that's something i see as making me incompatible with someone in the longrun.

The walking and talking are symbolic of daily life...didn't mean that literally.

Again, I maintain that people's own viewpoint on life slants their spiritual beliefs in many ways. Honestly, the whole issue is so open-ended that everyone has evidence for what they believe in some capacity. Just not necessarily enough to win over someone else.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I'm going out for tea with my mother. Organic pizza! See you guys again later.

 

[coolian2]

I'm glad we're taking an evening to classify ourselves. Why didn't we do this early on?

 

[coolian2]

Seeya Bonnie. I'll bet my pizza is better than yours.

 

[Screwtape2]

btw screwtape, re: meds. i looked up what you're on and it deals with seratonin. i really think you have some dopamine imbalance problems so that might be why the meds aren't working. but there are meds you can try for dopamine issues.

If I had my choice I wouldn't be on any medicine. My main concern is if this isn't the right therapist than where do I turn?