tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547195737073832993.post6709280580111833770..comments2023-09-25T05:50:59.427-05:00Comments on My Dirty Little Secret: The Atheist Test: Test OneUrukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913837011380611461noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547195737073832993.post-33744057590075282902009-07-18T22:02:50.849-05:002009-07-18T22:02:50.849-05:00Interestingly, I just started reading a book by Ca...Interestingly, I just started reading a book by Carl Sagan. I've never read anything by him before and I've hardly watched him on TV.<br /><br />With him being a scientist, I think he says something that a lot of people wouldn't expect. He says:<br /><br />"If we resolutely refuse to acknowledge were we are liable to fall into error, profound mistakes-- will be our companion forever".<br /><br />Well, that's now so unexpected from a scientist. But, he follows that quote with a discourse on how science cannot answer all questions and the information that science revels can be wrong at times.<br /><br />That may come across as unexpected, since many people who love science can make it sound perfect and flawless.<br /><br />All scientific discoveries should be viewed within a certain margin of error. The method of science isn't perfect, but it's the best we have for uncovering truth.<br /><br />Good science assumes the answer is hidden from us and then we should be careful even of the answers we uncover, for they might be wrong. But, when the answers add up, we should build upon them for as long as they continue to make sense.<br /><br />He wasn't dogmatic about science. He admits the strength of science is also in it's weakness-- we might be wrong; let's keep looking for the right answers.Urukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913837011380611461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547195737073832993.post-73466945754303750342009-07-18T18:40:06.895-05:002009-07-18T18:40:06.895-05:00Uruk, you are touching on an issue I struggle with...Uruk, you are touching on an issue I struggle with often. I believe in God. But, to me, everything needs to come from something. So where did God come from? Just as with the universe, I struggle to accept that He "just is."<br /><br />I am sort of like you. I am fascinated by what we don't know is space. What the hell is a black hole and where does it lead? What kind of life is out there (because I am sure there is life)? What is beyond everything we know? While I realize we will probably never know (and maybe that is better) I can't help but be excited about it anyway.<br /><br />I was very surprised when I learned my viewership. When I was posting more often I was surprised to see just how many folks were reading but not commenting. Plus it is fun to see where in the world the readers are. My viewership has really dropped off since I took my little break but I still get more than I thought I would (but not nearly enough to justify those odd ads although the income would be nice!)Nicole Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07312823319201028951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547195737073832993.post-47228218412113127082009-07-18T14:49:06.844-05:002009-07-18T14:49:06.844-05:00I feel ya, Lion. But I do think our tendency to be...I feel ya, Lion. But I do think our tendency to believe in god expresses our frustrations with the mysteries of existence. Not just how life came to be, but how the whole universe came to be-- how there is anything at all.<br /><br />My small, human mind has trouble wrapping around that concept to. <i>It just is?</i> But that problem generalizes to God as well for me. This is only recent for me, though. As a child, I wondered where God came from. But eventually I just accepted his existence by faith after becoming an older, devout Christian. But now I wonder again: <i>He just is</i>? I do have trouble grappling with the idea that the universe "just is", too. But, I can accept that notion as a possibility. To be intellectually honest God, too, is a possibility. But I don't consider god very probable at this point in my life.<br /><br />Perhaps we've personified the eternal nature of existence, just as we tend to impose anthropomorphism on everything else within our existence.<br /><br />Concerning observable space, I will concede that we can only account what we see within our frame of reference. And that is what <i>good</i> science <i>aims</i> to do: Only deal with what we can measure until we can measure farther, smaller, and bigger things with more accuracy. Space seems to have a horizon across which we cannot look. I recently found an book titled, <i>An Atlas of the Solar System</i>. The book begins by trying to put our solar system in perspective with the rest of the observable Universe. We are invisible within our own galaxy-- the Milky Way. Our solar system floats along the outer edge of the Milky Way and makes a complete orbit around the center of our galaxy after so many thousands of years. Numerous other galaxies can be seen which are very similar to ours. But for all we can see, a horizon exists that only revels nothingness. And the observable universe seems to be spreading out into that nothingness-- away from our point of reference.