Well.. I’m just going to say, I thought about this scripture a lot today and I’m thinking most atheists will probably say ” I don’t worship frogs or alligators or cows etc .. So this obviously doesn’t apply to me – ridiculous Christians ! ” ( I’m just assuming… worst case scenario..) Best case scenario might be ” wow. This DOES sound a little like me.. Hmmm.. Maybe I better get right with God. I think the biggest aspect of this rant by Paul, and I think I can cal it a rant. I think it’s obvious he was a little upset… Jesus got upset a few times too! ) I think with all of the pictures of Jesus holding little kids in his lap or feeding a lamb etc… most atheists must thing this guy was a real wus! But.. if you read some of the scriptures of how he spoke DIRECTLY to the Pharisees and Sadducees, you’d see…. he got right in their Faces ” You brood of vipers !” etc. Anyway I digress. The point being that the man or woman, who doesn’t serve God, serves himself / herself ( I hate having to NOT sound sexist !) -The creature.. rather than the Creator. and I think that’s where most of us go astray in that we want self determination to run our lives, and not have to bow to the will of a greater, the ultimate being God. I think that’s where we get ” the meek will inherit the earth” because as it seems those who really, REALLY rebel, end up on Americas’ Most Wanted or die of a heart attack trying to make that second million. Most people, I think.. are “closet Atheists” they live as if there was no God to be accountable to. Which could apply to me a lot of the time too! – but in the back of my mind I’m usually thinking or praying.. ok God.. please give me an assist on this..” or “I hope this is ok with you..” rather than ” Is this your will ? Is THIS what you want me doing.?” therefore.. most of us are wandering around.. oblivious of God and what he would be doing in our lives. Unless we opened up our ears and listened. – Like Jesus Said ” He who has ears to hear, let him hear. ” OK.. Thanks For the soapbox Alden! ( I think!) TTYL

I think Paul had it correct; I’ve quoted from this passage many times.

On many blogs and discussion boards, arguments with atheists are nothing more than stupid people (on both sides) arguing about things none of them really understand. That’s unfortunate. If the discussion is not thoughtful and respectful, it shouldn’t happen.

anyway I want to know if many of you have ever read this: it may speak against Athiesm. and it may speak against the rebellious ( the part about : even though they ‘Knew” God.. as I think a lot of Athiests could have come from religious backgrounds. i wil admit not everything in the Bible seems to make sense. Somebody once said. “It’s not the parts that i DON’T understand that bother me.. so much as the parts i DO understand…”
(please forgive any mispellings.. it’s 4am! ) GB – Jay

Also ( another proviso!) I don’t think you have to be the son of Hitler to be an Athiest.. Somewhere it says ” if you commit one sin.. you’re as guilty as if you committed all sins…” (Paraphrased) Athiests should believe in sin… what are “correct” morals anyway? What do you base them on ? It would have to be on your own subjective judgements on what is right and wrong…
BTW : this was written by a “Real Man” who risked ( and lost) his life for a cause he once fought against… he went through stonings whippings inprisonment.. and is probably more influential on history than anyone other than Christ. And…than anyone who sat behind a keyboard and a screen….

Romans 1:21- For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

SO I’M REALLY WONDERING HERE.. ARE THESE THE COMEDIAN STEVE MARTIN’S REPLIES ? OR ANOTHER STEVE MARTIN.. OR AN IMPOSTER ? thanks if you can tel me !

There is an inverse correlation between religiosity and IQ.

Nonsense and logically irrelevant. Besides, you’re Blackbeard.

1) I didn’t say “transcend reality,” but “transcend humanity.” It seems illogical that anything transcends reality, unless you define a specific aspect of reality.

2) Atheism has never been the default position.

3) You’ll get no sympathy from me.

4) The focus of this post – hence the title – is that there is nothing “new” about the so-called “new atheism.” I am not claiming there is anything “new” about Christianity (which, by the way, is only about 2,000 years old, unless you also consider Judaism).

I know some atheists who became so following an intense period of disillusionment, because their illusion of what they wanted God to be like didn’t pan out. This isn’t true of everyone, obviously. I can feel sympathy for those suffering from despair and depression.

However, intellectually, atheism has little to offer. I’m neither impressed nor sympathetic.

Atheism is the default position, and is far more practical than living in fantasy land, all things being equal. Atheism provides no answers to anything. None. Not a one. What it does do is facilitate our ability to make decisions based on FACTS and THEORY (scientific) instead of FANTASY. I can’t emphasize this enough.

I’m also amazed that you extrapolated this broad, nebulous assessment of our motivations, complexion and sentiments based on your experiences with, what I can only assume to be close Atheist friends, judging from the way you approach and carefully dance around their character. Why not just be upfront about it instead of proposing some complicated superposition in which you end up as both sympathetic toward us, and somehow a casualty of our influence?

You want to paint us as unhappy or unsatisfied? That’s fine, many of us are, but we’re also unwilling to delude ourselves, in spite of your precious philosophy, and overall disappointment in our position. Allow me to personally apologize on behalf of the rational for said disappointment. You tell us what will make our position easier to swallow. Maybe some philosophy?

I also picked up on the “pitiful atheist” vibe in your rant, as though we’re incapable of being excited, enlightened, or fulfilled by the mysteries of the cosmos. I hate to burst your bubble, but there is plenty in this universe to be excited
about, even if you’re an Atheist (and Atheism isn’t a qualification either, plenty of religious folk enjoy science). I’ll even wager a guess that you, too, enjoy the mysteries of the unknown, and likely have a vast, accurate knowledge of a lot of disciplines, and have your share of accolades therein (I’m making a wild assumption there). We’ve taken that passion and stripped it of the supernatural. Period.

None of us want or need your sympathy any more than you want ours. It’s condescending and insulting, and screams of insecurity.

But, you’ve said it well: You choose not to believe.