Why We Believe in Gods - Andy Thomson - American Atheists 09

Andy Thomson gives his talk titled 'Why We Believe in Gods' at the go in Atlanta, Georgia.
See more at RichardDawkins.net
Also see Richard Dawkins talk from this convention:
• American Atheists 09 -...
Produced by The Richard Dawkins Foundation and R. Elisabeth Cornwell

[@incognito3620]

Holy cow this video is 14 years old. The truth never goes out of style. I am so happy I found it. It holds up even today.

[@williamwhitten7820]

*"Holy cow" is Hindu.*

[@incognito3620]

@@williamwhitten7820 Holy Cow is…b.s. ! There are no holy cows. Only wholly jeans and socks!

[@williamwhitten7820]

"The truth never goes out of style."~incognito3620 *"What is Truth?" said jesting Pilate.* *He would not stay for an answer.*

[@swapnaneeldas3227]

​@@williamwhitten7820 as a hindu you just summoned me

[@williamwhitten7820]

@@swapnaneeldas3227 *Swapnan, Come hither and fro this minute!*

[@Mad_S]

I was thirteen years old, crying in my room praying for my late grandfathers wisdom. Then I started to think about what I had been told, how he was always watching, and that made me feel very uncomfortable, the thought that my grandfather was watching my every action and judging me made me feel more shame than comfort. I also knew that a lot of my actions that I was ashamed of were natural. That's when I realized that the whole religion thing must be absolute bogus, I had no reason to feel ashamed and no one was judging me. I've always questioned all forms of authority so there wasn't a big gap between my parents and god. I realized that my perception of a god was the culmination of all the emotions I felt for my parents at a very young age, the reverence, the fear, the anxiety and the anger all stemmed from me building the mental image of a god based on what I was taught. It was a long night and I felt like I had grown a lot but I still find myself falling for the same sense of structure in times of high levels of self doubt. I really wish we could get rid of standard religions, I feel like if we did then it would be so much easier to teach these things, but with the current level of taboo around the subject it feels like we won't be able break past the veil and get to the actual dilemmas. The thought of a god might be comforting, but I feel as if it acts as a distraction from actual problems, which means people keep suffering but in silence rather than with support.

[@ToninoterRessort]

Atheïsm is just a effect of the fall of man. Jesus = God in fysical form. He was before time was. Interesting to read what God came to do on this earth.... Healing all, raising the dead, casting out demons, hanging on a cross to pay the debtbof our fall, pouring out His Spirit so we can become what we were created to be... walking in the same unselfish love and power He did. Because He is so passionate of what He created you to be. His Spirit brings forth after His kind. Born-again. Yay! www.anewcreationinchrist.nl/english

[@gary100dm]

Pinker wrote a book titled, "The Blank Slate."

[@matthewgabbard6415]

Dude your grandmother sees you spank it. She shakes her head in disapproval every time. She and Ghandi and Abraham Lincoln. All discussing what a dirty little boy you are

[@snoozyq9576]

Religion doesn't mean judgement and shame. Nor does God. The way some people practice it does involve that though. Its pretty broad.

[@williamwhitten7820]

@Mad_S *I know what you were embarrassed about at 13, and I needn't spell it out.* *Your grandfather would have understood dude. He whacked it when he was 13.* *That is a dumb reason to give up belief in the divine.*

[@earthn1447]

I chose not to be a martyr for my faith; after beating myself up in the second grade because I could not honestly avow to die for my faith, I raised my own daughter without religion and she is one of the most intelligent, kindest, most charitable and empathetic persons I know.

[@briobarb8525]

Good for you and her?

[@MosesRabuka]

“The argument goes something like this: "I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing” ~ Douglas Adams

[@G_Demolished]

Yes, meaning that god only exists in the minds of those who have faith in him.

[@scottmoore7588]

Translation: "I exist only in your imagination, and without your imagination I would be nothing."

[@lynndevos2278]

@@G_Demolished amen, without man does god exist? I think not.

[@PaulStringini]

That's not the way I hear theists arguing. they usually argue that the evidence for God is overwhelming and undeniable. Show me a Fundamentalist Christian that doesn't think the Bible is God's perfect word and proof of his existence.

[@rajanogray9088]

"If God knows what I am thinking why do I have to pray." Very good question!!!!

[@znrv3345]

Because when u pray you get hope and you're believe in god will increase u need to pray cuz u dont got nothing u and i are completely nothing god give u everything and when you pray u will always remember that there is a god id god will do all things in secret without u talking to him u will not believe that he exists. Sorry for my bad english

[@rajanogray9088]

@@znrv3345 I am curious about the mechanism here. Isn't God all powerful? Why would prayer increase belief or knowledge? Why couldn't God reveal himself without prayer?

[@paulhubbard252]

Yeah right your on the money rajano gray you would be wasting your time

[@MatthewFearnley]

To rephrase the question: Why does God respond differently to words I communicate to him, in a sense that he doesn’t respond to words that just pass through my head?

[@michielzoelman1380]

God knows and you can pray to know

[@jennifer97363]

Absolutely riveting and what I been trying to (awkwardly) verbalize in this belief-non belief discussion. Really appreciated this!

[@MisterNarrador]

we believe in Gods because of Ego, we need the feeling that we are special. we fear not being special.

[@JohnCahillChapel]

Yes. That’s because we are very significant and we are smart enough to feel our great loss, however it occurred.

[@Caden32105]

​@JohnCahillChapel we are not significant

[@Re3VxRNxCLAN]

@@Caden32105we are significant enough to be the only species in Known existence with the technological capability we have. We have yet to find anything that can. Rival humanity. Are we the only species to use technology. Of course not. But we have yet to prove it.

[@David-in2px]

@@Re3VxRNxCLAN get with the program

[@BlkJohnnyBravo]

We are special u idiot

[@PlatosPlaydough404]

I remember vividly the exact moment my doubt, and therefore my journey to atheism, began. I was sitting in Sunday school, about 4 or 5 years old, and the "teacher" (a more appropriate designation would be professional child indoctrinator) began speaking of her opinion on God's presence. How he is everywhere, and sees everything. I wondered, to myself at first, then aloud, "If God is everywhere, why can we not see him right now? I'm sitting in my chair, is God also sitting here?" The response? "God is everywhere, even in your seat with you. We cannot see Him, but we can feel Him." Even to my adolescent brain, this assertion seemed incoherent and unreasonable. From that day forward my doubt increased exponentially with each question I brought forth to the professional indoctrinators that could not be answered to my satisfaction. I was around 13 or 14 when I finally declared myself an atheist.

[@Jess_2025]

I was 5 also when my doubts started. I was in Catholic school and asked why dinosaurs were not in the Bible. The nun roughly grabbed my hair and forced me to the front of the room. She beat me with a stick in front of all the other children. I remember thinking what kind of god would beat a child for asking a question. The nuns also taught us that god will punish us for our “thoughts”. Religion is very toxic and dangerous.

[@AlchemicalForge91]

My mother instilled such a fear and anxiety about this terrifying God individual that it still resonates deep within my subconscious to this day. I realize now that she is just a narcissistic parent and God is her subconscious or domineering side

[@jonathanmcmullen3324]

I believed in god at about the age of 5, but once I was able to actually differentiate fact from fiction and could start asking questions I became a hard atheist. With a belief that everything could be explained by science given enough time.

[@johnlopperman2161]

Jonathan I grew up in the midst of the Great Depression. At 5 heard preachers and said "What the hell is wrong with these people?" At 85 was saying "What in hell is wrong with these people?"

[@TheMrsmiley1980]

Jonathan Mcmullen, so science is your religion.

[@johnlopperman2161]

@@TheMrsmiley1980 Science is a tool, fool. NOT a religion.

[@jonathanmcmullen3324]

@@TheMrsmiley1980 science is not a religion. Religion bases claims off belief not demonstrations. Science demonstrates their claims and changes their claim based on evidence. Dont try to play the word game guy. I will win it

[@ToninoterRessort]

Atheïsm is just a effect of the fall of man. Jesus = God in fysical form. He was before time was. Interesting to read what God came to do on this earth.... Healing all, raising the dead, casting out demons, hanging on a cross to pay the debtbof our fall, pouring out His Spirit so we can become what we were created to be... walking in the same unselfish love and power He did. Because He is so passionate of what he created you to be. His Spirit brings forth after His kind. Born-again. Yay! www.anewcreationinchrist.nl/english

[@bretnetherton9273]

"Awareness is known by awareness alone," is the sole irreducible axiom of reality. To put forth a syllable to refute it is to concede.

[@fionagregory8078]

I rely on myself to overcome any problems and I do ok. 59 now and never been in debt.

[@virgilioblanco5374]

That makes two of us, so far, I'm 72 and healthy, trusting in that "invisible Being", is sure to guide one in the right direction. Hooray!!! to your smarts.

[@jaebird3077]

I'm 23 and I was just wondering if you believe in any form of a God at any point? And if not what was it like being an atheist in your younger years? Have you noticed a social shift towards or away from religious belief?

[@Garyskinner2422]

@@jaebird3077 I was brought up going to church and at the tender age of around 7 I started to question the validity of what I was being told, I never said anything to anyone it just didn't seem to fit reality

[@jaebird3077]

@@Garyskinner2422 I stopped believing the bible when I reached sexual maturity. I started being agnostic not long after. Now I do not believe in any god at all. I was more curious about what never believing in a god was like. How it might have changed his life especially 50 years ago

[@Garyskinner2422]

@@jaebird3077 gotcha yea I basically haven't believed in god before 7 I just went to church, Sunday school etc but never believed in it so to speak I was too young at 7 I really started to think what are they saying lol

[@janthys7009]

‘Life is a solution to the problem of death’. Pure genius.

[@Mazjoob2]

How is it a solution when all life ends with death?

[@ReconNarwhal]

David St. Dennis the whole idea of an afterlife is that it’s a continuation of your consciousness. So to resolve the ceasing of life (death) you suppose an extension of it forever.

[@ToninoterRessort]

A very ignorant remark. Atheïsm is just a effect of the fall of man. Jesus = God in fysical form. He was before time was. Interesting to read what God came to do on this earth.... Healing all, raising the dead, casting out demons, hanging on a cross to pay the debtbof our fall, pouring out His Spirit so we can become what we were created to be... walking in the same unselfish love and power He did. His Spirit brings forth after His kind. Born-again. Yay! www.anewcreationinchrist.nl/english

[@dylancoleman1921]

For me death is a solution to the problem of life.

[@dylancoleman1921]

@@ToninoterRessort you post this same shit on every comment.

[@TheBeautifulWindsofAragon]

What was it Mark Twain said? Religion happened when the first con man met the first fool.

[@giovannimannelli2158]

you should shame yourself

[@TheBeautifulWindsofAragon]

@@giovannimannelli2158 Myself or Mark Twain? Why so easily hurt?

[@giovannimannelli2158]

@@TheBeautifulWindsofAragon Basically..because I'm stuck in the house because of coronavirus.

[@giovannimannelli2158]

@@TheBeautifulWindsofAragon May God helps me! :)

[@TheBeautifulWindsofAragon]

@@giovannimannelli2158 I hope that not going close to people and washing your hands often will keep you safe. God didn't do a particularly good job with all those who died, did he? And why would an almighty god see to that a virus like this harms people? Stop thinking like a child.

[@tinyspacesbigplaces5325]

Once your parents insert the religious head worms into your ear canal as a child your cognitive bias grows. Your only hope is to read broadly and learn about logic and reason

[@dragons_red]

So do you believe you have free will or you are just a product of your environment? Because if it's the latter as your comment suggests, then nobody should be morally held accountable for their actions. Also, if you think that majority of current and past humanity are just idiots who don't know better than.you, what does that say about your view of humanity, or.better yet, your arrogance to hold such a belief? You may want to dig deeper into what this God stuff is about when the odds are against you.

[@AimaginationCreations]

Stephen Anthony you are a delusional fool who can’t critically think for yourself. Uneducated twat living by the law of a comic book written centuries ago, you will never succeed in life apart from being a brain dead sheep. Wake up god is the biggest scam to mankind it’s the richest most successful business on the planet 😂😂😂 but good news is faith is dying. Christianity especially, another 100-200 years the world will be done with fools like you then will we all truly be free!!! the people will laugh at how stupid people use to be for believing in invisible entity’s with absolutely no evidence.

