Clipmarks | Oortcloud's 'discussion' clips

A typical atheist/theist conversation

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 06:30:00 GMT

clipped by: Oortcloud
clipper's remarks: Many more common points of discussion at the link

This is to illustrate a typical discussion with a fundamentalist. Any similarity to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. For obvious reasons, I have omitted the usual shouting, cursing and insulting that frequently results.

You: Why don't you believe in God, everyone else does?

Me: I don't believe in your god or anyone else's god because all the gods are the creation of man's fertile imagination. Everyone does not believe as you do, there are an estimated 13-14% atheists in the US population, and much higher in other advanced countries. Additionally, there are many more gods than just the Christian god. Only 1/3 of the world is considered a 'Christian' nation and obviously not all of them are Christians. Additionally, there is no evidence that any god exists or have ever existed. For an advanced country, the USA has a disproportionately high percentage of fundamentalists.

Tags: religion, discussion, atheism, christianity

Does denying religion deny hope?

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:47:27 GMT

clipped by: Oortcloud

Clip Source: www.asktheatheists.com

Why can’t an atheist be against both the suffering and the belief?

This question stems from a typical misunderstanding about atheism, one typically put forth by preachers when encouraging belief. “Atheists are nihilists, they just take away hope, and have nothing positive to say…”

Just because believing X makes you feel good doesn’t mean you should believe X. That’s really a very poor reason for belief, especially in the absence of (or in the face of contradicting) evidence. I can’t speak for all atheists, but most that I know are against belief itself for this very reason: there is no evidence to support the proposition “a god exists.” Thus, while we are against religion for teleological reasons (its effects on the world), we also look at the belief itself, a belief with no reason or evidence behind it, and find that we are against it, as well.

Isn't it true that sometimes religion can be the only thing that gives somebody hope?

Tags: religion, discussion, atheism

My "converson" to athiesm

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:57:17 GMT

clipped by: Oortcloud

Clip Source: exchristian.net

[Video]

This is is short overview of my life as a Christian and why I became an atheist. This is mainly for those religious people who may state that I do not know what I am talking about, or that I have not studied Christianity in any real depth.

Tags: religion, discussion

The question of existance of things outside our senses

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:42:48 GMT

clipped by: Oortcloud

Clip Source: exchristian.net

You ask "Are you saying that there is no possibility for something to exist outside of our senses?"

But you are not really asking about our senses and what is in nature which we can't sense. What you're asking is "Are you saying that there is no possibility for something to exist outside of nature" - you are asking about the *supernatural*, that which supposedly exists *outside* of nature, the universe and everything in it. This is what you mean with your second question; "is this concrete world and universe all there is?"
My answer to you is this:
We live in a huge (infinite) and complex universe, filled with wonder, just there for us to discover, and you want *more*?

Dee, honey, the only meaning in your life *you* will have to put there. You will have to determine what will make your life valuable. Other people can't do that. Vague beings from outside the physical world (but who are somehow intimitely interested in your life) can't do that.

Tags: religion, discussion