one for the atheists (Read 13639 times)

yorkshireman · February 06, 2012, 11:14:05 am

firstly,this isnt meant to offend anyone,if you believe in god then good for you,if you dont then good for you too,be happy with your own choice
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/12/19/a-holiday-message-from-ricky-gervais-why-im-an-atheist/

this is actually the best way ive seen someone write about being an atheist without insulting people

Pitcairn · February 06, 2012, 12:54:35 pm

Brilliant

Jaspersharpe · February 06, 2012, 01:12:19 pm

Very good.

Stabbsy · February 06, 2012, 01:33:46 pm

It reminded me of this Stephen Fry speech/debate :-

Well worth listening to if you haven't seen it before.

Oldmanmatt · February 06, 2012, 01:37:22 pm

Nice.
Very nice.
If only you knew how many times I've been asked that question recently...
Even had it implied that everything that has happened to me and Mrs OMM, is a result of my lack of faith.
Usual reply runs something like...
"If the bugger exists and he has nothing better to do with his time than persecute us for not believing..... Well, screw him anyway."

Not quite so nice.
Lacking in eloquence.
Very satisfying though.

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 11, 2012, 08:20:37 pm

Here you go.

I don't think I have the right to impose "my" belief system upon "you".

I also believe "you" don't have the right to impose yours on "me"

Unlike Eric Pickles.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-16980025

Or George Carey.

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=1684

Who gives a fuck if your beliefs are "marginalised" you halfwit?

These are your beliefs; they're not mine.

Oldmanmatt · February 11, 2012, 09:01:32 pm

Uh?
Why does that link to Jaspers profile?
Pretty sure Jasper was never A B of C...

Edit...
I can't think of anyone less relevant to reality than Pickles.
Although he does curve light and may be responsible for the Earths precession.

miso soup · February 12, 2012, 01:10:19 am

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 12, 2012, 07:34:55 am

Quote from: Oldmanmatt on February 11, 2012, 09:01:32 pm

Uh?
Why does that link to Jaspers profile?
Pretty sure Jasper was never A B of C...

Edit...
I can't think of anyone less relevant to reality than Pickles.
Although he does curve light and may be responsible for the Earths precession.

Bollocks!

Wrong link held in copy buffer.

Carey:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-16995239

"He told the BBC 'Councillors could pray privately before meetings' "

Yes. Thats' the whole point you stupid sod.

Oldmanmatt · February 12, 2012, 08:30:12 am

I have read and reread the Judges comments...
All the ruling states is that councillors cannot be summoned or compelled to pray. Which has been a legal fact for many years.
These idiots, forecasting the end of the world; seem to forget that forcing "Christian" prayer on the chamber implies the following.

1/ The chamber is only really for Christians.
2/ Those of different faith or no faith are only tolerated guests.
3/ Oh, by the way; ours is the only credo of consequence.
4/ We are watching who is not part of our gang and want to remind you that you are the minority.
Etc
Etc
Etc

And "equality is not as important as religious freedom" (paraphrased) ??
Equality implies EQUAL value to any sensible view point (ie, those that find acceptance by common consent, of course a debatable position subject to change), his statement clearly implies a lower value to the opinion or beliefs of everyone who doesn't agree with him!

Again, the ruling (sensibly in my opinion) only states the councillors cannot be compelled to pray or attend prayer sessions.
How can that be anti-Christian?

Edit...
I should add, I read the Judgement AS REPORTED, not in official draft...

Edit 2...

Does this remind anyone else of the "Life of Brian" twaddle? AKA, a bunch of out of touch, smug, over privileged morons; going off half cocked without letting the reality intrude on their prejudiced ideas?
Or is it me in the ivory tower?

mark s · February 12, 2012, 08:53:47 am

Ricky Gervais Sets Piers Morgan Straight About His Accusation That He "Offends Christians"

ive got alot of time for ricky gervais.i think the stuff he does with karl is genius,but i also like his stand against religions.
when ever these hosts with religious views do interviews with atheists,they never come out on top.who in their right mind would have a debate with the likes of stephen fry about religion and expect to do well on front of an audience of millions.

mikester · February 12, 2012, 11:24:00 am

I really wish I could stay as rational, calm and articulate as the likes of Dawkins, Gervais, Fry, Pratchet and the representatives of the National Secular Society (Keith Porteus Wood, Terry Sanderson etc.). Unlike them, I just flip out when faced with the irrational and, more specifically, the intrusion and privilege of religion into society.

