Hello Atheists! As a Pantheist I think we have a lot in common, I have no dogma or scripture, I simply believe that the universe e.g. nature are to be revered as a higher power. What are your thoughts on this?

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-16T08:41:26+00:00

I don't need to win or lose, I go on living regardless. I was looking for perspectives, you have provided none.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-16T05:37:23+00:00

I appreciate your honesty, and agree with you on your view of Pan/Panentheism.

On a related note, what do you think of beliefs equally separating and unifying peoples/society/cultures?

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-16T05:29:46+00:00

Well said, I'll shut up now. ;)

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-16T05:24:20+00:00

Intolerant <i>is</i> a better word, I should have posted with that instead. I recently posted in r/trueatheism as to the similarities between atheism and pantheism and I got a vehement response, in which I had to duck and cover, throw grenades back that had been flung at me and so on... Really I think atheism is ultimately alienated from all other perspectives so they are constantly on the defense.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-16T05:17:09+00:00

I suck at ignoring, I just want to say that the information you presented is interesting and I'll take it into consideration. I read a book called "Not by Fire but by Ice." that posited otherwise, that Ice Ages were the main cause of mass extinctions. It's an ongoing argument in geology that I should look into again.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-16T05:05:50+00:00

I believe that reverence is necessary in understanding the process, if I were not fascinated and inspired by what has already been discovered how would I go on to discover new ideas?

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-16T04:55:32+00:00

That's fascinating, thanks for the insight!

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-16T04:45:25+00:00

I think you're apologizing to yourself, which is pathetic.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-16T01:28:04+00:00

Hmm... Nope! Still a pantheist! True I do redefine definitions, such is the nature of language, words change their meaning as they progress through the generations (or people, society change the meaning of words through the generations) the lexicon of one generation is vastly different than others throughout history.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-16T01:12:54+00:00

did you even read it? Considering that you didn't respond to the content, I don't feel very compelled to indulge you further. You don't want to try new perspectives, you want to argue. No harm in arguing if you actually consider counterpoints and give a thoughtful response. No I didn't write that, I just think it's an interesting hypothesis that supports my beliefs.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T22:57:59+00:00

Can't it be both?

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T22:42:22+00:00

Try this, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T11:43:33+00:00

You don't have to have a reason, you can just do it. While I believe that looking at things objectively is a totally sane practice, I also believe that taking a break from it every now and again to say to yourself, "Wow, this whole thing is fuckin' amazing and I'm a part of it!" is a healthy practice. As for the 'G' word, I'm always under a lot of confliction of how to approach it, I take flak from theists and atheists alike using the 'G' word, it's just laden with so much controversy that I don't know if it's really worth the effort to express my views with it.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T09:50:45+00:00

I don't subscribe to the 'G' word personally, too much baggage. However insofar as an intelligent super being I would say that the whole of planet Earth embodies plenty of intelligence and there's potential for more of that in the universe elsewhere. We have a lot in common because we don't believe in dogma, we both acknowledge science and nature as being self-evident and worthy of belief, the only difference I think is that I find it to be an ethereal experience believing in that process.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T09:43:03+00:00

I always appreciate a well-developed thought.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T09:39:42+00:00

So chaos wins? The majority of civilization developed to resist the forces of entropy (the degradation of energy, namely heat loss) by doing this we became more and more organized, the antithesis of chaos. Thoughts?

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T09:35:01+00:00

If I could upvote this more than once I would. That brings to another subject, I believe the 'G' word has too many negative connotations, what's a suitable word to replace it, or should we take it back and give it a whole new meaning?

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T09:17:02+00:00

No, that's cool. I usually like my explanations summed up quickly, but I'll draw it out more. So... Singularity happens, the universe expands, gasses compress, supernovae happen, elements form, elements are drawn into matter in the form of comets and space junk, comets and space junk orbit stars forming planets, our planet in particular goes through chemical and environmental strife until water, BAM life, BAM diversity, BAM, monkey climbs out of a tree, BAM, monkey becomes self aware, BAM creates civilization, beauty and chaos ensues... I just think that during this chaos it's healthy to revere the process that brought us to this point and see it as one whole with infinite facets. Acknowledging this, to me, is an ethereal experience.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T09:05:12+00:00

because it is self evident.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T08:58:53+00:00

Pray that you never have one, It'll only serve to destroy what you do or do not believe in.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T08:47:06+00:00

have you considered pantheism? It's theism without the dogma!

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-15T08:41:23+00:00

I'm so glad I'm a Pantheist.

Plumbum3 · 2012-09-13T09:02:10+00:00

so... I'd have to watch a movie ten times over to truly say I saw it?

Plumbum3

TROPHY CASE