[@saintb4752]

Logic is limited. Reductionism ended with godels theorem.

[@xe4me]

They actually do this in Islam, they actually sing "La Ilaha ILLa Lah ... ", meaning there is no God but Allah. They actually inject it through your ears when you are born

[@saintb4752]

@@xe4me that's child hipnosis.. not good with this song

[@Mr.ChoVlogs]

A proud bloody atheist from India...

[@larryparis925]

Well done, Mr. Cho.

[@michaeljosephjackson2364]

Buddhism is atheistic

[@MarkMiller-gt5tu]

​@@larryparis925Could you help me understand what's REALLY going on with the hundreds of thousands of people claiming to have seen 😈 demons?

​@@MarkMiller-gt5tuthe only "demons" in the world are evil people. Serial Killers, most politicians, corporations, ect.

[@williamwhitten7820]

*Have you been butchering holy cows?*

[@johnnyblaze2620]

I love smart rational thinking humans

[@zanderdraws5500]

oh hello, I may not be smart but i think i might be rational?

[@manofgod7622]

Alyssa Appleheart really?

[@georgevassey3729]

Even as a child I was scolded for thinking differently than the rest of THE HERD so to speak, and was warned of the grave dangers of free thinking.I still am troubled by thinking for myself when it comes to religion.I only seek the truth.

[@johnnyblaze2620]

@Renee Tate 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@vivthespiv1]

Me too .. I wish I was bright enough to do it ....

[@ArtieTheStrongestManInTheWorld]

“Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." -Diderot

[@jeremyseely6579]

Then Violence rules? Just follow that thought along for a moment,,,

[@crosspotent0770]

6

[@ArtieTheStrongestManInTheWorld]

@Steve Well said my little Viking! It makes me want to "Shout" that I'm "Head Over Heels" in this "Mad World"

[@alexstewart8097]

Do you mean people like Fidel Castro, Stalin, Mao , Hitler who were more powerful than any kings of old, but also believed themselves to be not mere priests but gods on Earth?..There is where the path of godless humanism / scientism without the loving guidance of the One and Only God takes "the fool who says in his HEART that there is no God". And why does it start in the heart , like The Bible says though? People like Dawkins, Krauss, and the so called "New Atheists" bunch are smart enough to realize they are BSing the clueless with itchy ears big time. They realize how little they know about everything; So at best all they believe is pretty much the result of their coonfirmation bias.,if they got caught on their own delusion.. But most of these famous pfofessional atheistic scientists ( like Bernie Sanders does in the field of politics by the way)know they are bloviating their way into lucrative books, paid worldwide conference and tv apoearences, tenure , funding, video sales and if they get lucky a hubristic titled movie like "The theory of Everything" is made about them...Most of them know they are pretty much BSing but still within their hearts they fight the God twho opposes sexual perversion, abortion, escapism into drugs, and their out of touch with reality justification for communism. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THEIR WANTING TO BE gODS THEMSELVES BUT WITHOUT LEARNIG HOW TO FROM THE ONLY GOD THERE IS . JESUS "THE LOGOS" IN WHOM ALL THINGS WERE MADE. THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA. THE BEGINNING AND THE END..THE TRUTH, THE WAY AND THE LIFE.

[@REDPUMPERNICKEL]

@@alexstewart8097 ALLAH IS THE ONE TRUE GOD AND YOU WILL BURN IN THE PIT FOREVER BECAUSE OF YOUR DENIAL OF THIS ABSOLUTE TRUTH.

[@flatulence4639]

I gave up the god B.S. about 2 years ago.. Immediately I felt empowered and my mind really opened up and now after 40 years I’m really enjoying life without any chains holding me back

[@ryannewton2697]

Thank you for that testimony, I am just begining my life without the skyking. I no longer speak to invisible people (I actually feel sane now) or worse make offerings to invisible people in another dimension. 2 years now (best 2 years of my life) It's a great sense of freedom and empowerment.

[@rickhuntling7338]

Funny you two seek out these sites to reaffirm your unbelief. I thought unbelief needed no affirmation. What happens at death? Your not so free are you? Death has very heavy chains and it is unavoidable. What made you accept it's sting? I accepted HIS free offer and HE accepted me. I'm finally free and my life has never been so blessed. Maybe it is not for your eyes, the potter made some vessels not for HIS glory but for destruction, you two sound like those vessels. At least you two will die together. Good day.

[@flatulence4639]

Rick Huntling , You sound mad because I don’t believe that atoms burns up forever, research atoms burning up forever and they got nerves connected to them so I can feel the pain. Do that sound stupid? .. Now you go and accept his free gift which is very very important in your faith but your god never mention it once which is mighty suspicious, something so important but never gets mention by your god. You have faith on your side which mean “ belief”I have science on my side which mean “to know” so in essence you are saying you know nothing!! Wake up dude it’s not a sky daddy that’s responsible for your emotions it’s YOU now you go and research and have a good day

[@rickhuntling7338]

Flat Ulence You just proved yourself stupid or a liar, you pick the appropriate title. "whosoever believeth in ME shall never die" you picked death. "Oh the chains are off I'm free" to sin until the man locks me up or my ass gets kicked. LOL. There are over 40 verses like above but I guess you never bothered to read any of HIS Words. But science is on my side it always has been on my side. DNA is not good for the evolutionist but your to brainwash to see it is in my corner. Inorganic chemistry is my tool not yours and science of probability is the nails in your coffin. All fairytales begin with a long long time ago. You need more time then eternity to form the first protien but your fairytail only alloted you 4.6 billion years. You believe in miracles by chance. Einstein said GOD doesn't play with dice. Go figure. Why do you preceive anger in my post? I have a smile as I'm typing even laughter. When you die and are denyed to be in HIS presence you got what you asked for. You win. You will never have to see us again. Isn't that what you believe anyways?

[@smoothbobby6230]

@@rickhuntling7338 , It is NOT polite to call anyone stupid or a liar just because he does not have the same belief as yours.

[@carlocerato]

This was a very intelligent and elaborate way to analyse the need for religion. Thanks a lot for that! Cheers

[@mdfisa4453]

Quran 19:66 And the disbeliever says, Shall I be raised to life after I die? 19:67 Do ˹such˺ people not remember that We created them before, when they were nothing? 75:3 Do people think We cannot reassemble their bones? 75:4 Yes ˹indeed˺! We are ˹most˺ capable of restoring ˹even˺ their very fingertips. 75:37 Were they not ˹once˺ a sperm-drop emitted? 75:38 Then they became a clinging clot ˹of blood˺,1 then He developed and perfected their form, 75:40 Is such ˹a Creator˺ unable to bring the dead back to life?

[@suecopening1514]

Am I weird? I was raised in a church going family yet I never remember any time I believed in God. I would listen to them (parents, church people, minister) talk about God and pretend I believed because I didn't want to hurt their feelings by implying I thought they were stupid. This was my earliest memory on the topic, I was 6 or 7.

[@sciencefirst7032]

I was the same way.

[@3ittybittypiggiesstorytime547]

Some people catch on very early like that. I didn't, one brother did and another brother thinks he is now called as one of God's most chosen prophets (scizoaffective disorder with OCD). Yes, he ended up hospitalized over it, danger to others, but, I think that was the final straw that finished shaking me awake to the fact that all prophets are a little or a lot off just like him, while some can be simply scam artists, narcissists, psychopaths... I'm sure glad "god" is no longer keeping tabs on my every move and thought, like a pervert and stalker, gaslighting narcissistic psychopath who demands you obey his moving-target, holy shit-test whims and to be worshiped for it... Worse than marrying a narcissist and staying. What in the hell kind of god is that? Bully, abuser, liar... That IS the hell (complete with Saint'n) they created to go with the god they create in their very own nasty image. But, cults like that go far beyond religion. They don't needs gods, just narccits, psychopaths hell bent on deceiving and entrapping ewe. Why the free passes? We want or demand saviors to save us from this, that and the other, and they show up to deliver and create as many bogey men as we want, to $ave us from. They threaten and promise just like prophets/profits... Hucksters gonna huck, religious, political, "science," whatever. They get into and take over whatever they can infiltrate, or they create it in the first place to fill the demand from... the sheeple. The top 5%of the population has that no-conscience segment of human nature, with the top 1% really bad and struggling and punching toward the top to take over, to own and fleece all ewe sheeple. The other 95% are mostly "We the Sheeple" who can't even conceive of such an eternal huckster mindset of their Masters/$aviors who will "$ave them from behind." If you don't like religion, don't worry, they have cult options to please all who want/demand to be Saved. Perhaps you've tried their Hole-y Churches of Scienceology, Climateology, Vaccineology, Political-Scienceology... just for starters? "Obey Us! Don't Question Us! Don't be a dirty Denier!..." Sounds just too familiar. No Free Passes to any Authority or Credentials is the type of critical thinking we really need, instead of the current "critical thinking" they have given us. Authority and Credentials using FEAR and wild promises = Hucksters. "you're gonna burn if you question Us or disobey Our Credentials and Authority!" What a rip off on religion, which they love to scare kids with in "schools." Sadly your six year old selves had far better critical thinking skills than taught in schools today or on the internet "critical thinking" huckster-owned sites which are atrocious, teaching to "question everything," except what they tell you to believe and not believe and what to Not question and to obey and how to regurgitate it and use the word "heretic," er, "Denier!" Do you do that well, or just the religion detection? How do they pull it off so smoothly ("These are not the droids you are searching for."). Most High and Hole-y Prophets? Profits?

[@RBEmpathy]

The truth is that nobody actually believes in religious text. They simply feel an incredible pressure, both from social and existential places, to blindly accept as much. Some of us simply cannot discount the fact that reality contradicts our preconceived notions.

[@sciencefirst7032]

@David Anewman Hitler was a Roman Catholic...

[@3ittybittypiggiesstorytime547]

@David Anewman annnnd maybe ewe are related to Hitler and just do Not-See?

[@primus7776]

Another useful step in calling-out the authority of Religious dogma. Keep Up The Good Work. RIP Hitch.

[@3ittybittypiggiesstorytime547]

Or any authority or the most impressive credentials. RIP, Hitch for that too - "Why Orwell Matters" not just religious dogma but any $aving authority dogma. We seem to miss seeing all of that, the really dangerous non-religious cults. Enjoy a Cult-a-Cola, on Them, the new fluoridated kool-aid.

[@raysalmon6566]

I think Hitch died in his sins

[@3ittybittypiggiesstorytime547]

@@raysalmon6566 Hell yeah, LMAO. He had no faith in and refused to bow down or bear testimony of any dogma, including the Hole-y Churches, the same con games as the Hole-y Corporatocracy. Hitch refused to be faithful to any anointed cult. No free passes to the only true dogmas. "Why Orwell Matters."

[@JPX7NGD]

very likely, "hitch" is neither resting nor in peace. most likely suffering Eternally, the worst pain of which is knowing God and knowing that you have wronged God and will never see him again.

[@3ittybittypiggiesstorytime547]

@@JPX7NGD You write great fiction, as good as cruci-fiction. Scary stories much?

[@Diviance]

I have to wonder what kind of "loving" god holds belief as more important than whether or nor you are a good, generous, kind person? What does that say about a god, that he is willing to forgive people for everything up to and including murder... but absolutely will not forgive you if you lived your life well but did not believe he existed? It says a lot of things. Not a single one of them are good.

[@StephSlide007]

Many Christians will ignore their scriptures and say that God let's everybody into heaven EXCEPT OFCOURSE for the "bad" people like Hitler. This i because they don't like him personally. God wont let Hitler into the club, right? What about Hitler's close friends and family? His kids? They must have liked him as a father. Why don't they get to spend the rest of their eternity with their on father? Drink for Thought.

[@Diviance]

FightingTigers Yeah, that is what happens when you get a ton of people believing in myths... things get twisted and eventually nobody is right and yet nobody is wrong.

[@JustinMShaw]

I love the way The Big Bang Theory put it: "I don't object to the concept of a deity, but I'm baffled by the notion of one that takes attendance."

[@Diviance]

JustinMShaw One of the best lines in the show.

