It’s not uncommon to hear some people characterize atheism as a religion. Is it? It depends, in part, on how one defines religion. That’s a tricky subject that does not have widespread agreement. Be that as it may, I think most people would say atheism can’t be categorized as a religion because religions worship deities, and atheism explicitly denies the existence of any deity. However, that’s not accurate. Most forms of Buddhism could be categorized as atheist or agnostic. There is no worship of any deity, and yet Buddhism is properly categorized as a religion.
That said, I don’t think atheism should be categorized as a religion. There are no “cult” practices, for example. There is no set of moral principles that atheists are bound to. Atheism is just an answer to a single question: Does God exist? A point of view on a single issue does not constitute a religion. It is not robust enough. And while it’s true that this question is properly categorized as a religious question, that doesn’t mean that every answer is a religious answer or constitutes a religion. Atheists answer the question in the negative. They do not think God exists. So atheism is a negative claim about what does not exist. How can a claim about what does not exist constitute a religion? Surely religions make positive claims about what does exist, not negative claims about what does not. As a meme I once saw expressed, if atheism is a religion, then “off” is a TV channel.
While atheism should not be categorized as a religion, could it be categorized as a worldview? Once again, one might argue that atheism is not a worldview because worldviews entail positive claims about reality and encompass a wide range of beliefs such as origins, morality, what’s wrong with the world, and where we are headed. Atheism expresses a negative point of view on just a single issue. Furthermore, most worldviews have a single answer to each worldview question, but atheists differ in how they answer basic worldview questions. Some atheists would consider themselves humanists, while others are nihilists or something else. If atheists can embrace other worldviews, then atheism is not a worldview in itself. For all of these reasons, I do not think atheism is properly categorized as a worldview.
Having said that, I do think that atheism has worldview implications. When you deny the existence of God, many things seem to follow from that. It affects ones view of origins, morality, humanity, meaning and purpose, what’s wrong with the world, and where we are headed. A world without God looks very different from a world with God. So while atheism is not a worldview proper, it does have worldview implications that atheists need to work through and defend.
At least that’s the way I see it. If you disagree, share your reasoning in the comments. I’m open to changing my mind.
February 8, 2022 at 4:05 pm
Jason, a common thread in transhumanism is atheism and in my opinion & research, transhumanism is evil, heartless and straight from the mind of satan………it props up godless atheistic humans to assume that they can be mini-gods and control the sheeple through AI or depop, so they can – in their minds – live forever….which of course they cannot.
Atheism has the potential of much evil because as you alluded to, they have no measurement of morality or distinction between good & evil.
LikeLike
February 8, 2022 at 10:17 pm
Atheism – or individual Atheists – have a clear measure of morality available to them, as well as a valid distinction between good and evil. Just because their demonstrable source does not agree with your invisible (imaginary ?) ones, does not make them invalid. 😯
LikeLiked by 4 people
February 9, 2022 at 5:33 am
“Having said that, I do think that atheism has worldview implications. When you deny the existence of God, many things seem to follow from that. It affects ones view of origins, morality, humanity, meaning and purpose, what’s wrong with the world, and where we are headed. A world without God looks very different from a world with God. So while atheism is not a worldview proper, it does have worldview implications that atheists need to work through and defend.”
So, since atheists have all sorts of different worldviews, how does that work in to your claim that atheism “has worldview implications”? You seem to be implying that all atheists should come to similar conclusions and that is not the case.
One also has to wonder how morality is involved then, since atheists also don’t agree on morality any more than Christains or other theists do. They all pick and choose what they want to pretend their god wants, and not one can show their version is correct. So claiming that the world would somehow look “different” is nonsense since Christians can’t agree on what this god’s influence would do.
They also often have the problem that they have no problem with their gods doing things that they would, hopefully, find abhorrent if a human did them. This makes their morality entirely subjective and nothing more than might equals right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 9, 2022 at 7:26 am
To Archon’s Den,
In my 50+ years of experiencing Jesus Christ’s loving kindness, guidance and miracles, as well as His wise & righteous statutes that has sustained me through life’s highs & lows, joy & sorrows, there is nothing imaginary about Him. I have found that He is absolutely God and absolutely real.
Archon’s Den, would you like to share why you feel that God is imaginary? If that is too personal to share, I understand.
LikeLike
February 9, 2022 at 9:33 am
Elaine, most, if not every, theist makes the exact same claims as you. Your baseless claims are no more evidence for a god than theirs.
I’m not Arch, but since there is no evidence for any god, there is no reason to think that some god, especially the many many invented by Christians, are real.