<br /><br />What's going on outside of that horizon? I don't know. Maybe we will fall off the edge. Maybe another Universe is across that horizon. Maybe god will be there, holding his hand out to catch us as well spill over. Maybe we'll just see more space.<br /><br />Wait. We probably won't be around to see any of that. I think that's what bugs us when we ponder these things. We may never know, even after we die. Our children may never know. All of intelligent life anywhere in the Universe may never know.<br /><br />I'm amazed by it. For some odd reason, it doesn't bum me out.<br /><br />I wanted to do ads on my blog. Money is nice. But, I could not picture myself making any with adsense. And like you said, it was strange. I don't like arbitrary ads showing up for things that I wouldn't naturally promote myself.<br /><br />Thanks for the tip about Analytics. I'll play around with it. I've become curious who actually reads my blog. I suspect my readers mostly consist of you, and other commenters like Zee, Tandi, Ginx, the Luftmench (sp?), and a few others.<br /><br />I could be wrong, though. Some of the words on your blog has lead me to think that people can visit often but never comment. Maybe I need to realize this first hand. Were you surprised when you learned about your viewership?Urukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913837011380611461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547195737073832993.post-32054706895414683092009-07-17T20:27:37.963-05:002009-07-17T20:27:37.963-05:00OH, Uruk, dear. I just cannot accept that things j...OH, Uruk, dear. I just cannot accept that things just exist without a cause, without something creating it (and not necessarily in a religious sense). My small, human, mind cannot wrap around that concept. It just is? The two year old inside me wants to ask: "but how!?"<br /><br />"Again, assuming the big bang even happened at all. The radiation that is found throughout space is like an echo of some colossal release of energy. So, something seems to have happened. The bodies in the universe are spreading away from each other over time as though they were flung out from a central point."<br /><br />But that is only observable space, correct? We certainly cannot observe all of space. So what if a very large part of space has no movement? It frustrates me sometimes that we base things so completely on our experiences. The idea that life cannot exist without water is silly. The idea that all of space must be moving out because all of "our" space is moving out is also a bit silly. <br /><br />I don't do ads either. I tried it once and it just was all strange. <br /><br />Yes, Google Analytics. It is a nice way to see where everyone is coming from. But be careful: if you check your own site often (actually viewing your site not just being on Blogger) it can inflate your viewership. There are ways to filter yourself out though. Check it out. I like it - it helps me be a little more conscious of where my readers come from.Nicole Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07312823319201028951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547195737073832993.post-20517161259812826252009-07-17T17:06:50.506-05:002009-07-17T17:06:50.506-05:00Concerning the Big Bang-- I'm not all that kno...Concerning the Big Bang-- I'm not all that knowledgeable. I have the impression that the overall premise is accepted by many physicists and astronomers. But the theory may have some variations.<br /><br />I have heard some suggest that something was before the "Big Bang". Nobody knows what that would be. A dense, compressed object with a great amount of mass seems to be the source of the explosion. Where did that source come from?<br /><br />That's very much like a child asking where god came from, in my opinion. I asked it as a kid. My son asks me. I bet my daughter will too, when she starts to think on these things.<br /><br />We are puzzled as to the source of all existence. But maybe the nature of existence has no source at all. That's just the nature of existence to be tangible and knowable.<br /><br />I personally believe something was before the big bang. I think that matter may have always existed just because that's the nature of existence.<br /><br />Sometimes I wonder why my conscience is within my specific body and not within someone else. But, if that were possible, I couldn't be an individual and we could all know the thoughts of others and intimately know the experiences of anyone else as our own.<br /><br />So, being an individual may simply necessitate having a unique experience as one's self. I'm the chunk of genetic code that made it to the egg.<br /><br />That's just my personal opinion so far.<br /><br />Maybe God was before the big bang and caused it to happen. Maybe. Or, maybe stuff just exists. Otherwise, it wouldn't be <i>stuff</i>.<br /><br />Again, assuming the big bang even happened at all. The radiation that is found throughout space is like an echo of some colossal release of energy. So, something seems to have happened. The bodies in the universe are spreading away from each other over time as though they were flung out from a central point.<br /><br />At least, that what I hear in the science literature that I sometimes read. I haven't observe such with my own eyes.