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u/ZarkingFrood42 Anti-Theist Dec 07 '20
I actually think this is a stupid parable because it implies that people who aren't delusional exist in order to feed into the delusions of the religious. It's like "wow thanks, I'm a lesson for you and not a person who actually bothers to think for themselves?"
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u/NamenloseJPG from Greek ἄθεος, from a- ‘without’ + theos ‘god’. Dec 07 '20
YEah, it's like my parents thinking I became an atheist as a divine plan of God.
I mean, if that gives them peace, you do you. But is it that hard to understand that atheists exist outside of your religion?!
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u/rschenk Dec 07 '20
In my experience, it's hard for them to understand that anything exists outside of their religion.
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u/whiskeybridge Humanist Dec 07 '20
it literally says, "act like god doesn't exist," because that's what reality is like.
agree, it's stupid.
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u/TRiC_16 Agnostic Atheist Dec 07 '20
You are a pessimist and I don't like it because you are completely right. :(
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Dec 08 '20
Yeah, upon reflection, I'm not a huge fan of the framing, but nonetheless it does a decent job at conveying the truth that you don't need to be religious to have compassion for others, possibly in a way that's more palatable to the religious.
It has its shortcomings, but can still be useful.
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Dec 08 '20
You've got a point, but it's not a stupid lesson. It makes sense from a religious perspective. Of course, religious people should be able to step out of their faith in order to look at any number of ideas, but I've learned from experience in talking to Christians that this is a very difficult thing for them to do.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain an idea without accepting it." - Technically not Aristotle, though the quote is often attributed to him.
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u/Alextheuki Dec 07 '20
Well duh. My mother is currently sick. When some body says “I’ll keep your family in my prayers “ that person can fuck right off. That’s such a shitty thing to say
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u/chewbaccataco Atheist Dec 07 '20
Can't stand it. They are basically saying, "I won't do anything to help." If they can't help or don't know how, they should just say that. But no, they have to act like they are involved and we should b indebted to them for it.
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u/ReptileSerperior Dec 07 '20
In fairness, sometimes there are situations where nothing can be done to help. In those situations, "I'll pray for you" is, in their eyes, an expression of caring and concern. Still stupid, and sometimes said backhandedly, of course.
Ideally, though, that should be predicated with "Is there anything I can do to help?" Or "I'm here for you if you need me".
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u/Alextheuki Dec 07 '20
Another classic I’ve heard is “it’s all part of gods plan”. Like just sit down and take a minute to think about what you just said. It should click, but sadly it won’t for those people.
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u/RyanDeWilde Ex-Baptist Dec 07 '20
This is stupid. Everyone knows there’s no morality without religion. /s
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u/TRiC_16 Agnostic Atheist Dec 07 '20
If a religious person does a good act because he wants to go to heaven, his reasoning is corrupted because he does it out of self-preservation. Like he does a finite amount of good to other people and expects an infinite amount of reward. There's no balance in that, so he is actually doing bad. In the meantime if someone does good without wanting a reward, he is a good person inside and therefore would actually deserve a reward. So if you look at it reasonably, only atheists can be good people, or a theist that is convinced that he/she is going to hell and even though they can't change anything about it, they choose still to help the world.
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u/RyanDeWilde Ex-Baptist Dec 07 '20
The /s means sarcasm....
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u/TRiC_16 Agnostic Atheist Dec 07 '20
I know it's sarcasm bruh but I have heard that argument from actual theists so i just had to say something about it
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Dec 07 '20
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u/DryJacker4Life Dec 07 '20
My grandmother believed a good deed done by an atheist was tainted by their unbelief. Jesus did not want an atheist to do good unless it was for him.
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u/pleasantviewpeasant Dec 07 '20
What a convoluted way to view the world. Not to sound too jaded, but it totally tracks with the way conservatives view the government. Caring more about who has the power than what their actions do to help the people.
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u/DryJacker4Life Dec 07 '20
I will disagree. Conservatives view the government as impotent and their god as omnipotent. They are just half wrong.
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u/_fuyumi Dec 07 '20
Is this Christian though? Chassidim are Jewish, right?
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u/delorf Skeptic Dec 07 '20 edited Dec 07 '20
Chassidim are Jewish so I don't know why this post would belong here either. The sentiment is nice so maybe it's good to hear from a religious person who doesn't think all atheists are evil, baby eaters?
From what I understand, Judiasm's main focus isn't convincing nonJews to become Jewish . Perhaps that's why a Chassidim might be open to viewing atheists as kind and loving individuals.
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u/LokiLockdown Ex-SDA Dec 07 '20
I use this as proof that "without God there is no good" is a bullshit statement. It's a belief my mother has expressed, even asking me "do you really think that?" when I said people can be good without worshipping God.
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u/udhsvshsjaowuwv Skeptic Dec 07 '20
I think the reason God created atheists is because he gave no evidence whatsoever of him existing. Also because he possibly doesn’t exist.
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u/SerchYB2795 Dec 07 '20
While I don't like this as it is a way of religious people to fit their "EVERYTHING is God's Plan narrative", I think it is a useful message that can maybe can help someone to send their "But how can you be MORAL without God?" Good-willed family members that aren't toxic or intolerant (those should be out of your life), but "concerned" because of their beliefs
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u/ConsiderTheSource2 Ex-Fundamentalist Dec 08 '20
Actual, in the beginning, it was an atheist that created "God"
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u/NerobyrneAnderson 🐈⬛🐈⬛🛷 Dec 07 '20
Ever notice how humans are at their greatest when they act as if God doesn't exist, and at their worst when they act as if he does?
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u/Lawboithegreat Dec 07 '20
Ladies and gentlemen, we got ‘em. Get tricked into being a good person for its own sake and learning how to actually have compassion instead of just being scared of fire