roadrunner Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Is it just me or do things like this now look completely different. A species of people exist. Some of them go nuts some of them sick some die some live. If this is not an instance where it feels as if we are down here alone this is one of them. And Facebook is littered with "prayers to the families" comments. What does that do in a time like this. Its a lot easier to cope when u begin to accept that that's just the way it is and to value life more. To say its gods plan is simply a way of dealing with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner Posted July 20, 2012 Author Share Posted July 20, 2012 Trust me if there was a god I would pray BC it is a Tragedy and the the more I read on it the angrier i get But I hope people can realize how fragile life is and realize that e are responsible for not only our own live but the lives of others too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner Posted July 20, 2012 Author Share Posted July 20, 2012 I agree ag. This is my first tragedy as a non believer so I'm more pissed than anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 As my siggie says, the world makes more sense when you realize ain't nobody drivin'. Some folks can't deal with the frustration of everyday life, and then compound the confusion by trying (and of course failing) to please a nonexistant god. I might lose grip if I thought there was someone up there letting this shit happen. What really gets to me is that, instead of praying, people could do something to change the underlying culture of this country, so that people's lives don't end up so senselessly miserable and desperate. By now, we could have had a public medical care system, free education, and we could have restored our working class- but that never happened, and xtians and libertarian zealots are making damn sure that it never will in our lifetimes. We sit around wondering why living in the nineteenth century isn't working out anymore I agree with Agord. Lessen the pressures of everyday life and soothe the desperation before the eruption occurs instead of useless religious blathering and those oh so mighty prayers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted July 20, 2012 Moderator Share Posted July 20, 2012 I just just got through saying this on another thread, that when you look at the world from the point of being an 'aware' animal...it all looks different. Some have good brains - some have bad....'Bad brains' could have been born this way, too many drugs, hard hit on the head... all kinds of stuff can cause 'bad brain - bad people'. ...you could be sitting on a bus beside a bad brain or in a movie theatre......Your are doomed if you are in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Simple as that. I hope the good 'brains' in the future find a way to get the 'bad brains' off the streets............... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeelHappy Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Even the writers of the bible saw that the world didn't go according to divine plan, that's why you have the change of thought from divine punishment to divine judgement. In any case I'll 100% agree, the world makes perfect sense when you remove the interventionist god element, a deity may or may not exist, but if it does exist its definitely not actively involved with the state of the world. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentLoner Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 This shit here pisses me off, as well. And from someone from my home state, nonetheless! Louie Gohmert: Aurora Shootings Result Of 'Ongoing Attacks On Judeo-Christian Beliefs' "Some of us happen to believe that when our founders talked about guarding our virtue and freedom, that that was important," he said. "Whether it's John Adams saying our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people ... Ben Franklin, only a virtuous people are capable of freedom, as nations become corrupt and vicious they have more need of masters. We have been at war with the very pillars, the very foundation of this country." Full story here: http://www.huffingto...l#slide=1253509 Man, that gets my blood boiling as a non-believer! If only they hadn't banned prayer in movie theaters! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted July 20, 2012 Moderator Share Posted July 20, 2012 Christians everywhere today will be praying on their knees for the lord to come back now and fix his new kingdom....... 'Yes'...they will say...'let the blood bath begin'.........so jesus can set up his new earth.... they are also praying that god bring comfort to the families........... (I already talked to one!!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryper Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Haven't been on FB to see what is being said. That said however anyone who wish MORE violence to fix the world needs to seriously have their head examined. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centauri Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 This shit here pisses me off, as well. And from someone from my home state, nonetheless! Louie Gohmert: Aurora Shootings Result Of 'Ongoing Attacks On Judeo-Christian Beliefs' "Some of us happen to believe that when our founders talked about guarding our virtue and freedom, that that was important," he said. "Whether it's John Adams saying our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people ... Ben Franklin, only a virtuous people are capable of freedom, as nations become corrupt and vicious they have more need of masters. We have been at war with the very pillars, the very foundation of this country." Full story here: http://www.huffingto...l#slide=1253509 Man, that gets my blood boiling as a non-believer! Louie Gohmert somehow imagines that he embodies "virtue", while being an ardent believer in a cult that advocates turning your life over to a dictatorial, magical sky-man. Freedom indeed. Louie, as a Sunday school teacher, may want to crack open his Bible and take note that his savior Jesus promised to bring fire, disharmony, and division to earth. Luke 12:49-53 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. Not to worry Louie, things are going according to plan. Stop whining. