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Original poster

Atheist's corner

351 replies

ollieplimsoles · 11/04/2017 19:31

Can I post this here?

Had a look through some of the other pages and couldn't see anything similar, so starting this off, don't know if ill get many replies but we'll see.

Basically a thread for non believers, skeptics and people who have left religion/ escaped religious cults and turned to atheism.
To chat, friendly respectable debate, and to ask questions. People of faith obviously also welcome!

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CardinalSin · 30/05/2017 13:38

I'm sure praying helped him, in much the same way as meditation helps other people to clear their thoughts. I dare say that many other scientists have prayed to many other gods.

None of it should be taken as proof that any of these gods exist, and to keep raging that it must somehow have been important is rather silly.

DioneTheDiabolist · 30/05/2017 14:10

I have not even said that god exists, never mind offering "proof". All of my comments on this thread relate to earthly stuff.

Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 14:19

Then why is it important that the catholic priest said that praying helped him?

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DioneTheDiabolist · 30/05/2017 14:49

That was just a correction to Walking's post where they stated that his praying gave him zero ideas. This statement was not factual. I did ask for a source, but none was provided.

Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 15:13

post where they stated that his praying gave him zero ideas. This statement was not factual.

right, well we can't actually say if that statement is factual. It doesn't matter if you say that praying gave him ideas, or that even he says that praying gave him ideas. The statement that "Praying gave him ZERO ideas" is walking's opinion. They were not saying that the guy himself said it didn't give him any ideas- he may well feel that it did- as you state he did. Thats fine.

Has anyone said anything else that was not factual about him?

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PoochSmooch · 30/05/2017 15:25

I agree, Ollie, but also, from walking's later posts, I read it as her saying that "praying gave him zero divinely inspired ideas", which is far closer to being factual than just an opinion, given that no-one has ever proved an idea came from a god (it's unprovable).

I'm going no further into it than that, as I don't know enough about who we're talking about...

Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 15:28

To avoid the thread being totally derailed while we ensure that the one catholic priest is not misquoted...

I just want to take it back to what pooch said.
My neighbour who identifies as a young earth creationist has a chemistry degree and also studied physics. We engage in debates regularly and he always makes the same arguments. He continually refers to the bible, 'the flood' 'the fall' and what he calls 'the end of days' I am no physicist, but I probe him with scientific evidence and he accepts it but continues to quote bible verses.

His entire argument boils down to: I understand that the science says X, but it can't be true, because the bible says Y. He follows a creationist group and me and dh attended a talk with one of their speakers. they will not stray from what is written in the bible...for anything.

He has such potential if only he would drop the frigging young earth shit!

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Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 15:32

Yes pooch I agree, too much paraphrasing happening and not enough direct quoting. I wrote about that in a second paragraph but walking isn't around to clarify and I didn't want to put word's in someone's mouth.

Out of pure interest Dione are you willing to reveal your beliefs (or lack of) on the thread in the interest of debate? Fine if not.

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PoochSmooch · 30/05/2017 15:44

It amazes me when anyone with an education believes in young earth creationism! The cognitive dissonance must be exhausting. What a way to live. It really does prove though that some people it's possible to go through life holding two entirely contradictory sets of beliefs - but to me, it's neither sustainable nor admirable. Imagine what they could achieve if they didn't have to constantly fight to reconcile their knowledge with the parameters laid down for them in the bronze age?

Westray · 30/05/2017 16:11

My family are creationists.

I have read many of these magazines that they buy for me.,

creation.com/creation-magazine

Although they claim to be scientific as well as religious, they believe that data is twisted by Satan.

Satan has entered the minds of geologists, anthropologists and archeologists, so the conclusions they come up with have been changed by Satan's forces.

Satan even can inhabit radio carbon dating equipment to produce false results.

I have put up with this shit for many years.

Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 16:14

Shit Westray I'm so sorry.

Yes my neighbour receives material (for a hefty fee) from a group called 'Creation Ministries' They do talks, produce magazines (which we have had the pleasure of reading cover to cover as they come in). Are they Young Earth as well?

And how did you escape? Presuming you were raised this way that is

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Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 16:15

Shit they ARE creation ministries!!

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Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 16:16

32 seconds in to the video that plays automatically when you visit the site... gets something wrong about evolution.

