This was never meant to convince you to feel a certain way, so there's no problem there.

Feel free to post with your real name.

why does this post give me the gut feel that i would not like u if ive met u? why does this post make me want to swallow the idea of: "ignorance is bliss". am i getting too personal or cheesy here? Let me just give you an unsolicited take on this post.

though the content's okay. i felt that, substantiation and characterization of arguments and models presented were a little bit problematic (the way i see it, debater’s.adj’s point of view). i don’t know which issue you're trying to dodge here all at once. reading the sentences were like watching stray bullets going everywhere with no specific directions. i find the arguments logical but not that reasonable.im so sorry. i could not reconcile your ideas on atheism next to your ideas of existence. I just felt that it was poorly argued due to its insane prejudices.

now I ask you, because clearly I believe you appear to have answer for everything. does this epiphanies make me one of the so called "simpletons" and the insanely superficial people reading this posts? i found it hard to understand why u had to sound and emerge too technical or intimidating just to let let your ideas fly. if I didn’t get enough medical subjects in school id be twice dead on my way to your second paragraph. if this is what I get for being a smart ass, no thank you, id rather be average and enjoy life and the company of people.

the kicker in your blog title is very pleasant. i feel we are totally alike in almost all aspects apart from “atheism”. i have nothing against your belief, i have friends who share the same stand, and I appreciate their existence in my life. i feel that their existence need to be celebrated as much as we celebrate the existence of believers in society.

u may be unimaginably a smart ass, but I wouldn’t want to allow your thoughts to eat into my being. your blog feeds me with so much information that i have enjoyed knowing. the “Shades of Gattaca encroaching the NBA” is my favorite post, by the way. classical issue but still kicking ass. the thing is, i just did not like how I felt while reading your posts. which probably was the reason why I am writing you right now.

i honestly don’t know how you would react to this or what “spur of the moment” retort you would let out after going through this. perhaps, agreeing that we have disparities would be a better option. it’s noteworthy that we celebrate our differences as individuals. thank you for making me realize a lot of things! may the force be with you.

I’m also a filipino atheist and never knew there are active atheists in Luzon (I’m from Visayas). I originated from digg.com and was pointed to your blogg. There are lots of atheist resources on digg and I am thankful
In contrast to most readers here, I don’t usually tell people that I’m an atheist. I don’t want to explain why I don’t believe in god. I’m even anonymous so that no one can trace me on the net as an atheist .

Like you I was depressed at first when I realized I don’t believe in a personal God. I even tried to go back to my old religion but I can’t do it. It just seems to be irrational.

People should read their “Holy Book” (Bible/Koran/etc.) so that they will know how *good* is the foundation of their religion.

P.S.

Please try to use plain english. I have a hard time comprehending your statements so I can’t really comment. I know it is natural for you because you are a debater (I’m not actually sure but I sense so ). However, you should realize that when blogging, even natural english speakers don’t use unfamiliar words and too much metaphors. How the heck do you think a high school/college atheist in visayas/mindanao will understand/comprehend your statements clearly? Or even most people in the Luzon. They might probably understand most of it but they will really have a hard time.

Maybe it’s just me . Try to visit http://www.lolcatbible.com.

I'm also a filipino atheist and never knew there are active atheists in Luzon (I'm from Visayas). I originated from digg.com and was pointed to your blogg. There are lots of atheist resources on digg and I am thankful

In contrast to most readers here, I don't usually tell people that I'm an atheist. I don't want to explain why I don't believe in god. I'm even anonymous so that no one can trace me on the net as an atheist .

Like you I was depressed at first when I realized I don't believe in a personal God. I even tried to go back to my old religion but I can't do it. It just seems to be irrational.

People should read their "Holy Book" (Bible/Koran/etc.) so that they will know how *good* is the foundation of their religion.

P.S.

Please try to use plain english. I have a hard time comprehending your statements so I can't really comment. I know it is natural for you because you are a debater (I'm not actually sure but I sense so ). However, you should realize that when blogging, even natural english speakers don't use unfamiliar words and too much metaphors. How the heck do you think a high school/college atheist in visayas/mindanao will understand/comprehend your statements clearly? Or even most people in the Luzon. They might probably understand most of it but they will really have a hard time.

Maybe it's just me . Try to visit http://www.lolcatbible.com.

If we associate everything to God, then wouldn’t it be like we’re giving God the task to treat as like dolls in a huge doll house called world? That when he grew tired of us, he could just “dispose” us whenever we want. Anyway, he could always make another billion of puppets in a blink of an eye so disposing 2 or 3 billion of puppets doesn’t really matter.

IMHO, no matter how much we cracked our minds out, we can never give a definite reason on why we exist, and why we should live this life. It’s all about how we should live it.

No, science and philosophy can’t fully explain our emotions and thoughts, but that’s no reason to stop applying science and philosophy to emotions and thoughts anyway.

Your reply suggests we should just stop thinking and leave it all to God. Sorry to break it to you, but there is no God to leave things to!

While I do not believe that we will go to heaven/hell/whatever when we die, I cannot bring myself to believe that we'll just rot and that's it. My ego is telling me that there's more to me than that. But that's just my ego.

I think I'm beginning to go back to Jiddu Krishnamurti again. Now that was agonizing! with the same dilemna of limited language as we all do.hehe. Be well.

The nature of human intelligence and rationality is something that I've been thinking about a lot lately, and I would love to discuss that stuff in person with you people someday. But for now, I'll just subscribe to this thread and see if it turns into a flamewar. I like flamewars.

Look, people, stop trying to convince the other side. This post was about something focused, now it's become too broad and unclear.

We had a good run, though, in the beginning, didn't we, Benj? Till next time!

Exactly. IMO, every person is born atheist until they are indoctrinated, basically tabula rasa, a blank slate. At an early age, we are "labeled" into a religion just because our parents are in it.

This thought experiment is somewhat related to the thought experiment done by Scott Adams, the writer of dilbert, (Turns out, he could be a serious person, whenever he wants to.) , in his book The God Debris (which you can download freely, btw). But this blog is better, methinks.

Good Job Benj. Will be waiting for more …

Let me propose this: one becomes an atheist when one perceives religion to be at odds with truth.

That's how it happened to me, anyway. I mean, transubstantiation? Papal infallibility? Creationism? The overarching belief that a divine sentient being created the world and cares if I worship him? I don't think any of these are true, and I've discovered that the parts of religion that are true aren't dependent on religion to be true.