User Panel
Posted: 2/15/2017 1:35:17 PM EDT
I was raised as a nominal Presbyterian, but really in a non-denominational Protestant home. We didn't go to Church, I only heard of Jesus on Easter and Christmas and when my dad was working on the car, and just went along with it...kind of. I never really believed in the story, but if my parents said it was so, it was.
Then I grew up, got into science and math and began to examine the Bible logically. It just doesn't hold up to scrutiny, so I dismissed it. I figured some form of deity was possible, however unlikely. The universe just was, science's job was to figure out the what and how of the universe, philosophy's job was to figure out why it mattered, and never the twain should meet. I left it at that, content in my Weltanschauung. Last night, I had an epiphany, a moment of clarity as drunks call it. I'm a Dudeist. I float through life and I'm cool with it, or as Snoopy put it, "My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?” Maybe there's a God, maybe there isn't, but I can't do anything about it, so why worry? I'm more about enjoying the here and now, not obsessing over the where and when and why. To quote Spicoli, "All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine." And it feels great. http://dudeism.com/ |
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I can't be bothered to believe anything, I just want my family to be happy.
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Religion is a great method to learn how to become a better person, understand you're not the center of the universe, and teaches a little history every now and then.
Many go overboard on all 3 points, which drives just as many away, but mostly it's a good thing. |
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Atheism just means you don't believe in a god. There's nothing to "walk away" from. You don't have to be vocal about it, or go around trying to convince people that there is no God. There's no real need to give "I don't give a fuck" a proper name.
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I don't believe there's a supreme being who created the universe, and now everything in it - down to the last sub-atomic particle - is one infinitely enormous puppet show with TSB pulling the strings. On the other hand, I don't believe there isn't, and certainly not with sufficient conviction to try to convince others.
I'll tell you what I do believe in. I believe in 230 grains overclocked to 900 fps, and, by God, I believe in love. |
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I to, am an Ordained Minister of the Church of Latter Day Dude
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Quoted:
Atheism just means you don't believe in a god. There's nothing to "walk away" from. You don't have to be vocal about it, or go around trying to convince people that there is no God. There's no real need to give "I don't give a fuck" a proper name. View Quote Nonsense! He's an apostate, and we should do absolutely nothing about it, because . . . |
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Quoted:
Atheism just means you don't believe in a god. There's nothing to "walk away" from. You don't have to be vocal about it, or go around trying to convince people that there is no God. There's no real need to give "I don't give a fuck" a proper name. View Quote Indeed, it would be exceedingly difficult to enumerate all of the things I don't really care or think about |
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The Dude Abides |
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When a fictional loser played by Sean Penn encapsulates your belief system.......well, God bless you.
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Welcome to the club.
I always thought that was called agnostic though. I dont seek to tell people how to believe or worship, dont do it to me. Lets just chill and go fishing. |
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Quoted:
I was raised as a nominal Presbyterian, but really in a non-denominational Protestant home. We didn't go to Church, I only heard of Jesus on Easter and Christmas and when my dad was working on the car, and just went along with it...kind of. I never really believed in the story, but if my parents said it was so, it was. Then I grew up, got into science and math and began to examine the Bible logically. It just doesn't hold up to scrutiny, so I dismissed it. I figured some form of deity was possible, however unlikely. The universe just was, science's job was to figure out the what and how of the universe, philosophy's job was to figure out why it mattered, and never the twain should meet. I left it at that, content in my Weltanschauung. Last night, I had an epiphany, a moment of clarity as drunks call it. I'm a Dudeist. I float through life and I'm cool with it, or as Snoopy put it, "My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?” Maybe there's a God, maybe there isn't, but I can't do anything about it, so why worry? I'm more about enjoying the here and now, not obsessing over the where and when and why. To quote Spicoli, "All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine." And it feels great. http://dudeism.com/ View Quote |
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Dudism is actually hedonism, yo, pleasure for a season, moral relativism... seems like a nice place to visit, shitty place to live
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Being a dudeist is great and easy when tasty waves are aplenty with numerous cool buzzes to go around. There is no stress and no pressure to create wealth for your fellow humans. You can coast for the foreseeable future on the wealth you have now. No worries about next year's harvest, no concern for maintaining shelter, no reason to be in a hurry. All that matters is this sunset, the food on my plate, the drink in my hand, and the beautiful dancing women. Your soul is never tested.
This mindset is basically describing tribal Africa. It's only good for breeding. |
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I see the wailing and gnashing of teeth has already begun.