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Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 16:19

Look at this disgusting shit:

creation.com/why-are-there-prickles

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Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 16:27

This is aimed at children

AVE YOU EVER wondered why there is so much suffering in the world, so much sickness, so much killing, so many wars? The Bible gives us the answer. It tells us that when God made Adam and Eve,
they lived in a world where there was no suffering, no sickness and no death. Even the animals all ate plants and not each other. This included the dinosaurs. Then, as a test of Adam and Eve’s loyalty and love for Him, God allowed them to be tempted by Satan.
In the Garden of Eden, Satan wanted to get Eve to disobey God. Somehow he had to get her to eat some fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Why? Because that was the
one thing that God had told Adam not to do, on penalty of death. Satan had a very cunning plan to drag her down.

Why did God create a tree of good and evil?
Why did god have to test Adam?
What is the evidence that the bible is truth?

I have to stop...

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Westray · 30/05/2017 16:46

ollie- no I wasn't raised this way - my family have been born again.

The Creation Magazine subscription is a christmas gift from a family member.

Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 17:02

Well at least you never run out of toilet paper...

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DioneTheDiabolist · 30/05/2017 18:02

I did quote the statement that I was questioning from Walking so there would be no confusion. She said His prayers to a god gave him ZERO ideas. There is evidence on the internet and in LeMaitre's biography that he did get ideas when he was praying. So it is not a case that "we don't know", we can find out if we simply look. I do agree with you wrt need to quote rather than paraphrase following Cardinal's* 13:38 post where they thought I was ragingly trying to prove god's existence.Shock

As for my beliefs, I used to be an atheist, but now I believe in god.Smile

DioneTheDiabolist · 30/05/2017 18:02

Bold fail.Blush

PoochSmooch · 30/05/2017 18:59

Dione, I just don't understand what you're driving at. Do you think you can clarify? From my reading it seems as if you're saying that LeMaitre got his scientific inspiration from God, and that it's incorrect to say otherwise...well, that's not really going to fly on a thread titled "atheist's corner", is it?!

Westray, I'm really sorry you have to deal with that. How immensely frustrating and upsetting. Fortunately, with all of the religious people in my life, we're able to agree to differ and rarely talk about it. Nobody feels the need to convert anybody, although my minister friend ocassionally looks at me speculatively and says "we'll get you back in the fold yet". I tell her to knock herself out trying, but it ain't gonna happen, then we pour another glass of wine and change the subject Grin

ErrolTheDragon · 30/05/2017 19:27

The Creation Magazine subscription is a christmas gift from a family member.

Someone who has never heard of the Platinum Rule, presumably. What would be an appropriate return gift.....

I'm not sure if I've posted yet on this thread... I wrote my intro but my battery died before I could hit post. Oh well... grew up in a Christian family (took it seriously, but nice nonconformists who were closer to equality for women, against homophobia and not fundamentalist as anyone except the quakers). Perhaps fortunately, Uni CU exposed me to evangelical/charismatic types, so after a flare of fervour, rational questioning set in, leading to atheism (philosophically agnostic, but don't believe there is anything supernatural)

NecklessMumster · 30/05/2017 19:45

Fucking hell, that magazine. 'All animals were vegetarian before the Fall'. It's medieval.

DioneTheDiabolist · 30/05/2017 19:50

As per the OP's post above, would you please quote any of my posts that mention any "inspiration from god". I have talked about a well known scientist and what is known about his behaviour and life.

If I came on here and stated that Einstein had his best ideas after a decade of the Rosary, I would expect to be challenged and corrected. Walking made a very specific statement about LeMaitre that was not true. I said so.

PoochSmooch · 30/05/2017 19:59

I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, dione, but as you've basically just done the online equivalent of "well, if you don't know what you've done, I'M certainly not going to tell you", so I'm going to stop doing that now and just ignore you on this topic. If you were interested and able to share how an atheist - a genuine there-is-no-god atheist of any duration- comes to religion, I'd be interested in that story. It's very unusual. In fact, I've never heard of it happening.

Anyway. That website is batshit scary. "Can you think of other examples of things that were caused by sin?" Aimed. At. Children.

There's a therapy bill for the future.

Original poster
ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2017 20:32

I would be interested in how you came to faith dione as well if you would share your testimony with a bunch of godless heathens?

Christ he's bought a load of their awful picture books showing humans living with dinosaurs for his little boy... He's such a gorgeous sweet innocent little thing and they are going to fill his head with filth about hell and original sin and lies... Sad our children are friends what can I do?

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