Thread for Mathclub

[AnthonyB]

Hi, since you seemed to needed a thread to post on, I created one for you.

My first question is the symbol for Atheism on this site meant to represent a head with a brain or is it showing a head without a brain? I presume it is meant to be the first but often I look at the symbol and am unsure if someone is having a subtle dig at atheist by it.

My personal experience with Athiest has largely been negative. I often struggle with my faith, I am at times quite plagued with doubts but atheism has also had a negative feel to me. I can clearly say that the atheist I've meet have largely left me with a very negative perception.

At high school the only openly atheistic student was utterly obnoxious. He looked down on the all the other students with utter disdain. Presumed he was the most intelligent kid in the school despite being only middling in his actual marks.

Granted there can bo really obnoxious people of faith but I have yet to meet many atheist that really inspire me, the people who inspired me the most have been mostly Christians. I honestly prefer Chesterton, Lewis, Tolkein and Dostoyesvky over Asimov, Clarke, and Bertrand Russell.

 

[Bungle_Bear]

My first question is the symbol for Atheism on this site meant to represent a head with a brain or is it showing a head without a brain? I presume it is meant to be the first but often I look at the symbol and am unsure if someone is having a subtle dig at atheist by it.

The icon was designed for this site. Whatever its implications are meant to be they come from Chrsitians.

My personal experience with Athiest has largely been negative. I often struggle with my faith, I am at times quite plagued with doubts but atheism has also had a negative feel to me. I can clearly say that the atheist I've meet have largely left me with a very negative perception.

I suspect what you're really trying to say is that the atheists you remember most left you with a very negative perception. Unless you have had an extremely weird and controlled life where somebody has ensured these have really been the majority of atheists you have met then you are just choosing to remember the bad experiences and ignoring the neutral and good ones. My guess is you actually have no idea what beliefs the vast majority of people you have met hold.

Granted there can bo really obnoxious people of faith but I have yet to meet many atheist that really inspire me, the people who inspired me the most have been mostly Christians. I honestly prefer Chesterton, Lewis, Tolkein and Dostoyesvky over Asimov, Clarke, and Bertrand Russell.

Dostoyevsky? Now there's a man with very ambiguous religious beliefs. Why does he inspire you? And why chose Bertrand Russell? The others were all writers of novels and poems, Russell wasn't. It also sounds like you don't like sci-fi!

 

[Neenie1]

There are obnoxious people everywhere and it usually has little to do with their religous beliefs.

I don't choose my friends according to religion and a lot of them I have no idea what their religion is (unless I met them at church or work - I work in a Christian school and all the staff a Christian)

 

[mathclub]

yeah, i guess for me all of those points you raise don't really matter.

Your beliefs inform your actions. We don't all live in little bubbles, and our actions all affect other people. Because of this, holding false beliefs, which then inform your actions, which in turn affects others is clearly a bad thing. So for me, my main focus is always to discover the truth, and to eliminate any false beliefs that i might hold.

So in this regard, to me it's irrelevant how inspirational different writers are, how annoying people who hold different beliefs are, which group does the most good/evil etc etc. The most important thing is discovering the truth, eliminating false beliefs, and then going from there.

 

[Born to Watch]

This is going to sound funny but
I prefer atheists to Christians
Obviously not the new age ranting atheists, you know the type I am sure. Proselytising windbags with no manners.
But the standard atheist who just doesnt believe in God.
I find they are less judgemental than Christians, they dont act like Pharisees. They dont tend to pretend they are perfect like Christians and are more open and honest with themselves and others. I think they accept everyone and anyone mostly, far better than most Christians do


Now this is not representative of all atheists or all Christians, just what I have noticed.

Additionally it is true, atheists are not inspiring people, not to many operate out of sacrificial love (neither do most Christians) as some Christians do.
And love has a different meaning and value, it is mostly self serving and self centred in those atheists I know.

I am aware how important Christian community is for my growth and the growth of those I affect (or is that effect?). Christian community is very important.

 

[flyff]

for me, my main focus is always to discover the truth, and to eliminate any false beliefs that i might hold.

 

[MorkandMindy]

This is going to sound funny but
I prefer atheists to Christians
Obviously not the new age ranting atheists, you know the type I am sure. Proselytising windbags with no manners.

Sounds like you prefer people who keep quiet? I'll agree that quiet people seem always to be respected.

I can see that point but I like it even more when people who believe they do have an answer do enough about it to to make it known. Personally I like it when JWs come to visit because they actually care.


I think possibly outspoken atheism came into being as a response to the rise to power of American Christian Fundamentalism in the USA and the totally irresponsible attitude ACFs take toward this planet.

 

[MorkandMindy]

Hi, since you seemed to needed a thread to post on, I created one for you.

My first question is the symbol for Atheism on this site meant to represent a head with a brain or is it showing a head without a brain? I presume it is meant to be the first but often I look at the symbol and am unsure if someone is having a subtle dig at atheist by it.

Thanks for opening this thread but where is that Mathclub guy anyway?

My guess at your first question is the symbol will be taken well by both sides.

An atheist believes that all knowledge must originate in a human brain, or at least until cybernetics has moved on about a century. And therefore that whoever has the brain has the knowledge.

A revealed religion person believes that all true worthwhile profound (add some superlatives of your own) must of necessity come from above, and therefore the human brain is wholly inadequate, perhaps just a dark place in the absence of Jesus.

So I think it is intended as a compliment to atheists which nonetheless won't upset Christians. Just my guess that is.

 

[mathclub]

Thanks for opening this thread but where is that Mathclub guy anyway?

My guess at your first question is the symbol will be taken well by both sides.

An atheist believes that all knowledge must originate in a human brain, or at least until cybernetics has moved on about a century. And therefore that whoever has the brain has the knowledge.

A revealed religion person believes that all true worthwhile profound (add some superlatives of your own) must of necessity come from above, and therefore the human brain is wholly inadequate, perhaps just a dark place in the absence of Jesus.

So I think it is intended as a compliment to atheists which nonetheless won't upset Christians. Just my guess that is.

i'm here. what's up?

posted that not really bothered about who people find inspiring or whatever cause it's got nothing to do with what is actually true, and that is really what i'm worried about.

agree with you re the symbol