[@zemorph42]

Diviance I haven't even seen that episode and I agree, provided it really is in there. Not doubting Justin's honesty, just withholding judgement until I actually see it.

[@43painter]

Someone said to Christopher Hitchens : ' I'll práy for you !' And The Hitch answered: ' ' And I THINK for yóu !'

[@debateon7139]

What is science first of all. If i create an equation 2x+4=10 Science is about figuring the equation rather than finding who made it or why I made it. This universe is a part of a big equation created by God Only God can say why was it created. God said through revelations and prophets why it is made for us. And asked us to think. God never asked us to worship him by daily but want us to think about our existence and our goals. And told us choose what is better for you. An eternal hereafter or a gloomy sad temporary life in this world. Congratulations on you that you made your choice

[@kookamunga2458]

@AllSeeingEye ofGodI will worshop and believe in god just as long as smokes pot and has good taste in music . I couldn't stand it if god was playing this top 40 crap like Beiber and Kanye West on his hifi system all the time .

[@kookamunga2458]

@C Verax I am not into the hiphop much because there are so many other styles out there that I have to listen too like jazz , funk and dub . I do have quite a number of hiphop cds and albums ranging from Snoop Dogg, Redman, Flying Lotos, BDP, Cypress Hill mostly old school stuff . I have some Jamacian dancehall like Beenie man , Buju Banton and others . I don't like Kanye West because he is a Donald Trump supporter and Donald Trump supporters don't make very good music .

[@pbtube58]

@@debateon7139 Clearly, you do not understand what science is.

[@pixelpulse0755]

"If you understand the psychology of the Big Mac meal you understand the psychology of religion" Lol Never expected to hear those two subjects in the same sentence, but I 'm glad someone made the connection.

[@jackjohns1192]

You guys actually buy this nuts gibberish you all deserve to buy the part of the Eiffel Tower that I'm selling

[@christophercooper6731]

A Big Mac Meal is junk food. Religion is junk philosophy.

[@drezilla1310]

@@christophercooper6731 Yep you believe in the Big Bang mythology alright and the evolution delusion. It’s called natural selection nothing gets better over time never been observed or repeated. Same for the Big Bang, you throw out the scientific method for you mythology faith. Just like the Egyptians did with their myths which people believed as real 😂 The bible warns you people not to be fooled: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Written 2000 years ago, wow these cave dwellers were so not intelligent like you are 😂

[@Momonsteen]

Better Big mac than nothing. Better a super natural God than nothingness and meaningless. Better good healty food and better a rational religion than the super natural. Nothing out of nothingness, this is where the smart academicus whants us to believe this is super super natural. LOL Because there is a lot of time and space (where that came from?) so it is likely that humans develop from there. That is super natural believe man cant you see that? Dont go where was God created etc... thats another discussion, and it doenst matter but God if he is good or evil is a fact, or you whant to believe in the supernatural

[@christophercooper6731]

Plenty of theists with schizoid type personality disorder commenting within these threads, as was to be expected.

[@Paraselene_Tao]

This man, Andy Thomson, is a great and clear presenter. Also, the questions at the end were really good quality too. Thanks for the upload.

[@kaylak8478]

Jesus, you sit well in my heart.

[@Paraselene_Tao]

@@kaylak8478 Thanks, I guess.

[@lordainvolley8888]

Intelligent, reasoned and spot on.

[@kaylak8478]

Jesus, you sit well in my heart.😎😋😋

[@danielt.3152]

Religion started when primal hunters wanted to create some sort of competitive advantage over the animals they needed for food, because they realized that sometimes the difference between starving and eating was a matter of good luck or bad luck and tipping the scales in your favor could not hurt and could only help

[@glenliesegang8935]

I think it is much broader than that...gods provided explanation for the powerful forces man could not control, a way to embody the highest values of the clan or society with a price to pay for disobedience, which taught that there are rules you can't ignore to remain in good graces. This prevented each new generation from having to question what laws were still valid, as rebellion destroys societal cohesion. The 10 C may look ridiculous to atheists, but they have provided a moral and legal framework for societal behavior. US jurisprudence was founded on them. Sad to see moral relativism become the new paradigm. Would not work well for sports rules or traffic laws...

[@finndaniels9139]

@@glenliesegang8935as an atheist I agree with this, I think largely religious authority became a great way to pass down knowledge from previous gens in a way that had a built in pro-compliance mechanism Plus I find the agency argument the prof makes above very compelling. But I don’t think it’s a statement on the trueness of the religion, just how I think it’s dogma arises, and I think humans should be at a place where we can now analyse the truth of it all

[@finndaniels9139]

To add to the point, I think religious dogma has always been a reflection of the times in which it is written and then subsequently kept. I’m sure you don’t think slavery is good, and yet the bible explicitly supports this. You have made a moral judgement to ignore the religious text based on your modern understanding of ethics. You / society have done this to all parts of the text that is incompatible with modern sensibilities. What’s left are the parts that remain compatible, so why not just drop the religious pretext? You claim it’s the basis of jurisprudence , I don’t actually agree with that fwiw, justice as we understand it has existed in various forms predating New Testament Christianity, and most us jurisprudence was exported from England - of which it was largely secular in its development

[@sudhirpatel7620]

Before you watch any video always keep your headphones off to not be corrupted by commercials. Lets now listen to the program we wanted to.

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

If we were immortal, or at least if we had no consciousness of mortality, there would be no gods. Fear made gods. Hope maintains them.

[@REDPUMPERNICKEL]

Actually there are very respectable scholarly understandable history/evolution based theories that account very well for the phenomenon. Here's one... s-f-walker.org.uk/pubsebooks/pdfs/Julian_Jaynes_The_Origin_of_Consciousness.pdf

[@rickhuntling7338]

I'm granted imortality in my confidence and rest in the Alpha and the Omega. Fear made gods but no one made GOD because HE was and without Him nothing was made.

[@rickhuntling7338]

- And what after this world?

[@harrytaylormusicproductions]

Rick Huntling Amen brother glad you see the truth amongst the hopeless, faithless atheists

[@jr5296]

omg i had no idea Dawkins had a channel. found by mistake. glad i did

[@gentillygirl545]

Me too..

[@rafikono7007]

God wants you to be an atheist

[@Marleyquinnspins]

Me too

[@saisudheesh]

One of the best sessions that every one on earth has to listen❤️

[@tigerlily2941]

Nah not really. Saying this is one of the best is a matter of opinion. Also evolution doesn't actually discredit the existence of the great spirits. Nor is the idea that every human came into existence in Africa a fully agreed upon belief even in the revolutionary science belief. Otherwise we are all brothers and sisters and let's be real science already shows what incest does to humans lol.

[@williamwhitten7820]

@saisudheesh *Atheism is total ignorance because one can neither prove nor disprove the existence of God.*

[@markanderson5568]

This is one of the best lectures on the subject that I have seen yet.

[@bretzajac7986]

you are easily impressed.

[@sanderossi8013]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIaafaqtYth1hsk

[@kaylak8478]

Jesus, you sit well in my heart.😎😎😎

[@Tessinentdecken]

@@bretzajac7986 why so?

[@18dot7]

Why don't you believe in my god? For the very same reason you don't believe in mine.

[@filmeseverin]

God/Jesus exists. I have been, also, an atheist until the vision received.

[@filmeseverin]

Few years before the vision, while still being an atheist, I had a NDE. I had an out of body experience when my heart has stopped for more minutes, in the emergency room of the hospital: at 18 years old, after a saint life, without bad addictions, being a virgin (no sexual involvement until that moment, just platonic), and generally suffering evil from others but not hurting others etc.) when I had my heart stopped in the hospital and my spirit was leaving my body (I raised floating horizontally at about one meter above my dead body, in an infinite happiness that I did not know that exists, and when I was trying to communicate with the nurse next to my bed she was just looking down very sadly, at my dead face, not answering to me, actually not hearing me, while being invisible for her and the other patients from the intensive care room). Then, after that wonderful (extreme happiness) short period of time spent outside of my body (saying continuously loudly about how immense wonderful happiness I feel, but nobody was hearing me), I went down slowly, with the same exact speed, to (into) my body and was back alive. Anyone can read below, explained in details, how I became a believer (a Christian): It happened in the first year as a college student. I was an atheist at that time and before, but when I made my girlfriend (actual wife) cry, due to a contradictory discussion about God/Jesus, loving her very much, I ASKED TO GIVE ME A SIGN TO BELIEVE, addressing this from all my soul and from all my heart (it was like "God, if you exist, give me a sign to believe in you"), then, in few days, when I had already forgotten about my demand, I had the vision (please forgive my English, while it is not my native language): I was like teleported outdoors in complete dark, feeling the wind blowing slowly, and while worrying where I am, and how could be possible such phenomenon, a sphere of light came slowly from the left (later I realized that it came from the house in which I was born, the house of my grandfather, who was a priest, being dead at that moment), and faster while approaching of me, when I was able to recognize the exact place where I was, due to the reflection of light on the houses on one side and another of the road, being in the middle of the street, quite close to the house where I was born (in a small village). The sphere of light was very bright (the whitest white), diffusing lightly on edges, and in the moment when it touched me, it became like an usual white, decreasing its brightness, as (like) it was defiled by me. When that sphere of light was coming, I remembered my demand (my words: TO GIVE ME A SIGN TO BELIEVE), and I realized that I can do nothing to escape from that situation (I felt that we people are very small and weak, infinitely more than we realize, against what exists beyond us). All the time, being inside that light I felt it more like a fluid (it was not an usual light). After few moments, surrounded by that sphere of light (due to my emotions that have risen dramatically, I was standing up on my toes), I felt it going slowly up, tilting my head up, very kindly, by two very gentle hands (like angelic hands), then going very fast into the sky, like a column of light, remaining looking at the dark night sky filled with stars, IN A COMPLETE SILENCE (that I never experienced). I say "complete silence" because before that moment it was like in this world, with a permanent almost imperceptible background noise, but then the complete silence made me feel out of this world, like I was dead, and I thought that I will hear some words, but no words and I came very abruptly into our usual reality with my heart beating incredible hard, like outside of my body, and the first thing I said was: "Thank You for bringing me back!", then I made my first sacrament (oath) from my entire life: "I will tell to all people whom I find not believing in God that GOD EXISTS AND TO THINK MORE ABOUT THIS!". _"In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your _*_young men will see visions,_*_ your old men will dream dreams."_ Acts 2, 17 My vision, which turned me from an atheist into a Christian, was an unique 100% real very powerful event at the limit for my heart to resist. If something like that would have happened again later in my life, I would have a heart attack (thanks God that I was very healthy and athletic at that time). Also, I received it because of two main reasons: 1) In spite of the fact that I have been an atheist, besides some mistakes, I have not done evil on purpose, but I have suffered very much evil from others instead, having a life without vices, being virgin until meeting my wife... I was living a life quite close to the one of a saint; 2) I have asked for a sign to believe from all my heart, in the most serious way.

[@unbalancedlibra9788]

I believe in all gods

[@unbalancedlibra9788]

David Tucker you said a whole lot of nothing, and don’t know me or my beliefs. I would consider myself more “wise” then most

[@unbalancedlibra9788]

David Tucker in essence they are all one because they came from a single, it wanted to experience something so it divided itself “like a cell” then there was two creators. Then those creators “birthed” new ideas/creations. Becoming a growing singularity of infinite ideas/creations/dimensions. Yes there is a “one true god” the rest are just copy’s of a copy. But all of “gods” creation is meant for it to be experienced and a learning lesson. “God” lives through each of us. Each human personality is a sliver of gods WHOLE personality. We are all one but different at the same time. That’s why the universe is “expanding” and new ideas are expanding more and more. What is a god? A god is a creator, we are made in gods image, “Ye are like gods” I believe gods had more of a hand in our lives in ancient times, but we are entering the age of Aquarius where humans become gods themselves. Instead of us giving our attention/power away

[@AndyRhodes1]

This is a really encouraging lecture. I'm inspired.

[@drezilla1310]

Andy Rhodes check out these: The Man Behind The Mask: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hn7PXoywZ8psjaM Jesus Messiah or Imposter?: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4XLp36dqqijhA

[@davidschneide5422]

The inspirational part is the 11:1 like to dislike ratio.

