[Babs Bladdyblah]

I don't want to turn this into a "religious" thread as I'm sure it's against forum rules. But something about this case has always given me the willies. Up until about 10 years ago, I always considered myself to be fairly religious, now... not so much. I've gone thru some things that have made me question certain things I've read in the bible. But I still wouldn't consider myself an Atheist. Especially after reading what happened to the queen of Atheism... Madalyn Murray O'Hair.

Here's the Wiki Link


This lady was mutilated, dismembered, and buried. Is it possible that this was God's way of saying "Dont be an Atheist!" or was it just f*cked up bad luck.

Please Discuss....

[backwoodsroamer]

My, My you kids can ask the dangdest questions. The only thing theologists can agree on is that anyone who doesn't believe exactly as they do is a heathen, heretic, infidel, or whatever.

I've read all the major religious doctrine's books. I'm not a particularly bright bulb, so what I got was confusion and a headache. I will tell you that whatever the doctrine the vast majority of those preaching it are perverting the message. When I was a young man I was much too "smart" to fall for all those old superstitions. I believed in science. Small problem there, Albert Einstein said, Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.  In case you slept through class that day, Einstein was a lot smarter than me.

As I grew older and saw more of the world, I began to doubt my beliefs, or lack thereof I should say. I'm not going to tell you ghost stories or tales of bright light at the end of the tunnel. I have, however, seen enough and heard enough from those whose word I trusted to come to certain conclusions.

I believe there is more to this universe than can be explained by random chance. There's a big X in the equation that can't be explained. Call it God, karma, some sort of physics that we don't understand. There is something that brings order to the chaos. You may not believe it. It is certainly easier not to believe it. I however believe.

I also believe we are more than meat puppets jerked around by electrical impulses. Spirit, soul, whatever you want to call it, I know it's there. I also believe it exists after our physical bodies cease to function. Again, no ghost stories, but I have my reasons to believe.

You've heard the old saying, "What goes around, comes around."  Well I've seen that happen way more times than random chance can explain.

Which brings us back to Madeline Murray O'Hair. Who may very well have learned that, "karma is a bitch" the hard way.  

As usual, just my personal opinion. Feel free to disagree.            

Edited by backwoodsroamer, 29 May 2012 - 05:53 AM.

[Goat]

Plenty of people, religious and not, suffer horribly every day.  I don't for one moment think that there is any divine message being sent through this chaos.

She sounded to me like she was a bit greedy with her accounting.  This probably contributed to her eventual demise at the hands of a former employee (though it certainly doesn't imply she deserved it, no one does).  The legislation she had a hand in bringing about was actually a wonderful defense of our first amendment rights if you ask me, but that's as far as I'll go on that topic because I don't want to step any farther into the muck of taboo R&L topics.  

I do remember that case gave me the willies too, Babs.

[That Guy]

Goat, on 29 May 2012 - 05:47 AM, said:

Plenty of people, religious and not, suffer horribly every day.  I don't for one moment think that there is any divine message being sent through this chaos.

That's what I think, too.

I mean, I'm an atheist but so far God hasn't tried to mutilate me.

[Barry Cade]

That Guy, on 29 May 2012 - 08:30 AM, said:

That's what I think, too.

I mean, I'm an atheist but so far God hasn't tried to mutilate me.

I'm agnostic and I've got a sore shoulder... Should I be worried?

[Serenity@sea]

Goat, on 29 May 2012 - 05:47 AM, said:

Plenty of people, religious and not, suffer horribly every day.  I don't for one moment think that there is any divine message being sent through this chaos.

She sounded to me like she was a bit greedy with her accounting.  This probably contributed to her eventual demise at the hands of a former employee (though it certainly doesn't imply she deserved it, no one does).  The legislation she had a hand in bringing about was actually a wonderful defense of our first amendment rights if you ask me, but that's as far as I'll go on that topic because I don't want to step any farther into the muck of taboo R&L topics.  

I do remember that case gave me the willies too, Babs.

Well said.
One could say the same thing about Larry Flynt (who was her friend).

I don't really have a label for myself. I guess I'm somewhere between agnostic and a believer in Karma (which is not a punishment).

I would say that it seems that a lot of "religious" people do a lot of hateful things all in the name of God.

[Babs Bladdyblah]

Serenity@sea, on 29 May 2012 - 03:04 PM, said:

I would say that it seems that a lot of "religious" people do a lot of hateful things all in the name of God.

Couldn't have said that better myself.

[Serenity@sea]

Babs Bladdyblah, on 29 May 2012 - 03:17 PM, said:

Couldn't have said that better myself.

Thanks! I look at it this way..... I would never be so arrogant to tell someone that their religious beliefs are wrong, so I would prefer the same respect when someone tries to tell me what I should or shouldn't  believe.

