No, not if that unicorn happens to have physics-defying power to create energy. If that's the Creator you envision, that's up to you. I just think the singularity proves there IS a Creator of some kind, it is up to all of us to interpret what we think that creator is. Christians see Christian God, Muslims see Allah etc. If you want to make a mockery of religion and envision it is a pink unicorn of AWESOMENESS, then...well, I do like that better then Christian God to be honest.
I have skimmed the threads and it seems to me that it is mostly because they are dicks who think they are smarter than everyone else.
Not just everyone else, but according to archaeological evidence, every society that has ever existed.
Once again, if you don't afford certain religious beliefs their due respect, you are "classless". Of course, this does not apply to Unicornists, Pastafarians, or Scientologists.
I'm not saying that most religious people are particularly classy either but a vocal minority of atheists, in my opinion, seem to be particularly vicious and tactless when it comes to these matters. I'd expect more given that atheists are nominally "rational" people but some of them often act like the most irrational people I have ever seen. There is a way to disagree without being disagreeable...that is all I'm saying.
I don't have numbers or stats or actually very many anecdotes. But what words are used by believers to describe non-believers? Edit: This could also mean those who "believe" in atheism and non-believers would be those who don't believe in atheism. As a Christian myself I have come to use words like "the world" as in the line in the New Testament about being IN the world but not OF the world. "The World" seems to me to describe the general secular population. I have also seen "the lost" used as they have not found Jesus yet(or maybe they did and chose another path). I think a very infamous one is how Muslims call non-Muslims infidels. One that I think Christians should steer away from is "heathen." I think it just has a very negative connotation and as the saying goes, "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar."
Well, remember there is a vocal minority of any kind of population group. Also remember that squeaky wheel gets the grease, so that vocal portion tends to stick out.
It is my sincere belief that Christianity is no more valid than Scientology or unicorn-worship. In what way am I being disagreeable or tactless? If anything, you are the one belittling those who ascribe to less mainstream beliefs.
Yes, but this would pretty much shoot a 30 foot hole in your claim of a logical conclusion. I could just as well say the singularity transcended time and space, QED. Pot, meet kettle methinks. Middle ground exists, IMO, in the Spinozan outlook, among others.
Im gonna give it a go! :grin: Religion is a topic that I think its separate from what Atheists are about. The vast majority of people that don't believe in a religion, they just get on with their life. Other people believe is stuff, they don't, who cares. However there are some Atheists who are complete idiots, and they confuse not believing as a green light to talk about religion. Now, if you have people talking about or debating one religion or even different religions, they are talking about things they believe in. Then you get some Atheist come along and try and enter a debate in which they believe in nothing at all! Its like two people fighting over music and someone comes along and says they don't believe in Ipods. WTF....just shut your mouth you confused idiot!
It is a fallacy that no energy is created. As I understand it, absurd amounts are created and destroyed from one quantum of Planck time to the next by the frothing of the quantum foam. See vacuum energy and virtual particles. This is the effect that allows for the evaporation of black holes.
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Technically, an "atheist" is a person who BELIEVES there aren't any gods. That's not the same as "believing nothing at all."
Was referring to some atheists in general and not you particularily. But I have to say that there's a way to say "hey, I think your idea is wrong!" without saying "I think you're a total dumbass". That kinda gets to the heart of why some people just plain dislike certain atheists...for me at least. That said, a lot of the coolest people I've met are atheists, so I do acknowledge that it's too bad that a few can tar the image of so many. To make it clear, I personally do not give a s*** what you believe. I'm not here to convert people. Just trying to put the message out on why I personally think atheists tend to be disliked. Interesting, hadn't heard about that...though I wonder if absurd amounts could be coordinated in such a perfect way so as to create this world? Worth speculating about though. Definitely something I will look into. I honestly do not care if you or others believe there is no creator, I just wanted to defend my position from the classic "why are people so stupid in believing anything religious." that I've seen running through this thread. If you choose to believe in Spaghetti gods or no gods, that is fine with me, so long as you don't start deriding my beliefs on a constant and patronizing basis. That's when I start being a jerk as well. I'm usually quite on the middle though...or at least I like to think so. Haven't discounted the notion of no God or an Unicorn of Divine Awesomeness.
Well no, because the singularity cannot transcend time since through a linear progression scientists can and have tracked it to a certain finite time frame. Also, the singularity cannot create itself, unless what Ottomaton says is right.
Two notes: 1) People can have stupid beliefs without being stupid. I am not claiming that having religious beliefs is stupid, but I am saying that if someone did claim that then that is not the same thing as calling someone stupid. That being said, I certainly think that the vast majority of religious beliefs are irrational. Of course I have plenty of non-religious irrational beliefs myself and I consider myself fairly rational. 2) A couple of times in this thread that you believe that both the religious and the non-religious should be less angry and more accepting. While I agree to a point I also think it is very easy for any majority power to try to keep things calm and easy. After all, to them everything is hunky-dory. However, to those who can't get married due to religion, or to people who are suffering from an illness that (for example) stem-cell research could help, perhaps you can understand why there is a little more bitterness on their side.