The way I look at it religious people are like married folks. They're not happy unless everyone else is as miserable as they are. |
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I've always though that being an Atheist required more faith than simply being agnostic/spiritual. Takes a whole lot of faith to believe that the universe randomly exploded into existence from a tiny singularity(The very concept of the big bang violates plenty of laws of physics. Where did the singularity come from, and why would it explode rather than simply existing as a black hole?), with the perfect laws of physics to make our existence possible (Even slight differences would have made advanced life nonviable), and then life randomly arose for no apparent reason(and proceeded to assemble itself into the incredible structures and variations that we see today). Even things like not having a moon would have likely made our planet too unstable to host advanced life(and our moon was created by another of those one-in-a-billion freak accidents).
As I see it, the concept of the big bang seems to be impossible per the known laws of physics, unless things are possible which we don't currently understand or know about.(and in that case, it doesn't seem so silly to believe such things might actually be a higher power/god). How somebody can just say with conviction "THERE IS NO GOD", when they can't even explain the creation of the universe has always seemed silly to me. |
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Thunder and lightning? Made by angry god.
Don't eat the pork and shellfish, it says right here. I don't want the rabble stealing my stuff or chasing my wife. Write that down, too. Code of conduct and morals. Guidelines to keep the tribe alive. Explanation of mysteries. Life sucks so bad that after you die it gets awesome. Unless you break the rules, then it gets even worse. Way to control and rob the people. Get rich. Broker the afterlife. Peddle absolution. Provide peace to the hurting. Guidance to the lost. Justification to kill the other tribe. |
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https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/275845/1486523213578-147177.jpg Atheism is the quick route to moral nihilism and hedonism and is one of the main sources of the fragmentation and destruction of Western Society. Sort yourselves out. View Quote Haha! No. You can create a moral framework that largely mirrors Judea-Christian values based solely on self-interest. You don't need to believe in religion to be a "good and moral" person, in accordance with what I would call a "good and moral" person, based on my religious beliefs. Nor does believing or practicing religion inherently make one a "good and moral" person. |
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"As a believer I have to explain unjust suffering, but the atheist has to explain everything else. Everything."
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Quoted:
I've always though that being an Atheist required more faith than simply being agnostic/spiritual. Takes a whole lot of faith to believe that the universe randomly exploded into existence from a tiny singularity(The very concept of the big bang violates plenty of laws of physics. Where did the singularity come from, and why would it explode rather than simply existing as a black hole?), with the perfect laws of physics to make our existence possible (Even slight differences would have made advanced life nonviable), and then life randomly arose for no apparent reason(and proceeded to assemble itself into the incredible structures and variations that we see today). Even things like not having a moon would have likely made our planet too unstable to host advanced life(and our moon was created by another of those one-in-a-billion freak accidents). As I see it, the concept of the big bang seems to be impossible per the known laws of physics, unless things are possible which we don't currently understand or know about.(and in that case, it doesn't seem so silly to believe such things might actually be a higher power/god). How somebody can just say with conviction "THERE IS NO GOD", when they can't even explain the creation of the universe has always seemed silly to me. View Quote What is your explanation for the creation of god? If you say he wasn't created, he is and has always been. Well, there you go. |
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I see the wailing and gnashing of teeth has already begun. The way I look at it religious people are like married folks. They're not happy unless everyone else is as miserable as they are. View Quote Your narrative isn't the actual reality. |
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Quoted:
I was raised as a nominal Presbyterian, but really in a non-denominational Protestant home. We didn't go to Church, I only heard of Jesus on Easter and Christmas and when my dad was working on the car, and just went along with it...kind of. I never really believed in the story, but if my parents said it was so, it was. Then I grew up, got into science and math and began to examine the Bible logically. It just doesn't hold up to scrutiny, so I dismissed it. I figured some form of deity was possible, however unlikely. The universe just was, science's job was to figure out the what and how of the universe, philosophy's job was to figure out why it mattered, and never the twain should meet. I left it at that, content in my Weltanschauung. Last night, I had an epiphany, a moment of clarity as drunks call it. I'm a Dudeist. I float through life and I'm cool with it, or as Snoopy put it, "My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?” Maybe there's a God, maybe there isn't, but I can't do anything about it, so why worry? I'm more about enjoying the here and now, not obsessing over the where and when and why. To quote Spicoli, "All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine." And it feels great. http://dudeism.com/ View Quote |
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