LikeLiked by 2 people
February 9, 2022 at 10:28 am
Hi Clubschaden,
That of course is your opinion. Just because you have chosen not to open your heart to see, feel and experience Jesus Christ for yourself does not disqualify me from experiencing His Way, Truth and Life…..and in doing so, I look forward with intense excitement for the life in eternity following this short life on Earth….Oh Happy Day it will be! 🙂
LikeLike
February 9, 2022 at 11:30 am
No, Elaine, it isn’t my opinion that most theists make the same claims as you do. It’s quite easy to fill in the blank with your own words “In my 50+ years of experiencing Allah’s (Vishnu’s, Ahura-Mazda’s, Wakan Tanka, Goddess, etc) loving kindness, guidance and miracles, as well as His wise & righteous statutes that has sustained me through life’s highs & lows, joy & sorrows, there is nothing imaginary about Him. I have found that He is absolutely God and absolutely real.”
I was a Christian Elaine, and I know the song and dance of the religion. That christians all make up their god in their image is quite the tell that there is no reason to think any of these versions are real.
So, if you are so interested in going to heaven, you should volunteer to remove land mines, and cluster bomblets. It would be a great help and you could get to heaven faster. I know you would refuse since most Christians are just as interested in living as long as they can, considering how they clamor for care in hospitals to extend those lives.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 9, 2022 at 12:02 pm
Hi ClubSchaden,
Again, your opinion.
As for my life, I love my life on Earth, I am so thankful for breath in my body and my heart that beats. I love my husband, kids, grandkids & extended family & friends and I am thankful for every new person I meet & befriend.
I am not looking to escape this present life, but I do look forward to the eternal life that follows.
I have no fear of death whatsoever…and I have almost died many times.
I have no idea why you assume that I clamor for care in the hospital….you should not assume so much about people who you do not know.
Going to the hospital is the last resort for me….especially when I was in labor with my babies, and had Stage 4 sepsis……..for those reasons I was happy to go to the hospital…..other than that, I tend to depend on natural remedies, which got me through covid and other illnesses.
Back in 2007 I experienced 2 broken elbows and a few days later I was prayed for in Church and they were completely healed instantly…..my Kaiser orthopedic surgeon had to admit that when I went in for my appointment that next day….especially when viewing the before & after x-rays.
Thank You Jesus!!!!
So you said that you were a Christian?
Can you share what denomination you were a part of?
I was raised Greek Orthodox in Oakland & Berkeley and Jesus Christ led me down a more Biblical path of truth in which I was delivered from drug addiction, criminal activity & craziness, and I was born-again of water & Spirit in an Apostolic church in San Jose back in 1976 and it miraculously forever changed my life.
I have never looked back, but I have used my former painful experiences to work with addicts and PTSD Military Veterans at VA Hospitals for many years.
Jesus Christ has given me such compassion for the hurting…..it is His compassion working through me….His love is so awesome & pure.
No power on Earth could persuade me that Jesus Christ is not the one true God and how He changed me and how much I love Him.
I have seen so much, experienced so much and have felt such a great love from Him that will connect me to Him forever…..it’s a love that cannot be denied….it’s so beautiful….even in this crazy world, His love sustains.
I hope you find that same love as well……it is for all who desire it.
LikeLike
February 9, 2022 at 2:13 pm
i agree that would depend on how you define religion and worldview. i’d define capitalism as a worldview and i’ve heard many others do the same.
atheism has similarities to both a religion and a worldview. the biggest indicator of a religion is how idiotic their most fervent advocates defend it. many even changed “atheist” to “new atheist” to score points in arguments instead of saying i’m agnostic. and they do have a “conception of the world” which matches the dictionary definition of worldview.
and to be balanced —- i’ve meet many normal “new atheists” & their are many idiotic religious people out there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 9, 2022 at 9:03 pm
Great posts, Sister Elaine!
LikeLike
February 9, 2022 at 9:14 pm
@Archon’s Den writes:
Jason didn’t say that atheists do not have or live by a moral code, nor did he toss all atheists into one worldview box. Indeed, he denies that atheism is either a religion or a worldview.
Nonetheless, he is correct to point out that the denial of God’s existence affects how one views the world. Whatever your morals or philosophy, if God isn’t the basis thereof, you must on rational terms account for your definition of morality, why it is binding on anybody but yourself, and why you think the authority of reason is successfully accounted for. And because atheism, though not a worldview in itself, has worldview implications, an atheist is thus under a rational obligation to defend those implications.
LikeLike
February 9, 2022 at 9:57 pm
@Club writes:
I don’t read Jason’s comments as saying that at all. Your view of origins, morality, humanity, meaning and purpose, whatever conclusions you come to about each, are related to your non-belief in God. That’s all.
