Happy Atheist Forum

Hello everyone!

Just a brief post to make myself known - and if I like it here enough to stick around I'll introduce myself a bit more properly!

lol

Hello and welcome, Jack's Disciple.

I don't know Jack.  I see that you've entered "Christian" in your worldview denominator, so maybe Jack is a pastor?  A nickname for Jesus? Just curious, is all.

Hello and welcome, Jack!  

Quote from: "Recusant"Hello and welcome, Jack's Disciple.

I don't know Jack.  I see that you've entered "Christian" in your worldview denominator, so maybe Jack is a pastor?  A nickname for Jesus? Just curious, is all.

It's sad, but the first thing I thought was 'I wonder if they're a LOST fan?'  Oh, TV, why did I ever go back to you?

And welcome to the forum, JD.  I hope you like it here!

Quote from: "Tank"lol

Reverence already: I like it!  :)  Jack refers to C.S. Lewis, whose writings I love.  I owe a lot to his books and essays, even though I disagree with some of his views.  

Quote from: "elliebean"Hello and welcome, Jack!  

Thanks Ellie!

Quote from: "pinkocommie"It's sad, but the first thing I thought was 'I wonder if they're a LOST fan?'  Oh, TV, why did I ever go back to you?

And welcome to the forum, JD.  I hope you like it here!

Sadly, no, not a Lost fan!  It's taken me two years to kick my TV habit, with plenty of relapses!  

Also: JD!  (I am a Scrubs fan!)

Quote from: "Jack's Disciple"

Quote from: "Tank"lol

Reverence already: I like it!  ;)

Quote from: "Tank"Don't get used to it  :(  

So ALS

Me > 50, England, Male

Quote from: "Tank"So ALS

Me > 50, England, Male

22, snap, snaparoo.
What kind of atheist are you?  (Interpret the question as you see fit!   )

Quote from: "Jack's Disciple"

Quote from: "Tank"So ALS

Me > 50, England, Male

22, snap, snaparoo.
What kind of atheist are you?  (Interpret the question as you see fit!   )

6 on the Dawkins scale is a fair if rather 'thin' description would be a fair start. Never been theistic Mum CofE Dad atheist.

1. Strong theist. 100 per cent probability  of God. In the words of C.G. Jung, 'I do not believe, I know.'
2. Very high probability but short of 100 per cent. De facto theist. 'I cannot know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there.'
3. Higher than 50 per cent but not very high. Technically agnostic but leaning towards theism. 'I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God.'
4. Exactly 50 per cent. Completely impartial agnostic. 'God's existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable.'
5. Lower than 50 per cent but not very low. Technically agnostic but leaning towards atheism. 'I do not know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be sceptical.'
6. Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist. 'I cannot know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there.'
7. Strong atheist. 'I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung "knows" there is one.'

Quote from: "Tank"6 on the Dawkins scale is a fair if rather 'thin' description would be a fair start. Never been theistic Mum CofE Dad atheist.

1. Strong theist. 100 per cent probability  of God. In the words of C.G. Jung, 'I do not believe, I know.'
2. Very high probability but short of 100 per cent. De facto theist. 'I cannot know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there.'
3. Higher than 50 per cent but not very high. Technically agnostic but leaning towards theism. 'I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God.'
4. Exactly 50 per cent. Completely impartial agnostic. 'God's existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable.'
5. Lower than 50 per cent but not very low. Technically agnostic but leaning towards atheism. 'I do not know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be sceptical.'
6. Very low probability, but short of zero. De facto atheist. 'I cannot know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there.'
7. Strong atheist. 'I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung "knows" there is one.'

Dawkins' scale is fair but thin I'd agree - I would be 2 on the scale.  Coincidently, my mum is also a CofEer and Dad an atheist (at least the last time I asked him).

Welcome!

So why DO you believe in god? Upbringing? Personal experience..? A combination thereof..?

Quote from: "Asmodean"Welcome!

So why DO you believe in god? Upbringing? Personal experience..? A combination thereof..?

I am a Christian because I find it to be the most credible worldview intellectually and the most satisfying worldview existentially.  To quote Jack: "I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risenâ€"not just because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else."

Will you be stuck to the TV watching the football? I'm not a fan of weekend football but I enjoy the big show stuff. I follow F1 quite religiously though.

What made sign up here?

Quote from: "Tank"Will you be stuck to the TV watching the football? I'm not a fan of weekend football but I enjoy the big show stuff. I follow F1 quite religiously though.

I don't follow the footie normally, but there's nothing like watching England in the World Cup in a decent pub.  I'm especially looking forward to seeing pictures of SA so I can reminisce on when I went out there last summer.  

Quote from: "Tank"What made sign up here?

I love talking to people with different views, especially being challenged in my perspectives.

Quote from: "Jack's Disciple"

Quote from: "Tank"Will you be stuck to the TV watching the football? I'm not a fan of weekend football but I enjoy the big show stuff. I follow F1 quite religiously though.

I don't follow the footie normally, but there's nothing like watching England in the World Cup in a decent pub.  I'm especially looking forward to seeing pictures of SA so I can reminisce on when I went out there last summer.  

I do like SA I worked in Cape Town for a few months. I was horribly spoilt though, we were put up in The Table Bay hotel a superb place. Worked in the Tigerburg hills

Quote from: "Jack's Disciple"

Quote from: "Tank"What made sign up here?

I love talking to people with different views, especially being challenged in my perspectives.

Same here.

Quote from: "Tank"I do like SA I worked in Cape Town for a few months. I was horribly spoilt though, we were put up in The Table Bay hotel a superb place. Worked in the Tigerburg hills.

I spent a couple of weeks working in the townships in Durban and then another couple bumming it in studenty hostels along the Garden Route down to Cape Town - a bit of a different experience to yours!  The contrast between the devastating poverty and the devastating beauty in the country is astounding.

Quote from: "Jack's Disciple"

Quote from: "Tank"I do like SA I worked in Cape Town for a few months. I was horribly spoilt though, we were put up in The Table Bay hotel a superb place. Worked in the Tigerburg hills.

I spent a couple of weeks working in the townships in Durban and then another couple bumming it in studenty hostels along the Garden Route down to Cape Town - a bit of a different experience to yours!  The contrast between the devastating poverty and the devastating beauty in the country is astounding.

Quite so. I was there in 2000/1 so this may have changed a little now but while I was there the difference between the haves and have nots was as much money as anything else. The black SA were suffering from the historical issues in that they were at the time still recovering from the poor education they had received under apartheid. It will take another 20 to 30 years to overcome the generations of bias that country has suffered.