Fort Worth Motorcycle Riders

After working with machines most of my life (including software) and looking under the hood and behind the curtain, then learning about the low level workings of the human body, they are identical. Humans are machines, very amazing machines, too amazing to be pure accident. (our software really sucks tho).

The human machine is part of the reason I do not and can not believe in a heaven.

fixxervi6 wrote:...too amazing to be pure accident.

.

fixxervi6 wrote:The human machine is part of the reason I do not and can not believe in a heaven.

Yeah I think we can pretty much rule that out. Bummer too because that would be cool. Maybe.

Stardog84 wrote:

fixxervi6 wrote:...too amazing to be pure accident.

.

No idea what your getting at but I don't subscribe the the theory that a long time ago a bolt of lighting hit a pool of goo then poof life magically came into existence and through the process of evolution we went from goo to what we are today.

Please explain the Cambrian explosion to me if you think lightning hit pool of goo then billions of years later we have humans.

Well I would but I don't know what that is.

I guess my take on it is pretty simple. Religion gives people an explanation or an excuse for things they do or can't explain. The definition of atheist is a person who does not believe in the existence of a God or Gods. Pretty cut and dry. Spirituality has nothing to do with atheism IMO, but spirituality has many different definitions depending on who you ask. The term "spirituality" has religious origins, but like most things people have twisted it's meaning to cover themselves against all contingencies. Most who use the term today would use it based on a way to explain that they live by a good moral code (ie: human spirituality).

How many people have been killed over religious reasons? "It's not my fault, God told me to do it". Christianity killed millions in the crusades.

Don't know how the sun sets or rises? God must have made it (I know we know how it does today, but I'm talking back before biblical times).

It's all about not taking responsibility for your own actions. Along these lines it's why they now call addiction a disease. It's so all of the addicts can now look back at all the shitty things they did and say, "It's not my fault. It was my disease. My disease made me do it. I had no control over it." That way they can live with the terrible things they did. It's a way to rationalize in their own heads.

Is there some all powerful or not powerful being out there that gives a shit if you screw your neighbor's wife? I don't think so. If he cared so much maybe he should intervene, but a person that intervenes in your daily life and doesn't allow you to express basic freedoms is a called a dictator not God.

Am I an atheist? That's a label others put on other people. I haven't labeled myself that. I'm me. What I believe is my business, but one thing I definitely don't believe in organized religion. Organized religion was created by man and in my opinion is one of the most corrupt things man has ever created. It's simply a way to control and manipulate others into doing what someone else wants them to do all in God's name.

So if for some reason I am wrong and there is some all powerful God (or not powerful God) out there that has been threatening the end of days for thousands of years...just do it...I dare you...

Stardog84 wrote:

fixxervi6 wrote:The human machine is part of the reason I do not and can not believe in a heaven.

Yeah I think we can pretty much rule that out. Bummer too because that would be cool. Maybe.

Honestly it sounds kind of boring to me, and forever is a hell of a long time to be bored. I assume I wouldn't have a penis in heaven... I'll let you draw your own depressing conclusions from that one.

If heaven was a place where I could have any experience conceivable then I could see myself digging it for a long time. Alas the notion is irrational.

Stardog84 wrote:If heaven was a place where I could have any experience conceivable then I could see myself digging it for a long time. Alas the notion is irrational.

what you REALLY need to do is adopt a new up and coming belief - it's called society of the gift. (you won't find it on google). I'm the propriater, if you wish to learn the truth there is a small fee, if you wish to become a perpetuator there is a slightly larger fee however that will allow you to spread the good word (while collecting a fee), you simply have to pass on a percentage of the fees to the propriater (me). After you have achieved a level 2 perpetuator status you can bring in additional perpetuators, there is also a percentage fee that goes to the propriater from those fees.

I'm 100% serious, I just need to take the time to write it, I have most of the ideas already.

Can you spell AMWAY.

Wow shit got deep here quickly.