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshB0XX Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I just just got through saying this on another thread, that when you look at the world from the point of being an 'aware' animal...it all looks different. Some have good brains - some have bad....'Bad brains' could have been born this way, too many drugs, hard hit on the head... all kinds of stuff can cause 'bad brain - bad people'. ...you could be sitting on a bus beside a bad brain or in a movie theatre......Your are doomed if you are in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Simple as that. I hope the good 'brains' in the future find a way to get the 'bad brains' off the streets............... I know that once I got to the other side, my outlook on life and death became much more cynical. Life is still beautiful to me, but death has become more of just something you have to deal with constantly, might as well not get that upset about it. One of my facebook friends who mentioned prayer for this shooting, also said that Colorado was a "Liberal state," and they didn't do the death penalty, just rehabilitated criminals. Colorado did get rid of the death penalty, but apparently they reinstated it in 1975. Talk about some bandwagon bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I've been a non-believer for a long time and honestly, this stuff bothers me a lot less now... before you jump me, let me explain. As a believer, I really thought I could affect the world with my prayers and that there was a benevolent god whose divine plan could be altered if enough people were praying for a particular outcome. I was Catholic... this mostly took the form of novenas, candle-lighting, and other rote-style rituals. So, as a believer, I felt that I had some failing... not personally, but as I identified as one of "God's Errant Children," with original sin and the other nonsense, it was MY FAULT for bringing sin into the world. As a non-believer, I accept that people aren't inherently sinful and evil... most people are just being people as hard as they possibly can. Some people are stupid, some are murderous, some are insane, some are nice, and some make me scratch my head and mutter to myself... but people have been killing other people since the first Homo Erectus bashed another one on the head with a rock for taking his piece of fruit. When shit like this happens, I wonder what that person thought while they were doing it and how the victim's families are going to cope... and I'll only really think about those things for a couple of days before I stop caring. Using the average of every 80 seconds, about a dozen people died a violent death while I was typing this. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryper Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 From the comments: GotAClueDoYou 4 Fans 9 minutes ago (12:13 PM) I wonder how many people's first suspicion actually went in the opposite direction- "This must be the work of some right winger "Christian." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Wow, got curious to see if I was using the right statistics and looked up the new one from the CDC... it's up to 9 people every minute that die from violence now. So, since I was talking on the phone and working while I was typing that post and it took me 16 minutes, that means 144 people died violently while I was typing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 As a non-believer, I accept that people aren't inherently sinful and evil... most people are just being people as hard as they possibly can. Some people are stupid, some are murderous, some are insane, some are nice, and some make me scratch my head and mutter to myself... but people have been killing other people since the first Homo Erectus bashed another one on the head with a rock for taking his piece of fruit. When shit like this happens, I wonder what that person thought while they were doing it and how the victim's families are going to cope... and I'll only really think about those things for a couple of days before I stop caring. Using the average of every 80 seconds, about a dozen people died a violent death while I was typing this. That's right about human nature. Actually on the whole, we get along remarkably well for as many of us as there are and how tightly packed in we are in modern civilization. I have been around long enough to have heard about many of these mass shootings. After all, I'm betting "going postal" is a phrase not used 60 years ago. What is unusual in this case is that they captured the shooter. Usually they commit suicide. I hope he is locked up for the rest of his life and studied. We live in a sick society in my opinion, geared toward corporate wealth at the expense of art, the environment, and the health and well-being of its citizens. Not excusing the shooter, of course, but we have seen this before and no doubt will see it again in public places. No one is safe. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Is it just me or do things like this now look completely different. A species of people exist. Some of them go nuts some of them sick some die some live. If this is not an instance where it feels as if we are down here alone this is one of them. And Facebook is littered with "prayers to the families" comments. What does that do in a time like this. Its a lot easier to cope when u begin to accept that that's just the way it is and to value life more. To say its gods plan is simply a way of dealing with it. God's plan sucks at times. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 As my siggie says, the world makes more sense when you realize ain't nobody drivin'. Some folks can't deal with the frustration of everyday life, and then compound the confusion by trying (and of course failing) to please a nonexistant god. I might lose grip if I thought there was someone up there letting this shit happen. What really gets to me is that, instead of praying, people could do something to change the underlying culture of this country, so that people's lives don't end up so senselessly miserable and desperate. By now, we could have had a public medical care system, free education, and we could have restored our working class- but that never happened, and xtians and libertarian zealots are making damn sure that it never will in our lifetimes. We sit around wondering why living in the nineteenth century isn't working out anymore I agree with Agord. Lessen the pressures of everyday life and soothe the desperation before the eruption occurs instead of useless religious blathering and those oh so mighty prayers. Before "I' was born, nothing was important...no "I" existed as subject that could lay claim to or value any object. Then "I" was born. And I became attached to objects and concepts and they became important....though all of it was a dream, illusion. After that "I" died. All that had been important was null and void once again. Why was in between the Before and After so important? