Quote: Mr Carnegie @ October 16 2012, 1:56 PM BSTUntil you die and find out what happens, you don;t know. None of us do.
Well no, so you go on the best knowledge, facts and evidence to hand. Or you forget the rational and go the other way, hoping for the magic sky land, or to be reincarnated as a cat. Whichever makes you happy is fine, I suppose, as long as you don't bang on about it too much.
You rot in the ground, follow me and bring a shovel and I'll prove it.[/quote]
haha
Religions say your soul goes on, not your body.
This pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter...
Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 16 2012, 2:01 PM BSTWell no, so you go on the best knowledge, facts and evidence to hand. Or you forget the rational and go the other way, hoping for the magic sky land, or to be reincarnated as a cat. Whichever makes you happy is fine, I suppose, as long as you don't bang on about it too much.
BINGO!
And Gervais and Dawkins just won't put a f**king sock in it.
You hate Christianity, we get it...
Quote: Mr Carnegie @ October 16 2012, 2:01 PM BSTYeah I sort of get what you mean.
Did I just win the internet? 
Quote: Mr Carnegie @ October 16 2012, 2:01 PM BSTI just get tired of him going on about it ALL THE TIME.
I understand what you're saying, I've unfollowed him several times because I just can't be arsed with it all.
Quote: Mr Carnegie @ October 16 2012, 2:01 PM BSTAnd anyway, if you don;t believe in God, what do you care you have to swear on a bible in court, or mention his name in a marriage ceremony?
Well in regards to the courts, I wouldn't want justice based on something I didn't believe in. He sweared on the bible, "oh maybe he didn't murder my family then". WTF? 
Quote: Mr Carnegie @ October 16 2012, 2:03 PM BSTReligions say your soul goes on, not your body.
Well any priests should stay away from our souls.
Quote: Lee @ October 16 2012, 2:07 PM BSTWell in regards to the courts, I wouldn't want justice based on something I didn't believe in. He sweared on the bible, "oh maybe he didn't murder my family then". WTF?
HAHAHA
Although, I've never heard of a case being thrown out based on "he swore on the bible he never done it"
I don't believe in God, so swearing on the bible or having his name crop up in documents or my wedding vows doesn't bother me in the slightest. Militant atheists are waaaay too touchy in my book...
Quote: Oldrocker @ October 16 2012, 12:47 AM BSTI've gone 66 years without it, quite happily.
So why does anyone need it?
And why do some people feel so strongly about it ?
I really don't understand.
Hmmm...so who do you shout to when you orgasm? ...........'Oh nobody!'
Or don't you - orgasm I mean?
Could we possibly bring politics into this?
You know, just to lighten things up.
NB There is a distinction between religion (ie dogma) and spirituality.
Quote: Mr Carnegie @ October 16 2012, 2:11 PM BSTI don't believe in God, so swearing on the bible or having his name crop up in documents or my wedding vows doesn't bother me in the slightest. Militant atheists are waaaay too touchy in my book...
I certainly wouldn't consider myself a militant athiest but surely swearing on anything you don't believe in is a bit daft?
Quote: David Bussell @ October 16 2012, 2:04 PM BSTThis pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter...
Sorry but to me, this whole area is the new "take my mother in law... no seriously, take her!" 
Quote: David Bussell @ October 16 2012, 2:13 PM BSTI certainly wouldn't consider myself a militant athiest but surely swearing on anything you don't believe in is a bit daft?
Yeah, maybe daft to me or you, but not to others. I think taking your shoes off on holy ground is silly, but I'd do it out of respect.
Granted, it's different as courts are institutional not voluntary as a church or mosque (and as I mentioned I'm all for a separation of church and state), but my point is I just don't care enough to kick up a stink!
Quote: Mr Carnegie @ October 16 2012, 2:17 PM BSTSorry but to me, this whole area is the new "take my mother in law... no seriously, take her!"
Yeah, maybe daft to me or you, but not to others. I think taking your shoes off on holy ground is silly, but I'd do it out of respect.
Granted, it's different as courts are institutional not voluntary as a church or mosque (and as I mentioned I'm all for a separation of church and state), but my point is I just don't care enough to kick up a stink!
I have no idea what you're getting at with the first point. As for the second, I think you might have misunderstood my intention. What I was saying is that to swear on something you don't believe in (specifically in regards to a marriage, where there's absolutely no imperative to do so) is a bit bonkers. That would be like someone who is religious stating in their vows that they don't believe in God - disingenuous and wholly unnecessary.
Quote: David Bussell @ October 16 2012, 2:22 PM BSTI have no idea what you're getting at with the first point. As for the second, I think you might have misunderstood my intention. What I was saying is that to swear on something you don't believe in (specifically in regards to a marriage, where there's absolutely no imperative to do so) is a bit bonkers. That would be like someone who is religious stating in their vows that they don't believe in God - disingenuous and wholly unnecessary.
Yep, I agreed with that earlier? My gripe was with aggressive atheism. I said I was against church and state together...
Quote: Brian Bickerstaffe @ October 16 2012, 2:12 PM BSTOr don't you - orgasm I mean?
I'm 66 year old separated man - go figure !
I think people fundamentally don't understand what religion is, or what purpose it serves.
Lets compare it to comedy.
Dads Army is a program about some old, physically frail men preparing to face the might of Nazism. It is both depressing in that they would have failed. And depressing that their efforts came to nothing they were never called to fight.
So why is it loved and why do people enjoy it watch it and speak about it?
It's funny it has that other.
Aetheism as a meaningful concept is matched to science and is perhaps centries old. Religion is milennia. Most of our universities, schools, protest organisations, indeed even aetheist foundations were founded by men and women of faith.
That's not to big up religion. But it's too say that it's so intertwined into the very structure of our society, our very psychic archetecture that how do we know where it and us begin and end.
An interesting comparison is to look at how spiritualist/animist faiths of say Japan and China. Refined in China through Communist parareligion have produced diferent belief systems and cultural structures to the monotheistic west.
I may be an aetheist to my core, but I'm grateful to the good. Done by the good men of religion.
If one looks at the great Godless states of the late 20th century, pretty quickly the idea of the absence of religion is shown not to be the presence of goodness and decency.
Quote: David Bussell @ October 16 2012, 2:22 PM BSTI have no idea what you're getting at with the first point.
This whole area is such a tired subject in stand up...
For me anyway...