Religion

BlueStreak

(8,377 posts)

58. Yes. There is good evidence of love.

Tue Feb 26, 2013, 02:10 PM

Feb 2013

It is not hard to find examples of love, happiness, and sympathy. Feelings are not the same as beliefs.

There is plenty of evidence that millions of people feel more secure when they believe in gods and supernatural saviors. That is real, and easily demonstrated. But evidence of the gods themselves? No. That seems to be imaginary. I'm thinking that, like UFOs, if there were gods in this game, there would be some clear evidence by now.

I don't doubt that you feel more secure when surrounded by others who share your belief system. And if that is what you need to get through the day, I'm OK with it. It is probably healthier than drinking a 5th of Scotch or a lot of other things that people do to get through this vale of tears.

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To the believers: to what to you attribute the growth in Atheism? [View all] brooklynite Feb 2013 OP

Growth of unbelievers IMHO has been influenced by the.... northoftheborder Feb 2013 #1

+100. narnian60 Feb 2013 #8

I couldn't agree more. Liberal Jesus Freak Feb 2013 #15

Sounds about right to me. hrmjustin Feb 2013 #20

I put it all on the Fundamentalists/Evangelicals sweetloukillbot Mar 2013 #76

Hate in the name of Christianity Freddie Feb 2013 #2

Does your son post here? Not sure what to call those people, but he could cbayer Feb 2013 #10

Well, the "growth" may be, in part, only a perception. longship Feb 2013 #3

I agree with you that the level of discomfort with identifying as an atheist is cbayer Feb 2013 #11

This message was self-deleted by its author mr blur Feb 2013 #4

There has been little growth in the numbers of atheists. cbayer Feb 2013 #5

Where "little growth" is 50% increase in atheists over five years. Warren Stupidity Feb 2013 #6

Technically correct, but going from 1.6% to 2.4% over 5 years is hardly rapid growth. cbayer Feb 2013 #9

If you understood the difference between percentages and amounts, trotsky Feb 2013 #14

Ah and there is the goalpost shift. Warren Stupidity Feb 2013 #16

OMG, a logical fallacy thingamajig! cbayer Feb 2013 #18

Nice projection. cleanhippie Feb 2013 #35

true the growth is modest Phillip McCleod Feb 2013 #50

Yay team!! This isn't a team sport, you know. cbayer Feb 2013 #56

so we have found solidarity and you don't like it. Phillip McCleod Feb 2013 #63

Why in the world would I not like solidarity? I like it very much, in fact, cbayer Feb 2013 #66

A lot of us see the theists as far more into trying to destroy those who disagree Fumesucker Mar 2013 #71

Oh, I am aware of how a lot of you see things. cbayer Mar 2013 #72

Thank you for pointing out the bit about "unaffiliated." kentauros Feb 2013 #64

The initial reporting on this did put this group in with atheist/agnostic, but cbayer Feb 2013 #65

That's good people are looking at the numbers. kentauros Feb 2013 #67

Actually, I think it is organized religious groups that are paying attention to cbayer Feb 2013 #68

Thanks for the link :) kentauros Feb 2013 #69

more access to education- acquiring more knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning&judgment lunasun Feb 2013 #7

Nice post. I think your analysis of why some people are seekers is interesting. cbayer Feb 2013 #12

This is hilarious. It's look like you are primarily getting answer from non-believers. cbayer Feb 2013 #13

It would be really nice, cbayer, for all your talk about respecting and listening to each other... trotsky Feb 2013 #17

Pot. Kettle. Black. kwassa Feb 2013 #33

Change the tone, kwassa. trotsky Feb 2013 #34

Gee...what happened to skepticscott Feb 2013 #19

It's funny, in a way... trotsky Feb 2013 #22

Well, I'd sort of expect non-believers to respond more. goldent Feb 2013 #21

Exactly. That reads like flame bait, so it's not surprising that it is going this way. cbayer Feb 2013 #23

To some, anything that doesn't presume skepticscott Feb 2013 #24

Bad vibes from that? Are you serious? skepticscott Feb 2013 #25

I'm perplexed as to why you posed the question to believers in the first place... Act_of_Reparation Feb 2013 #36

Alien anti-god mind rays Silent3 Feb 2013 #26

"Growth in Atheism" seems like an odd turn of phrase BlueStreak Feb 2013 #27

+100 truebluegreen Feb 2013 #28

I'm not clear what your point is... brooklynite Feb 2013 #31

Absense of a belief is not an "ism" BlueStreak Feb 2013 #32

What about the growing number organizaed groups representing atheists and cbayer Feb 2013 #38

I'm glad to see that. But most free thinkers are not affiliated with them. BlueStreak Feb 2013 #39

What's the definition of a "free thinker"? cbayer Feb 2013 #40

Rational people BlueStreak Feb 2013 #41

So, are you saying that anyone that is religious or a theist is irrational? cbayer Feb 2013 #42

Yes, by definition. BlueStreak Feb 2013 #43

So Obama and Biden are both irrational? cbayer Feb 2013 #44

Biden for sure. Not positive about Obama (bot don't tell anybody) :) BlueStreak Feb 2013 #45

Well, I disagree with some, but not all, of what you say. cbayer Feb 2013 #46

I didn't say I have the right answer. I simply insist on the correct use of the word "rational" BlueStreak Feb 2013 #47

The problem is in the term irrational. cbayer Feb 2013 #48

If faith isn't rational, then it is irrational. trotsky Feb 2013 #49

Because acknowledgment means accepting one is closer to the fundies than they admit. cleanhippie Feb 2013 #51

So atheism* is also irrational SpartanDem Feb 2013 #53

No. That's the point. "Atheism" is not a belief system BlueStreak Feb 2013 #55

Do you believe in love? Do you have any solid evidence for it? cbayer Feb 2013 #57

Yes. There is good evidence of love. BlueStreak Feb 2013 #58

You make a lot of assumptions about me. cbayer Feb 2013 #59

The evidence is in your posts BlueStreak Feb 2013 #61

What evidence? I am not just like you, so I must be one of "them"? cbayer Feb 2013 #62

Yawn. You toss out yet ANOTHER nonsensical analogy and then play the victim when called on it. cleanhippie Mar 2013 #74

Uh. no. Atheism is the LACK OF belief in a god. cleanhippie Mar 2013 #73

That's how SOME define it SpartanDem Mar 2013 #75

Again, feel free to determine your own definition. cleanhippie Mar 2013 #78

The most sensible post so far +1 truegrit44 Feb 2013 #52

It's the religious double standard AndyA Feb 2013 #29

Well, Maybe the Desire to Quite Living in the Iron Age is a Factor. dballance Feb 2013 #30

I hope it's related to several factors: TygrBright Feb 2013 #37

It should not matter when belief is personal Meshuga Feb 2013 #54

Comfortability in answering poll questions and self-identifying ? pinto Feb 2013 #60

The brilliant and persuasive pro-atheist advertising campaigns. Nye Bevan Mar 2013 #70

Maybe it is "The Great Falling Away" described in scripture. bmbmd Mar 2013 #77

Gonna go out onna limb here, but Imma gonna guess it's due to more atheists struggle4progress Mar 2013 #79

The biblical answer would be that it DeadEyeDyck Mar 2013 #80