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Wow, got curious to see if I was using the right statistics and looked up the new one from the CDC... it's up to 9 people every minute that die from violence now. So, since I was talking on the phone and working while I was typing that post and it took me 16 minutes, that means 144 people died violently while I was typing that. Stop killing people while you type. You're more prone to typos while shooting those around you with a machine gun. :-) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheldon Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I just hope that if the shooter does turn out to mentally ill as may be possible in a case like this, that it doesn't cause a backlash against those with mental illness, or add to the horrible stigma/ignorance that persists in America (and that I have experienced often firsthand). I would hope that if it is the case, that would lead instead to more understanding and better care for the people suffering. The truth and reality, contrary to popular perception is that sufferers are not only no more violent than the rest of the population, but are in fact more likely to be victims than perpetrators. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheldon Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 It is circumstances like this that was part of my struggle during my doubting stage, it's hard for me now to see how I used to believe, and many people still believe in a loving, just god. It seems quite a naive worldview to me now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolorado Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Several years ago, I had a friend murdered by a mass shooting that killed many. At the time, I tried to find comfort in God, but we all know what useless act that is. Today, I again feel the raw pain of the loss of my friend. She isn't coming back and no amount of prayer--or anything else--can change that. I think the best we can do is accept that life is random. Life hurts sometimes, and this is one of those days for those who lost someone in such a way. The pain is always just underneath the surface, waiting to come out again with another shooting that gets everyone's attention. But rather than revert to the dogma, the best we can do is truly try to find peace within ourselves, grieve, and never forget our lost ones. Today, I remember my friend that died in a similar manner, and I honor her memory. We must find our own peace. I miss my friend every time there is another shooting like this. Perhaps keeping someone in our heart is the best gift of all. Peace my understanding friends. We must remember that the gift of pain is wisdom. And what a high price to pay. At least I am not lying to myself about a heaven that doesn't exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnaNymity Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 When I was nine, my mother (a former PTA Mother of the Year), married a Hell's Angel. When she decided to divorce him a few months later, his revenge against her brought me within a hair's breadth of my own death, for the very first time--out of many. Back then, I saw human beings as nothing more than self-obsessed, highly articulate monkeys (that were quite obviously, suffering from extreme delusions of grandeur). Now, forty-one years later, I still do. That, in and of itself, probably explains the level of the cognitive dissonance-riddled chaos, that I was forced to deal with, as I served my twenty-five year long, krystyun, very spiritual, (self-made), hellish, prison term. Because, I never did once stop thinking--sometimes with severe pangs of guilt, and in fear that I would somehow be found out: "Why yes, certainly. Make sure to always prayz gawd! Just don't get egotistical, and leave out Magilla Gorilla, or Tarzan's Cheetah, while you're at it, too." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Haven't been on FB to see what is being said. That said however anyone who wish MORE violence to fix the world needs to seriously have their head examined. I don't mind the prayer sentiments, but I gotta tell you, it's really pissing me off that the same assholes who fill up my news flow with all the support our troops crap find this a tragedy but go about their daily business without a careless thought when this and worse occurs to innocent victims overseas at the behest of our troops. Makes me think they value the lives of some and not the lives of others just by chance of geography. And just wait until all this good will and fear leads to Patriot Act II and the installation of TSA in all public places. The US is going to look like Brown Shirt Germany in a few more years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I've been a non-believer for a long time and honestly, this stuff bothers me a lot less now... before you jump me, let me explain. I can relate to that. I also find that I'm far less moved by symbolism and symbolic events. The reaction to 911 and how people's emotions were used against them has calloused me tremendously. Sometimes shit just happens. Life goes on and it's better to just let life go on than to make things far worse by doing something stupid like trying to legislate away shit that just happens because that almost always leads to for worse consequences than the event that triggers it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Wow, got curious to see if I was using the right statistics and looked up the new one from the CDC... it's up to 9 people every minute that die from violence now. So, since I was talking on the phone and working while I was typing that post and it took me 16 minutes, that means 144 people died violently while I was typing that. Exactly. And if we took the time to empathize with every tragedy, we'd literally drive ourselves crazy in the same way we would be crazy if our brain didn't seek out patterns to focus on and instead just contemplated equally all data our body senses at any given moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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