Conversation Board - Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall

Beau

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Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall
Reply #15 - Nov 3^rd, 2009 at 10:39am

That video is very funny and makes a lot of sense, but perhaps what we have here is a disbelief system...I"M KIDDING! It's all digital really ultimately, zeros and ones, yeses and nos and so on...off and on. But then there is the question of questioning, the agnostic, hmmm...The problem with solving the agnostic question is that most people who feel they have answered it usually feel they have answered it for everyone despite what they say. I wonder if we didn't sleep at all and it had no adverse effect on our bodies and we could phase in and out of C1 at will, if it would be easier or harder to believe in an ultimate end of consciousness...unconsciousness is really the only thing that has given me pause in my life from diving in head first to total acceptance of the validity of after life realms.

Back to the thread, I think Athiests have a belief system just like scientists have one. It just doesn't include god. They believe they will die and there will be nothing ...the end. That is a belief system.

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DocM

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Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall
Reply #16 - Nov 3^rd, 2009 at 10:48am

People can define their beliefs. I prefer the term agnostic for those who have no evidence for the existence of God, but do not say there isn't a God:

"Agnosticism (Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge; after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the truth value of certain claims — particularly metaphysical claims regarding theology, afterlife or the existence of deities, spiritual beings, or even ultimate reality — are unknown or, in some forms of agnosticism, unknowable.[1]It is not a religious declaration in itself, and an agnostic may also be a theist or an atheist.[2]"

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supermodel Senior Member Offline Posts: 250 Indiana Gender:	Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall Reply #17 - Nov 3^rd, 2009 at 11:18am I am an agnostic atheist...most atheists are.
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heisenberg69

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Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall
Reply #18 - Nov 3^rd, 2009 at 11:59am

Hi-

something which may be pertinent to the discussion. Check out the website of the Campaign for Philosophical Freedom - http://www.cfpf.org.uk/.

It is run by atheist Michael Roll who accepts the existence of the afterlife but treats it as a branch of physics (interestingly he does'nt accept reincarnation though).

Dave

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Beau Super Member Offline Posts: 1176 Greenville SC Gender:	Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall Reply #19 - Nov 3^rd, 2009 at 3:08pm I'd read his book for sure as I'm not married to reincarnation or a supreme diety as such.
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Alan McDougall Super Member Offline Posts: 2104 South Africa Gender:	Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall Reply #20 - Nov 4^th, 2009 at 2:58am Atheism is a belief system like any other system that can not be proved. It takes just as much faith to believe when you die you vanish from existence and life is meaningless as it does to believe in the Divine and that life has meaning right into the afterlife
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supermodel Senior Member Offline Posts: 250 Indiana Gender:	Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall Reply #21 - Nov 4^th, 2009 at 5:51pm sigh.....
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b2 Ex Member	Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall Reply #22 - Nov 4^th, 2009 at 5:54pm Don't worry, supermodel, I watched the video! It's really pretty funny to hear the exact words come out of Alan that were used in the video.
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Alan McDougall Super Member Offline Posts: 2104 South Africa Gender:	Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall Reply #23 - Nov 5^th, 2009 at 3:08am Quote: Don't worry, supermodel, I watched the video! It's really pretty funny to hear the exact words come out of Alan that were used in the video. What VIDEO??
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b2

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Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall
Reply #24 - Nov 5^th, 2009 at 8:47am

Look back earlier on this thread, Alan. Supermodel posted a link to a video explaining her own particular logic as an agnostic atheist. The comment you just made is the exact comment I'm sure she has heard many times. Not that it is really any of my business, except that I watched several videos there by a few different people, and found them helpful in understanding some alternate viewpoints. I personally find some ready humor in all this, but anyone who doesn't... apologies to them.

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Beau

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Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall
Reply #25 - Nov 5^th, 2009 at 9:45am

Okay, I've thought about this a little. If one is agnostic then I guess there is no belief system because certainly that is an evolutionary process and the guy said most atheists are really agnostic. At least that is what I got out of it. But I still say a "dyed in the wool" atheist who is certain there is no afterlife is following a belief system. But I also think the argument either way is not really amounting to a hill of beans unless one is an atheist. I wouldn't want someone telling me I had a belief system when they don't know me at all.

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I Am Dude

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Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall
Reply #26 - Nov 5^th, 2009 at 1:34pm

It doesn't matter how you word it- every thought we have, every idea we accept, every action we take, everything we perceive- are all a result of a particular belief system. Even claiming to not believe in anything is a result of some kind of belief system. If someone holds the idea that they don't believe in anything, then that is a belief BY DEFINITION. It seems some think that having a belief system is a negative thing- this is not the case. It is simply the nature of our consciousness.

This is something simple that you can try yourself- any idea or thought that comes to your head, whether it is "I don't believe in god" or "I like the Beatles" or whatever, explore that thought or idea. Ask, why do I think this? Explore each resulting idea in the same way, until you can't take it any further. You now have yourself a core belief from which the other beliefs stemmed. It then becomes apparent that everything that occurs in your mind is a result of your beliefs.

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But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

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supermodel Senior Member Offline Posts: 250 Indiana Gender:	Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall Reply #27 - Nov 5^th, 2009 at 1:41pm THank you beau and b2 for understanding....
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heisenberg69 Super Member Offline Posts: 504 England Gender:	Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall Reply #28 - Nov 5^th, 2009 at 2:05pm Would tend to believe (!) that we can't get out of having a belief system. I believe there are no pink monkeys on Mars but that's just my belief ( there might be ! ). There's nothing wrong or right about having a belief system...and there's nothing wrong with atheism if thats part of your belief system. Dave
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Beau Super Member Offline Posts: 1176 Greenville SC Gender:	Re: Letter to an atheist by Alan McDougall Reply #29 - Nov 5^th, 2009 at 2:58pm Oh dear...now its "PART of of your belief system". My dear Heisenberg I think we are headed down a rocky road now.
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