If there is no God, then meaning and purpose are subjective. That all may be well and good, but it is easy to see why one influences the other. There is no over-arching plan or divine will for each person’s life, so everybody chooses what’s best for them. That of course has moral implications because if meaning and purpose are subjective, how can morality be objective? What’s best for you might harm somebody else. Is it or isn’t it permissible for you to harm another? Why? As you note, atheists differ in that some of them readily acknowledge the subjective nature of morality while others insist that there’s an objective basis thereof. The latter, of course, are then rationally obligated to provide an account why morality is binding on all persons. The former, of course, have no basis to object because if morality is subjective, then the “offending” party isn’t doing anything wrong.
In other words, what justification does one offer for the authority/non-authority of reason and the binding or non-binding nature of our moral prescriptions? If the mind is purely the consequence of chemical reactions in the brain, then choice is illusory. Our thoughts, choices and arguments are thus determined beyond our ability to control which of course makes argument pointless. Moreover, it makes our actions resulting from said thoughts equally determined which puts humans on a moral plane with the animal kingdom. We do not ascribe morality to animals because they exercise no choice. And regardless where the atheist goes with respect to intelligence and morality, the fact is that his answers to these questions are directly the consequence of his non-belief in God.
The theist, on the other hand, can answer all of these questions quite easily. If God exists, then He is the cause of the universe. Since all effects resemble their cause formally, virtually or eminently, it follows that the universe is orderly and uniform. And since God is rational and free, it is then no surprise that at least one of His creatures is rational and free, namely, humans. Moreover, man being free and rational, his choices have moral consequences. And being rational, he can be persuaded by good arguments and spot bad ones. All of this makes sense under a theistic paradigm.
Now, as noted above, atheists who affirm the objectivity of morality think that their defense of the same is sufficient without reference to God. The point of the above is not to argue those issues (for that would be off topic). I merely raise them to illustrate why atheism influences one’s worldview (thus, agreeing with Jason’s argument). All he said and all I am saying is that atheism definitely influences your worldview even if it isn’t a worldview in itself.
LikeLike
February 9, 2022 at 10:22 pm
Dear Brother Scalia,
Thank you for your kind reply to me, as well as your dissertation on this topic. Had I been an atheist and read what you just wrote, you would have really caused me to question my stance on the non-existence of God and it would have opened my heart for questions regarding the possibility that he did exist.
Scalia, at one point in my life 3 years before I was born-again, I did call myself an Atheist for a short time…and that was due to my life being in utter chaos because of terrible choices I made and being deeply hurt by certain people who proved to be really bad friends.
In other words, I was living a sinful life and I blamed God for the pain I reaped and I denied His existence……..but how could I blame Him if He didn’t exist?
What a conundrum…………………so at age 19 I fell to my lowest-low in life and with bitter tears, I begged Him to prove His existence to me and help me to get on the right path…………and He did……PRAISE be to Jesus Christ, our merciful and gracious God!
I am forever grateful!!!!😊🙏🏼👍🏼
LikeLike
February 10, 2022 at 6:13 am
So, if It’s only my opinion that most theists make the same claims as you do, Elaine, then why could I demonstrate it with evidence? Why was it so easy to just fill in your claim with any god?
So, now you love your life on earth, but you claimed this “nd in doing so, I look forward with intense excitement for the life in eternity following this short life on Earth….Oh Happy Day it will be!” How unsurprising. It’s always fun to see Christians suddenly realize how much they want to be here when I ask them to sacrifice themselves for a good cause and get to their heaven quicker
I know that Christians are in the hospitals as much as anyone else. There have been studies done. One is “A systematic review of religious beliefs about major end-of-life issues in the five major world religions” you can find it on the NIH website. Here’s an excerpt “Attitudes and Beliefs of Patients and the General PopulationA survey of a Dutch population showed a significantly lower likelihood of refusing resuscitation in the setting of advanced dementia and cancer in the Christianity-oriented group (47 and 53% for advanced dementia and cancer, respectively) compared to those belonging to the Right-to-Die–NL group (99 and 99%. respectively) or the general population (86 and 86%, respectively) (van Wijmen et al., 2014). People with no religious affiliation were more likely to refuse treatment for a terminal illness. A U.S. longitudinal study found that fundamentalist Catholics and Protestants are significantly more likely to desire life-prolonging treatment compared to their nonfundamentalist counterparts (Sharp et al., 2012). A case report of a Pentecostal Christian woman indicated an expression of miraculous visions at the end of life, which can have a strong impact on EoL decision making (Henin et al., 2013).”
