I have heard quiet a few atheist say that religon is just a source for weak minded people to fall back on.

But that goes both ways doesnt it? Most 'converted' atheist (Someone who did beleive in God and now doesnt) think that way because something bad has happened in there life. They lost a loved one, there parents fought alot, or what have you. And no, because of that, they dont think there is a God because if there was, then he wouldnt let such an awful thing happen.

Bad things happen to everyone. Its part of life. We could get into a debate over what God does,exacly, but I think thats for another time.

I am not saying that thats the view of all atheist. Nor am I saying I have a problem with atheist, some of my friends are atheist.

I am saying that the agurment of being weak minded goes both ways.

[img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] Agree completely I_R!

I pride myself on being a non-religious person. Not atheist necessarily, but believe that if there is a god figure, he's taken a different form than that presented by the religions of the world. ;)

as much as i know this thread will be short lived, being that i've been told there is a religious discussion ban, i must say i agree that is seems weak minded either way. i beleive tho that everyone has their own belief's and no one is actually weakminded. does it not take a strong person to believe his life is his own and he rules it? and a strong person to admit he is not all there is to this world, that there is a being better than him? my religious beliefs are unimportant to this thread, but i do believe in something, and i find joy in that. so if you find joy with or without a higher being i respect you.

Religion might well be the opiate of the masses but that does not necessarilly make a religious person weak minded. It takes at least a modicum of thought to write a 40 page typed paper in one week on the doctrine of justified warfare and have that paper average 78 words per sentence. (That children is why some sermons seem like they last forever. They actually do.)

i thought sermons seemed long because the preacher/priest was the only drunk one?

No. I don't drink. I have just discovered that if you use enough words you approach the speed of light and time slows down. At least this way everybody can get home before the football game starts.

*sigh* That's not still the case is it? Aren't we over that by now?

i have no idea yorick but given the recent leaving of moni there must still be some ppl on this board who haven't learned a lesson. i don't know what happened there but it sounded immature, and religious discussions are not meant for immature minded ppl. i hope this does not get out of hand, but i expect it will somewhere downt he line unless it dies out soon.

Suffice to say, it's *unofficially* lifted...pending how people handle the discussions. I have a feeling that if the recent trend of flaming in threads continues, the mods will ring the curtain back down.

-Saz

AFAIK Moni didn't leave because of a religious discussion. Also AFAIK the moratorium on religion wasn't because people were being immature (ie rude and disrespectful) I think it was just that there was an absolute glut of religious topics in which a lot of (sometimes heated) decate was going on where no real outcomes were achieved (as in, there is a god, no there isn't, prove it, type things) [img]smile.gif[/img] .

I don't think it's the case that most atheists 'convert' because of bad things happening at all. Some are brought up in non-religious households and continue their parents' beliefs, much like people who are brought up in religious households continue their parents' religious beliefs. Some come to the conclusion that God doesn't exist by considering the evidence (such as it is) rationally, as religious people sometimes come to the conclusion he does exist like that as well. Likewise some people turn to religion after such a traumatic event occurs to get some grounding or anchor.

I suppose your point about some people being weak-minded in both cases is true, though maybe rather trivial.