[Major Tom]

There is a certain arrogance associated with Atheism that rivals the most fundamental religious beliefs.

I don't have a clue so I guess that makes me agnostic.

There seems to be a complexity in human thought process that suggests that there is something else. It is not hard to believe in some continuity of consciousness when you consider the nature of sentience in the first place and what we have created as a species.

If there is a supreme being, I agree with Nietzsche:

     “Companions the creator seeks, not corpses, not herds and believers.  Fellow creators the creator seeks -- those who write new values on new  tablets. Companions the creator seeks, and fellow harvesters; for  everything about him is ripe for the harvest.”  
―     Friedrich Nietzsche         
BTW, my favorite Jack Handy quote: "The crows seemed to be calling my name said Caw."

[Texaxile]

I too have seen Karma in action. Too much to believe it's co incidence or bad luck on that persons part. That said, we could argue that why haven't some people gotten their bad karma when they have obviously been a shitbag?. Well, it might be coming to them,or Some people might slip thru the Karma net, who knows?.

I went to a Catholic school and had religion forced fed to me. I didn't enjoy the taste then and I really don't enjoy it now. I tend not to think about god and religion because doing so not only takes up time when I could be thinking about something else, and I know there's no way I can come up with a reasonable answer so why bother in the first off?.

I agree with BWR, I can't argue against the existence of god anymore than I could argue for it. My only opinion on it is the way that like myself, I was not given the initial choice to decide to believe in god, I was told that I had to, and like many others, that bred resentment in later life.

All I now do is try to reap good Karma, be decent and do the right thing. Treat all people with equal respect until such time they give me reason not to. Seeing the extreme poverty in the Philippines humbled me and made me rethink about Religion, especially in a country which is so heavily under the "cosh" of catholicism. The Catholic Church in the Philippines is the one and only reason the place is in such a shit state, they won't condone birth control, and encourage everyone that a Child is a gift from god. Fine if you can afford to feed and clothe and house everyone, not so fine if you're a 3rd world Country without a pot to piss in and a very corrupt government and corrupt Religious infrastructure.


Rant over

Cheers

Tex

[Babs Bladdyblah]

Major Tom, on 29 May 2012 - 06:24 PM, said:

                              
BTW, my favorite Jack Handy quote: "The crows seemed to be calling my name said Caw."

[Serenity@sea]

Thanks, Bab. I had forgotten about the golden gems from Jack Handey. Gave me some chuckles.


"The first thing was, I learned to forgive myself.           Then I told myself, 'Go ahead, do whatever you want, it's ok by me.'"          
Jack Handey"

Fear can sometimes be a useful emotion. For instance, let's say             you're an astronaut on the moon and you fear your partner has been             turned into Dracula.
Next time he goes out for the moon pieces, wham! You just slam the             door behind him and blast off. He might call you on the radio and             say he's not Dracula, but you just say, 'Think again, batman.'"
Jack Handey

I hope that someday we will be able to put away our fears and prejudices             and just laugh at people.
Jack Handey

If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them             down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.            
Jack Handey

Is there anything more beautiful than a beautiful, beautiful flamingo,flying across in front of a beautiful sunset?  And he's carrying abeautiful rose in his beak, and also he's carrying a very beautifulpainting with his feet.  And also, you're drunk.
Jack Handey

Edited by Serenity@sea, 29 May 2012 - 09:40 PM.

[Babs Bladdyblah]

Serenity@sea, on 29 May 2012 - 09:39 PM, said:

Thanks, Bab. I had forgotten about the golden gems from Jack Handey. Gave me some chuckles.


"The first thing was, I learned to forgive myself.       Then I told myself, 'Go ahead, do whatever you want, it's ok by me.'"      
Jack Handey"

Fear can sometimes be a useful emotion. For instance, let's say         you're an astronaut on the moon and you fear your partner has been         turned into Dracula.
Next time he goes out for the moon pieces, wham! You just slam the         door behind him and blast off. He might call you on the radio and         say he's not Dracula, but you just say, 'Think again, batman.'"
Jack Handey

I hope that someday we will be able to put away our fears and prejudices         and just laugh at people.
Jack Handey

If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them         down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.        
Jack Handey

Is there anything more beautiful than a beautiful, beautiful flamingo,flying across in front of a beautiful sunset?  And he's carrying abeautiful rose in his beak, and also he's carrying a very beautifulpainting with his feet.  And also, you're drunk.
Jack Handey

I think I liked the last one best!

[backwoodsroamer]

[leon the pig farmer]

I think non of us know what the heck is going on.  we live on a spinning rock in the middle of an infinite universe, which may or may not be infinite, but is expanding and could be bubble shaped. there may also, according to recent news, be an infinite number of other universes, bubble shaped, outside of our universe.
what does this mean?  
what is outside of infinity?
doesnt this just blow your minds?