taiyuu_otoko
Master Don Juan
Your instincts that constantly cry out for food, sex, shelter and safety might have a thing or two to say about that...I alone manifest my destiny, I alone decide my fate.
Your instincts that constantly cry out for food, sex, shelter and safety might have a thing or two to say about that...I alone manifest my destiny, I alone decide my fate.
My instincts? They are still products of my being and my existence. Just because we have instincts does not mean we do not have our own will and self-determination... There have been those in history who chose to stop eating and have hunger strikes, there are those who have risked their own safety as a self-determined choice to follow their ideals.Your instincts
Does your model allow for subconscious behavior? Things like cognitive bias, confirmation bias, etc. Not trying to argue, just curious how you handle such powerful influences when they often contradict consciously chosen "will."Survival is a major function of man, perhaps our primary function as elucidated by Darwinian theories on biology and genetics. But that is not an argument against self-determination, which can be more powerful than even our instinctual drives for survival.
I live in central Florida. I feel you.Come to south Florida. this place is all over. these wackos believe in healing crystals and trash. one thinks you can influence water molecules, like insult water then freeze it, the resulting Ice Crystal is far less aesthetically pleasing then water you praise and day nice things to. so he thinks eating meat gives you negative energy because it was treated badly and killed and is why he thinks eating meat makes people sick.
Stupidest sh1t I've heard in my life.
LOL I've heard this one!so he thinks eating meat gives you negative energy because it was treated badly and killed and is why he thinks eating meat makes people sick.
I am also familiar with his works. And although he is an "atheist" I would possibly put him the category of spiritual but not religious in the sense that some of his views on the nature of reality and self transcendence aren't entirely scientific.Look at the work of Sam Harris. A staunch atheist who regularly takes the religious to the woodshed for a living, but who also mastered the art of meditation and is about as happy as a person to get in his moment to moment experience - far happier than any religious person I've ever met.
Sartre reborn as Ivan Karamazov. How can this be?Existence precedes essence... I care nothing for some grand plan. I care nothing for God's will, and even if there was God and he appeared before me I would not follow any will but my own, even if my defiance meant damnation. I do not care how or why I was created, that is if there is even a reason why. What I do know for sure is that I exist. Even if I am nothing more than an organic mix of dust, then at least this amalgamation of carbon based molecules was able to enforce its will upon its diminutive part of the universe. That means more to me than heaven, hell, God, or anything...
I alone manifest my destiny, I alone decide my fate.
Very true. Thanks for your support.I am also familiar with his works. And although he is an "atheist" I would possibly put him the category of spiritual but not religious in the sense that some of his views on the nature of reality and self transcendence aren't entirely scientific.
BlueAlpha, you are wasting your time on this thread. It's quite interesting to see some otherwise very intelligent posters make completely incoherent arguments to protect their emotional investments. Such is the power of religion and beliefs and the intellectual blind spots they create. Harris actually talks about this.
Comparmentalisation of the mind is so powerful that it is possible for a man to be smart enough to build a nuclear bomb and yet still believe in the Bible as the true word of God. I have found that you can't really convince a religious person of anything on this topics. They have thrown away logic. Some will try and use bastardised attempts at logical arguments but the weaknesses are clear to most reasonable spectators.
Sartre reborn as Ivan Karamazov. How can this be?
Except that you don't.I alone manifest my destiny, I alone decide my fate.
I was born Eastern Orthodox, supposedly I am even possessed by a demon (if you would believe my family). I have read the bible many times...You are Satan
This is projection of the highest order. It is your side that is drowning in narcissism and it is the atheist who is humble. You simply can't get it through your thick head that atheists don't claim to know anything, much less everything. An atheist claims we need to learn more and be skeptical. You claim to have the creator of the universe on your side, who loves you and with whom you have a personal relationship with, while all we say is we don't know the beginnings and we shouldn't accept things on bad evidence.I do not respect the Bible
Well there's a news flash. Thanks for spelling that one out, Captain Obvious.
Did it ever occur to either of you two geniuses that your beliefs might come from your own psychological and social inadequacies? It's comforting to think you know everything, isn't it? That makes you the same as all those religious people that you think you're so much better than.
We do not have to believe in something. I believe in nothing after death and I get along just fine. Sure I struggle like everyone else, but I don't feel life is pointless and don't want to hurt anybody.Without either God nor a sense of will to create purpose from existence then all that is left is nihilism... That is a far more destructive idea than religion... I do not think you fully comprehend the actual destructiveness such ideas would have if they were adopted by the masses. People hold on to God, spiritual beliefs, existentialism, philosophy and such because we must believe in something. Mankind must have some purpose, even if it is one we created. Nihilism is a disease, a destructive one. If I thought for a second that Sam Harris was right then I would have no qualms about anything, I would destroy everything, because nothing would matter. Why give a damn if there is no point? Despite you quoting Sam Harris I know that you must believe in something too, it may not be God, but you must believe in something that keeps you going.
This is why there is religion and why it has existed as long as mankind has... Because people need SOMETHING to believe in... The actual alternative is worse.
My family being Eastern Orthodox would tell you that Atheism can be just as destructive. It has just never been a dominant force in many places, EXCEPT my family's former home... Religion was called the enemy of Marxism. Certainly you can argue it was politics and not religion, but the adoption of atheism in the system was pressed with the same fervor as we see with ISIS and Islam.By contrast, Stalin and Pol Pot were brutal dictators who didn't act in the name of atheism because that's impossible.
Is that for me? Relax bro, because I'm about to give you want you want, but first let me correct you on one thing. Christianity is not the most peaceful religion. That would be Jainism of east India. You need to study eastern religions before you make a bold statement like that.Why the attack on Christianity? Dont you atheists have anything to say about the religion of peace ? AKA islam? And im not taking this butthurt but atheists ALWAYS single out Christians while ignoring the many other God believing religions. Sure pick on the most peaceful religion...id like to see atheists go out in from of a mosque with pro abortion and anti god picketing or try an set up a baphomet statue in a muslim country, allah will have ur fkin head son.
if anything everyone on this board should be thanking Christians for your very existence. Christians are the only thing that stopped the muslim hordes from sacking europe multiple times, you could be named abdi right now...you all have Christian names Im willing to put money on it. Show some respect.
I drove through Topeka one time and drove past their church. I'd actually like to sit in sometime as an "investigative journalist" and see if it's legitimate, because some days I think it's one big troll-fest. They're all lawyers, know exactly where the line is, and are making a fortune on it. Even if it's not a troll job it'd be interesting to see a real-life cult (I always liked horror movies, like Population 436 which really reminds you of these freaks)Taoism is somewhat similar to Jainism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism
Westboro came through my bible belt town one time, on their way to picket a funeral. They got their tires slashed. The station wagon with Kansas plates and GOD HATES FAGS bumper stickers was not that hard to find. The police actually worked surveillance for the benefit of the tire-slashers. Then all three of the tire shops in town refused their business. They missed their funeral protest, which was a good thing for them, because there were about 9,000 counter-protestors waiting on them in the next town. They send women and old people for that reason, so they don't get beat up.
We can agree on a lot then. In short:LOL @BlueAlpha1
Thanks brother it was only SLIGHTLY meant at you, but honestly it was more me ranting on atheists who overall tend to single out Christianity...but wont EVER say a word about islam (probably due to lack of balls/fear/retribution etc).
As for the respect, I just added that in there for dramatics and because I thought it would sound bad ass to end the post that way.