gameoverman wrote: ↑Wed May 02, 2018 4:05 pmI have no religious beliefs. So I feel no need to try to rope more people into my group. My group is the "I don't care" religious group, and the core of the I don't care group is that since you don't care, you don't make any effort to recruit more people into not caring, because you don't care.
I identify as an Atheist, and I have a strong streak of "don't care" - I don't preach it, but I do get offended when someone tries to cram what they think is truth down my throat by trying to build it into the legal system or pushing it in public spaces like schools. I've had nice, rational debates with people wanting to convert me. It doesn't upset me, but I often don't have time for it and will cut them short. When I have time, I'm fine with being nice and explaining why I don't believe in their gods. It's simple, really. I leave it up to Occam's Razor.
The infinite universe is complicated enough all by itself without making it infinitely more complex by claiming something came before and somehow then made everything. It's a devolving argument - what came before God, then? If god can spontaneously create itself, why can't a universe spontaneously come into existence. Which is the least complex answer? That A poofed into existence and then poofed B into existence, or that B poofed into existence without A?
I have never once felt or seen anything that I could classify as "magical" or "divine". I've seen a lot of suffering and pain. I've seen a lot of generosity and good. I've seen a lot of up and down. None of it has
ever seemed like anything more than human machinations or natural phenomena. I was raised free of any religious indoctrination. I read through the bible once and thought it was a terrible story. I visited a church as a child and thought it was boring and creepy. The few times when I've sat in a room filled with "true believers" I got a distinct feeling that they'd like nothing more than to rip my throat open for being
unlike them, but can't because they'd get caught - it was a powerfully repellent sensation. I think people who don't believe in gods that find themselves turning towards that are looking to fill gaps in their lives they can't otherwise cope with. It doesn't make them weak, just human. I sometimes find myself wishing I could believe in the magic, too, so that when I died I could see where humanity goes. It makes me a little sad to think I'm going to wink out and miss everything that comes after, but I accept it. The thought of spending eternity "basking in the glory" is unappealing. I think I'd get bored.