[@drezilla1310]

@Kehnai Bohnyu LOL, terrible video. It’s already been debunked. Sure some believe the lies in that video. Especially those who believe nothing created everything! 😂

[@drezilla1310]

@Kehnai Bohnyu here’s an easy debunk, and that’s just one of the many 1) Jesus was never born in December. If you don’t believe this, please show me evidence of this from the bible that it was in December or the 25th. So 1 lie already in that video. 2) God has an enemy and has a lot of knowledge also about God so he can confuse and mix all religions to oppose God and confuse the truth by using some truths mixed with lies. The bible states this very well including Roman Catholicism as the beast of Revelation 13 and mystery Babylon of Revelation 17/18 because it uses mixed pagan religions and pretends to be Christian deceiving millions. God judges also based on the light and best understanding you have also. From Adam to Jesus they knew the messiah would eventually come and so enemies will make up all kinds of similar stories to twist from the truth to confuse people to unbelief and it’s still going on today, with you believing the lies in the video you shared. Yes I do believe in Jesus as God in the flesh because it’s scientifically impossible that DNA code can create itself from just magically combining non living matter together. Logic clearly states this as fact.

[@drezilla1310]

@Kehnai Bohnyu Lie #2 Horus did not have 12 disciples: strangenotions.com/horus-manure/

[@davidwhitcher1708]

I wonder if children that have imaginary friends are naturally disposed to being religious.

[@mitchelputman538]

Mainly it’s due to indoctrination by families an the child’s inability of critical thought .

[@ZER0--]

My imaginary friend bullied me.

[@stephenarmiger8343]

Andy is helping folks who want to understand how religion works. That is good. He is suggesting that the information could be used in conversations with believers. Jonathan Haidt’s work might also be of interest. The Righteous Mind. We are subject to confirmation bias. We accept ideas that align with our thinking. We question and tend to dismiss ideas that threaten out beliefs. Not to diminish Andy’s work. I really appreciate it. Finding common ground with true believers and moving forward is the next big challenge.

[@Mom_sBasement]

Thanks, but I don't argue with believers. Life's too short.

[@10minsfree]

👌🏼👏👏👏💯

[@REDPUMPERNICKEL]

I believe if you are able you have a moral responsibility to argue. Do you not feel your moral sensibility motivating you when you see a friend, pistol to his temple, explaining, "god commands me"? Same deal.

[@Mom_sBasement]

REDPUMPERNICKEL I used to fight back. Just today, on Fox News, there's an article about some people seeing Jesus' face in the flames of the Notre Dame cathedral fire. These are the people that I have no time for.

[@REDPUMPERNICKEL]

@@Mom_sBasement I know what you mean. Undoubtedly we would be more successful in our efforts to awaken others if we could focus only on those who are sleeping most lightly. Try as I might I cannot reliably distinguish light from heavy sleepers so I've adopted a do-what-I-can approach. Can't myself claim to have awoken anyone but have to imagine many of the newly awoken experience some amount of embarrassment over their former credulity and so are understandably unwilling to acknowledge it. I am encouraged by reports that our numbers are growing rapidly. I believe this gain is due in part to our collective online efforts and due in larger part to the growth of ordinary secular public education in which so many facts directly contradict pulpit and scripture. (why the religious want their own schools) Also, the simple fact of discovering that large numbers of one's neighbors hold one's religious beliefs to be superstitious nonsense has to induce disturbing ripples in one's reflections about reality. These and many, many elements in modern culture have a cumulative awakening effect. Seems to me there is a good chance that there will be enough of us to something, something... survive. Cheers and please do carry on, your efforts are appreciated.

[@CustomTies]

I've wasted another day writing comments against the idea of gods. I think Ill do what you have done and just stop, its pointless. May god give me strength not to respond tomorrow when I get replies.

[@skooby_doobie_doonkann3334]

this guy is a genius. we need more like him

[@zoeyaya9399]

Matter is conscious. The universe is. He is interesting but doesn't go the extra stretch

[@zoeyaya9399]

Psychosis and mystic revelations go hand in hand - Karl Jasper, V. 1-2 General psychopathology. Now let this guy speak through his ass about psychosis which he has never experienced.

[@ChillAssTurtle]

@@zoeyaya9399 thats quite the claim. Where is your evidence to prove all the matter in the universe is conscious..? We'll wait..

[@victor7922]

@@ChillAssTurtle keep waiting...

[@kaylak8478]

Jesus, you sit well in my heart.😎😎😎

[@TrisjensChronicles1203]

Gawwwd dam, I love this. I always thought that this whole religion thing is very psychological with how the brain/mind works. This is one of the best lectures I’ve watched on it so far. I haven’t explored evolution yet, but seems like it’s onto something.

[@micahyah9076]

"Who has formed a God, or cast a graven image, without intending to make a profit?"

[@DoctaOsiris]

@Urayis wish l Do you mean Jesus? If so you clearly have no idea what you're talking about at all, especially since you mentioned Buddha too, Buddha was *_not_* a god, he was just a guy, a guy who had some good advice about living your life in a good and helpful way, he was an Indian, his existence is confirmed unlike Jesus (Yeshua) who not only has no evidence of existing at all in actual historical documents but if you actually read the bible and take a step back from the indoctrination and view it as an outsider you'll realise that the character of "Jesus" could actually be as many as 30 or more *_different_* characters! And that's long before you get to actually researching historical documents that not once *_ever_* mention this "Jesus" as described in that book of fairy tales aka "the bible", people need to understand what they're commenting on before making fools out of themselves (hint hint). I was a Sōtō Zen Buddhist for many years and I am well aware of the fact that Buddhists (specifically Sōtō Zen and Gerug as well as many others) don't even see it as a "religion", it's more a way of life than anything, there are *_no_* gods in these kinds of Buddhism, Gerug is the one headed by Tensin Gyatso, aka The (current) Dalai Lama, he's *_not_* a god, Buddha was *_not_* a god and for anyone to suggest such a thing shows exactly how ignorant they are... The op mentioned about religions who really only do it for profit so I've gone completely off-topic but I thought it was worth mentioning first before I destroy your "argument": Christianity is absolutely for profit, no question about that at all! They pass around donation plates, ask for this, ask for that, it's an insult to anyone with half a brain cell! 🤣 Buddhism is absolutely *_not_* about profit, the teachings of Buddhism are to live a minimalist life without the need of material possessions, they rarely, if *_ever,_* accept monetary donations, instead they prefer to accept donations in the form of food 🍲 it's actually an honour to feed a Buddhist and an insult to offer money...

[@DoctaOsiris]

@Zeljko Trifunovic Exactly the kind of response I'd expect from an idiot religitard 🤣 Why bother trying to refute the things I say when you can just throw an insult in instead? 🤣 So mature 🤣

[@AimaginationCreations]

Docta Osiris well said brother

[@paxmule]

Or just to control others - AND get out of real work.

[@micahyah9076]

@@DoctaOsiris The things you commented about, the culture of "Buddhism" are true, but like all great thinkers people will deify them through story telling (word of mouth). Your statement about "Christianity" was also true, due to the centuries of false teachings by religious leaders. The "Bible" 1611. you mention was created in Europe and has nothing to do with The Holy Scriptures (The Torah) which came out of the East. When you stated "there are no gods" well,,,, the whole world must be ignorant because truly the whole world worships a "God" or Goddess in some shape or form. So yes, "Christianity" is absolutely for profit" which is why I made that comment.

[@smoothbobby6230]

I have given up trying to find out the origin of life. All I know is that I am alive now and that I will die although I do not know when I will die. I am NOT AFRAID of death as I know that I have live quite an honest life.

[@wg9830]

Short story: God and man accidently meet and both shout: "my creator!"

[@kenbee1957]

Bruh.... I'm stealing this

[@wg9830]

@@kenbee1957 just take it

[@michaeldelaney3587]

yeah but we make God out to be Frankenstein, and nowhere near what he should be

[@wg9830]

@@michaeldelaney3587 Sad truth

[@Sinnbad21]

KEN BEE I’m also stealing this!

[@fineartist7710]

All this began about 2,500 yeas ago in ancient Greece with questioning the world, but not relying on gods for answers. Two very important were Democritus who developed the atomic theory and Epicurus who promoted it, as well as his life philosophy of living a tranquil life of simple pleasures.

[@yoananda9]

Extraordinnary talk. I learned a lot and hope this will be spread.

[@ianclarke3627]

Thankfully my parents were and are atheists, so just the school system to survive and again thankfully I attended a none denomination otherwise known as church of England school . People believe in gods because of indoctrination ,it should be left to the individual if they want the faith and not have it forced upon them when they are too young to protest.

[@menace2societies]

Ian Clarke I think people believes in God as the one to grant them fortune and to benefit themselves from the absurdities of our life. So in their ideology God gifted them so they must respect them. Just like your parent when they give you a gift you feel thankful. But the problem is that you ain’t even hearing God and he didn’t even touched you, its all belief made on your mind.

[@proditoresmoriendum86]

If left up to everyone to choose nobody would choose the gods were indoctrinated with

[@kevinreese8224]

I wish I was born with at least one parent like that but it was fun reading the Bible and being able to point out the hypocrites they were, and deducing it was all BS by age 12 👌🏽

[@ianclarke3627]

The bible and other likewise publications should be on the top shelf out of the reach of children like pornography with 18+ on the cover .

[@mesaplayer9636]

although my parents are somewhat religious thank "God" they allowed me to think for myself

[@UncleJayHubbard]

"How did our brains develop capacity?" The same way you build muscles to be able to lift weights greater than you could lift at first ... exercise/practice (the way neuroplasticity strengthens connections between brain-cells the more you use those connections)

[@richardmiller249]

I'm agnostic, but is it not possible that God created those areas in our brains so that we would naturally want to worship him?

[@Walklikeaduck111]

@@richardmiller249 presupposing god is not a wise beginning.

[@tarikbaroudi7852]

evolution of organisms is due to physical LAWS ! have laws evolved aswell?

[@UncleJayHubbard]

@@tarikbaroudi7852 You're the one who mentioned 'evolution.' If that's what you want to call 'the muscles/neurons natural adaptation to fulfill their usefulness,' you go right ahead.

[@UncleJayHubbard]

@@Walklikeaduck111 You look at the writing & do not presuppose a writer? You've got higher faith (in Nothing) than I do (in something else)!

[@Apostle-of-Reason]

”⁠The majority are afraid of death, do not accept the end and would love to be protected their whole lives by a strong father. That is why so many people believe in God.” - Paulo Bitencourt

[@ToninoterRessort]

Neh. I have a way better reason. Atheïsm is just a effect of the fall of man. Jesus = God in fysical form. He was before time was. Interesting to read what God came to do on this earth.... Healing all, raising the dead, casting out demons, hanging on a cross to pay the debtbof our fall, pouring out His Spirit so we can become what we were created to be... walking in the same unselfish love and power He did. Because He is so passionate of what He created you to be. His Spirit brings forth after His kind. Born-again. Yay! www.anewcreationinchrist.nl/english

[@Apostle-of-Reason]

@@ToninoterRessort Heretic! The true God is the Almighty Thor. Repent now, or face consequences!

[@ToninoterRessort]

@@Apostle-of-Reason The only consequence is living life in the fall of man. Stumbling, for yourself, no presence of God, no healing miracles, no peace, no knowledge of His goodness. What a choice.

[@Apostle-of-Reason]

@@ToninoterRessort Ah, shut up and shove it!

[@aldovera3789]

@@ToninoterRessort if there is a god, there is no choice for it is claimed that he knows it all. Even if you want to rebuttal with " he knows it all but he lets you choose". Bullshit, impossible, he knew your choice well before you even made it. Therefore, it's his created choice. Sorry to crumble your sandcastle.

[@koru9780]

I grew up in the catholic church, went to catholic schools and don’t remember believing any of it.

[@vidtrax662]

Same here 😃

[@robandrews4815]

While I understood the catechism, I really couldn't believe in Adam & Eve. I mean a talking snake.👿👿👿

[@lightbeing8174]

veritas aka Koru you miss the exorcist priest role that is absolutely the best part of it all. watch the devil and father amorth trailer.

