A Question for Merlyn...

[OldGreyEagle 5]

A straight question Merlyn, why are you an Atheist? Were your parents Atheists and "taught" it to you or were you raised in a religion and rejected it at some point?

 

How do/did you come to the conclusion there is no Supreme Being?

[dsteele 20]

Good question, OGE. I was going to reply with something flippant, but found I can't.

 

Your question to Merlyn brought back a time I went through where I didn't know if He existed -- a questioning period I had in college.

 

But know I honestly believe that I can feel His prescence and see His hand in so many things that I can't believe I ever really had those doubts.

 

Does that sound wacky? I hope not. I also hope I haven't derailed your thread.

 

Dave

 

PS -- I made a quilt that was a knight riding a pegasus. It's 8' x 10' and made of hand-stitched one inch squares. Across the top, I put the words "I Believe . . ." And left the rest blank.

 

Let me finish it here ". . . in God."

 

DS

[Merlyn_LeRoy 72]

 

I'm don't believe in gods for the same reason I don't believe in werewolves; because I see no reason to believe such things exist. Both my parents were atheists, but each of them had been raised in some religion.

[nldscout 18]

So I guess that means you were brainwashed at an early age and now can't help yourself or be held responsible.

[Merlyn_LeRoy 72]

 

I don't remember the subject ever coming up, so no, I wasn't brainwashed. My son was raised similarly, and I think he's an atheist, though I haven't asked him lately.

 

Oddly enough, if you don't tell kids that invisible superbeings exist, most don't believe invisible superbeings exist, just as if you don't tell kids that werewolves really exist, most don't believe werewolves really exist. You don't have to explicitly tell them that such things do NOT exist.

[Fat Old Guy 11]

When a werewolf attacks, be sure to tell him that he doesn't exist.

[Merlyn_LeRoy 72]

So you're saying you believe werewolves exist?

[molscouter 10]

I once saw one in London, walking with the Queen, his hair was perfect.

[Fat Old Guy 11]

I don't believe it, I know it.

[Eamonn 61]

Someone once said that there are no atheists in a fox hole.

Having never been in a fox hole and never been a atheist I don't know.

Still over the weekend I did hear this from a Lutheran minister.

There was a Doctor, a Lawyer and a Engineer. They were discussing the worlds oldest profession.

The Doctor said that if you look in Genesis you will see how God took a rib from Adam and made Eve. This was a surgical procedure. So Medicine was the oldest profession.

The Engineer disagreed. He said if you went back in Genesis you will see that out of confusion God made order. Making order was the job of an Engineer. So that was the oldest profession.

The Lawyer said that they were both wrong and asked who they thought started the confusion in the first place?

I don't have all the answers, but for the nost part I like to think that my God and me are on good terms. At times I question the rituals, and then there are times when I take great comfort in the rituals.

If I ever do find myself in a Foxhole I feel sure that my God will be there for me. I only hope that I'm ready for him.

Eamonn

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Do you see a reason for love, for courage, for patriotism, for service to the community?

 

There are many things that some people can see no use for, but others embrace those ideas fully. Can Deism be like that?

[Rooster7 11]

Oddly enough, if you don't tell kids that invisible superbeings exist, most don't believe invisible superbeings exist, just as if you don't tell kids that werewolves really exist, most don't believe werewolves really exist. You don't have to explicitly tell them that such things do NOT exist.

 

If you dont tell your kids about love and evil, do you think theyll come to the conclusion that they dont really exist? After all, these things are also invisible.

[NJCubScouter 1389]

OGE, how does "Deism" come into the discussion. I thought you were discussing atheism, which is the belief that there is no deity. Deism involves belief in a "creator" but one who is not necessarily currently "active in the affairs of man." (To put it one way.)

 

Or maybe I misunderstood what you meant.

[evmori 11]

Merlyn,

Since you don't believe in God explain:

Childbirth?

the leaves changing color?

how people with cancer suddenly are cancer free without medication?

 

Have a question, too. Since you don't believe in God, do you believe in Satan?

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

 

[Merlyn_LeRoy 72]

 

You can find a lot of atheists in foxholes at maaf.info, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers; the MAAF president is currently deployed to Iraq.

 

Perhaps the old "no atheists in foxholes" should be turned around to "no christians in hospitals", since TRUE christians would just pray to get well, right?

 

Hmm, looks like the demon theory of disease really should be thrown out:

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/states/wisconsin/6643191.htm

 

If there really IS a supreme being, does that being allow polygamy or not? If such a basic societal question can't be answered (and it can't, since major monotheistic religions don't agree on this), how can people claim to "know" what this supreme being wants if they can't even agree on such a straightforward question?

 

About the best thing I've read about gods is "you'll know you've created god in your own image when he hates the same people you do". I see a lot of that.