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing there aren't too many fellow Roman Catholics like myself in the club, huh?

I dated a Roman Catholic in college, does that count?

I went to my first mass with my first hangover. It was on Easter Sunday.

I had weird friends...

Rhino wrote:I dated a Roman Catholic in college, does that count?

Yes.

fixxervi6 wrote:

Stardog84 wrote:If heaven was a place where I could have any experience conceivable then I could see myself digging it for a long time. Alas the notion is irrational.

what you REALLY need to do is adopt a new up and coming belief - it's called society of the gift. (you won't find it on google). I'm the propriater, if you wish to learn the truth there is a small fee, if you wish to become a perpetuator there is a slightly larger fee however that will allow you to spread the good word (while collecting a fee), you simply have to pass on a percentage of the fees to the propriater (me). After you have achieved a level 2 perpetuator status you can bring in additional perpetuators, there is also a percentage fee that goes to the propriater from those fees.

I'm 100% serious, I just need to take the time to write it, I have most of the ideas already.

Doesn't this describe normal religion as it stands now?

Striple wrote:

Allright Thomas, really curious what you might have to say on this topic

nitzer wrote:

fixxervi6 wrote:

Stardog84 wrote:If heaven was a place where I could have any experience conceivable then I could see myself digging it for a long time. Alas the notion is irrational.

what you REALLY need to do is adopt a new up and coming belief - it's called society of the gift. (you won't find it on google). I'm the propriater, if you wish to learn the truth there is a small fee, if you wish to become a perpetuator there is a slightly larger fee however that will allow you to spread the good word (while collecting a fee), you simply have to pass on a percentage of the fees to the propriater (me). After you have achieved a level 2 perpetuator status you can bring in additional perpetuators, there is also a percentage fee that goes to the propriater from those fees.

I'm 100% serious, I just need to take the time to write it, I have most of the ideas already.

Doesn't this describe normal religion as it stands now?

No this is a different approach, and mine is the only truth.

Pooty wrote:

Striple wrote:

Allright Thomas, really curious what you might have to say on this topic

Those are the type of discussions that I prefer to have at the house over a few adult beverages.

Don't let him fool you he already bought my book

Striple wrote:

Pooty wrote:

Striple wrote:

Allright Thomas, really curious what you might have to say on this topic

Those are the type of discussions that I prefer to have at the house over a few adult beverages.

Understandable.
That makes me even more reluctant.

Fixxer- Striple could possibly be financier...
Joke

Pooty wrote:Fixxer- Striple could possibly be financier...

I appreciate the confidence!

JTChiTown wrote:Wow shit got deep here quickly.

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing there aren't too many fellow Roman Catholics like myself in the club, huh?

Was raised Catholic but don't practice anymore, lost faith in "The Church" a long time ago.

Faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will be the litmus test. But you all know How delusional we Believers are, right?

DarcShadow wrote:

JTChiTown wrote:Wow shit got deep here quickly.

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing there aren't too many fellow Roman Catholics like myself in the club, huh?

Was raised Catholic but don't practice anymore, lost faith in "The Church" a long time ago.

Same.


I've walked many different paths. Various beliefs/faiths... even absolute non belief. Blah blah blah. I believe what I do now because I have seen and experienced way too much not to. I don't believe in luck or coincidence. I also do not believe that intellectual superiority (or any delusions of grandeur for that matter) can be deduced based on spirituality (and it's ironic when people make such bold statements, my apologies but if the shoe fits, by all means). If your mind is closed, so is your heart and vice versa-- regardless of what you personally ascribe to. I like to say I am faithful and not religious. I am spiritual and cannot be defined by labels. I do believe in busting stereotypes... one closed heart at a time.

Like Striple said, this is the kind of conversation that is best with some adult beverages and a chill atmosphere. We could get purely anthropologic, philosophical or who knows what. As long as it gets people opening up and sharing, that's key. Such profound conversations are so difficult to have online. Peace.