If God Exists...

Interesting that you say this, as I've been told by Christians before that Jesus is better than Krishna, as the latter is only a 'myth' whilst Jesus was a real historical person.
I never really went with that idea, as I think both are spiritual beings and their historicity isn't really that important.

 

Wow, you have finally begun to understand the importance of sussing out a person's motives and intentions about what/how they post stuff.
Funny that when I have done that, you always have some type of condescending or judgmental comment to make.

 

and might I add that these attitudes/arguments really only stand in juxtaposition to the most basic, pop-culture, absolute literal interpretation of scriptures.
I have said the same in regards to Dawkins and others with similar views. His ridicule only holds up against the most hardcore fundamentalist views concerning Christianity, which is really only a small sampling of overall Christendom.

relaxxx has mentioned before about the wife and kid being very Christian, so is this the outlet for his marital and family frustration over religion?

 

When you project stuff like a motive or other things on a fellow forummer that are not certain in any way and not even really relevant (like the person is from the UK and never focusses about his own country's issues but does about yours in a thread about american gun accidents and how to reduce them) then you get some feedback on that too. I'm not making a judgement on your being and I try not to be condescending when I'm the one giving the feedback. But when I find you are saying something ridicilous or appear to be hypocritical I also make sure that's what I find If I sometimes appear to be guilty of the same stuff and it gets pointed out to me then that on itself is ok. I think it is funny how you parry sincere criticism, like if it is mainly some attack on your being. It's not. We're all human and we all project stuff on eachother at times. Its ok if that gets pointed out.

 

Bringing others family life into this is pretty low and classless Nox, not to mention an ad hominem fallacy.

 

Uhm, he's merely pointing out that relaxxx himself mentioned his family being christian before. It could very well be the source of his frustration. What is so clearly low and classless or ad hominem here exactly?

I admit the times I sound the most as a pissed off and denigrating Mr. Writer is when I am debating religious family members who believe the bible literally and refuse to even consider and think about anything else (you can imagine they're not the best debates, just like most on here they end in the same way). This is also due to frustration. So it seems not far fetched or ad hominem to consider this at all.

 

ad ho·mi·nem
ˌad ˈhämənəm/
adverb & adjective
1.
(of an argument or reaction) directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining.



Fairly straightforward...


From a philosophical discussion standpoint it comes across as really tactless, I kind of forget in these non-specific threads it's still the Philosophy & Religion section.

 

Not any statement about a person is therefor simply ad hominem, guerilla. I noticed you are quick to connect and project things to what a person said as well. In my case I know for certain it was not always right. In theory it may be tactless (like how you explained it), but in reality, in this example, NoxiousGas is not that tactless or dubious as you seem to perceive it. Relaxxx however... but with his lack of tact you seem to have no problem

 

it appears that way, but it is/was an honest inquiry with no real malice behind it. he has mentioned tension over this before. Just trying to understand why the absolute anger and vehemence he projects concerning this topic.

 

Sure thing Asmo...

 

Glad we agree

 

We don't but there is that saying "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result" and that resonates with me right about now in regards to explaining stuff to you.

 

Convenient.

 

if god exists 'he' (she/it/they) is probably pretty cool, as he (she/it/they) doesn't go around bugging people and making a pain in the ass of him/her/it/them self, the way promoters of christerism and related faiths seem to insist on doing. (which is one more reason for me to believe that god and religion have absolutely nothing what so ever to do with each other)

 

God does not seem to push him/her/itself onto people When it is portrayed as such it is good to realize this too is all people. When you feel overly right it appears hard to just keep it to yourself

 

I really do like this idea and if there's any virtue to being religious then this is it. The problem is the millions of others who's own "gods" in their head have malicious intentions. They are too dangerous to ignore. Think of these "God" sects as actual organisms in a world of survival of the fittest. Who is going to end up dominating the planet? The 'hateful blood thirsty Gods' or the 'lets just love and think happy thoughts' Gods? The God of love is as real to you as the God of hate and domination is to millions of others. Even if we can manage to convince the world, get everyone's heads set with the same delusion of a divine love presence. Is that the best way for the human race to move forward? I just don't know. Maybe it is. I have fond memories of a magical childhood believing in God and Santa Claus and general amazement of everything.

With neuroplasticity in mind, can an atheist like myself train my brain to believe in a higher love presence? As religious people "practice the presence of God". If I pretend long enough, will I eventually experience a genuine feeling of this presence? All the while knowing full well that it's an illusion I've trained my brain to experience? It is true the Jesus inspired a strain of good will and love and the experience of higher love. But that is a small slice of reality that holds much nastier slices of religiously inspired hate and war and genocides. I don't know how anyone can ignore all that and hold a delusion of God being just love and good will.

 

The LOVE itself is the God.....I think, anyway.....

 

It's possible you could brainwash yourself to believe in something you don't believe in, but then you just wouldn't be your own real lovable self and you might risk psychic damage becoming a "Stepford Relaxx". Your wife and son might suspect an invasion of the body snatchers. I think a self-improvement program focusing on small steps might be more feasible. My mother used to tell me "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" but that's probably going too far! I'd say if you can't say anything loving, at least don't say anything hateful, nasty and unfair. When your posts start sounding like Trump stump speeches, as they tend to do (in tone, not content), you might consider toning them down. I know it will be hard at first, but once you get into it, you'd discover it can actually be satisfying, like Scrooge delivering the goose to Tiny Tim. And you might rethink your jaundiced view of humanity. There are rotten folks out there, but lots of good ones, too, and there's often some good in even the rotten ones. BTW, thanks for acknowledging that there might be a few well-meaning Christians out there besides the ones worshiping "hateful, bloodthirsty gods". You're off to a good start! .But I hope you won't go too far and give up critical thought. Stay almost as unsweet as you are!

 

I think an atheist can potentially be conditioned to believe in a spiritual "higher love." I put the emphasis on conditioning here because I think we're predominately talking about changes in regards to mental framework and outlook. I don't think neuroplasticity is really something we (any of us) can consciously change in any meaningful sense, although if the conditioning involves significant behavioral changes, then I'd presume there would likely be neuroplastic changes in the brain as well.