You may not but most do. Unsurprisngly, you use modern medicine when you need to. It’s also great to see you make claims about miracles. So, where are the xrays for these “broken elbows”, and who is this “Kaiser orthopedic surgeon”? Surely you have no problem in giving tht information to show the miracle occurred, right? Now, I’m sure you’ll fuss about me asking for evidence. I suspect you would do the same if a believer of another religion made the claim.
I was indeed a Christian, presbyterian type. I will not be surprised if you claim that wasn’t the “right” type of Christian. Christians do this all of the time, but alas they can never show that their version is the right one or that they can do what JC promised that his true believes can do per the bible (Mark 16, John 14, James 5).
Eileen, every single Christian claims that their version is the only “biblical” one, and plenty of Christians from all versions make the same claims you do about what this god has done for them. Your claims are nothing special.
Yes, I know nothing can persuade you. That holds true for most theists.
I have no need for the attention of a being as described in the bible, advocating for genocide (numbers 31, Joshua 11, among many others), slavery (take a look at 1 Peter 2), rape (Numbers 31), that will work with its suppose archenemy to corrupt its believers after killing everyone else. That last is in Revelation 19-21.
Love isn’t saying I’ll torture you forever unless you agree with me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 10, 2022 at 8:32 am
Again Clubscaden, all of that is your opinion regarding what others from other religions have claimed.
What are their names to prove this?
Have you spoken to all of them personally? Do you have their affidavits to prove all of what you claim about them?
I mean please give me their names so I can find out if what you claim is true….ok?
You really should refrain from speaking about other people’s experiences and concentrate on your own, that way you will have some credibility.
As for me, I share my own experiences and I don’t speak for others.
I have no idea where you live, but I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area / Silicon Valley all my life and I have been exposed to every culture, every religion and every race imaginable.
I have worked with all of these people and not once in all of my 45+ years of being an Apostolic Christian has ANY of them even come close to the experiences that I have had with Jesus Christ.
And I say that humbly and without arrogance. It is Jesus I brag on, not myself.
When I have shared my testimony on the miraculous and amazing redemptive power of Jesus Christ, they have either stood in awe and asked question after question or they have been angered because “I am not diverse enough, not woke enough and not open-minded enough to new age” mindset.
By God’s grace and the love He has for humanity, I have have witnessed and taught Bible studies to those of other cultures & religions and have seen them come to Jesus Christ and be born again of water & Spirit.
The message of Jesus Christ TRUMPS all other messages….there is no way to eternal salvation but through the One True God and His Name is Jesus….and HE will lovingly reach out to everyone of any culture, race and color who desires truth.
You say you were a “Christian, presbyterian type”……..and no, that particular church organization does not follow pure Biblical teachings, just like Catholicism and other Protestant church organizations don’t.
I am neither Catholic or Protestant…I am Apostolic which did not derive from the Council of Nicaea, but instead was birthed from the Book of Acts church which was composed of Jews and then branched out to the Gentiles.
So basically you have the Apostolics who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles………..then you have Roman Catholics who mixed Bible and paganism……and from Catholics you have the Reformers who are the Protestants…….yes they did do some reforming but they did not follow Apostolic teachings as in the born-again experience that Jesus taught and commanded, as well as other Biblical teachings.
The protestants are the daughters of the Catholics………plain & simple. God brought me out of that because I hungered & thirst FOR HIM…….not church tradition, that lacked the power of God and the whole truth of His Gospel.
I have no idea why you keep bringing up hospitals or my love for life and my excitement for the eternal life that follows….I assume I have frustrated you.
So now you are demanding x-rays?
I guess I could go to Kaiser Santa Clara and request my x-rays from 2007 to show some man named “CLUBSCHADENFREUDE”
SO, you want to meet me there?….let’s do it……I’m willing if you are.👍🏼👍🏼😊 Oh yes I am.
But suffice it to say that in my belief, it is a sin to lie…….. and therefor I am not lying.
And the instant healing of my broken elbows is just ONE of many miracles that Jesus Christ has done in my life.
The emotional healing from sinful living that He gave me, and the reconciliation of my Greek Orthodox parents and their eventual conversion to Apostolic truth before they died are the greatest miracles.
Of course back in 1996, there is the miracle of my husband who flat-lined for 9 minutes in the Cath Lab at Valley Medical Center and an Apostolic Resource Nurse named LaWanda Pierce laid hands on him and prayed in Jesus Name and life was restored to my husband.
This is when the 4 attempts of defibrillation failed and he was about to be pronounced dead at age 36. This miracle of Jesus Christ was witnessed by Cardiology Specialist Dr Hollister Brewster, Cardiologist Dr Shultz and a Stanford Dr who’s name I cannot recall…….along with another RN named Doug.
What did the doctors refer to my husband as after that?…..”Miracle Man”…and that is thanks to LaWanda’s faith in Jesus Christ….the Great Physician.
