Is anyone else an atheist with BC besides me?
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you are now talking about my absolute FANTASY - snorkeling in warm, clear waters..ah..some day.
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For those who would like to learn to scuba dive, be assured that age and physical condition are not necessarily criteria for who would make a good diver. Diving is a sport that requires brains more than brawn. If one can breathe and follows the training, one can scuba. Of course proper training is a must if one is going to strap on the a tank. Without proper training (which is not difficult) one can get into real trouble.
Snorkeling is much more of a physical challenge.
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notself - you're busting up my fantasy ;( Ya mean I can't just float on the surface and watch the fish below me??? Aaawwwwww...well, that's still my fantasy
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It's much more fun to dive under the water and swim with the fish. There are some simple tricks to snorkeling that one can learn in 20 minutes that makes snorkeling so much more fun and easy. After an hour or so of snorkeling one feels part of the ocean.
Tip: Wear a T-shirt over your bathing suit to protect your back from the intense sun of the Caribbean.
Tip: Spit in your mask and rub it around (gross I know) then rinse your mask. Spit stops the mask from fogging up.
Tip: Do not touch anyunder water rocks with your bare hands. There is a species of fish with sharp spines called a rock fish. Not fun to discover the hard way.
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Love this thread and the fascinating twists and turns. Sunflowers and Notself - you both make me LOL. Would love to try scuba diving - but more interested in deep sea diving to see the sharks and dolphins. Worried about my contact lenses falling out, though. (Strange priorities in the world of worry, I agree....)
Welcome Charles. Sorry that you had to join BCO.
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1Athena1,
It is not unusual to see shark and dolphin on scuba or snorkel although I saw neither after 3 years of diving 2-3 times a week. I did see a really large Manta Ray and once a young Manatee came right up to me and let me pet her.
You are right that one doesn't wear contact lenses while diving. One has a prescription mask made. They are only slightly more expensive than a pair of glasses and are designed to allow for the larger air space between the lenses and the eyes.
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Hi it takes allot of faith to be an atheist. To believe there is nothing out there. Even harder when your faced with question of mortality.
I found through my BC journey that it helped me crystalise what I really believed in...and did I really believe in it or not i must say I feel closer to my God and have seen his hand of provision in this confusing painful journey.
I hope you find the same support...i realised that its ok to rethink what you believe in. I have seen people leave their beliefs after being diagnoised and those who are stronger for it.
I hope you find comfort God bless
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Belly, I don't find it hard to be a nontheist at all. It seems like the most natural thing in the world for me. I see no evidence of a divine being out there, and furthermore, it doesn't matter to me. My beliefs make this world and this life so precious. As for my own mortality, I know I will live on in the hearts of those who love me and the actions I take in this world. To me, believing in something else with no evidence or proof seems like the tough endeavor.
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Sigh.
I have a "religion" it's called science. I'm very analytical and that's how I think and believe. BC has not changed that.
-Judy
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Well put Kadia!
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tee, hee..some folks just never give up thinking they know what's best for everyone.
Being an athiest, living in the LOVE and MYSTERY of all living things, beings, bodhisatva's, Nature's Bounty, ah, JOY, JOY, JOY, trusting oneself, and the Universe, and if there is a God, I am sure SHE is watching out for all of us.....
eta - {{{{{{LIKE}}}}}} Kadia - now THAT's what I call courage.....you are INSPIRING!
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belly,
You are welcome to read this thread and you are welcome to join in any discussion. But, please do not proselytize. We set up this thread to get away from people who push belief in their imaginary friend.
This quote explains what this thread is all about. It is in my signature line, but you may have missed it.
'I am a religious agnostic because of science, an atheist because of probability, and an
anti-theist because of religion'. ---PZ Myers
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Speaking of science, have you ever tried to imagine or think about the infinity of space? That's always fascinated me. Blame it on Capn Kirk.
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I want to meet the Vulcans. We could use a good dose of logical thought on this planet!
Religious people have blundered into this thread since its beginning. They read only the initial post and then decide to tell us their feelings about God. I've gotten more tolerant of it than I was at first ... as long as they have the good grace to stop it once they realize the purpose of the thread.
I found getting away from dogmatic religion to be very beneficial ... only after you get out of the box can you look around and see all that is out there.
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You know the Cardassians have landed in LA and have a reality show! Where are the Men in Black when you need them?
What do I believe? Hmmmmmmmm. I believe in what I can touch, see, and make rational sense of. I believe, though I've muddled through this life, that I've done my share of good. If I want to believe in a fantasy, the one I would wish for is the Rainbow Bridge where my furry friends might be.0 -
Chickadee - I'm a high school Physics teacher and we do a unit on space physics with our kids. It blows their minds to learn what a small part of the universe we are. Some get sad because of their perceived insignificance, but I tell them that as long as they make a difference even in a very small way, they are significant and important. They also always ask if I think there is life on other planets and my response is that it seems quite egotistical of us to think that Earth contains the only possible life in all of the expansive universe.