[@24muneca3]

@@robandrews4815 its a metaphor

[@adamplentl5588]

@@lightbeing8174 this idiot thinks fiction movies are real lol

[@sudhirpatel7620]

Along with owing an enormous amount of gratitude to the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. I think we all have to thank our creators. Thanks to Frued, Nietzsche, Dostyvesky, Darwin, and many others. Let higher men live long and prosper.

[@schiacciatrollo]

or: save the souls of the minorities

[@mdfisa4453]

Quran 19:66 And the disbeliever says, Shall I be raised to life after I die? 19:67 Do ˹such˺ people not remember that We created them before, when they were nothing? 75:3 Do people think We cannot reassemble their bones? 75:4 Yes ˹indeed˺! We are ˹most˺ capable of restoring ˹even˺ their very fingertips. 75:37 Were they not ˹once˺ a sperm-drop emitted? 75:38 Then they became a clinging clot ˹of blood˺,1 then He developed and perfected their form, 75:40 Is such ˹a Creator˺ unable to bring the dead back to life?

[@schiacciatrollo]

@@mdfisa4453 yeah raise out of the misery .. the simpleminded seek life in between dead material not noticing that they are breathing .. you wash your face in scripts .. in letters .. and think that repetition brings forth the truth .. but i see only cows eating up again what others did eat up before them

[@mdfisa4453]

@@schiacciatrollo Quran 56:47 They used to ask ˹mockingly˺, “When we are dead and reduced to dust and bones, will we really be resurrected? 56:48 And our forefathers as well?” 56:49 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Most certainly, earlier and later generations 56:50 will surely be gathered ˹together˺ for the appointed Day. 56:51 Then you, O misguided deniers, 56:52 will certainly eat from ˹the fruit of˺ the trees of Zaqqûm,1 56:53 filling up ˹your˺ bellies with it. 56:54 Then on top of that you will drink boiling water- 56:55 and you will drink ˹it˺ like thirsty camels do.” 56:56 This will be their ( deniers ) accommodation on the Day of Judgment. 56:57 It is We Allah Who created you. Will you not then believe ˹in resurrection˺?

[@schiacciatrollo]

@@mdfisa4453 just stupid things to ask and or to fear .. if not people put themselves in such believing light and get dangerous to other people and colonialize them into 'right thinking' .. why would anybody believe in that old smear? isn't it stupid to take life-savings out of a 'cook-book'?

[@silverdamsen2680]

This might not seem related, but it actually is. As an Anti-AA activist I'm keenly aware that there is a reason behind why AA and 12 Step feels that people are most receptive to 12 Step (cult) Program when they are at their "bottom," and also why the idea of "powerlessness" is one of the keys to Program (cult) philosophy.

[@andrewseddon4748]

Silver Damsen well said

[@kevinwilusz7767]

Tell me more i have been struggling with not allowing myself to be indoctrinated by the big book thumpers love the fellowship just not the program

[@jvincent6548]

what is AA et al? I am nowhere near rock bottom but i like answers.

[@per-axeljonsson2717]

Morality and religion is not the same.😇

[@Έμποροςθανάτου]

I'm here because my 78 year old, born again Christian aunt was diagnosed with terminal cancer 3 weeks ago. She was more like my mom than my biological mother. Her name is Elizabeth. I couldn't say her name when I was learning to talk, so I called her Bibba. I'm 50 years old and that's what I still call her today. So does my wife of 31 years, my children, and most of my mother's side of the family. She's always worn that name like a badge of honor because I called her that. Most of the happy childhood memories I have are of the years I spent at her house before I went to kindergarten. From the age of 15 until I was 38 i I was pretty much highor looking for a way to get high. She is married to a minister neither of them ever did anything that felt like judgement. Not once. I was raised in church until I was 13. We stopped going and two years later my parents divorced. I struggled to believe in God, but I never really could. I've tried a couple of times as an adult to go back to church to see if I could find faith. Both ended in disaster and left me with a little less faith both times. I became an agnostic and moved on with my life. I know everyone has to die. I know there are no exceptions, but terminal cancer at 78? Due to illness my uncle spent 3 months in bed a few years ago. When his strength returned enough for him stand it was obvious that he would spend the rest of his life he would be bent at a 90 degree angle. He will never be able to live by himself. They never had children so my wife, kids, and I are all they have. We all work, so that makes what we are going Tobe able do when my aunt is gone pretty limited. The guilt I feel for hating what they believe is almost unbearable. I hate the people who will say "I will pray for you". I hate the pious motherfuckers who will say, "At least she's not suffering anymore. I hate the people that will say "She's in a better place. Right now I don't know if I'll even be able to go to the funeral because I am literally afraid I will scream if I have to be in the same room with anyone who is going to talk about how merciful their God is. I want to fucking scream just thinking about them. If you read this far, thank you for taking the time. I don't know why I wrote this. Maybe I'm trying to clear my head. Maybe it's so someone else going through something similar will read it and feel better because someone else in the world understands how fucked up the world seems sometimes. All I know right now is I'm not sure about anything.

[@tommy7fun]

So sorry about all that. I hope somehow you will find peace. When ppl say things you don't like, they don't mean to offend you. They think they're comforting you. Yeah, the world is fucked up but there's still a lot of good people like your dear Aunt. Thanks for taking the time to share your story. I wish you the Best.

[@Έμποροςθανάτου]

Update:We lost my uncle last Thursday. we lost my oldest aunt the day before. I wrote and gave his eulogy. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. He was a very precious man so I was not going to disrespect his God. To comfort his surviving family and mine was my only goal. Now I feel like a fake and a hypocrite for saying I knew he was in heaven. I hope there is, but nobody can prove it. I just wanted to lift the families spirits. We buried him three days ago. My aunt ended up back in the hospital yesterday day. It feels like I'm in a horror movie set in The Twilight Zone.

[@baptistboy2882]

I found the story about Darwin walking his family to church, dropping them off and going for a walk while they were in church fascinating. The idea that Darwin, through his research and studies, came to a place that put a serious strain on his relationships makes him all the more relatable. He loved his wife more than anything and wanted to keep things civil with her. The idea that we are naturally programmed for bonding and relationships. Evolutionary programming or intelligent creation. I have heard it both ways now. Nice lecture. Fundamentalist Christians will won't take your findings until they experience a major paradigm and have an open mind.

[@Modern_Maid_Marion]

I'm disappointed he couldn't find a better wife.

[@TrisjensChronicles1203]

Dam, very well said. I too agree, fundamentalists must have a major paradigm shift with an open mind to even understand stuff like this.

[@marleonetti7]

if evolution was a real thing then everything would not be limited to reproducing after its own specific kind and the process of evolution would not be as perfect as nature is now . creatures of all kinds would be evolving and reproducing with any combination of species and u would have creatures that were part bird part human part dog part lion and part elephant with eyes in the back of their heads and noses on their feet and tails coming from various areas of the body , it would be a total mess . it takes alot of faith to be an atheist and believe that everything reproducing only after its own kind is just a random coincidence .

[@jovialbivouacker99]

My mother converted to a fundamentalist “Christian” cult (Jehovah’s Witnesses) after she and my father married (probably because of her father’s suicide). My father was baptized as a baby in the Catholic Church, however, he never attended church, at least while I knew him (he passed away in 2007). However, he loved my mother very much, despite her religious beliefs. They never separated and remained married until his passing and had four children together. After I attended and graduated from college, I left my mother’s cult and no longer subscribe to myths or superstitions, even though I converted to Judaism over thirty years ago. I enjoy the camaraderie, I just don’t read the Tanakh (Bible) as a historical source, but rather as just another piece of literature.

[@phillipblanc4846]

wow wow wow! this was incredibly eye opening. ive been searching for answer as to why people whom are much smarter, more educated, and intellectually capable and honest, believe in magic when i do not. i watch allot of videos on this subject and i believe this one to to be the best. or a least ive come away with more from it that any other.

[@terrytibbs5678]

whom are much smarter? I do not , not i do not. I watch, not i watch. A lot. Not allot . I believe not i believe. I've not ive. I am the Grammar God. Believe in Me ( is that me?) and does the question mark locate within the parentheses or outside of the parentheses?

[@REDPUMPERNICKEL]

If you thought that was eye opening this book will blow your eyelids clean off... s-f-walker.org.uk/pubsebooks/pdfs/Julian_Jaynes_The_Origin_of_Consciousness.pdf

[@mhamalambo]

Toughen Up, Fluffy nmnmmñmññn

[@kaylak8478]

Jesus, you sit well in my heart.😍😎

[@Billy-u8s]

You are the ones that believe in magic!!!

[@LittleVboh]

Nice presentation Dr. Andy Thompson. Very informative and captivating.

[@LissaDIY]

I never ever believed in a god at all. I have childhoodd memories of me asking how noahs arc was supposed to work then.

[@nixl3518]

Not to sound superior, I never bothered!! It all sounded so stupid even at that age and without social pressure, I was free to reach my own conclusions!!

[@nixl3518]

@Paul Morgan Not sure how that made any difference to me at least! The premise is so preposterous, I don't recall ever having to assess that additional bit of ridiculous trivia!

[@nixl3518]

@Paul Morgan Well there are loads of people that believe the world was literally created in a week, with Sunday as god's day off too!!! That the story was literally lifted from greek mythology AKA greek religious belief until the invasion of monotheism, seems not to bother anybody. Advancing the human condition is so fraught with pitfalls! WSe have no filter, no "logical module" governing decisions or assessing information. We develop by copying the adults around us and if they believe in flying pigs, so do we even in the face of facts literally thrown in our face that they cannot exist! Case in point the Flat Earthers!! No matter what they are told or shown to the contrary, they just insist we are on a tabletop!!

[@nixl3518]

@Paul Morgan I don't know any personally but they have to be, because they get all that horseshit from the Bible too!!! As for turning it off, they're like roaches and creep up in the weirdest places. A scientist, I think was explaining in YT why photos taken on the moon show no stars in the background, basically an issue that has to do with the way cameras work... and out they came...."because the pics were taken in a studio....etc etc....no one ever made it to the moon etc. etc...

[@nixl3518]

@Paul Morgan Yes, but I think u dwell on this detail a bit too much. it's meant to impress. How logical is it that a guy was told to build a boat on a mountain and literally collect every single animal, lash it into the boat and then let them go in a world that was drowned of plant life, to later go and commit incest for generations to repopulate the world!!!!? Then there is the parting of the waters thing etc.....

[@toni4729]

I cannot understand how the USA could be so backward as to not teach about Darwin in all primary schools even in the mid 20th century.

[@johnlawrence2757]

Hedging their Bets. Lucky they did

[@charlieclark2609]

Yeah. I never learned evolution in school either. I was born and raised In a small conservative majority town in Arkansas. To this day, there are over 100 churches in a our town of roughly 75,000 people + /-. I didnt know we are related to apes until I was 26 years old. I had never heard of evolution, we were taught about mitochondria and DNA, stuff like that. The far right Christian's have a powerful hold on my town , because belief is a big business.

[@toni4729]

@@charlieclark2609 Well Jay, I love you for being so honest. Thanks. You know, I'm not sure there are 100 churches in the city of Brisbane where I live or, for that matter in London. Although that might be going too far.😅London has been around a long time.

[@charlieclark2609]

@@toni4729 you're welcome. I'm glad o found my way out of religion , in particular christianity, a few years ago. My life is so much freer that I can think. I'm looked down upon , yes , but its better than being a sheep and thinking everything is a sign of the end times haha

[@toni4729]

@@charlieclark2609 I just looked up a map of churches in London and you know, there aren't that many churches there at all. I think Londers are all atheists except the coloured ones that are no christians. I suppose they'll learn one day as well. It's nice to know that Americans are finding their way out of the dark. Have a wonderful life.

[@curtisstevenson3037]

Just wanted to say hello to all my AFRICAN Brothers and Sisters....ASE!!!😘

[@loriechristin9485]

Hello Brother! 😁

[@abenaampofo-gyekye947]

ASEE!!!😅😃😁😍😍

[@dennisorina5396]

RAAAAALUUTE!!!!!

[@vincentknight4866]

LOVE this :D

You're an idiot! The "Out of Africa" bullsh*t theory has been debunked some time ago!

[@Elaphe472]

Fear of death. Uneasyness re lack of justice. Irrationality of the mind. Gullibility. Internalization. Fear of divine punishment. The opposite of god: "nothingness", nihilism, lack of protection. Fear of social/groupal rejection.