Oh I could go on for days sharing the awesome feats of God for what HE has done for me personally, for my family and for thousands that I have witnessed over this span of time.
And you are right, I am not anyone special….I am the first one to admit that.
For the things I did before I knew HIM, I do not deserve any of this……..and that is why I am forever grateful to the ONE who showed me mercy as HE would like to show you as well.
YES life can be beautiful, even in the midst of the craziness we witness on planet Earth, but that beauty is found in the Presence of our Savior Jesus Christ and that is why the life following this one will be even more beautiful!!
What a wonderful God we serve!!💖🙏🏼👍🏼😊
LikeLike
February 10, 2022 at 10:24 am
Elaine, again, it is not my opinion. Most, if not every religion, makes the same claims you have. It’s rather cute to see you desperately try to ignore the information I have given you and then demand more. This is what you claimed “In my 50+ years of experiencing Jesus Christ’s loving kindness, guidance and miracles, as well as His wise & righteous statutes that has sustained me through life’s highs & lows, joy & sorrows, there is nothing imaginary about Him. I have found that He is absolutely God and absolutely real.”
So, all I have to do is find people who have thanked their god for miracles, how loving, how kind, how wise, etc. Okay. Google “Who says Miracles Don’t Happen in Our Time?” on the understanding the qu’ran website. Just google “praise thank you allah” and see every so many more. Do the same for “praise thank you Krishna”, “praise thank you Ahura Mazda”.
it’s entertaining that you find you must try so very hard ignore other religions. I do have to ask, do you know anything about other religions? If not, your ignorance may be forgiven but remaining ignorant doesn’t work.
Why should I care about what you’ve experienced in San Francisco? And tht nothing equals the experiences you claim with JC is meaningless since your claims are as subjective as any other theists. Unsurprisingly, you can’t give any evidence for your supposed miracle.
Yep, when you told people your claims, they acted just like people do with anyone who does that. I do enjoy the bragging through. In “awe”, eh? You are just one more Christian who is sure that her’s is the only right version. I’ve taught bible studies too. I know how intoxicating the belief is. Any religion/cult experiences that.
Only you think that your message about your version of Jesus trumps everything. It doesn’t.
Yep, here we go with Eileen insisting that other Christians aren’t biblical. Alas, you can’t show that or show that your version is. Every Chrisitan says tht about every other one. Again, funny how not one of you can do what the bible promises real Christians can do. Why is that? Yep, you are apostolic, which is just one more made up version.
Every Christian claims that they and only they follow the teachings of christ and the apostles. Nothing new here. And yes, every Christian claims that their god brought them to their version of Christianity, and per them the only “right” version.
You are the one who claimed to want the afterlife so much, and I pointed out, and supported that Christians are just as interested in living as anyone else.
Yep, I’m demanding evidence You made the claim, now back it up. Or can’t you? Yep, go to Kaiser Santa Clara and request your medical records. I don’t need to be there. You can then send me the pertinent parts at velkyn at comcast dot net. Do include your orthopedic surgeon’s name. He should definitely remember someone with two broken elbows who magically got better. I trust you. Shouldn’t I?
Christians lie all of the time. We can see that on the news every night, thanks to covid.
Again, you mention things that are entirely subjective. I’ll be happy to look for articles about a man flatlining for 9 minutes at that facility, Eileen. Surely it was a news story? And I’ll be more than happy to research those doctors and reach out to them to see if they remember such a miraculous event. Thank you for those names. I cannot find that anyone named LaWanda Pierce had a nursing license in CA, but she could have gotten married.
I have a very nice life, Eileen. No god needed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 10, 2022 at 10:34 am
oh and wehre I typed Eileen, I meant Elaine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 10, 2022 at 10:39 am
Hi Clubs,
I’m glad you have a nice life, but your eternity won’t be so nice, in fact it will be terrifying….and you will forever remember this conversation that we had.
And of course I studied other religions, which explains why I know so much about them, including Islam. In the early 70’s, I dated 2 Persian Muslims which fully convinced me that Islam was not for me and it is not of God.
I am Greek, Persian & Turkish……I know very much what my people believe…but thankful to say that I am 100% American and 1000% Apostolic Christian.
I sincerely pray you come will reach out to Jesus Christ while you still have breath in your lungs….but until then we will have to agree to disagree.
