Hateful Atheist

How much do you think we'll ever know about the universe? What do you think of knowledge? Long winded answers encouraged.

Inspired by a question about Jesus's color.

So here we are fighting ancient dogma. These people want absolute answers. I don't think anything other than a lie will ever give that to them. I don't think they'll be satisfied with anything less. Why is this uncertainty scary? Why is it so terrible that the best we can do is say that there was a "bang" and then we evolved from other forms of life on this planet? Why doesn't that satisfy?

There's no certain afterlife in that equation. We're physical bodies that aren't keen on quitting. It's almost funny in a way. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Yes, I know everyone's tired of "Spiritually speaking."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1feEqgRZQI

Some came to my house the other day. A family member of mine was too afraid to tell them to bug off so she went and hid. She was too kind to them last time so they asked if they could come back and she said they could. I had to deal with it when they did. It's kind of funny that people have to be afraid to tell someone pushing something to bug off.

I told them "_____ isn't here right now." Then one lady asked if they could "share a thought" with me. I told her that I wasn't interested in religion, so she went on to redefine her religion. I told her again that I wasn't interested and they left, the one lady let out a bit of what seemed like a chuckle. Aside from the strange chuckle, they were really nice people and it seemed easy enough to be rid of them. It's just weird that people still feel necessary to hide their disinterest in religion.

Are you ever awestruck at the propositions of major religions in light of small we seem to be. Putting the idea that the universe was created with man to be the crown jewel and God's main concern right next to the idea that we came to be through "natural phenomenon" sometimes leaves me flabbergasted. I don't know what else to say. It almost makes me want to laugh.

Let's pretend this is true. Let's pretend that, when my life comes to a point that it is very likely that it will end very soon, I turn to all sorts of things that I once found ridiculous. What does that say for faith then? For those who would use such a line on someone, what does that say for your faith? I'm strong enough at the moment to question the "unquestionables" and one day my mortality will be at hand and in a moment of intellectual weakness I will appeal to all kinds of ridiculous things, this lends credibility to faith?

"See, you guys do it when you're desperate too."

"So you admit that your belief in God is out of desperation?"

Though it's not true, look here

http://www.ffrf.org/foxholes/

http://www.atheistfoxholes.org/

I originally posted this elsewhere, but it didn't show up, so here it goes.

It's been too long since I've experienced a huge shift in my thinking. I bounce around a few ways of seeing things, something new never comes as it once did.

When I was about twelve, I started to wrap my mind around things that had never occurred to me. I was very restless for several months. One thing that began to intrigue me for a while was the self. Before then, I had always been separated. I was always a separate entity from what surrounded me, even from my body. I guess I believed in what is called a soul. I don't know where the previous idea had come from, possibly a slightly religious upbringing and the fact that this sort of conclusion exists in our very language. The way we talk about things gives one the impression that he/she exists aside from a body.

An idea crept into my head. "This is me", it's no revelation to someone who now realizes it and has normalized the idea. At the time I was obsessed and frightened with the idea. I am me, this body and it's interactions is probably all that I am.

Then, with me, there, in that very spot thinking thoughts that did not belong to me. On a planet, in a solar system, in a galaxy, in a universe, in The Universe (if we ever decide what the universe is). If a recreation of what is me was exact to a tee, where would "I" be? It bled into my opinions of other people and how we interact with one another. We think we are so right, and see things the "correct" way. We are the observers, separated from this place, with our "own opinions". So many of us, even though we speak otherwise, seem to think that we are separate from influence. I realized the importance of this way of seeing things, if we realized how powerless we are and let this way of seeing things bleed into our actions what would ever get done?

Now, I'm only a bit older and my thinking is stale. It all so often seems fruitless. Though I feel contradiction in every breath, though I love to rant and ramble. I've forgotten the search I once made for "truth". I'm constantly rehashing old rhetoric, with no real thought of "my own". The full ability of my brain is not as often engaged with the BS that comes out of my mouth. I have many assumptions, I don't know how one lives without them.

The feeling of uniqueness faded and came back and faded again. We're all alike, and I'm not unique for seeing this.

I realize that this may make no sense at all. It's scatterbrained rambling.

As a side question, are there any religions that promote sleep deprivation, kind of like fasting? I wonder because I know both negatively affect mental function.

Which are you?

It'd be nice to be surrounded by rational people for a while.

I just posted a question with a link to this clip in it, but I fear that my "negativity" kept people from checking it out.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eaGgpGLxLQw

Atheists, any of you planning on seeing "Expelled"?

We'll all be dead and thoughtless before too long? The human race could lead to it's own demise before too long. Even if we survive what we're doing to the planet, our total demise is inevitable. One day, the last human or group of humans will breathe their last breaths. This whole civilization that we strived maintain will disappear, and too with it, all the silly fear driven notions.

On a side note, I stumbled across this on youtube. It seems to be advertising for the "Expelled" movie (people are in disagreement about what it's supposed to be). I thought it was funny, either way.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eaGgpGLxLQw

I think I'll go see "Expelled", even if it's a crock, and I'd have to drive at least 50 miles to see it. Ben Stein really is a genius, look at that little niche he jumped into. I'm willing to bet that big numbers on both sides of the debate are going to watch it.

And yet another God and another comforting concept is created to appease our strange mesh of animal and "higher intellect". The universe is, and here we come out of it (as part of it) and say that it's not good enough for us, like it or we or the whole thing cares about a few electrons moving around in a brain. Or the expression or those electrons in the form of wanting or action. It becomes the end of the world when we realize that death is the end of this configuration. All of our emotions and yearnings fit nicely inside the physical understanding of matter and energy. We want not to see it that way, but why? Why are we so turned off by the scientific understanding of ourselves, why do we want more?

I showed this to my religious friend last night and he didn't think that it was a satire. I wasn't sure, but I was leaning more toward satire, what are your thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl9ldtRFigw

Here are some others

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV0lVWtyduo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EnYk1vcwhs

How old are you? Are you a religious or not?

I'm 20.