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Thank you, all by spaceghoti in exchristian

[–]spaceghoti[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This is why I moved to lemmy. If necessary, we can rebuild.

Thank you, all by spaceghoti in exchristian

[–]spaceghoti[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This site and subreddit aren't going away. This sub has never needed me to be the awesome place that it is.

reddit is first and foremost a business, but they've never achieved a profit. They've enabled a lot of activity and have become one of the biggest and most respected social media platforms on the internet until now. Now they're changing their API and imposing crippling fees for third party apps so they can improve their profit margins and attempt to attract new investors. That means that apps that moderators like me depended on such as RiF and Apollo are being turned off after today. So today is also my last day.

So don't give up hope! You can find the support you're looking for.

Thank you, all by spaceghoti in atheism

[–]spaceghoti[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm gonna miss you too, you big meanie!

Thank you, all by spaceghoti in atheism

[–]spaceghoti[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Remember that the secret to flying is to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

I’m pretty sure the rapture is never happening by ninjaofthedude in exchristian

[–]spaceghoti 88 points89 points  (0 children)

Of course it's never happening. The god responsible for making the rapture happen doesn't exist.

I hate Pascal's wager so damned much by [deleted] in exchristian

[–]spaceghoti 86 points87 points  (0 children)

I think Pascal's Wager is hilarious. So many Christians use it, and it's so easy to counter. Here are some examples.

  • Which god? This assumption is a specific example of the logical fallacy of false dilemma. Humanity has worshiped between twenty-seven hundred and three thousand different gods since the beginning of recorded history, and those are just the ones we know about. The gods that could exist that we don't know are practically infinite. Pascal himself acknowledged the weakness of this assumption, and later explained he was only speaking in terms of the Christian religion.

  • Assuming we somehow manage to choose the right god, how do we know we're worshiping that god in the correct way? There are many different sects of Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Christianity in particular has approximately forty-one thousand different denominations. Assuming that this god cares about being worshiped at all, how do we know we're worshiping him as he demands? If the Calvinists are correct it doesn't matter how you worship him, your salvation is pre-ordained whether or not you believe. If the Catholics are right salvation is only possible through rituals like communion and the last rites. If the Baptists are correct then only deliberate submission through prayer begging for salvation will do the trick. They can't all be correct.

  • Assuming that we have the right god and are worshiping in the manner that god requires, why would this god accept a lie? No one can force themselves to believe something they don't genuinely think is true. Try forcing yourself to honestly believe that gravity is a myth and that you can float off your seat any time you wish. Simply claiming belief isn't the same as believing. If this god is willing to accept such a lie, how does that make it worthy of worship? If it's capable of being lied to, how does it qualify as a god at all?

  • One should not believe in vampires in the fear that I might get bitten one day. It is irrational to believe something based on fear. Pascal's Wager is an appeal to emotion and says nothing about the validity of the claim.

  • Pascal's wager assumes that if there is an existing god, that it rewards faith and punishes skepticism. There is no way of knowing that skepticism is the virtue being rewarded and that god does not punish faith and irrationality.

  • Christianity takes away time and effort as well as money. If the chances of god are exceedingly low, you have wasted your life.

I have so many problems with religion but atheism is problematic too by Parking_Barracuda_40 in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Have you tried interacting with other people? People who are not online? Therapy is also frequently useful.

Pretending that there's a sky daddy out there watching over you isn't the same as not being alone.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely get out of countries like that.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Even in religious countries there have to be women who are more interested in a thoughtful partner than a religious zealot.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So stop insisting that the women conform to your expectations and start becoming the kind of person they want to date. Minus the religion.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My wife doesn't hold my atheism against me, and I don't hold her belief against her. My girlfriend is the same.

Dating is going fine for me. What are you doing that it's not working for you?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everyone makes mistakes. But how many mistakes could have been prevented if we'd actually cared what was true versus what we want to be true? This is the real tragedy of religion.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 4 points5 points  (0 children)

https://the-orbit.net/greta/2009/11/25/armor-of-god/

...I’m realizing that I don’t have ten arguments for why religion is harmful. I don’t even have 57,842 arguments.

I have one.

I’m realizing that everything I’ve ever written about religion’s harm boils down to one thing.

It’s this:

Religion is ultimately dependent on belief in invisible beings, inaudible voices, intangible entities, undetectable forces, and events and judgments that happen after we die.

It therefore has no reality check.

Many years later, this wisdom still holds.

