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News: Stephen Hawking: 'There's no God; I'm an Atheist'
Member Since: 8/6/2012
Posts: 20,242
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Originally posted by Harmonic Dreamer
It makes sense to someone who has looked at evidence and reason in every other aspect of their life and when it comes to religion, have to base everything off blind trust, which is what faith essentially is.
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Yes, which is basically also following your heart.
Everything in this world doesn't make sense or have to if that is what helps them through the day then so be it.
Long as you're not shoving it in peoples faces then it's ok.
I don't believe in god but I wont go out of my way to make certain comments.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 2,514
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Quote:
Originally posted by Harmonic Dreamer
Gnosticism is a stance on knowledge, not belief.
Gnostic comes from Greek, gnosis, meaning to know.
The prefix a- added to it is simply without knowledge.
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I don't get it why are you saying this.
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An agnostic is someone who neither believes nor disbelieves in the existence of God, whereas a theist and an atheist believe and disbelieve, respectively.
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Therefore he can't be atheist if he's agnostic.
Edit: oh boy was I wrong. There's agnostic atheism.
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Member Since: 3/16/2012
Posts: 13,657
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Quote:
Originally posted by LadyGagaStan93
Me personally, I was raised in faith, but I believe differently than I was brought up. For instance, my parents are Baptists but I think I'm more of a spiritualist than anything. I don't really believe that there are laws that exactly bind us to heaven or hell. I feel like those are man made. I do believe that the universe has its own universal laws and we live by them. I've always had an open mind about pretty much everything though, which may be why my beliefs have changed over time. I don't completely reject atheists claims that there is no God, but I know for a fact that I believe that there is a higher power and that's all that matters to me.
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Yeah, it's more of an issue with religions (and what they impose in the name of their god) than the existence of a greater being itself.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/8/2008
Posts: 21,933
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I really adore this man. He has said the idea of God is unnecessary to him and in the modern world. I agree.
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Member Since: 8/17/2011
Posts: 15,807
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Member Since: 7/23/2010
Posts: 6,705
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All world religions have different concepts of God but they agree on one thing. God is the ultimate reality. He is the totality of all that exists and encompasses everything in the universe and beyond and should not just be confined by science. And as far as I know, science has so far uncovered only 6% of reality. It's basically impossible to fully comprehend God, much less disprove Him due to our inability to perceive the vast majority of our reality, Man striving to fathom God is like a rat trying to understand man. That rat maybe aware of man's existence but is lacking in understanding of the true nature of the more intelligent species given its limited cognitive abilities. Or to unbelievers, a better analogy would be a bacteria since they are completely destitute of knowledge of God. We can only grasp what was partially revealed to us. And disproving God would recquire omniscience. That's why there is a biblical saying like this:
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." - 1 Corinthians 3:19
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Member Since: 8/17/2011
Posts: 15,807
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Quote:
Originally posted by fabbriche
All world religions have different concepts of God but they agree on one thing. God is the ultimate reality. He is the totality of all that exists and encompasses everything in the universe and beyond and should not just be confined by science. And as far as I know, science has so far uncovered only 6% of reality. It's basically impossible to fully comprehend God, much less disprove Him due to our inability to perceive the vast majority of our reality, Man striving to fathom God is like a rat trying to understand man. That rat maybe aware of man's existence but is lacking in understanding of the true nature of the more intelligent species given its limited cognitive abilities. Or to unbelievers, a better analogy would be a bacteria since they are completely destitute of knowledge of God. We can only grasp what was partially revealed to us. And disproving God would recquire omniscience. That's why there is a biblical saying like this:
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." - 1 Corinthians 3:19
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the Rat can actually see and touch the man
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 3/22/2012
Posts: 53,769
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Quote:
But now science offers a more convincing explanation.
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As a self-declared science nerd, a former atheist, and a naturally curious mind,
No. It really doesn't when you get down to it.
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Member Since: 1/2/2014
Posts: 1,601
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I live here in tenerife and got a pass with my uncle (he's photographer). He's so impressive to see in person. So smart and interesting. I did expect him to be an atheist tbh... He's a science guy after all! Go atheism!!
