interesting video on aetheism

I love how the video starts out with the premise that religious people hate atheists.  When you start out with a false narrative and present it as fact the entire message you're trying to get across becomes mute.

The reason people don't support Atheists for political office and such is simply the fact that almost 80% of Americans identify as believing in God.  People like to vote for people that are similar to themselves and will promote their ideals in their public role.  It's not some big mystery.

I don't believe in Aetheism.

Fortunately science has given us the answer:

Scientists discover that atheists might not exist, and that’s not a joke

I've been saying there is a God gene for a long time. I'm glad some have caught on.

As for not being voted for office... that's easy... Bill Maher. Bill is the stereotypical atheist that I have usually met. Arrogant, condescending, self righteous  jerk. I used to like him, but I can't listen to him at all now. And when he goes on and on about the religious.... what a douche. And it doesn't mean I disagree with him intellectually... he's just a jerk. He is the exact same thing evangelicals get put down for. Two peas in a pod. 

Agnostic is perfectly reasonable. I don't know. That's what I believe. Intellectually I understand why some think there is no God. Spiritually, I understand why so many do. Me... I simply don't know. 

But atheism, and atheist... is that they don't believe there is a supreme being. Which is fine, they might be right. But in my travels, most that identify as atheist, are usually not live and let live... it seems to be their mission to show how stupid the majority of the world is for believing in idiotic Gods as if they are cavemen with the IQ of a 2 year old. Big difference between... I don't believe in God... and, you are an idiot for believing in God. 

I've been on both sides. I've argued both sides. I've been around my fair share of both. That's how I see it. I'm a recovering arrogant condescending self-righteous jerk. YMMV

half of america wouldn't vote for an aethiest because they think jesus was the first american, and that morality comes from gooododddddddddd (thunder)

I don't think Maher is a jerk, I think he's a punk.  Really, he needs his arse kicked. 

yes and so is mike huckabee, one of them has a comedy show, the other is running for POTUS

Hoping you are just trying to be funny, because I don't think there's anyone (other than you) that thinks Jesus was the first American.

As an Atheist where do you feel morality comes from?

And he has about as much chance of actually being the President as Maher does being funny.

dawkin's explanation: https://richarddawkins.net/2013/09/a-refute-to-morality-from-god/

lol, I was thinking to myself when I asked the question... "I bet $5 he doesn't answer the question but posts a dawkins link"   ROFL

From your link:

Suffice to say that theists, and I tend to agree, feel that science is a different human endeavor that only has secondary impacts on morality but no real incite as to its origins or intricate workings.

So, I'll ask again, where do you feel morality comes from?

well then i'll quote the rest of the article...

"

Morality is an aesthetic. Theists like Craig may want to believe in an absolute morality and this is fine so far as to say that we may one day discover an agreed upon absolute aesthetic in music and painting. However, even Craig admits that we have made “moral improvements’ although he involves himself in quite the mental contortion to explain why morality has always operated at the absolute while at the same time improving.

Theists believe that they are always operating at the moral absolute. This is necessary for their dogma. They therefore claim that God is necessary for morality. For the theist, to admit that morality is relative or evolving towards an absolute perfection while their God operates beyond the physical world and time is to admit that God is inconsistent and imperfect. The theists, like Craig, then mince words and say we have moral improvement but we would not know what absolute we are striving toward unless God was present in us and guiding us.

This is where I come to the point of this essay. When a theist asks how can we have an absolute morality without God we must say that it serves a purpose. Morality serves the desire of a species living together in close proximity. We do not need a perfect version of morality to meet the societal want. Any version of it is better than no version at all. When human beings built the first bridges they did not have an image of the Golden Gate Bridge to work toward, just as the Wright brothers

and if you want my own answer.  Morality is relative.  There is no absolute morality.  In fact, ask 2 different christians and you'll get 3 different answers.  LIkely, our morality stems from cultural evolution, and as humanity has progressed morality has been refined to further the species.

Basically, my morality is to do as little harm as i can to others people, and the other species we share the world with.  To protect and help those weaker than myself, and to show compassion to myself and others.

and i don't need no stinkin make up superhero to do it.

i'll go one further, the god in the bible is amoral

Surely you don't think Christians have the corner on THAT market. LOL

Totally agree.

Even Carlin... Carlin did some really good stuff. Really had a way of looking at things... but when he got older, total . I always thought he really needed to go back to smoking weed because he was just a bitter arse towards the end.

So you can talk of morality, but the walking part, not so much....

I don't believe in a supreme being. I don't buy the God of my youth. But Tuwood does. And I don't need to belittle his beliefs. Tuwood is a pretty upstanding guy. He is more than civil in these conversations... and we have had many. Yet I have never heard him belittle others that do not believe as he does. And THAT is a very spiritual act. It's probably not what he is muttering behind his keyboard... but we are all human.

I know the evangelical side... heard it a 1000 times. Doesn't change much. But atheists are the exact same mirror image. Two peas in a pod. Nothing but dogma. Same old rote stuff regurgitated over and over again. And for the life of me, when it comes to judging others, I can't comprehend why some would devote so much of their life trying to prove some one stupid... I mean wrong. But hey, I guess it passes time.

Very true. I never really though Maher was that funny. I thought his show was interesting. Not so much him, but his guests and the forum. But ya, can't even stand his voice these days.

ummm....cool story bro?   don't conflate niceness with morality or compassion.  and really lets look at this issue. regardless of how anything is worded, one side is saying you don't follow this God, so you're amoral and are going to hell.  One side is saying your God is made up, and you're wasting your time and many of you force your beliefs on everyone else.  None of that is particularly nice. 

tired of being lambasted for saying that god is a made up [insert fun word of choice] thing.  because it is made up, thats my view.  but somehow that is a terrible thing to say.  Isn't it equal to say god is real? (hint...it is)

goodnight y'all, try not to get too steamed about internet conversations.

namaste

i'm not doing harm telling you that god is made up.  and the god in the bible condones a lot of killing, slavery, misogynism, etc. etc. etc.  many things that you would consider amoral now.   In fact, I think its amoral to try to convert other people to your religion, as many religions do.  I think its amoral to tell gay people they can't marry, or to terrorize some poor little girl who is getting an abortion. 

etc. etc. blah blah things we have all discussed before.......baffles me though how people say god is the absolute moral, and in his book that y'all love so much it literally says terrible things word for word.

However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you.  You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land.  You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance.  You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way.  (Leviticus 25:44-46 NLT)

that is your god's morality? others can be slaves, but not those like you.  hmmm now i'm beginning to understand where all of this racism and xenophobia comes from during the republican debates.

ETA: another fun verse!!

When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are.  If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again.  But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her.  And if the slave girl's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter.  If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife.  If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment.  (Exodus 21:7-11 NLT)

which one of you is the moral sex slaver? (hint, you aren't, because you are moral people....and its not because of what you read in this book, its because goodness can come from other places)

ETA: new testament fun! 

    Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear.  Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ.  (Ephesians 6:5 NLT)