[@afishcalledwanda]

MORALITY & RELIGION: "Morality is doing what is right, regardless what we are told. Religious dogma is doing what we are told, regardless what is right." This is the core of the discussion. But that also goes for all other dogma: Nationalsocialism, socialism, relentless self-optimization in capitalism, most -isms probably. By the way, the lines should be better shaped, language-wise, because the sentences above do not really make sense. It could go: "Morality is making u s do what is right, regardless what we are told. Religious dogma is making u s do what we are told, regardless what is right." It is about the nature of the motive influencing people. Morality and dogma are not "doing" anything, are not "acting" like persons. People do. Right?

[@berzerkerjuice3947]

Intelligence and critical thinking are a beautiful thing

[@jvincent6548]

but so rare a thing as to be worshipped as a God

[@Serene-Solace4455]

That's why you're ugly.

[@lightbeing8174]

Berzerker Juice Having an exorcist priest role would be very scary. watch the devil and father amorth trailer.

[@anthonyireland6108]

the most articulate rubbishing of the god story iv'e ever heard ,really deep and challenging material .i must buy his book .

[@jvincent6548]

....and whilst you're buying that book, how about a book on grammar, spelling and typing too?

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

@@jvincent6548 _"....and whilst you're buying that book, how about a book on grammar, spelling and typing too?"_ You forgot the Oxford comma there. 😋

[@atrocitasinterfector]

this video was posted two weeks after I became an atheist and I watched it shortly after, neat to see it is still here

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

“I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free.”- Nikos Kazantzakis Religion consists of equal measures hope and fear.

[@brenttaylordotus]

Dorian Philotheates And science consists of equal measures observation and ignorance. No one has a clue how we got here or what’s going on here

[@loganleatherman7647]

@@brenttaylordotus No one in science claims to know how we got here or that we have all the answers concerning what's going on here. That's what science is for, to find the actual answers to our questions piece by piece.

[@XxChuyoxX]

Religion.. Where hallucination is deemed acceptable.

[@dgafbrapman688]

What dictates reality from hallucination? To your brain, chemically, theyre exactly the same. The only thing that can distiguish it is conciousness. Why? is that?

[@rickhuntling7338]

Ohwhale Religious people don't hallucinate dumbass. What kind of hallucinogens have you been taking to make such a dumbass remark?

[@punkisinthedetails1470]

hallucination [həˌlo͞osəˈnāSH(ə)n] NOUN an experience involving the apparent perception of something not present. "he continued to suffer from horrific hallucinations" synonyms: delusion · illusion · figment of the imaginati

[@punkisinthedetails1470]

@@rickhuntling7338 hallucination [həˌlo͞osəˈnāSH(ə)n] NOUN an experience involving the apparent perception of something not present. "he continued to suffer from horrific hallucinations" synonyms: delusion · illusion · figment of the imaginati

[@rickhuntling7338]

Punk Believing in dark matter and dark energy and the universe caused by a causeless nothingness fall into the same definition. The problem is they all have to negate the laws of logic and rely on faith. Evolution has the same definition. You just call your god Dark little "g". My eternal cause is YHWH.

[@klumaverik]

This is such an amazing talk. Thank you for this and all that you do.

[@zoeyaya9399]

The universe created us. It is conscious. Life goes way beyond this man's explanations.

[@klumaverik]

@@zoeyaya9399 yea seems that way. It's nice to take it one step at a time and build our knowledge onto what has already been learned. If society continues our knowledge will hopefully grow with it. Ensuring future generations a wealth of information, and wisdom unparalleled.

[@kaylak8478]

Jesus, you sit well in my heart.😎

[@anearthian894]

We believe in god cuz mental stability is one of the major part of an intelligent specie's survival(or say better survival) And mental stability is all about satisfaction,happiness,stop asking questions and wandering about the existence,fear of the unknown etc....its big

[@dennyworthington6641]

"Religion began when the first scoundrel met the first fool." Voltaire

[@AngelZamorano-ug9jx]

Voltaire was deist btw.

[@empirestrikesback7732]

BRAVO absolutely a Great scientific speech on the fakeness of religion. Peace.

[@Nicholas_Powell]

How so?

[@sultryjmac]

You edgelords are so deeply cringey in your belief of the atheism religion. There's nothing quite so funny as your absolute black and white faith. The world cringes at you. I am not religious but damn, you make me want to be out of spite. Don't mind me or my comment, have another mountain dew and discuss why you're so much better than everyone else. This is all about superiority. How very human of you. How completely tribal. lol I am glad you figured it out. Grats on succeeding where greater minds failed.

[@sultryjmac]

@Rakscha theres nothing sad about humanity. We are where we are posting on youtube because of tribalism. I find nothing sad by adhering to natural law and becoming the dominant species. Theres no use in lamating what is.

[@MississippiDan1]

Lol, fake religions don't equal "no God"...😂

[@MississippiDan1]

@Rakscha all religions aren't wrong... All but One are out there to mislead, thanks to the enemy. Christianity isnt without it's stumbling blocks either but Jesus is the truth and the ONLY way to our heavenly Father. We know this only by following HIS teachings and the proof that follows believing.

[@westnblu]

'No other creature prays not even a praying mantis'

[@MadridBarcelonaRota]

I was enlisted into a catholic school by my mother and so I was a Roman Catholic parent's child at a Roman Catholic school. I had no religious opinion and my period of indoctrination was constantly challenged by the inconsistency of the message vis a vis the behaviour of the wives and brothers of Christ. We were taught the catechism and the bible's old and new testaments. Of the multitude of things I could not reconcile was the cruelty and indifference of the wives and brothers of Christ. Of note to me at the time was Jesus's admonition to suffer the little children to come unto me, something the nuns and priests definitely did not suffer. Any transgression was punished either by psychological or physical violence. After my brother broke his leg due to poor or indifferent supervision my mum pulled us from the school. Thence I attended a state school's where all the kids had protestant parents of one hue or another. It was during this period my knowledge of both testaments illuminated the depths of biblical ignorance of the protestants. They hadn't read it so definitely hadn't studied it, their biblical knowledge revolved around "but my pastor told me". Now their second hand interpretation's threw up more inconsistencies. Notable was the repeated ad nauseum that the New Testament overturns the old, it was as if no one took any account of what Jesus was purported to have said. Their faith was based on a God that was gentle and loving, whereas even God was reported as saying the absolute opposite. But that was the Old Testament! I do not know why the dye didn't take, it's not that I don't like salt. I am not the sharpest tool in the shed. I've not obtained an education beyond trade school and I have committed christian and muslim friends who have university degree's with honours and the dye took with them. they amuse me with their indifference to each others arguments while entreating me to accept their one. The upshot is that I never found a compelling reason to believe any of their prophets and so not their messages too.

[@iwanwillemse7703]

Well said I also grew up roman catholic and have therefor a similar experience though I had a hard time convincing myself I truly believed all I was taught, still I FOR THE most part think back to those days fondly. Also I agree totally with you about the ignorance of evangelicals. Telling themselves meanwhile its an act of true devotion proud as they r being unfamiliar with the OT and the NT Aswell i think its due to their lack of consistency with all the contradictory and down right silly rituals according to their subsequent denominations , if I can call them that, as a result.

[@hosoiarchives4858]

Have you tried to reconcile the two testaments yourself? Also I can get you to admit there is a god in 2 questions

[@calabiyou]

@@hosoiarchives4858 Why doesn't God just communicate unambiguously? Why the insistance on being faith based and acting the same as if you'd been imagined by humans?

[@hosoiarchives4858]

@@calabiyou All of that is covered in the Bible, or in church.

[@hosoiarchives4858]

@@calabiyou Also I can get you to admit there is a God in 2 questions

[@matthewkopp2391]

When my father passed away there were many unresolved issues in our relationship. Even though I knew it was not rational I started having conversations with my father after he died. What I was in fact doing was integrating the aspects of my father that I did not identify as myself and was negotiating how to bring those aspects it awareness. For example his harsh judgments I slowly integrated as better decision making and disciple etc. I have seen many men deal with this issue throughout their lives. But what this naturally points to is their are areas of our mind that are NOT in our immediate awareness. And they are in fact projected onto others. Freud and Jung and other psychologists explored this subjective reality and came up with the idea of projection and how we project. Jesus "3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." It appears to me that Jesus is giving psychological instruction here similar to Freud's ideas of the unconscious and our tendency to project. It seems almost like the basic instruction provided to anyone learning transference counter-transference psychology. In my view Religions are ancient variations of psychological and social psychological practices. Religion can be hijacked by a Jim Jones or an Ayatollah because these specific leaders exploit transference and counter transference. But any person in a position of authority can exploit transference. I really doubt that science and rationalism is immune to this deeply routed phenomenon in humanity. The psychologist Robert J Lifton who studied cults has a certain degree of doubt on this as well. The real dangerous thing is the totalization effect. Some religions and practitioners of religion demand this totalization and others do not. The question that arises would be does science authorities demand that contemporary people totalize themselves too? I think there is evidence that might be the case. The virtue of science is that it allows for uncertainty, doubt and demands the rigor of empirical evidence. But a person even a scientist can cling to a dogmatic current idea of truth. Or believe something is scientific and factual but deluding themselves. You can see that with 19th century social Darwinist who applied a simplistic bastardized version of Darwinism supported racist ideas. Maybe several different systems actually help prevent totalism. Maybe in western countries since the renaissance the fact that religion, science, Greek mythology and other disciplines created a diversified environment that helped science prosper specifically because their was diversification of similar questions even if the unscientific can be ridiculed as ridiculous. Last there are territories of our lives which science still has not figured out how to address. I mentioned psychology. Psychoanalysis is not a falsifiable science but endeavored to try to understand or subjective experiences in an objective way namely through rational empirical phenomenology. We still don't know what consciousness is to even investigate this question more scientifically. Why would we think that our psychologies or always so much better than religion? I think that this atheist anti-theist campaign may be really shortsighted. I don't actively support the literalist reading of the Bible or any other religion. More cognitive theory would actually open up religious belief and practice to one of religions functions: revelations. I maintain that there are many aspects of religion that we are yet to discover and have not fully appreciated. What the speaker is describing is not the end of religion but a new territory for religion to travel.

[@truethinker221]

Wow it has been an honor to read your comment. You are really good . I have been doing this type of writing a while now but i am not very well educated especially in English Composition so i really respect people that are. You wrote so many good lines and made great points like this :"The virtue of science is that it allows for uncertainty, doubt and demands the rigor of empirical evidence." Anyway do you have more writings and a main subject you care about ? I would like to read more and also would like to use some of your points for my own comments . You keep up the good work we need help to get people grounded in reality and the intelectuales must get involved in teaching the young ro use critical thinking. Thank you TT@

[@wrybreadspread]

Good. Somebody in this comment thread whose default setting isn't hostility toward anything that smacks of belief. (I know...I sound like I'm uncharitably disposed in the opposite direction) But it seems to me that the speaker's repeated use of the assertion that religion "hijacked" the behaviors of the human mind. And it almost begs the question...or at least indicates a big unproven supposition...that the priesthood...or the shamans...or whoever in the millennia BC...all gathered around the campfire and figured out how to indoctrinate society... You see where I'm going. It's like the Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion...that hoax where an imaginary inner circle of world Zionists plot how to infiltrate the gov'ts and the schools and all the societal institutions. I know. I'm beating this into the ground. Your approach is much more mannerly. PS. Are you familiar with historian Will Durant? An admitted secularist and former believer, he's nevertheless hospitable towards religious sensibilities.

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

@@wrybreadspread _"And it almost begs the question...or at least indicates a big unproven supposition...that the priesthood...or the shamans...or whoever in the millennia BC...all gathered around the campfire and figured out how to indoctrinate society..."_ That's like saying that we have hammers, so there must be an implication of some cabal of toolmakers gathering around a fire and figuring out how to best come up with a tool that's useful for bashing stuff. No. Someone tried something, it worked more or less. So they did it again. Someone else saw it, and copied it. Someone else tried the same, just modified it a bit, whether by accident (misremembering for example), or a, "let's try it this way, it might work better", and it did work better. The idea is that _religions_ hijacked those aspects of our minds, like mental viruses. Stop asserting deliberate agency on aspects of developments that don't require it.

