LukeExChristian Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I was asked this for the first time by my grandmother, and I had no answer. It really hit me how materialist I have became. I think that any and ALL spirituality is 100% physical. My body is 100% physical. And all religions are man-made. There ARE things that are transcendent, such as choices, concepts, ideas and morals. But ultimately, they collapse back to material foundations. They begin as chemical reactions at first. (At least in my mind). Last week my dad and were having a conversation. He brought up the movie "signs" (oh shyamalan, remember when you were good?) the whole point of the movie ended up being "what if there's no such thing as coincidences?" what if we're all here for a reason? I immediately rejected this remembering a darkmatter2525 video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A0EEKfTnfvA and plus, what a privileged society we get to live in where we have food and water. i never have got back to him about that. but that was the first time i realized how much more dark I view the world. am i the only one who views life like this? i still do not have an answer other than... "nothing supernatural" how do you guys respond? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 "...I just believe in me..." - John Lennon in his song "God" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mymistake Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I believe in all that we can detect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrotherJosh Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I can't stand John Lennon. In other words, find meaning in your own life, and not the words of some purported guru. It is better to find your own answers. What you believe in should be things close to your own heart. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moanareina Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Ha. It is weird when our grandparents ask those questions. To everyone else we can just shrug the question off in one way or another...but how can we explain to those old folks what conclusion we have come up with. My grandmother had to spend a few days at the hospital two years ago because she fell and broke her arm and they wanted to keep her for observation. I think it was the start of her dementia. Anyways, I was there and out of the blue she asked me: So who is your father? (Meaning like who do you put your faith in...like heavenly father...). She said it in a sharp kind of tone but at the same time I knew she meant well. Nonetheless it made me a little mad. So I just told her, that only because I was not going to Church anymore, would not mean I denied that there was a God. I think today I would not say that anymore but well, it was a tense moment...not really cool. Now in your case or lets say when someone asks me what I believe in I guess my answer would be that I believe in me and in you and in everyone who is around me. In my mind I am tempted to suggest to my parents to pray before we eat (my dad always prays before the meal) and then surprise them all by thanking my mom for cooking, my dad for bringing home the money so my mom could go grocery shopping etc...would be fun I guess...though I don't know if I will ever find the courage to do such thing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seven77 Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I believe that we are born and then we die. In between birth and death, there is life. Live, laugh and love, giving no credit nor credence to the vast nothing that is above... I believe that evil exists and that we do ourselves no favor by turning our heads from it. This is why I oppose all faiths, primarily Christianity in all of its virulent forms. It is evil to me, causing much pain and deception in this life. Abrahamic religion is a blight upon mankind, imho. I believe that humanity made God(s), and not vice versa. I believe that humanity was not created, and therefore is not indebted to a creator. Each person owns their own life and makes what they will of it. I believe that all people should strive to obtain knowledge and that education and the spread of technology will enable us to overcome Bronze Age fantasies one day. ------------ and plus, what a privileged society we get to live in where we have food and water. i never have got back to him about that. but that was the first time i realized how much more dark I view the world. am i the only one who views life like this?i still do not have an answer other than... "nothing supernatural" how do you guys respond? Life is dark. We are all in varying states of decay, technically. I have always been a morbid realist and believing in God did not change that. When I stopped believing in God, I became a more ardent realist than before. Realism (imo) is not the same thing as materialism. Realism is living within the parameters of a mutual observable reality. I don't reach conclusions that contradict that reality. I think about things in a more conceptual way now. Religion (Christianity, in this case) kills and/or severely stunts one's abilities to question and ultimately, to learn. That is why many believers seem to be stuck in childish or adolescent mindsets. They don't do a whole lot of critical thinking and tend to be led by emotional conviction. They place a lot of weight in arguments from authority. They are terrified of the dark, of reality. They are threatened when someone suggests that perhaps the world is much bigger than the black-and-white world of a good and loving God, a heroic Savior, and phantom spirits. When one sees the world in technicolor or HD, it is a step or two beyond what many believers see. The vision doesn't fit their version of reality, so to speak. They pity the nonbelievers, claim that we are the ones who are blind and ignorant and immature. Yet they are the ones who believe in things unseen, talk to themselves, and teach their children to keep on believin' in a bogus bullshit fairy tale and only the ONE TRUE version of it. They are the ones who use an ancient book to justify their decisions and politics in present times. They are the ones who make awful movies, write equally awful books, make mediocre music and stage fake debates with scientists and nonbelievers to pat their egos back to sleep from time to time. That is my response. A bit rant-y. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Humanism is a good philosophy. I believe that mankind can continue to make this world a better and better place, which is precisely what it has done since the enlightenment. If she asks why you think mankind can make significant improvements to morality the answer is, in my opinion, that it already has, but not enough. But belief in god has had its way for thousands of years and the world made pitiful progress in morality if any before the advent of humanism. The belief in god has failed. We must take the responsibility on our own shoulders or it will never get done. bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
older Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Seven77: What an eloquent response. Thanks for adding it to the dialog. ___________________ In response to the question, I just say I believe in the inherent goodness of man. [snip]In my mind I am tempted to suggest to my parents to pray before we eat (my dad always prays before the meal) and then surprise them all by thanking my mom for cooking, my dad for bringing home the money so my mom could go grocery shopping etc...would be fun I guess...though I don't know if I will ever find the courage to do such thing... Moanareina: Check out this famous moment in film history: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzzyZ1M-kVU 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SageHealer Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Just tell them that you believe in LOVE and COMPASSION. You can be religious, atheist or agnostic and still believe in those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llwellyn Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I was following you until you said you "realized how much more dark I view the world." DARK? Why DARK? What is inherently dark about limiting your belief to what you can perceive scientifically? What would be "light" about imagining spirits, souls, demons, fairies, Gods, and other assorted foolishness? You pick how you will emotionally react. If you choose to imagine materialism as "dark" rather than "light," then you do so without a proper justification, but sheer prejudice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeExChristian Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 I was following you until you said you "realized how much more dark I view the world." DARK? Why DARK? What is inherently dark about limiting your belief to what you can perceive scientifically? What would be "light" about imagining spirits, souls, demons, fairies, Gods, and other assorted foolishness? You pick how you will emotionally react. If you choose to imagine materialism as "dark" rather than "light," then you do so without a proper justification, but sheer prejudice. i knew 'dark' did not fit the context that i intended. "differently"? maybe. I have a bad habit that i'm trying to snap out of of wrongfully feeling bad for my positions on religion and other subjects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeExChristian Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 I was asked this for the first time by my grandmother, and I had no answer. It really hit me how materialist I have became. I think that any and ALL spirituality is 100% physical. My body is 100% physical. And all religions are man-made. There ARE things that are transcendent, such as choices, concepts, ideas and morals. But ultimately, they collapse back to material foundations. They begin as chemical reactions at first. (At least in my mind). Last week my dad and were having a conversation. He brought up the movie "signs" (oh shyamalan, remember when you were good?) the whole point of the movie ended up being "what if there's no such thing as coincidences?" what if we're all here for a reason? I immediately rejected this remembering a darkmatter2525 video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A0EEKfTnfvA and plus, what a privileged society we get to live in where we have food and water. i never have got back to him about that. but that was the first time i realized how much more dark I view the world. am i the only one who views life like this? i still do not have an answer other than... "nothing supernatural" how do you guys respond? Luke, You might want to check out Humanism, read up on it, talk with people who regard themselves as Humanists, in particular, and who can expound on it for you. Perhaps you will find something there that resonates with you. Then when someone asks you what you believe in, you can give them something substantive to think about. Peace, + Human yes, sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VacuumFlux Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I believe that this one life is all we get, and there's no power out there to save us from ourselves, so it's up to us to create the kind of world that we want to live in. I believe that humans are valuable because ya'll are my species. I believe that animals should not be abused because they feel sorrow and pain like I do (and we share a common ancestor, way back in time somewhere, so we're distant family). I believe that it's important to care for the earth, because it's my home, and even if humanity eventually takes off for the stars, it will still be our birthplace. I believe that the universe is beautiful and vast, but even though it's so much bigger than me it's still my universe and I am a part of it, and even when I am dead and the earth is dead, the pieces that used to be part of me will still be a part of the universe. See, I can have altruistic values even when it's all about me and materialistic. I can have altruistic values because it's all about me (at least from my point of view) and I value my own material existence, and my species, and my planet, and my universe. I don't need to sacrafice myself; doing good for others is good for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gall Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I was asked this for the first time by my grandmother, and I had no answer. It really hit me how materialist I have became. I think that any and ALL spirituality is 100% physical. My body is 100% physical. And all religions are man-made. There ARE things that are transcendent, such as choices, concepts, ideas and morals. But ultimately, they collapse back to material foundations. They begin as chemical reactions at first. (At least in my mind). Last week my dad and were having a conversation. He brought up the movie "signs" (oh shyamalan, remember when you were good?) the whole point of the movie ended up being "what if there's no such thing as coincidences?" what if we're all here for a reason? I immediately rejected this remembering a darkmatter2525 video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A0EEKfTnfvA and plus, what a privileged society we get to live in where we have food and water. i never have got back to him about that. but that was the first time i realized how much more dark I view the world. am i the only one who views life like this? i still do not have an answer other than... "nothing supernatural" how do you guys respond? and what if there is such a thing as things happen for no reason... just because someone questions something does not make their need for an answer valid. What do you believe in? Is there some human or American requirement that we believe in anything? Can I just ask questions and wonder why instead of needing fantasy to fill some non existant gap in my life? Maybe they ask because they are not satisfied with the level of effort they put into life and need meaning for their imperfection. Rather than gods why can't we be allowed to believe in nothing? Can I not attribute my humanity to genetics and natural order without the need to justify that to every damn religious weakminded person that comes along? I don't ask what they believe why should they have some right to do the same to us? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 i realized how much more dark I view the world. am i the only one who views life like this? One man's dark is another man's light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator TheRedneckProfessor Posted July 22, 2014 Super Moderator Share Posted July 22, 2014 I believe in myself; who else should I believe in? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seven77 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Prof, you are drifting close to the evil shores of Satanism with that statement. I felt that I should warn you. It's in section 28, subsection B of my agreement with Satan, anyway. You did get your copy, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator TheRedneckProfessor Posted July 22, 2014 Super Moderator Share Posted July 22, 2014 Prof, you are drifting close to the evil shores of Satanism with that statement. I felt that I should warn you. It's in section 28, subsection B of my agreement with Satan, anyway. You did get your copy, right? Did I get a copy? I wrote the damn thing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seven77 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 The Dark Lord has been using a ghostwriting service for awhile. He likes to kid that it is a Holy Ghostwriting service. It is the same service Yahweh used to write the Bible, only much better due the massive overhauls to the system since the times of old. PS -- Who should I contact about my gifts of the spirit dispute? My demon union rep said that it is likely a human resources affair, but someone else notified me that it may be an administrative glitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 "I believe in myself; who else should I believe in?" I agree with you,RNP. Otherwise one becomes another's slave in exact proportion to his belief. It's not that I am so arrogant that I don't thnk anybody is better than I. It is easy to see there are plenty. It's just that I would be foolish to to put my whole life, or any important part thereof in any person's control other than my own. That is a mistake all Xtians make, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llwellyn Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I believe in a thing called love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orbit Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Replying to the OP: I too am 100% materialist. Whatever psychology and emotions we have are the result of brain chemicals. We are all we get. The only meaning is the meaning we make. The universe is indifferent to us. I'm all good with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neverlandrut Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I believe in myself, first of all. I believe in the importance of loving my family, and doing what I can to leave this world better off than when I entered it. Why? Because I want to. It is important to me. Why that isn't a good enough answer for some people, I can't understand. When people talk about their purpose and being here for a reason, why would you want some cosmic dictator telling you what your purpose is? To think that human beings can't make their own purpose is degrading humanity. I think we are better than that. When people ask "Then what do you believe in?" It's usually an "I gotcha" attempt. The question implies that if you don't believe in God, then you don't believe in anything, which is a false dichotomy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disillusioned Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 This is something Christians love to do. Because they have a comprehensive belief system, they find it difficult to imagine that anyone might be able to function without one. So when they learn that you don't believe anymore, they immediately want to assign you a new label. This is also why they usually insist that atheism is a religion or a worldview when it obviously isn't. They need it to be, because they can't conceive of how someone might manage to muddle along without that sort of a safety net. For myself, a large part of my journey away from Christianity was the realization that the world is not as black and white as I once thought it was. A lot of questions don't necessarily have clear answers. There are a lot of things that I haven't made up my mind about. So when I'm asked this question, I usually respond by asking them to be more specific. I'm happy to discuss my beliefs on specific issues, but I'm not about to assign myself an all-encompassing label just to satisfy someone else's need for me to have one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neverlandrut Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 This is something Christians love to do. Because they have a comprehensive belief system, they find it difficult to imagine that anyone might be able to function without one. So when they learn that you don't believe anymore, they immediately want to assign you a new label. This is also why they usually insist that atheism is a religion or a worldview when it obviously isn't. They need it to be, because they can't conceive of how someone might manage to muddle along without that sort of a safety net. For myself, a large part of my journey away from Christianity was the realization that the world is not as black and white as I once thought it was. A lot of questions don't necessarily have clear answers. There are a lot of things that I haven't made up my mind about. So when I'm asked this question, I usually respond by asking them to be more specific. I'm happy to discuss my beliefs on specific issues, but I'm not about to assign myself an all-encompassing label just to satisfy someone else's need for me to have one. Good insight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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