Any Atheist here?

[Snoopy]

Fundy Declared Lost In Comparative Studies Forum

[Silas]

Sorry guys, I had forgot that I posted this. I spoke to some other athesist and got the answers I was looking for. Thanks for your willingness to help though!

God Bless,

Silas

[Vajradhara]

Namaste Silas,

thank you for the post.

Originally Posted by Silas

I am trying to put myself in the mind of a person who does not believe in God and so I'd like some help from the atheist, please. Would you answer the following questions, please?

i'll presume that you are referring to a Creator Deity and proceed from there. please let me know if my assumption is incorrect.

What makes you get up on morning?

usually a full bladder.

if you are asking what is my motivation for continuing to arise and engage in the activities of life i would say that belief in a god has no bearing on this whatsoever. i find motivation to arise and engage in life activies based upon my own understanding of the Buddha Dharma and what it means to put the teachings into practice.

Why are you still living?

my karmic energy has not been expended for this arising yet. when it does, this arising will cease.

It is just as easy that you may die at any time, what keeps you alive?

death is the fate of all living beings, just like being born and there is equally no reason to fear it. as i explained, when my karmic energy is expended this being will cease to arise.

i'm happy to elaborate if you'd like

metta,

~v

[Snoopy]

Hi,

A full bladder and karmic energy within one post. There's erudition for you

s.

[wil]

Is a full bladder karmic energy or kinetic?

[Snoopy]

Hi,

It's definitely karmic. You sew beer and reap... well, let's just say you reap.

s.

[wil]

Interesting analogy developing...if you withhold does not the kinetic energy increase....

So does it follow that when one trys to avoid or hold off karmic responses, they increase?

[Snoopy]

this is sounding a bit tantric, maybe Vaj would be best placed to spill the er, beans...

s.

[cyberpi]

Originally Posted by Nick the Pilot

Emanationism sees the appearance of our universe as more than a random conbination of atoms. Atoms, when left to themselves, go into a state of entropy. The universe seems to be going in an opposite direction.

Are you sure? Where does there seem to be perpetual motion? The trip appears to be in one direction so far.

[China Cat Sunflower]

A lot of people have adopted the title "atheist" simply to distinguish themselves from what they understand as the defacto anthropomorphic, monotheistic concept of "God." I don't believe "God" is dude with a cranky personality who controls the weather, therefore, perhaps, I'm an atheist. What if I believe the "God" is a benevolent force which guides the universe? Am I an atheist? Well, it depends on who's slicing the lemon, doesn't it?

Chris

[Vajradhara]

Namaste Chris,

indeed, it is not too fine a point you are making.. the defintion of "atheist" is quite dependent upon what a person defines as the deity in question. it is, of course, quite correct that a monotheist would consider someone that didn't believe in their conception of deity as an atheist.. but, you could worship a different god.. which rather compounds the problem, so to speak.

it is somewhat difficult to begin every conversation about ones belief in god by asking the other person what they believe so that you can know if you are even talking about the same things! a certain presumption is allowed for, i think, in these sorts of dialogs provided that one is willing to answer the question again if their presumption was incorrect

as a Buddhist, it is quite clear that the Suttas contain many teachings related to deities and their roles and functions.. as a rational sort of person that has no experience of said deities, i find myself to be somewhat reserved in my view of such. in terms of my own practice, their existence or lack thereof is irrelevant and probably isn't worth spending a whole of lot of time thinking about; but i am darned curious!

metta,

~v

[Nick the Pilot]

Chris,

If you are saying there is no creator deity who likes to receive praise, I am with you all the way.

Vajradhara,

As a matter of fact, I was reading up on Nirmanakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Dharmakaya today. Fascinating reading.

[Eudaimonist]

Originally Posted by Silas

What makes you get up on morning?

I love life. I love being human. I love being the individual I am.

Because of this love and the recognition of what I am, I value my personal flourishing. I value my self-actualization, growth, fulfillment, and happiness.

I must select specific values in order to achieve these abstract values. And so I have chosen a career in computer programming because this makes good use of my talents -- it allows me to self-actualize, and I find fulfillment the use of my mind in this way. I have chosen a special woman, to whom I am now married.

I have chosen many goals, both long-term and short-term, arranged in a heirarchy of means to ends, that give me reasons to get up in the morning.

Why are you still living?

Because my life is my existence. Why would non-existence be preferable? There are no values in non-existnece, yet there are values in existence. So I choose existence.

It is just as easy that you may die at any time, what keeps you alive?

To live before I die at any time. Life is an end-in-itself, not merely a means to something else. Life may be erased with death, but not its value to me right now.


eudaimonia,

Mark

[Eudaimonist]

Originally Posted by -James-

I'm not sure. I did try, but it didn't work.

You can't "try" to become an atheist, as if through an act of will. Of course that will never work.

You can only be persuaded into being an atheist after doing a lot of critical examination of your own belief system. Many atheists describe their path to atheist enlightenment as "taking down a wall, brick by brick". It is normally a long process, and requires much thought and questioning.


eudaimonia,

Mark

[Ciel]

Originally Posted by Eudaimonist

I love life. I love being human. I love being the individual I am.

Because of this love and the recognition of what I am, I value my personal flourishing. I value my self-actualization, growth, fulfillment, and happiness.

eudaimonia,

Mark

Salutations Eudaimonist,

This is absolute soul nourishment and celebration in telling how it is............ and I love it...... with a rosy glow I love it....... with all the knowledge of all the good books and belief systems in the world, these are nothing without love and appreciation of self, and the strengh to stand in support of self-actualization.

Viva-Viva. - c -