Atheist bus campaign

@Slarti: Sure I find it interesting.

 

What I mean to say is that fear of a higher all-seeing power and therefore the knowledge that 'bad' deeds have no chance of going unnoticed and unpunished, is a stronger deterrent than any man made laws that could only be enforced if the perpetrator is found out.

 

This is what stops the majority (I'm very pessimistic about human nature) of people committing crimes by doing whatever it is that instinct tells them. Human laws hardly deter anybody.

 

As for the people holding religious power: I don't for a moment believe that they're religious in any way, otherwise how  could they not fear being held accountable for their actions in the afterlife?

BaldFriede wrote: Rocktopus, you use the word "belief" in the everyday sense. That has, however, nothing to do with "to believe" in the religious sense. Those are simply two different terms. That's what I meant when I said the meaning of the verb "to belief" has been watered down. In the everyday sense it means "I think it is so, but I am not sure". That is, however, not what "belief" in the religious sense means. The word "to believe" stems from the Old English "belufan", or, even older, the Mercian "geleafa", the Saxon "gelufan" or the Norththumbrian "gelefa", also the Middle High German "geloube". All these ancient words mean nothing else but "to hold dear". Also compare with the modern German words "glauben", which means "to believe", or "geloben", which has the same root but means means "to vow".

Believing in something religious is still something you can do without being certain.

The meaning of different terms changes,  and its a great thing that Believe is watered down. It gives me hope. "Believers" scares the hell out of me (and I see what you mean). I hope every religious person (I'm thinking of traditional religons, not sun worship or wiccan stuff etc) have their doubts, and that most pretend that they are certain.

 can't believe there exists christians living the last 50 years that hasn't thought something like: I believe in God, but I'm not sure he exists many times for themselves. I would consider Christians with thoughts like this, religous believers still. Even the ones who always have their doubts.

Atheism comes from a time when not believing in the gods were unthinkable. Atheos was godless or left by the gods. it also has another meaning than the original, because the world has changed.

In matters such as these where there is no scientific evidence either way and personal answers are nothing but speculation, it's pretty foolish and dangerous to believe 100% in something and to be unmovable in your opinions.

I never said it was foolish to think a deity exists, I said it was foolish to be 100% sure that a deity exists (or doesn't). 

HughesJB4 wrote: Just because I can, I shall repeat, I'm an atheist Seriously though, what happened to this topic being about the bus campaign?

Because some people like to argue semantics.

I believe Dylan to be correct.

Yep, definitely should be the Atheist Bus Campaign girl.

ASHLEY TISDALE FOR ATHEIST BUST CAMPAIGN.
I believe 100 per cent.

Asley Tisdale doesn't have the intelligence necessary to critically consider atheism or religion.

I thought proggers would have higher standards.

Sasquamo wrote: I never said it was foolish to think a deity exists, I said it was foolish to be 100% sure that a deity exists (or doesn't).

Are you absolutely sure about that?

Anyway, there is a very pronounced distinction between atheism and rejection of organised religion.

Edited by npjnpj - March 10 2009 at 05:46