Have a great day Clubs!😊👍🏼
LikeLike
February 10, 2022 at 10:44 am
Hi again Clubs,
Elaine or Eileen…….I have been called both names all my life…..it’s OK, I don’t take offense at all…..and to make it even more fun, my middle name is Irene.😁……….my very ethnic maiden name is even more fun than that, but I’ll keep that private.👍🏼
LikeLike
February 10, 2022 at 11:04 am
Sorry Clubs..I forgot to mention…here’s Valley Medical Center’s number…408-885-5000…….ask them about why they hired LaWanda Pierce as a Resource Nurse if according to your research that she was an “unlicensed nurse with the state of Ca” …whether she was married or not, I do not know.
And please contact anyone you want regarding the miracle that Jesus did for my husband…… and CORRECTION – it was in 1998 at the end of March, not 1996….my mistake…sorry!😊 Again, Dr Shultz (female) and Dr Hollister Brewster both in cardiology.
Thanks and have a great day!
LikeLike
February 11, 2022 at 5:53 am
I’ve already taken care of things, Elaine. This will be fun.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 11, 2022 at 5:58 am
“I’m glad you have a nice life, but your eternity won’t be so nice, in fact it will be terrifying….and you will forever remember this conversation that we had.”
And hmmm, more impotent threats from a Christian. I’m as impressed as you would be if a Muslim said the same nonsense to you.
Hmm, and gee, you are convinced by humans that Islam isn’t for you. Funny how many Chrisitians tell me that I should not judge the religion on Christians but on its god.
Yep, you make up your religoin just like the rest of theists, Elaine. Nothing new there.
So, you are praying that I agree with you. HUndreds of Christians have claimed to be praying for the same thing for me for the last few decades and surprise, they all have failed. Now, since John 14, Matthew 7, etc say that all prayers will be answered with what is prayed for (no substitutions) and quickly, what is the problem? Is it that your god loves me as I am? Your god doesn’t consider you Christians? or that your god doesn’t exist?
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 11, 2022 at 5:59 am
oh I understand that. My name gets mangled all of the time.
LikeLike
February 11, 2022 at 9:24 am
Ok Clubs, take care of whatever you want, but most of all, make sure your soul is taken care of between you and Jesus…….because that’s for eternity. Have a good weekend!
LikeLike
February 11, 2022 at 10:27 am
and yet more impotent threats. sorry, dear, your need to sow fear and ignorance aren’t impressive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 11, 2022 at 10:43 am
Sister Elaine, you posts are illustrative of exactly the best kind of apologetic: your personal testimony. The vast majority of people are not philosophically erudite. They’re looking for real answers to the problems they face in life. A genuine, personal testimony of the saving grace and power of God will turn hearts more than a wonkish address on the merits of the cosmological argument. Kudos to you!
LikeLike
February 11, 2022 at 11:45 am
Hi Clubs, I am not threatening you at all, I am simply cautioning you.
~~~~~~~~~
Hi Brother Scalia,
Thank you again for your kind words!
We are indeed in a hurting world and we need to see the hurting through Jesus’ eyes and love them with His love….they need it so badly, especially with all the craziness that’s been going on these last 2 years.
People are taking their own lives because they feel despair….that is so tragic.
It totally makes my day if I can encourage anyone I meet with a smile or an uplifting conversation……..but most of all, I love to share HIS love and His hope and yes, my own testimony of how Jesus Christ can give real meaning & hope in this life and in the life beyond…..and I know you feel that same way too!
Have a wonderful weekend and God bless you Scalia!!
~Elaine😊🙏🏼👍🏼
LikeLike
February 11, 2022 at 12:21 pm
Elaine, it is a threat. You seem to be taking the “I’m only following orders” excuse. You agree with your god and it is rather pitiful that you think that anyone who disagrees withyou deserves death and worse.
No idea why you are showing me something you wrote to someone else. But funny how your god does nothing for those suffering and needing help.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 11, 2022 at 1:47 pm
Hi Chubs,
If you paid attention you would see that I combined 2 messages in one space.
The first message was for you – “Hi Chubs”………and below, the 2nd was for Scalia, as in -“Hi Brother Scalia.”
You have a good weekend Chubs!
LikeLike
February 14, 2022 at 11:56 am
how nice to see a Christian trying to be insulting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 16, 2022 at 11:02 am
unsurprisingly, the VMC has no record of any such event as you claimed for your husband, Elaine, and you have yet to offer the information for your own supposed miracle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 16, 2022 at 11:50 am
Club writes,
It would be surprising indeed for a hospital to provide the records of a patient against privacy laws. Did you speak with the persons Elaine mentioned? If so, did they or did they not recall her or her husband? If I were working at a hospital and a total stranger asked me about the care we gave to a patient, I’d cite privacy concerns and leave it at that. If something akin to a miracle occurred, I might or might not say something if I had permission from the patient.