SA Chris · February 12, 2012, 01:21:29 pm

God appeared to me and said "Atheism is the only true religion"

I said "sorry I don't believe you"

Oldmanmatt · February 13, 2012, 08:29:55 am

2012-02-13-07-35-49_CF0BAE68-6AE7-4D67-8914-754AE030C7B1 by oldmanmatt, on Flickr

Plattsy · February 13, 2012, 08:47:15 am

Quote from: mark s on February 12, 2012, 08:53:47 am

Ricky Gervais Sets Piers Morgan Straight About His Accusation That He "Offends Christians"

ive got alot of time for ricky gervais.i think the stuff he does with karl is genius,but i also like his stand against religions.
when ever these hosts with religious views do interviews with atheists,they never come out on top.who in their right mind would have a debate with the likes of stephen fry about religion and expect to do well on front of an audience of millions.

Brilliant. Like Gervais' ending line to his Golden Globes show a year or two back. "I'd like to thank God for making me an atheist". Went down a treat over the pond.

Plattsy · February 13, 2012, 09:09:32 am

Part 2 of Mr Fry's speech.

Oldmanmatt · February 13, 2012, 08:30:21 pm

2012-02-13-20-25-33_5E920E14-6492-4265-8C7E-63A1281401BD by oldmanmatt, on Flickr

The Navy swimming test.
Not me with the beard...

aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB · February 16, 2012, 04:47:29 am

And let us not forget exactly who it is who imposes their "religious belief's" [sic] on whom…

slackline · February 16, 2012, 07:45:09 am

I don't recall the last time an athiest knocked on my door to expound their world view on me. Not seen one with a plaque in a city center saying "The end is not nigh! No need to repent your sins" either.

JamieG · February 16, 2012, 02:04:09 pm

Quote from: slack---line on February 16, 2012, 07:45:09 am

I don't recall the last time an athiest knocked on my door to expound their world view on me. Not seen one with a plaque in a city center saying "The end is not nigh! No need to repent your sins" either.

Didn't this cause a stir a wee while ago?

To be honest, I think we should all admit that nobody really has any idea what is really going on.

slackline · February 16, 2012, 02:11:39 pm

True, forgot about that, had about as much impact on me as the advertising for the Alpha Course.....

NO! by slack---line, on Flickr

Oldmanmatt · February 16, 2012, 02:17:12 pm

Quote from: slack---line on February 16, 2012, 02:11:39 pm

True, forgot about that, had about as much impact on me as the advertising for the Alpha Course.....

NO! by slack---line, on Flickr

In both cases...
If you need a billboard to sell it,
It's probably not worth buying...
The first one may be right however and the second is a valid question...

Johnny Brown · February 16, 2012, 03:16:55 pm

I find the new atheism thing pretty tedious. Surely any scientist worth the name would not be ramming the lack of proof down every believers throat, but might be more interested in studying these people, to find out where our self-evident need for a higher power stems from?

I think I've mentioned this before, but if I think back to 'spiritual' moments in my life, they're pretty much all connected to moments of powerful natural beauty. Which begs the question, why have we evolved to perceive beauty in nature? And having spent a good part of the last ten years pursuing such moments, and finding they enrich my life, am I a deluded idiot chasing something that doesn't exist just like our religious friends?

psychomansam · February 16, 2012, 03:38:41 pm

there's plenty of philosophical study of those issues. I think perhaps a lack of science could be blamed on our huge ignorance of how the brain works. Neuroscience is just a field we have a long long way to go in, and without that in place, research tends to be so theoretical as to fall more naturally to philosophers. If only scientists were better at philosophy...

psychomansam · February 16, 2012, 03:46:42 pm

Quote from: JamieG on February 16, 2012, 02:04:09 pm

Quote from: slack---line on February 16, 2012, 07:45:09 am
I don't recall the last time an athiest knocked on my door to expound their world view on me. Not seen one with a plaque in a city center saying "The end is not nigh! No need to repent your sins" either.

Didn't this cause a stir a wee while ago?

To be honest, I think we should all admit that nobody really has any idea what is really going on.

If religious people came from the view that there is only probably a god and only advertised this with the odd bus ad campaign, we'd probably be round theirs for a cuppa and cake on a sunday once in a while.(Take liberal buddhists as a sort of example of this level of belief, although I know the details are different). Sadly, some religious peoples' views are far more totalitarian and the methods of proselytising naturally follow. Rather offputting. Thankfully most of them are just too nice to fully act out their beliefs.
p.s. Those who proselytise heavily aren't necessarily less nice, they may be lovely, but just be more fully brainwashed
p.p.s. I'm an RE teacher; hehe...