<br /><br />I do think that I was on the track to becoming a dogmatic atheist. But, the more that I understood true skepticism, the more I realized that dogma and skepticism don't fit together. I must admit also that hearing your viewpoints (and the viewpoints of other frequent commenters) have kept my mind open. And for that, I'm quite thankful.<br /><br />So, you speak to an audience in your head too, huh? I thought it was just me. Confession is good for the soul-- sometimes.<br /><br />I don't use Analytics (Google Analytics, right?) because I just now heard about it from you. :-D<br /><br />I may give it a whirl.<br /><br />I don't have any ads on my page. I never had the intent on generating traffic. I only try to keep my page up for the occasional visitor and for my own outlet. But, I am becoming more curios about who might be dropping by.<br /><br />I would want to control the ads that were on my page. Why would an atheist blog have ads for Christian singles?<br /><br />Even if I got money for those ads, I don't think that's genuine to do. But, that's just me. Maybe that's why I don't have a six figure income as a copywriter or sales guy.<br /><br />Ha! I'm dreaming now, huh?Urukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913837011380611461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547195737073832993.post-54316622515610145662009-07-17T12:11:46.401-05:002009-07-17T12:11:46.401-05:00I will freely admit that I could dislike the Big B...I will freely admit that I could dislike the Big Bang theory because it has never been properly explained to me. But if the idea is that there was nothing and something exploded...really? And if there was something, where did that something come from? And if there was nothing, how can nothing explode? I just doesn't make sense. But again, my dislike could very well be my lack of understanding. But I still say it is rather craptastic (great word, isn't it?).<br /><br />I don't think anyone can (or should) say for certain that any god exists or doesn't exist. These statements must be prefaced with 'I believe that...' on both sides. The fact is, until you die and experience (or don't experience) it for yourself - you don't really know. <br /><br />I agree that taking any religious text too seriously is dangerous. I tend to fall into the "use it as a guide" camp. Because, let's be honest, we're probably all wrong.<br /><br />Ah, ok. I never thought Einstein was very religious anyway. He always seemed so skeptical of everything (I like how that sounds like I knew him personally :) And I do agree that Atheists sometimes can be as dogmatic as religious. Many an atheist will simply believe what they are told by other atheists without researching it themselves. How is that any different than a church congregation simply believing their Pastor?<br /><br />I agree with your stance on converting. The best way to reach people - on any issue, not just religion - is through kindness, peace and love (oh I am turning into such a hippy!). Especially when you are trying to make people believe that is what your faith is all about. When I see someone bullying or lying to make someone believe in God I have to wonder if it isn't God they are after.<br /><br />As for your confession - I do the same thing :) Sometimes I wonder what people would think if they heard the thoughts in my head.<br /><br />BTW, do you use Analytics?Nicole Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07312823319201028951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547195737073832993.post-620047070168059242009-07-17T10:06:04.625-05:002009-07-17T10:06:04.625-05:00When I wrote "assess", I kept checking i...When I wrote "assess", I kept checking it over again. I kept wondering if I spelled it wrong. Maybe I still misspelled it? Regardless, your quip is apt.<br /><br />I run into people who call any conjecture a theory quite often. The word gets thrown around quite loosely.<br /><br />I'd like to hear why you think the Big Bang theory is craptastic (I like that word) B.S. I'm not challenging by asking this. It's just that usually the people around me only reject the idea by simply saying that they don't believe. Beyond that, what do you think is wrong about it as a theory?<br /><br />Like you said, perhaps another post or comment?<br /><br />I'm slowly beginning to see a line between atheism and agnosticism. I think my official label might become <i>atheistic leaning agnostic</i>. I lean towards atheism, but I cannot rule out the possibility of god 100% like many hard core atheists seem to easily do. And I will admit that science and logic cannot disprove god's existence.<br /><br />But, I did say <i>atheist leaning</i>. So, I feel more comfortable saying that god doesn't exist, than to say he does.<br /><br />I <i>am</i> convinced that textual criticism, history, and scientific discoveries show that taking any scripture text literally as fundamentalists do, is quite wrong.<br /><br />So should I come to ever change my mind about god, I won't ever be fundamentalist again. I would probably become spiritual, yet remain non-religious. Some atheists even claim to be like that, too.<br /><br />Other atheists have a word for that.<br /><br /><i>Superstitious</i>.<br /><br />About Einstein-- well I must admit, the pamphlet never claimed that he was a Christian. But, they try to paint a picture of Einstein as a theist who believes in a personal god. I've seen other witnessing material that treat Einstein this way. If you don't know better, Einstein comes across sounding like a Christian.