LikeLike
February 16, 2022 at 11:54 am
That said, the merry-go-round of “yes I experienced” and “no you didn’t experience” X or Y is to me beside the point. I debated an atheist professor who had no problem acknowledging that there are things encountered in life for which we have no explanation. As far as miracles are concerned, he readily affirmed that he could grant the unexplainable without compromising his insistence that theism is an unreasonable position. Lots of time is wasted on tangents.
LikeLike
February 16, 2022 at 1:59 pm
Brother Scalia, you spoke truth to Clubs. 👍🏼
Valley Medical & Kaiser doesn’t have the slightest idea who somebody named Clubs is, nor will they share private medical information with a stranger.
I wonder if he even contacted them?….I think not.
But thank you for explaining that to him so eloquently! 👍🏼👍🏼
I never gave him my husband’s name because I would not be so foolish as to reveal that information on a public forum to people who I do not know or trust.
All a person has to do is look up a name on ZabaSearch, then use that address to go to Zillow and BOOM, you know where they live and you can even see their home.
You never really know the people who you talk to on a public forum or what they are capable of.
Two of our children are in Law Enforcement, so this is why I think this way.
It’s called wisdom & caution.
Suffice to say that telling lies is a sin and according to Revelation 21:8 –
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, effeminate, sorcerers, idolaters, and ALL LIARS shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
~~~~
Brother Scalia, does Chubs actually think I would jeopardize my salvation and betray our Lord Jesus Christ by telling lies? Of course I wouldn’t lie about these things.
So if he cannot accept my word of truth regarding my own healings or my husband’s, that is his problem, not mine. End of story.
And you are so right, tangents are not worth wasting time on……and in the meantime, my heart is filled with peace and appreciation for a GOD as wonderful, righteous, merciful and kind as Jesus Christ!! 🙏🏼👍🏼💖😊
LikeLike
February 16, 2022 at 2:37 pm
Sorry Clubs, I’m just now seeing your comment in my inbox, so now I can reply…..
Number one, you are completely free to believe or not believe me.
It’s still a relatively free country.
I am not insulted or mad that you doubt me. I know what’s true and that’s all that matters, because it’s my family that who affected by the Lord’s grace.
I know what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for my husband & myself and those 2 miracles are only the tip of the iceberg of miracles and acts of love & grace that HE has extended to our family.
I love my God with all of my heart & soul and nothing can change that.💖😊
So you have a good day!👍🏼
LikeLike
February 16, 2022 at 2:39 pm
Sister Elaine, what you say is of course true, and given your posts on this forum over time, I have full confidence that you would never lie. However, playing devil’s advocate, there are Christians who wouldn’t hesitate to lie, and some of them are on this forum. From the fakes like Peter Popoff to the whoremongers like Jimmy Swaggart, a new atheist doesn’t know you either, so he has no point of reference whether you’re telling the truth or making things up.
I, of course, have no doubt that you are telling the truth because I’m an eyewitness to several miracles. As our Lord was silent before Herod (who wanted to see some tricks), so God is silent before those who would mock Him even if He showed them a sign. So, it remains a blessing for the people of God in the good times and the bad as part of our relationship with Him as we journey from this world to the next.
LikeLike
February 16, 2022 at 3:00 pm
Brother Scalia,
I agree with you 100%.
If I remember right, years ago Peter Popov wore an earpiece to listen to somebody who had gathered information about the ill people who he was supposed to pray for……Jimmy Swaggert was a piece of work too….the list goes on.
Franklin Graham preached that Jesus would have told people to take the vaccine. Then there’s other co-called Christians who have hurt children, who have not kept their zippers up, who have stolen offerings to live an elitist lavish life-style…….. and Jesus warned against these types……..HE despises this disgusting hypocrisy more than we do.
Of course, who can forget the cataclysmic sins of the Vatican and the sexual & physical abuses that happen in that religious organization.
I truly believe that those who profess a belief in Jesus Christ and lie and deceive will receive a far worse judgment than an atheist.
Even such movements as “Christian Identity” are wicked to their core for their allegiance to Hitler & KKK……and they claim to do it for the Lord……..yes, the lord of hell named satan.
Anyhow that’s why God gave us the Epistles (and the rest of the Bible) – to guide us, to warn us, and to teach us to represent HIM in truth, honor and integrity to the world.
Jesus Christ said in Matthew 7:15-19….
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
You will know them by their fruits.
Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?
Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
LikeLike
February 17, 2022 at 8:11 am
And there endth the false claims of a Christian.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 17, 2022 at 8:24 am
Psalms 91 – Such a beautiful chapter 💖Such an awesome God!
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the [a]fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and [b]buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall [c]bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.
LikeLike
February 17, 2022 at 8:56 am
Elaine, would you be impressed if a Muslim quoted the qu’ran to you?
