Tampitump

Dimreepr, atheism doesn't offer a replacement ideology, but the basic moral precepts are already here independent from religion, and independent from atheism. Just because they don't originate from atheism doesn't mean they're not here. We already have these basic values, they exist indepenent of religion and atheism. Its just that religion, to my mind, makes them worse by lumping in dogma and superstition. We don't need the fairy stories. We already have the morals. Belief in the metaphysics and divinity of ancient books is unnecessary, and harmful in my view. If I were to name something that could and should replace religion as a moral code, it would be secular humanism. We are all humanists most of the time. Most of us live our daily lives as humanists, but our minds still get vitiated by religious bullshit. Now please take the time to read this carefully before you reply. You'll see that I've addressed everything you've brought up.

Pretty much nothing you said was a rebuttal to anything I said. I don't claim that atheism offers anything to replace religion ideologically. But I still think our world would be much better if it slowly dropped religion. For example, the reasons people give for denying scientific facts like evolution are almost entirely religious. And since one need not subscribe to fairy stories or metaphyisical beliefs in order to live happily or morally, I see religion as being little more than a roadblock to civilizational progress at this point. Atheism is a useless term. The only thing being atheist guarantees is that one won't believe in deities. It offers no beliefs or ideologies. Religion adds nothing new to the table. The only good lessons it teaches are basic, general, universal things that existed before the composition of it's fairytales, and which can be understood and applied without believing in the metaphysics. The rest of religion is based on antiquated concepts, such as tribalism and worship of lords, that are of no moral or intellectual value to the modern human species.

word salad.

I look forward to the day when saying "my faith is very important to me" is considered a laughable statement to the overwhelming majority of human civilization, while saying "evidence is very important to me" is the norm and is treated with praise. I also look forward to the day when belief in the God of Abraham is treated with as much seriousness by the majority of humanity as the belief in Poseidon currently is.

Nah, I think Elvis in the Beatles had them beat.

The Boston Tea Party happened before the Constitution, and even so, there were very calculated reasons behind it. We were on the brink of war with Britain, the US had major problems with how the parliament was trying to put their thumb on them, and there was a great reason to carry out this act. Its not like the guys who did it continued to do it repeatedly afterwards. It was an isolated event that was done for a worthy cause. These little liberal morons though, their anger and rage is completely fake and fabricated. They have no legitimate reason to display that scale of rage and anger. We elected a president the same way we always do, using the results of the electoral college. I'm not saying the right is morally-superior (they are not), but this generation of liberal stupidity has to stop immediately if we are to progress. These people are morons, and their actions are unjustified. This is an UNBELIEVABLY false equivalence you've tried to press into service here.

The constitution doesn't say "right to pillage and destroy property". The left does not realize what they're doing to themselves. They have acted like a bunch of hateful liitle nitwits for the past few years. The same people have vitiated academia and college campuses with their PC bullshit, they have assaulted Trump supporters, and have whined like little bitches and rioted every time they don't get their way. Large parts of the far left has been deteriorating into a group of non-productive, regressive citizens and people are fed up with it. Its easy to see why Trump was able to sweep in, speak everyone's simpleton, pro-Merica language, look like the moral superior, and win. People are tired of this lunacy and intolerance on the left. We have to fix this problem because it has resulted in one of the biggest dumb asses in human history to run our country and to appoint his clan of lobotomized fucktards to his cabinet. Republicans won just about every level of government and the left is still wondering why. Its easy to see why. Nobody likes them. They've deteriorated to complete stupidity.

Lost is your sense of decency and intellectual compass on this topic. These protestors/rioters are nothing more than a bunch of regressive shit bags with a fundamental intolerance to differing opinions from their own. Many members of the left have shown repeatedly that they have no respect for civil discourse or democracy. This is an example of fabricated rage and anger. A faction of the population comprised of worthless scum bags who are driven by a cultural-marxist, liberal narrative that they think must be followed by everyone, and they have a burning ambition to deliver grief onto those who don't respond correctly to their virtue-signalling, thought-policing, identity-politics ideology. Their actions are an affront to basic human dignity and western values. I say this as a person who is liberal and voted for Clinton. There is no world wherein actions such as this are admirable or acceptable. If you think they are, then I'm not sure what your values are, but they aren't western or American.

whether its true or not, my happiness does not add or detract from the point. And just because you feel your life is unhappy doesn't mean every single moment is that way.

Tu quoque. My life's happiness level is irrelevant to the point being made, regardless if the point is sound.

As was the case with Einstein and relativity right?

I think quite the opposite of this. Genocide, incest, child murder, slavery, killing apostates, killing women for various offenses of, you know, just being women and doing things, tribalism, etc.. Those morals have certainly been jettisoned by the best of human civilization. I think the whole point most non-believers try to make about the Bible is its irrelevance. Its a fairytale, and a very crude one. The underlying message is to worship a jealous and petty dictator which loves to constantly have its ego stroked and told constantly how wonderful it is. We keep appropriating Christianity over other mythologies and holy books. What makes Christianity more special than others in terms of useful and relevant content? I submit that no ancient fairy book is required for morality or a happy life.

I agree with violence in pretty much every scenario. The bully is doing this to the person because he believes he has picked a person who will take his shit and not stand up to him. Standing up to him physically ends his little charade right then and there. It humiliates him because most bullying is done to compensate for the bully's insecurities. It will confirm to to the bully that he is in fact a piece of shit. He deserves every bit of it.

Insofar as religions offer dogmatic prescriptions for how to live one's life that include blocking one from accepting new discoveries, foster contentment with false answers and not knowing the truth, and sanction divisive, tribal type behavior, then yes, the world must relieve itself of religion as soon as possible. Most religions are very hidebound like this, and are set in their ways, not only uninterested in change or new knowledge, but vehemently hostile to it. The good parts of religion, like the benefits that go along with hope, family, fellowship, community, etc... You don't need to lump on the erroneous metaphysics and unsupported claims in order to have that. There's a quote by Daniel C. Dennett that I quite like that goes something like this: "The biggest problem with religion is that it gives people a gold-plated excuse to stop thinking."

And of course the consensus that naturally goes with it.

No I'm a huge fan. I love being tripped out by music like this.

These videos are not the least bit disturbing to me. But this video on transhumanism used to trip me out. The music in the background sounds eerie and urgent, like what you'd expect if you were trapped in a hive mind or digital world not knowing what's lurking around the corner. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UmaczzTUR5M

My guitar is home built. I made it out of a piece of alder, and I made the neck out of maple and ebony. I had a guy I know who paints motorcycles do the finish work on it. Its silver (electric guitar). I also have a Takamine acoustic guitar. I'm in the market for a new amp.

He's well known in the US even among the youngsters. To get straight up cultural and musical cluelessness you need to look one age group below mine. Also, I'm a guitar player, so I know much more than the typical person.

Oh sorry, bad link. Guess I didn't take the time to look into it.

The religious are going crazy on my facebook feed about this. Please debunk. http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/47020/mysterious-trumpet-sounds-world-leaves-manyhope-messiahs-arrival-jewish-world/#Chw31XuH0AtPqEPp.97

Hell yes. Does that surprise you?

Now there you go.

You turn into The Dude when you're drunk!

So you don't believe in one of the most easily demonstrable things? God of the gaps. Replace whatever god you believe in with some other god like Poseidon or Isis and you'll see how resorting to god as an explanation in the face of scientific-ignorance doesn't work. We are all interested in knowing these questions that will likely never conclusively be answered, doesn't mean we resort to plugging in gods or supernatural causes when there's absolutely no reason or justification for doing so.