[@billkeon880]

I don't fear death, I just don't want to be there when it happens. - Woody Allen. That's the main fear that drives religion Having a hell doesn't hurt either.

[@jvincent6548]

I have no intention of attending my own death.

[@donfox1036]

Bill Keon, it does if you’re living in it, hurt I mean.

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Regarding death: being dead is no trouble; it's getting dead that sucks!

[@jvincent6548]

...in fact i shall conspire to be late

[@jvincent6548]

...oh, did i miss it? I'm so sorry

[@cutl00senc]

The fear of the faithful to relinquish their faith...is that the self esteem and self confidence that must exist may not be there to call on.

[@megaphilobeddoe5602]

People believe in god and gods, because of the fear of death.

[@RonJohn63]

+MegaPhiloBeddoe That is most emphatically *not* why I believed in the supernatural.

[@megaphilobeddoe5602]

RonJohn63 Do you still believe in god?

[@RonJohn63]

***** Can you comprehend clearly written English? (With a name that has a reference to Clint Eastwood, I think it's safe to assume that you aren't ESL.)

[@megaphilobeddoe5602]

RonJohn63 I simply asked a question.

[@RonJohn63]

***** I shouldn't have been so harsh. Still, the past-tense word "*believed*" should be a clue as to my current thoughts on gods and the supernatural.

[@yoooyoyooo]

Its a battle between reality and fiction. If religions just admited its all fiction the conflict would be over.

[@JustinMShaw]

I keep thinking the fundamentalists should support, even if they don't pay attention to, the progress of science. It stands the best chance of someday being able to convincingly simulate their narratives.

[@johnmarshall4874]

there is a scientist who says he can prove existence of God, his name is Hugh Ross Phd. You may want to consider more evidence on existence of God in 4 unrelated sources as follows! be patient please and read my post here to the end . Aliens are the New Testament warning of the Coming Great Deception of Evil Fallen Angels to bring as many souls away from Salvation through Jesus the Christ and deceive people to Godsmack God.. Look into the scientific discoveries such as this book: Close Encounters: A Better Explanation by Clifford Wilson. And follow up books. There is evidence they are real demons. Also Check out Phd Hugh Ross an Astronomer who can prove the existence of God through science. Look at the 20th Century names like "Timothy McVeigh" "Murrow Building" Adolph Eichmann" "zyklon B" "9 11 twin towers" "bin Laden" "Barrack Obama" "Black President" Oswald Ruby" "assassinate the assassin" "Hitler evil man" ALL THESE NAMES IN THE BIBLE! yes in the Bible!, see book the Bible COde I II III findings from a secular journalist michael drosnin and a computer scientist Rabbie. PROOF. Black Sabbath 4 original members said a "Spirit person" was the 5th non-human member of their Band. It helped them write the first major songs, and was named by Satanist Anthony Lavey and Black Sabbath band members foolishly got into the Occult (Hidden powers) things in 1960s cause the were young and seekers and unbelievers see pastor joel schimel on this. Wake up and smell the coffee before you die! write these books and names down and research yourself.The Holy Bible is real what it describes; and it says the worldly people will think the Bible Foolishness, yet if you humble yourself and read it for spiritual discernment it will say where our ethics comes from and be worldly unwise but spiritually wise.

[@gorillaguerillaDK]

+John Marshall Hi again John... Once again you actually just prove how religious beliefs hijacked your cognitive processes! No, Hugh Ross doesn't prove anything! And yes, I've actually watched his talks - I've also watched his talks being analyzed and debunked - something I suggest you should do as well.... Now I get that cognitive dissonance probably will inhibit you from understanding and especially accepting why his "evidence" fails, but hey, that's just how the brain works - it's hard breaking free from religion, I know, I've been there! You have been convinced about patterns, such as the bible being some kind of "fortune teller", well it isn't, and if you would just start listening to people who are experts in their fields, instead of people who don't know what they are talking about, (like Hugh Ross and his pseudoscientific ideas about evolution)

[@declandoyle4151]

+John Marshal. The irony is John, that you fail to see that you're a perfect example of what's been discussed in this video. What did you think this inane comment of yours would achieve? Please take your idiocy back to the church and demand a refund.

[@zenalevay2541]

the problem is they cant admit it because they genuinely believe in their books. they sacrifice their lives too scared to ask questions, or their loving father might burn them

[@tedgrant2]

If I pray that none of my prayers will be answered, will my prayer be answered ?

[@Intenxsify]

tedgrant2 No

[@jvincent6548]

If God allows it

[@mypetcrow9873]

J Vincenzi And you are proof positive that nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the religious...

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Is that your only prayer?

[@TheOddestThings]

Content doesn't matter, it just won't be.

[@vga-t7m]

there are two types of people in the world. those who use their intelligence to learn and understand things, and those who dont or cant. the ones who cant or dont need something that helps them to have some sort of understanding of things. and religions do it for them. and without a god/s religions become hopeless

[@loola456]

We see our kids adopt imaginary friends from very young then wonder why adults do....

[@TheUniverseAroundUs]

+C.W P imaginary friends arent imaginary ...its demons talking to children ...

[@cranezilla1016]

+Aquarian Rising So you believe in astrology and the invisible man in the sky, and invisible bad guys that live in the ground, and horses that fly and donkeys that talk?

[@TheUniverseAroundUs]

No I don't believe the Bible ...

[@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164]

+MasterAtheistic That was his "Guardian Angel" protecting him from religion! LOL

[@m.c8038]

Considerable evidence does exist supporting the hypothesis that what we call mind and consciousness result from mechanisms in a purely material brain. If we have disembodied souls that are responsible for our thoughts, dreams, personalities, and emotions, then they should not be affected by drugs. But they are. They should not be affected by disease. But they are. They should not be affected by brain injuries. But they are. As brain function decreases, we lose consciousness, as when under full anesthesia. Why should that be if consciousness resides in an immaterial soul? Brain scans today can locate the portions of the brain where different types of thoughts arise, including emotions and religious thoughts. When that part of the brain is destroyed by surgery or injury, those types of thoughts disappear. Let’s face it; so-called spirituality is all in the head. It’s purely material in nature. www.huffingtonpost.com/victor-stenger/life-after-death-examinin_b_1428710.html

[@danashannon8234]

I became a believer & at first it eas like the most magical time of my life. I fell in love with scripture & i swear i would experience all these new signs & dreams that really convinced me but then Idk what happened... I started to real things like the book of Job & it was terrifying. I became more juddgemental of myself and others than i ever had been i cant even tell you how weird its been to go from well i actually i did believe in something since i was a little girl & had felt a comforting watching presence but i didn't do anything like read the bible or goto church etc...but anyway later in like i became a "believer , believer" was high on it for a while i mean like big time.... But like i said it all came crashing down. It has messed me up psychologically somewhat to go from such a believer to non believer....i do feel like what i felt & experienced was real, but idk if it was part indoctrinarion/brainwashing/some type of self hynosis... Idk i kind of miss it in the way that I'm pretty sure there is not anything after life and that is a sad somber sobering thought....i was fine with that thought originally when i was in my 20's but it saddens me now. If there was a loving creator he she it would not hide the truth from us causing a cruel game of lets guess what happens when you die and wars over the true creator & life after death...etc. & now all this new wave conciousness stuff...oh you're conciousness does not die...idk nothing is believable to me now...

[@REDPUMPERNICKEL]

You might review your experience with Santa Clause. You believed in Santa Clause didn't you? Then some mean kid said he didn't exist and you were shocked by the notion. Later, when your ability to reason reached critical mass, the truth crashed in on you. You were upset and saddened by the loss of your belief in that beloved jolly generous character, your realization you had been the victim of a vast conspiracy but most of all, you were saddened by your loss of innocence. For a long time I imagined the experience would serve everyone as a kind of inoculation against a repetition of the scenario. It certainly made a big contribution to my immunity from subsequent clerical blandishments in Sunday school. Those like you who have awoken to the truth can no longer find comfort in the belief that events are simply god's will. The thing to do, now that you know you are an atheist, is to acknowledge that if there is to be good in the world, it is your responsibility to put it there. So, life will be a little less comfortable than it was but you will be more than compensated by the fact that it will be utterly without fear. Cheers!

[@filmeseverin]

Try to read entirely and carefully ALL my messages posted recently on this video, if you are really interested about the truth.

[@rapturebound197]

You walk the path of the prodical. I did too..for 15 years. I know what it means. Its time to go home Dana. Remember the 23rd Psalm? Of course you do. Read it to yourself.. and keep reciting it in your heart until you feel Jesus gently pick you up like a small broken lamb.. put you over His shoulders.. and carries you home. Leave this place...this is not your home.. and these are not your people.

[@ToninoterRessort]

Atheïsm is just a effect of the fall of man. Jesus = God in fysical form. He was before time was. Interesting to read what God came to do on this earth.... Healing all, raising the dead, casting out demons, hanging on a cross to pay the debtbof our fall, pouring out His Spirit so we can become what we were created to be... walking in the same unselfish love and power He did. Because He is so passionate of what He created you to be. His Spirit brings forth after His kind. Born-again. Yay! Bless you! www.anewcreationinchrist.nl/english

[@alangarland8571]

It's life, not death, that worries most of them

[@ResilientHeart]

Brilliant lecture, wish there weren't so many brainless commercials - toaster on fire, Mom being rushed to the hospital after 3 days of stuck poop, Temu. Makes it very difficult to focus on this enlightening and educational information. Absolutely fascinating lecture, I recommend! Just stay close to your phone, computer, tablet, you will be using that "Skip" button early and often.

[@kiketorrez8820]

I do not get how people do not understand that the Bible was just a book of "rules" or "laws" written hundreds of years ago, to oficially explain various topics that had no OFFICIAL answer in the past because of the lack of science, and the ignorance of many things at the time, and also, the ways to control and put everyone on a path in issues regarding marriage, slavery and other matters that were pertaining to that time in which there were no rules nor answers.... Read the Bible and think of the few contexts I have thought of while reading the book, and you can see that this is just a mere book of laws and fables and ways of explaining thins in the time they were written, it still amazes me how people can actually not understand how that is the point of what the Bible is, and that tied to the need of humans to have meaning in their life gives as a result RELIGION....And that is the main reason that I think that religious people are delusional.... They do not want to face reality for what it is, beautiful in all the sense of the word, and that is the indoctrination that is given to many in since they are children, so it does not surprise me that the cognitive condition they are given has led them to be blind to the whole fact, because they really do not bother to research and go out of their comfort zone, and will stay ignorant all of their lives, and will not acomplish anything but the fact that they are lying to eachother.....

[@kiketorrez8820]

***** I mean I do not understand "why people"..... From my perspective, besides what he explained, or another way to put it, I meant it as in "I do not believe there are people who believe there are gods".....

[@williamallman299]

First, the Bible was not written hundreds of years ago, the various books were all written at different times starting about 4000 years ago up to about 1800 years ago (estimates from textual analysis vary) . Second, it's more than just a book of rules or laws (although Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy certainly are that), it also contains the history of the Israelites (Judges, Kings, Corinthians, et al, some of which has been independently corroborated by archaeological evidence), as well as their literature and a great deal of wisdom about human nature (e.g. the story of Adam and Eve with the forbidden fruit is an allegory for the human tendency to deny personal responsibility). Of course much of it is mythology, but there are many valuable lessons which can be learned from it nonetheless, as well as practical knowledge. I think it was in the Book of Solomon that I read "the Scriptures are for instruction in righteousness (ethics/morality) and gaining wisdom (knowledge/understanding)". It is indeed one of the greatest books ever written, although "compiled" would be more accurate--even if it WAS hijacked by the Roman Empire as a means of controlling the masses. Heck, I've read it three times, the second and third times using a Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to go back to the original languages, and for etymological purposes, to gain a greater understanding of the original authors' intended meaning, which also helped me see where redactions had occurred. Ignorance comes in many forms, and dismissing the Bible as "just a mere book of laws and fables" displays your own ignorance of it's historical and literary importance.