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Member Since: 8/17/2013
Posts: 6,565
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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We already knew this but
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/8/2008
Posts: 21,933
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Quote:
Originally posted by fabbriche
All world religions have different concepts of God but they agree on one thing. God is the ultimate reality. He is the totality of all that exists and encompasses everything in the universe and beyond and should not just be confined by science. And as far as I know, science has so far uncovered only 6% of reality. It's basically impossible to fully comprehend God, much less disprove Him due to our inability to perceive the vast majority of our reality, Man striving to fathom God is like a rat trying to understand man. That rat maybe aware of man's existence but is lacking in understanding of the true nature of the more intelligent species given its limited cognitive abilities. Or to unbelievers, a better analogy would be a bacteria since they are completely destitute of knowledge of God. We can only grasp what was partially revealed to us. And disproving God would recquire omniscience. That's why there is a biblical saying like this:
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." - 1 Corinthians 3:19
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You don't know any of this and just made it up. And where did that 6% number come from?
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/8/2008
Posts: 21,933
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Quote:
Originally posted by Retro
As a self-declared science nerd, a former atheist, and a naturally curious mind,
No. It really doesn't when you get down to it.
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Why do u say that? (just curious no shade).
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Member Since: 8/18/2013
Posts: 3,396
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still that tea hon.
Funny how the most intellectual persons in the world are mostly atheist, no?
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Member Since: 8/3/2012
Posts: 19,910
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Quote:
Originally posted by fabbriche
science has so far uncovered only 6% of reality.
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And religious people know the rest of it? Who calculated those percentages? What is 100%?
Quote:
Originally posted by fabbriche
Man striving to fathom God is like a rat trying to understand man.
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Regardless of what rat is trying to understand, man is an actual being that exists and rat can see him. Fail analogy.
Typical religious folks reasoning. "We don't know something, therefore God exists".
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Member Since: 4/26/2012
Posts: 33,881
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Quote:
Originally posted by I Am Music
Since when does intelligence and a belief system on values go hand and hand?.
Anyways good for him.
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It doesn't.
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Member Since: 7/23/2010
Posts: 6,705
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Quote:
Originally posted by freebitch26
the Rat can actually see and touch the man
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People of faith have different reasons for believing in God. Many of them feel God work in their lives through their personal experiences. And that's enough proof for them that God exists. When all in science relies on evidence, equations and calculations, their belief in God is through faith and faith that works which is beyond what science has ever touched and ever could dream of touching. Can't be explained, proven, put on equation or calculated.
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Originally posted by Elusive Chanteuse
You don't know any of this and just made it up. And where did that 6% number come from?
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Physical reality is the universe. And man has uncovered only (it's actually even smaller) 4% of the universe. 96% of the universe is still missing. Look it up. And we don't know if there are even multiverses that exist.
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Originally posted by Brando
And religious people know the rest of it? Who calculated those percentages? What is 100%?
Regardless of what rat is trying to understand, man is an actual being that exists and rat can see him. Fail analogy.
Typical religious folks reasoning. "We don't know something, therefore God exists".
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There are no calculations in religion. Religious truth is a revealed truth.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 5,905
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Quote:
Originally posted by highwayuni
Why do many atheists on the internet have a condescending attitude towards people who believe in God? If you were truly happy with your faith (or lack of), you would not have to put others down just to support your own beliefs
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why does it matter? You should be happy that religious people make up the vast majority of the world, shape our laws (the case against gay marriage and women's reproductive rights are virtually ENTIRELY religious, a big **** you to anyone who doesn't subscribe to those beliefs) not to mention causing wars as we speak. boo hoo, some people who are in the vast minority lash out online (possibly the only place they can even express their beliefs), clearly they're the problem!
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 3/22/2012
Posts: 53,769
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Quote:
Originally posted by Elusive Chanteuse
Why do u say that? (just curious no shade).
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Essentially, what Hawking would have you believe is that no explanation for "reality" as we know it is needed. He subscribes to the theory that time originated with the expansion of the singularity that formed the universe (the moment we know popularly as the Big Bang), and therefore there can be no "cause" for the event that created physical and temporal reality.
Essentially, if asking the question "What caused the universe to come into existence?" a simplified version of his answer is more or less "It just did."
Sure science, besides this relatively minor point, is right. I believe pretty much all major theories in science to be true to the extent which we can test. We know how long we've been here thanks to radioactive elements, light speed relative to distance, etc; we know of evolution because of the ever-expanding body of evidence. We know a "Big Bang" did in fact happen because of the CMB. However, I'm not going to believe a "just because" type of answer and I'm not going to believe him when he states that this is a more sound answer than any that religion provides, even as an agnostic person myself.
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Member Since: 5/28/2010
Posts: 29,225
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Quote:
Originally posted by villain
Intelligent people usually are.
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I honestly screamed.
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