What is the point of searching for a purpose of life?

[Scott Mayers]

Compared to the many theists I have had (and current do have) personal relationships with, I can only conclude that the currently most vocal theists on this site have something seriously distorted and corrupted about them. I have never seen such childishness, idiocy, ego, projection, and contempt such as they continually demonstrate. These few who speak of knowing god in one capacity or another, reflect all of the darker aspects warned of by religious teachings, and NONE of the light! They simply keep trying to claw their way to the top of some imaginary heap of their own deluded making, and bathe themselves continually in their own putrid ooze.

Their delusions are of very limited value to engage in. Doing so only seems to feed them and encourage them to spew more. At least they serve as a good warning of the self-serving absurdities that humans can convince themselves of. They falsely claim to have such specific knowledge of atheists (an extraordinarily diverse and immense range of people), and yet they demonstrate a complete lack of awareness (and focus) about their own god. That their agenda is really all about glorifying themselves is completely transparent. Although it can be shocking to see that there are people like this, it explains a lot about the ways humankind remains stuck by its intoxication with itself, rather than realizing that there is SO MUCH MORE BEYOND IT, AND THAT IT IS A PART OF A LARGER SYSTEM. I suspect that a RAMP UP in psychotic delusional behavior is in response to an equally powerful force of transformation that is evolving our consciousness... which clearly threatens the old and limited as it brings in the new and expanded. Those who can't shift/evolve and accept their place WITHIN a larger system, will try to destroy everything that they see as a threat to their own delusional glory.

I understand your pessimism but still have hope that even with others input we can find a means to solve such apparent differences. We need to grant "charity" to others views if only to try to understand where they are coming from. It is this that we can achieve a better real solution rather than insulting them as defective.

[attofishpi]

Compared to the many theists I have had (and current do have) personal relationships with, I can only conclude that the currently most vocal theists on this site have something seriously distorted and corrupted about them. I have never seen such childishness, idiocy, ego, projection, and contempt such as they continually demonstrate. These few who speak of knowing god in one capacity or another, reflect all of the darker aspects warned of by religious teachings, and NONE of the light! They simply keep trying to claw their way to the top of some imaginary heap of their own deluded making, and bathe themselves continually in their own putrid ooze.

Their delusions are of very limited value to engage in. Doing so only seems to feed them and encourage them to spew more. At least they serve as a good warning of the self-serving absurdities that humans can convince themselves of. They falsely claim to have such specific knowledge of atheists (an extraordinarily diverse and immense range of people), and yet they demonstrate a complete lack of awareness (and focus) about their own god. That their agenda is really all about glorifying themselves is completely transparent. Although it can be shocking to see that there are people like this, it explains a lot about the ways humankind remains stuck by its intoxication with itself, rather than realizing that there is SO MUCH MORE BEYOND IT, AND THAT IT IS A PART OF A LARGER SYSTEM. I suspect that a RAMP UP in psychotic delusional behavior is in response to an equally powerful force of transformation that is evolving our consciousness... which clearly threatens the old and limited as it brings in the new and expanded. Those who can't shift/evolve and accept their place WITHIN a larger system, will try to destroy everything that they see as a threat to their own delusional glory.

I understand your pessimism but still have hope that even with others input we can find a means to solve such apparent differences. We need to grant "charity" to others views if only to try to understand where they are coming from. It is this that we can achieve a better real solution rather than insulting them as defective.

Yes i agree.

We shouldn't cry and go boo-hoo when the obvious is pointed out by those that have a different POV. We shouldn't base our arguments that God doesn't exist on presumptions that if 'HE' existed he would be a loving fatherly figure that would PANDER to our every needs here on little Earth.
And we shouldn't call those that point these obvious flaws in such foolish atheist arguments, idiots that project contempt.
And....And...we should NOT get upset when THEISTS don't follow the traditional religious line and provide this simple shining LIGHT story, that doesnt suit the little flame of spirituality that still resides.....in....??

[Lacewing]

I understand your pessimism but still have hope that even with others input we can find a means to solve such apparent differences. We need to grant "charity" to others views if only to try to understand where they are coming from. It is this that we can achieve a better real solution rather than insulting them as defective.

I agree with you Scott.

Whether a person is a theist or atheist or anything else does not define them for me. But if they are judging ME and others based on such superficial ideas/labels, they're already so way off base that it seems pointless to continue to engage with them at a certain point. I think people can have meaningful discussion regardless of their differing viewpoints IF THEY ACCEPT that's it's OKAY AND GOOD to have differing opinions/beliefs/perspectives AND IF THEY DON'T CONDEMN another for having differing ones. It's that lack of acceptance and condemning behavior that seems distorted and corrupt.

All atheists don't think, and aren't, anything in particular... just as all theists don't think, and aren't, anything in particular. From my perspective... a FEW of the people on this site who identify themselves with a god, do not represent that god in any way that I've ever seen a god represented before -- and from their BEHAVIOR, I honestly cannot even see what the appeal is. It doesn't inspire or impress me in any way. It truly seems very ego/self-centered. So, okay... I can have compassion for that... perhaps they don't know any better. But it's nearly impossible to have a meaningful conversation with anyone who puts themselves on a superior platform and cannot stop projecting their condemnations and judgments on the other person. Because they're really just interacting with their own delusion for their own benefit.