<br /><br />To my knowledge, he was Jewish. But he seemed rather secular. He wouldn't call himself an atheist and didn't like the militancy that some atheists expressed. He also felt that atheists could be dogmatic like some theists.<br /><br />He seemed to be an <i>agnostic leaning theist, who might have been an atheist but didn't like that label and still used the word "god" in a funny and confusing way</i>.<br /><br />He's not a poster child for evangelical Christian theism.<br /><br />I really like Gallup polls. I visit their website a few times a week and check out statistics. I was a psychology major and took statistics. I'm no mathematician by any stretch. But sometimes statistics can be very helpful. But as someone joked, ninety-eight percent of all statistics are made up.<br /><br />So, there ya go.<br /><br />I really dislike that pamphlet. I think it's dishonest. I hear other non-believers say that about other Christian literature, but I don't see where they are coming from. Yet with this specific pamphlet, I see the dishonesty with my own eyes.<br /><br />I will probably state this in the last post of this series, but I have nothing against someone wanting to share faith. But, be honest. Even when I was a devout Christian, I saw people bully others out of one denomination and into another. The switch-overs never lasted.<br /><br />Reach people with genuine love, if you must try to share the gospel or convert someone from another Christian denomination into another.<br /><br />The same is true should one share non-faith. <br /><br />Thanks for your compliments and for reading. I never expected anyone to read anything on this blog. I dunno. I just didn't. This was really a journal for me at first. But, I realize that people can happen upon anything you post on the Internet, so I took time to write as though there was an audience.<br /><br />And to make a confession-- when I think to myself, I often think as though an audience is listening. Crazy, huh? Hopefully that's only my drive to write.<br /><br />Otherwise, I might be taking a trip over the cuckoo's nest.Urukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05913837011380611461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547195737073832993.post-52734776575000520692009-07-17T01:10:13.501-05:002009-07-17T01:10:13.501-05:00"These "tests" are given to "a..."These "tests" are given to "assess"'<br /><br />I read this and thought it said 'asses' and I was thinking "yup, only an ass would fall for this shit" Whoops!<br /><br />As for "theory" anyone who doesn't realize that the casual meaning of theory might be different from a scientific meaning of theory is an idiot and, frankly, I am surprised they are capable of even reading. But I also dislike those who claim that scientific theories are facts. Yeah, they aren't. Theories change all the flipping time. Claiming they are facts shows how little the person knows about science. Almost nothing in science is fact.<br /><br />Wont get into here but the Big Bang theory is the biggest load of craptastic B.S. I have ever heard. And that isn't coming from a theist - that is coming from a person capable of reasonable thought. I don't even think it deserves the title "theory." - Another post, though.<br /><br />I stand corrected. That coke theory is the biggest load of craptastic B.S. What the hell? That isn't even a good argument. Why not just say my computer evolved from a Big Bang over at HP a billion years ago? Christ Almighty these are the people that make all theists look like idiots!<br /><br />"Perhaps agnosticism is more intellectually honest when compared to theism and atheism."<br /><br />I agree. Although I claim theism, I fully agree that agnosticism is far more open minded than I am. While I will admit I could be wrong, I don't really believe I am.<br /><br />"I can also think of a few other things shaped like a banana, but wasn't necessarily meant to go into one's mouth for eating."<br /><br />I giggled so hard!<br /><br />Whoa whoa whoa. Back the train up. Einstein? A Christian? Now, it might be a tad bit stereotyping of me but...isn't "Einstein" a rather Hebrew-like name? I don't know the man's beliefs but if I had to guess it would fall closer to "Jewish" than "Christian." Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.<br /><br />"A recent Gallup poll proves God exist!"<br /><br />They cannot accurately handle a poll of 1,000 people but they can prove the existence of God? Damn.<br /><br />I really dislike these types of people. If you cannot convert people with honesty and without trickery, do you think maybe there is something wrong with the way you are doing things? It is the goal of most Christians to convert the world. I will admit I would love it if everyone found faith (not necessarily MY faith, but faith). I have found, however, that the best way to help this happen is to be honest, open and willing to freely answer questions. Yelling, screaming, judging and killing does nothing but give the anti-religion movement more fodder for their agenda. <br /><br />BTW, hope things get better for you, Uruk. I do so love your posts!Nicole Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07312823319201028951noreply@blogger.com