Noteself - thanks for your note, you put it well. I so often don't know how to respond and sighing is about the best I can do.
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That's the fun part of trying to imagine the universe, feeling like a spec and wondering about other possible life out there!
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(({{{{{{{{{{" imaginary friend"}}}}}}}}}}}}}} Notself, you are FOREVER going to be thanked for that - wish I'd thought of it about 50 years ago, but from now on, I will "credit" you, but am gonna use it!
YOU ARE ALL BODHISATTVAS. Really so appreciate having this supportive place - kindness, HUMOR, HUMOR, and boy, if those of us who had(or have) bc need something, HUMOR is at the top of the list. Thanks everyone...."imaginary friend" a million tee, hees...smiling, smiling, smiling...
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SunflowersMA,
I wish I could take credit for it but it is an old saying. Here is another.
Believer: Atheism is a religion just like Christianity.
Atheist: Atheism is a religion like bald is a hair color.
Does anyone else have something?
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well, notself, I'm old too, and I'd never heard it b4..still laughing....JUST LOVE IT!
Bald is a hair color is good too ;-)))
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The day before yesterday, a student of mine asked me if I thought that mermaids really existed. I said no. She asked why. I said there is no evidence that any mermaids exist. Really, there is nothing else to say.
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Notself:
I don't "dis-believe" or "believe" anything. There is no God period.
It used to upset me to realize there was no God. I have come a long way since then and it's neither here nor there to me now.
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1Athena1,
Ditto.
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Notself, that is absolutely perfect.
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I love you girls!
A quote from Richard Dawkins which I think you'll enjoy:
'There are all sorts of things that would be comforting. I expect an injection of morphine would be comforting....But to say that something is comforting is not to say that it's true...'
And from the anti-creationist philosopher Delos B. McKown: 'The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike'.
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Atheists have been trying to talk logic to believers for thousands of years. People just love to believe fairy tails more than reality. Here is a quote by a philosopher of ancient Greece.
"Is god willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence comes evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?" --- Epicurus 300 BCE
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I think the next time a believer comes here to proselytize I will return the favor by posting one of these on a prayer forum. NO, I wouldn't really do it because those who cling to myth need the comfort of fantasy but it is fun to think about.
These are from this site. http://atheistempire.com/greatminds/index2.html and are proof that the USA was not founded as a Christian nation.
"Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." - Thomas Jefferson
"Religions are all alike - founded upon fables and mythologies." - Thomas
Jefferson"History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government." - Thomas Jefferson
"In no instance have . . . the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people." - James Madison
" The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity." - John Adams"Lighthouses are more helpful than churches." - Benjamin Franklin
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Obit in the Seattle Times this morning:
Four score and seven years ago a small pinch of stardust coalested (sic) and formed a new human being, named Virginia (Vaught) Sparling. This was no miracle; creation is the norm for the universe. The miracle is the life she lived. On Feb 23rd, 2012 she returned the stardust to the cosmos.
She was a Unitarian minister. Belief in a deity is not a requirement, so lots of atheists and agnostics find community there.
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I just think Marx said it best. Religion is the opium of the people.
And the Vatican is a huge corporation of greed and corruption - a pyramid scheme so powerful that it calls itself a country and cons many good people who do believe in its works. Joseph Ratzinger can kiss my ***. In my book of morals child molestation by priests on a mammoth scale is almost as bad as murder. So is not standing up to the Nazis during the war. Catholics have done wonderful work in the areas of education and healthcare, so this is a statement about the Vatican - not about the many good people whom I hold different views from but who do good work (and who did stand up to Hitler individually). If people want to believe in God, that's fine. They shouldn't be conned by a corporation into thinking that the CEO is the descendant of a certain fisherman. Both Jesus and Peter would turn in their graves if they saw the spectacle in Rome.
Not that the Catholic church is the only con scheme. The US has plenty of tele-evangelists who, on a smaller scale, do the same thing.
To anyone who says: What people do with God and religion is not always defensible, but that shouldn't invalidate God, I say "God is a man-made concept as is religion, so the two are inseparable."
I think religion does play an important and valuable role in setting cultural frameworks for morality and behavior, so I am tolerant of a modest bit of robing, ceremony and lithurgy if it makes some people happy. And one must respect others' faith. But the Vatican is an extravaganza of riches. So are the wealthy prozletyzers in the US who blame natural disasters and terrorist attacks on gays and liberals. They deserve to be Madoff's cellmates.
Ok, if I get deleted (which I don't believe I should because there is no abuse or harassment here but.....it's Sunday and its BCO) it was nice knowing you all. :-)
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