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Thread: Atheism a death cult?

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    dead for tax reasons Peter's Avatar
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    Atheism a death cult?

    Sam Harris blows me away again.

    I have to share this with all of you. If you've already seen it you know what I'm talking about.

    Are all religions basically a way of denying death? I've noticed that many theists here seem to be unhealthily fixated upon "eternal life."

    Religion is poison because it asks us to give up our most precious faculty, which is that of reason, and to believe things without evidence. It then asks us to respect this, which it calls faith. - Christopher Hitchens

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    Lobotomized Angry Citizen's Avatar
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    Are all religions basically a way of denying death?
    Your use of the word "deny" implies that a lack of an afterlife is certain. I don't think that's been proven yet, and while it is indeed more logical to assume such a thing, it is not logical at all to assert such a thing.

    A man said to the universe:
    "Sir, I exist!"
    "However," replied the universe,
    "The fact has not created in me
    A sense of obligation."


    -- Stephen Crane

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    dead for tax reasons Peter's Avatar
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    Quote Quote by: Angry Citizen View Post
    Your use of the word "deny" implies that a lack of an afterlife is certain. I don't think that's been proven yet, and while it is indeed more logical to assume such a thing, it is not logical at all to assert such a thing.
    LOL, you must be bored AC. Did you watch the video? It's the better part of an hour but worth it IMO. I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.

    Religion is poison because it asks us to give up our most precious faculty, which is that of reason, and to believe things without evidence. It then asks us to respect this, which it calls faith. - Christopher Hitchens

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    Lobotomized Angry Citizen's Avatar
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    Is there anything really new or interesting about it? I've pretty much heard all the atheist arguments by now. Let me see if I can guess:

    All religions contain an afterlife myth. Therefore, the primary purpose of religion is to provide an "escape clause" for death in some manner or another. This is irrational, therefore religion is irrational.

    How close was I?

    A man said to the universe:
    "Sir, I exist!"
    "However," replied the universe,
    "The fact has not created in me
    A sense of obligation."


    -- Stephen Crane

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    Zombified Deity xx_mortekai_xx's Avatar
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    Quote Quote by: Angry Citizen View Post
    Your use of the word "deny" implies that a lack of an afterlife is certain. I don't think that's been proven yet, and while it is indeed more logical to assume such a thing, it is not logical at all to assert such a thing.
    How, exactly, is it logical to assume that there is an afterlife?


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    Lobotomized Angry Citizen's Avatar
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    Reread, noting that I'm an atheist.

    A man said to the universe:
    "Sir, I exist!"
    "However," replied the universe,
    "The fact has not created in me
    A sense of obligation."


    -- Stephen Crane

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    Zombified Deity xx_mortekai_xx's Avatar
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    Quote Quote by: Angry Citizen View Post
    Is there anything really new or interesting about it? I've pretty much heard all the atheist arguments by now. Let me see if I can guess:

    All religions contain an afterlife myth. Therefore, the primary purpose of religion is to provide an "escape clause" for death in some manner or another. This is irrational, therefore religion is irrational.

    How close was I?
    Nope. They make claims that they have no support for. When asked for objective evidence, they give personal experience and anecdote, neither of which are able to be corroborated by a third party with any evidence.

    I dont believe the claims of most religions for the same reason i dont believe the claims that leprechauns exist, or the same reason i dont believe the claims that unicorns exist.


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    Zombified Deity xx_mortekai_xx's Avatar
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    Quote Quote by: Angry Citizen View Post
    Reread, noting that I'm an atheist.
    i know you are, you have stated as much elsewhere. This is why this confuses me.

    Are you saying its logical to assume that an afterlife doesnt exist, but that certainty is not warranted on the subject?

    If so, I agree, and apologize for the mistake.


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    Lobotomized Angry Citizen's Avatar
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    That is correct. I dislike the idea that an afterlife is absolutely, 100% impossible. We really don't know what happens. We can't even give a percentage of possibility.

    A man said to the universe:
    "Sir, I exist!"
    "However," replied the universe,
    "The fact has not created in me
    A sense of obligation."


    -- Stephen Crane

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    Volcanic Erupter Cephus's Avatar
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    I don't know that I'd say religion is a way of denying death, it's a way of dealing with the fear of death in a way that doesn't really deal with it. It simply dismisses the problem philosophically. Pretend death is meaningless and you don't have to handle the ramifications of it.

    There is nothing demonstrably true that religion can provide the world that cannot be achieved more rationally through entirely secular means.

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    Zombified Deity xx_mortekai_xx's Avatar
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    Quote Quote by: Angry Citizen View Post
    That is correct. I dislike the idea that an afterlife is absolutely, 100% impossible. We really don't know what happens. We can't even give a percentage of possibility.
    I dont discount anything absolutely, and i dont find the idea of absolute certainty to be useful in the least.

    and I do agree with your assessment.


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    Sapere Aude Jack's Avatar
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    Confession: I don't have an hour at the present time to watch a video. Could someone post what Harris says that suggests the thread title, "Atheism a death cult?"?



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