ANYONE who can have a discussion without thinking that they are in a position to define what is true and right for everyone else would be a very interesting person to talk with.

[Gustav Bjornstrand]

And boring as all hell.

The solution to your 'issue' is to be stronger than anyone's assessment or 'judgment', to not to care, to become immune, and too - if you desire to and if you can - to articulate counter-positions.

Assessing, weighing, 'judging', are vital activities and ones you and everyone engage in and must engage in.

To engage with ideas, one must move off of the emotional platform.

To 'emote ideas' leads to an emotional morass from which itbis hard to exit.

[The Inglorious One]

I understand your pessimism but still have hope that even with others input we can find a means to solve such apparent differences. We need to grant "charity" to others views if only to try to understand where they are coming from. It is this that we can achieve a better real solution rather than insulting them as defective.

Funny. All I see is a vacuous and emotion-ladened rant laced with bitterness, sanctimonious self-righteousness, and self-pity.

[Lacewing]

And there we have it... more of the same and the apparently insurmountable divide.

[The Inglorious One]

We shouldn't cry and go boo-hoo when the obvious is pointed out by those that have a different POV.

We shouldn't base our arguments that God doesn't exist on presumptions that if 'HE' existed he would be a loving fatherly figure that would PANDER to our every needs here on little Earth.

And we shouldn't call those that point these obvious flaws in such foolish atheist arguments, idiots that project contempt.

And....And...we should NOT get upset when THEISTS don't follow the traditional religious line and provide this simple shining LIGHT story, that doesnt suit the little flame of spirituality that still resides.....in....??

Good points, but I do plead guilty of having contempt for those atheists who are sanctimonious and viciously vacuous or have pride in their assumed logical and rational minds while, at the same time, they deny the logical consequences of their atheism.

[Gustav Bjornstrand]

Well, in any case, my position remains pretty much the same. It goes like this: Understand the differening predicates that underpin the differing positions. Unless one really loves to scrap and bicker all the time, I can't see any other alternative. Hate each other, but hate in style ...

The other dimensions of this are more difficult, and more important, and they connect to other issues not immediately realted to the question of religion, faith and belief. These are political questions but perhaps 'meta-political' is the word. I suggest that this is why the issues are bitter and have that bitter element. It does indeed have to do with 'imposition' and also with power and the application of power. Since I desire to turn against, and in any sense to challenge and to question all the positions of 'radical liberalism' (I place Leo, Hobbes, Lacewing, Uwot in this camp, generally speaking, and by that I mean that based on their self-declarations this is where they place themselves), it is not surprising to me that people will oppose me, with with some bitterness and - necessarily at least from their perspective - some emotional force.

And then the whole conversation, warts and all, conflict and polemic and all, tirades and tantrums even, is made to serve my purpose. I don't mean by that that people dance to my tune but rather that as each element is brought out it serves the purpose I have established for my own discourse: To turn the lens around and examine the examiners.

[Lacewing]

I do plead guilty of having contempt for those atheists who are sanctimonious and viciously vacuous or have pride in their assumed logical and rational minds while, at the same time, they deny the logical consequences of their atheism.

Do you have as much contempt for theists "who are sanctimonious and viciously vacuous or have pride in their assumed logical and rational minds while, at the same time, they deny the logical consequences of their" beliefs?

[The Inglorious One]

That may be all well and true, Gustav, but after a while it just gets boring. Atheists in general, not just here, have no fresh insight to proffer, no new arguments to titillate the mind.

[The Inglorious One]

I do plead guilty of having contempt for those atheists who are sanctimonious and viciously vacuous or have pride in their assumed logical and rational minds while, at the same time, they deny the logical consequences of their atheism.

Do you have as much contempt for theists "who are sanctimonious and viciously vacuous or have pride in their assumed logical and rational minds while, at the same time, they deny the logical consequences of their" beliefs?

At least they are not vacuous. Otherwise, I honestly think that's where you got your habits from.

[Gustav Bjornstrand]

"Ok, we're bored!"

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[uwot]

...I do plead guilty of having contempt for those atheists who are sanctimonious and viciously vacuous or have pride in their assumed logical and rational minds while, at the same time, they deny the logical consequences of their atheism.

This looks like fun. Tell me, Inglorious One, just what are the logical consequences of my atheism that I deny?

[The Inglorious One]

"Ok, we're bored!"

Sorry, couldn't resist.

ROFLMAO!!! Great! I Love it! How apropos! I'm gonna download the full version. Thank you.

[The Inglorious One]

...I do plead guilty of having contempt for those atheists who are sanctimonious and viciously vacuous or have pride in their assumed logical and rational minds while, at the same time, they deny the logical consequences of their atheism.

This looks like fun. Tell me, Inglorious One, just what are the logical consequences of my atheism that I deny?

Been said. I'm not gonna repeat myself.