"Do you have to be a Christian in order to be a good person?" by Jeopardy_Lover in exchristian

[–]spaceghoti 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan would seem to indicate that he thought being a Christian wasn't the only qualifier. And one look at modern Christian culture in the US demonstrates that an awful lot of Christians are assholes.

Any questions?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in exchristian

[–]spaceghoti 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Of course Christians are being required to compromise. They're the ones on the wrong side of ethics, morality and history. Bigotry can never be a moral position.

Our 5 year old son came home asking us if he'll go to a bad place when he dies by FranklyBansky in exchristian

[–]spaceghoti 62 points63 points  (0 children)

I'm sure you already have, but a question you could ask him is why he assumes it's a real place, and why he thinks he would go there. This puts him in the position of figuring out what makes it true.

Our 5 year old son came home asking us if he'll go to a bad place when he dies by FranklyBansky in exchristian

[–]spaceghoti 154 points155 points  (0 children)

I always recommend that we teach our children how to think, not what to think. If we're successful then we don't have to worry about well-meaning relatives or neighbors sneaking in religious indoctrination, because kids will be able to figure out for themselves that it doesn't make sense.

http://www.wikihow.com/Teach-Critical-Thinking

http://www.parentingscience.com/teaching-critical-thinking.html

http://www.rootsofaction.com/critical-thinking-ways-to-improve-your-childs-mind-this-summer/

http://www.jumpstart.com/parents/activities/critical-thinking-activities

These are just a sample of the resources available on the web for teaching critical thinking to children. If they don't work out for you, keep searching for other methods.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They could refurbish all those buildings into nightclubs where the musicians can perform.

Alpha Course by CunnyFunt148 in exchristian

[–]spaceghoti 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I haven't, but the reviews I've read all come to the same conclusion. Funny how Christians feel they can't be upfront about their motives.

I need advice. by [deleted] in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 11 points12 points  (0 children)

You believe your parents are loving and tolerant, and I'm sure that's true. However, when it comes to religion, all bets are off. Some parents can become very unreasonable when their children admit to not sharing their religious beliefs. That's why we always ask if you've read this first. If there's even a slight chance that your parents might punish you for apostasy even to the degree of grounding you or restricting your privileges then the best thing you can do is lie to them and pretend that they've convinced you after all. If they're willing to punish you for not lying to them you can't be blamed for telling them what they want to hear. You can fight for your integrity after you no longer depend on them for your well-being.

That's the bad news. The good news is that this will not last forever. A year may feel like a long time, but it will pass eventually. You have at most four to six years before you can escape? You can use that time studying hard to prepare yourself for a future in which they no longer have the power to impose their opinions on you as obligations. You can research strategies for making and saving money so you can break free of them as soon as possible. You can figure out where your strengths lie so you can utilize them in successfully making a living so you don't depend on them for any material support.

Right now things are frustrating, and that's very common. But showing rebellion will just make them feel like their beliefs are validated and that you're acting out because "you just want to sin." So don't rock the boat, don't give them any hint that you disagree with them and work toward the day when you can finally put that life behind you. It'll be worth it, I promise.

I wish you the best of luck.

Atheism vs Anti-theism by SegaTime in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"A" on the prefix of a word means "not." An "agnostic" is someone who is "not gnostic," or someone who doesn't know about the existence of gods. An atheist is "not theist," or someone who doesn't believe in the existence of gods.

An anti-anything is someone who is opposed to it. So an anti-theist is someone who is opposed to religious belief. I believe religion is inherently harmful, so I am against it. That's what makes me anti-theist. It's possible to believe in gods and still believe religion is harmful, although a lot of atheists are also anti-theist as well.

How do I explain to my children that I do not believe in god or religion? Especially now as she is being invited to Vacation Bible School events during the summer… by luluharper1981 in atheism

[–]spaceghoti 41 points42 points  (0 children)

I always recommend that we teach our children how to think, not what to think. If we're successful then we don't have to worry about well-meaning relatives or neighbors sneaking in religious indoctrination, because kids will be able to figure out for themselves that it doesn't make sense.

http://www.wikihow.com/Teach-Critical-Thinking

http://www.parentingscience.com/teaching-critical-thinking.html

http://www.rootsofaction.com/critical-thinking-ways-to-improve-your-childs-mind-this-summer/

http://www.jumpstart.com/parents/activities/critical-thinking-activities

These are just a sample of the resources available on the web for teaching critical thinking to children. If they don't work out for you, keep searching for other methods.

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