That’s how impressed I am with your attempt – not at all.
That particular psalm is quite the lovely one to use to demonstrate how your god’s promises fail. When I ask why this god doesn’t do what it says, they offer me many excuses: that their god will take care of them but only in “heaven’; that suffering is what this god wants to “teach” them, that it is “free will”.
Quite the apologetics invented to try to excuse an impotent and imaginary god.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 17, 2022 at 9:13 am
@Clubs. You are perhaps unfamiliar with this site’s Commenting Policy. These latest posts by all of us are technically off topic. Though Jason allows, as any good moderator should, brief tangents, he does not want the tangent to take over a thread.
The topic of this thread is whether or not atheism is a worldview. It is not atheism itself, and it is certainly not to debate whether or not God exists.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 17, 2022 at 12:32 pm
Hi Chubs,
Brother Scalia gave you some really good advice…I suggest that you listen to him.
Hijacking a thread to continually hurl passive aggressive insults to somebody (me) who you have no power over to change their (my) mind is a waste of your time.
I have been nice to you and have allowed you to waste my time, but that is now over.
Any notification I receive from you will be ignored & deleted because you have proved to be a nuisance, rude and foolish. I forgive you but I have no desire to exchange thoughts with you any longer after today.
Proverbs 26 1-12 says…..
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not seemly for a fool.
As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
He that sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off the feet, and drinks damage.
The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
As he that binds a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honor to a fool.
As a thorn goes up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
The great God that formed all things both rewards the fool, and rewards transgressors.
As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.
See a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
~~~~~~~~~~
I do hope one day before you die you will call on the Lord for His Mercy, Love & Redemption….don’t be an Abner.
Take care and good bye!👍🏼
LikeLike
February 17, 2022 at 1:16 pm
Brother Scalia,
You are right and I too should have refrained from engaging in an off-topic dialogue.
I sincerely thank you for reminding us of that.
So I will say this regarding “Is Atheism a Religion.”
In a way – atheism is a “personal religion” because an atheist is indirectly making himself his own deity.
Satan yearns that we not only deny the existence of the One True God, but he is also OK with humanity denying his (satan’s) existence….because to fully acknowledge satan, one must fully acknowledge the existence of God.
That is why the majority of occultists, pagans & witches claim that satan is only an idea, not a being…(but they know better)
Of course reality is, in the truest meaning of the word “Religion”, atheism is not a religion at all….it’s a deceptive mindset.
A person who subscribes to atheism should actually explore the root problem of why they arrived at atheism, because most of the time they have been hurt or deceived by “fake religious people” and they blame God for it…or they take scripture out of context and the true meaning gets twisted.
God is faithful to give us a way of escape from these types of “fake religious people”…He even warned us of them.
Ever since I was a child, I have always loved astronomy & science and in my opinion, the Cosmos alone proves the existence of God.
Please watch this when you have time Scalia, it is awesome!!!!!
“If Earth was the size of a golf ball”…….🌘
Have a great day Brother Scalia!!!😊
PS. I tried my best not to go off topic!👍🏼😁
LikeLike
February 18, 2022 at 5:02 am
And more petty attempts to insult. Do keep going, Elaine. “You shall know them by their fruits”.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 18, 2022 at 10:58 am
So, to get back on track, the topic of this thread is whether atheism is a worldview. Both Jason and I contend that it is not. Atheism is either the affirmation that God does not exist or that theistic arguments fail to prove that God exists (thus, leaving the possibility open that an as-yet unoffered argument may sufficiently persuade them otherwise). That notwithstanding, atheism most certainly affects whatever worldview any atheist may espouse, whether the universe is random, uniformly follows the laws of physics (the ground of which came together accidentally), or whether the order we see is the consequence of alien activity.
Clubs wrote in Post 3:
On what basis is Club’s morality binding on people with whom he disagrees? If our thoughts and the deeds resulting therefrom are nothing but chemical reactions in accordance with the laws of physics, then there is no voluntary “should” at all. Whatever Christians, Muslims or atheists do is beyond their means to change. Thus, what they “should” do is what they have been doing because that’s how their molecule package is programmed. And if there is free will and an objective dimension to morality under which all humans are subject, on what basis is that claim justified? Again, the object of such questions is not to debate them here. They are offered to illustrate why atheism affects one’s worldview, for one’s denial of God obligates an account for one’s relations with others.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 19, 2022 at 6:58 am
”A world without God looks very different from a world with God.”. A world without god looks exactly like this one. Since correct belief is its own self appointed gold standard, maybe belief itself is the problem. Belief is the root of nearly all division and cruelty, so why do we believe when it has proven so erroneous?
LikeLiked by 2 people