[@kiketorrez8820]

William Allman Well, the reference of a "mere book" is like me saying that "Hamlet is a mere book", it is just to emphasize the fact that the bible is taken so literally, that the reference of a "mere book" is me emphasizing the fact that if you took any book literally to live by, then you are basing your life on a "mere book", and that is the case with people who follow the Bible as if it is written by a "god", and that is childish in all the sense of the word... The Bible might be many things to you.... But that fact alone does not waive the fact that it is a book like any other book, historical importance or not, it is still a book, and it will always be a book.

[@williamallman299]

Kike Torrez Then you should be more precise in your language usage and say what you mean rather than just typing thoughts as they occur, which is one of the big advantages of communicating on the web--one can edit and revise their comment before posting it.

[@kiketorrez8820]

William Allman Yeah, that is why that is there, editing is correcting a misteke, I did not see your point, I posted it and I read something that was not the complete idea and corrected it..... Either way, that is not the point, and since you might be fuming because I make a valid point, you have no answer, so you came up with that obvious observation......... lol.....Predictable much? ... lol...

[@timheidorn9853]

This is a fine presentation that anybody can appreciate. Like one of the questioners at the end of the video, it is obvious to me that these observations of human cognitive science can just as easily be presented in support of Theism. This presentation could be delivered at a religious conference with different cartoons and intervening comments on how "Atheism has hijacked science to it's ends". Applause would break out at exactly the same moments. Scientists work hard to develop the least teleological conclusions possible, but, in the end it comes down to a teleology of accepting the simplest, most falsifiable, explanation; and, even then, "simplest" can be hard to define. Occam's Razor cuts both ways on the subject of Theism. Every faith (and Atheists have at least as much faith as Theists) amounts to a non-falsifiable hypothesis. Andy Thompson strengthens my Theist teleology (confirmation bias). Thanks Andy.

[@timheidorn9853]

IdleBigots I doubt that I will convince you with anything else I can write. It is needless to say that science is a faith; it is a faith in a way of collecting and analyzing information.The only thing we can be truly certain of is that the analysis will be useful, but, when extended to predictions, it must be false in some way. It must be false, or it's not science. I am a scientist, I am also a Theist. The two are not mutually exclusive. I'll just refer you to Karl Popper's work and let you go. When I read it, it strengthens my Theism despite Dr. Popper's atheism.

[@timheidorn9853]

IdleBigots No, I am not a believer in intelligent design. I'm a Theist. The one does not lead to the other (not necessarily, although it could). Please, think more, read more. I pray that you will be fine

[@DJK5364]

Tim Heidorn "And Atheists have at least as much faith as Theists" This is why you are wrong, not just in your view on atheism, but your view on theism. Faith is believing in something without good evidence, science is the system by which information is objectively analysed and explanations for reality created, wherein evidence is the key component. If anyone has faith in science, then they don't truly believe in science or don't have true faith in it. It's logically impossible to have true faith in something that gives only information that believing in is the complete opposite of faith. Science does not promote absolute truths, such an idea is useless to a system which aims to always be right: you can't ever be particularly wrong if you never say anything for certain, the reality of life is that we are surrounded by doubt. If you truly understand scientific method, you know why atheism exists. The scientific method applies to all things within observable reality; so many people like to ignore all the dozens of times religion has been proven to have no idea what it's talking about by science, instead treating the concepts once touted as literally true as 'allegorical' or 'metaphorical' in the face of the actual truth. The existence of God is no different from the age of the earth, the size of the universe, the structure of the solar system and the origin of life: all are ideas that religion has at one time or another claimed to explain but science can easily deny on the basis of strong contradictory theories and a lack of evidence on the part of religion. It confounds me why they are people that think that 'no empirical evidence' isn't a strong point against all of religious belief. Why for everyday life they are quite happy to accept the scientific method, but for very specific things, it's suddenly untouchable because of some meaningless and baseless claim of the 'metaphysical reality' that somehow isn't testable whatsoever yet people are actually willing to believe in. Why would anyone believe in the totally intangible? "Please read more, think more" Please do the same. Atheism doesn't rely on anything expect scientific method, if you question atheism, you are questioning the applicability of the scientific method or misunderstanding the facts.

[@timheidorn9853]

DJK5364 You should try to be more critical and thoughtful in your beliefs. Your assumption is that God does not exist. The empiricism that you apply to observations is simply a teleology that affirms the assumption. Try different assumptions and you come to different conclusions. It appears that you live in denial and believe in nothing. This takes a lot more faith than a theist can admit to. I wish you well. Please read more and learn more. Studying philosophy might help you to be a little less conservative in your views.

[@timheidorn9853]

IdleBigots I feel that you must have been looking in a mirror on that last comment ;-) I genuinely wish you well on your life's journey.

[@42meralee]

He states; half of children have imaginary friends. I think: three quarters of adults do.

[@lesorciercalifornien]

Sue Lee At _least_.

[@pierrelebourreau896]

Brian Garrett At least one imaginary friend

[@OneDawkinsFan]

Sue Lee It is exactly what Mathew 18,2 says: "…2And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."

[@modestiny85]

+Sue Lee Thats cause most children are born with their 3rd eye open and it shuts as they grow older.

[@acespades8747]

+jim bob Sure, sure, as your god talks to you through it. Crack is the third eye in solid state though.

[@leahhicks8657]

I wish this talk could be 2 hours long and he really explains some things. My feeble little pea brain is strugglin here & I’m evening taking notes lol

[@marcosbenjaminsastre2668]

Felt the same way.. didn't understand many of the examples, references or what he was trying to say.. Obviously I don't blame him but my limited knowledge and how I might have gotten "spoiled" by extraordinary lecturers like Richard Dawkins himself and now I pretentiously pretend every lecturer to be as clear explaining as him haha

[@DowntownCanon]

Read his book a long time ago and wasn't impressed with the way he (attempted to) put his points across. He's much more effective verbally.

[@ryublueblanka]

"it has served us well, this myth of Christ" - Pope Leo X

[@david77james]

Great, isn't it, to have stupid quips of others to rely on to form our entire conclusions on the subject of God & Christ, eh? Numerous ABSOLUTES of God exist before our "mental eyes", which we can readily "see", as scripture says. There is no alternative for "God IS".

[@david77james]

@@greg5023 - You should open your eyes and think for yourself. There is no alternative to understanding that Creator God exists and is the sovereign power of the universe. Besides, I was referring to Bope Leo's anti-Christ quip. He had no business being a fraudulent Bope if he did not even believe in Christ, who is the most well established person in human history, with more written about Him from the middle of the 1st century to this day, than any other historical person.

[@david77james]

@demigodzilla - Wow, your contribution is equal to the quality of dog feces, oh brilliant scoffer. There is no valid alternative to God IS, and He leads every person to Himself that diligently seeks to know Him & His absolutes, which involve time on earth and ETERNITY. In your wilful ignorance, you choose the path of the lazy godless majority, which includes the mass murdering atheist leaders who have eliminated well over 100 MILLION people over the past 110 years or so. So, YOUR life choices are truly disgusting at their ultimate best, and, again are equal to the quality of dog feces. So, project as you desire, but you can't fool me, oh perverse one, as you THINK you are preparing an excuse to offer your Creator in YOUR DAY, when He asks you why you chose to remain ignorant of Him, and to live by the false claims of evil men who promote Pinocchio pseudoscience & anti God rhetoric & hate, without doing YOUR due diligence, which ALL humans are required to do, as concerns God. Toodles, oh simple scoffer. .

[@silkyslim2111]

david77james go find your group and leave others alone. First ,watch the video and then- go get a life.

[@david77james]

@@silkyslim2111 - Mind your own biz oh silkyslime. I visit all types of videos, and have done so for over 15 years. You no like? Aaaatsa too bade. Why don't you peel off if you don't like my visits. You said the dumbest thing. What I said involves recognizing "light". Darkness hates the light. I don's ask people to write to me, but hundreds do. Why is that my fault, just for making comments. These comments are "public comments" and available to the public. Hello? I know things that lots of others do not know. Are you "afraid" of intelligent opposition? Of course you are, as you prefer to live with your delusions & lies. But that's okay. It's no concern to anyone. You stole my line - Get a life - So Get a life, and quitcha whining. It's all about my business when a person talks about these subjects. So, buzz off if you don't like it. I'm a first class good guy. .

[@kookamunga2458]

I am happy that there are religious folks watching and listening to this video. If we can sew the seeds of doubt then we can put a stop to the brainwashing.

[@glenliesegang8935]

Throw out everything religious. Throw out the 10 commandments. Eliminate our kids' exposure to anything but the truth. Kill Christmas, Halloween, ET, all the Fairy Tales, Harry Potter, Disney stories and theme parks. Bury worship. tax all faith based organizations, any which send aid to 3d world countries. End these stupid holidays and all who make obscene profits from them. Dry up these winter pagan festivities. Throw every bit of religious based and inspired bit of art, literature, music onto the bonfires of history. Throw out Imago Dei, because it's Imago Homo. Drill into our kids that there is no "plan" by any "loving deity" because randomness and a few short years is the truth. Teach them a healthy cynicism that if they cannot touch or measure it, it is both unreal, and worthless. The psychologists can address anyone who can't handle the naked truth, kiddies, too. Then humanity, free of it's stupid chains of morality can finally become free to be who it was meant to be! Or not?

[@nottelling4876]

@@glenliesegang8935 so we can only know things through the scientific method? If you say yes I would like to ask you how you know that. If you say yes then that's something called circular logic, if you say no then it refutes your scientism damn man You know aristotle and Saint thomas aquinas got these ideas of "God" through simple logical deduction and someone would simply engage in self contemplation and become the next Heraclitus or some form of platonic philosophy

[@glenliesegang8935]

@@nottelling4876 we cannot know anything. Sadly, Hitchens never got this:All we can do is let our wetware create an internal representation which we hope matches the Greater Reality enough we do not accidentally die before our time. Sorry for the paste... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treachery_of_Images Art is also truth. Here is Magritte's truth: All atheists and believers can ever talk about is their own internal experience. As a Follower, I am a Parisian arguing with those who've never been to Paris Or, someone who's touched an electric fence... Hope you sometime find yourself open to receiving like a child a gift beyond price: the peace and joy of Lovingkindness Themselves. You will then discover Love your mind and "self" never knew was possible. Look for those with a glow, but not a stupid grin. They'll be happy to show you the way.

[@glenliesegang8935]

A mind which believes it knows it all is terribly deluded.

[@kookamunga2458]

@@glenliesegang8935 there is a difference between knowing it all and healthy skepticism.

[@isidoreaerys8745]

Hyperactive Agency Detection “All of us will mistake a shadow for a burglar. We will never mistake a Burglar for shadow”

[@snowrider4495]

Even as a child my parents taught me about a god! They told me he was everywhere! So I looked everywhere looking for him! I looked in the bushes, behind doors, underwater, anywhere I could find him but I never did so i never understood and realised it was just an idea in a fictional book after i read the entire book at 13 years old!!! I never could believe because I couldn't find him or talk to him! I've now read the book 3 times. It's a silly evil book!

[@enchantingamerica2100]

you’ve read the bible 3 times and it’s just a silly evil book to you? im sure even the most ardent atheist who has read the bible 3 times would find more than a silly evil book.

[@donnievance1942]

@@enchantingamerica2100 If you don't think the Bible is a silly evil book, it's likely you're the one who's never read it. Few religious people ever do.

[@Jess_2025]

As a child In Catholic school, the nuns made me believe that even thinking a bad “thought” would send me to hell. I was terrified. This supernatural being could read my thoughts and punish me for them. Yes, the Bible and religion are truly evil.

[@RSVPrr]

​@@donnievance1942 true

[@patbrennan6572]

i still dread death and dying, but i don`t fear being dead anymore because i have no reason to fear nothingness, i will agree though that it sucks not to have the bliss of eternal heaven but, it`s more than offset by the comfort of knowing that an eternal hell dosen`t exist eighter.. `take a deep breath and just be thankful that this horrrible thing called a vengent god was created by primative and ignorant man.. ``relax```..

[@sketchartist1964]

Are you sure there is "nothingness" after death? I wouldn't be so sure considering how much evidence there is against that notion. To deny that there is any such evidence is purely wishful thinking. Our consciousness does not die with our physical body. You can be sure of it.

[@ytxmak]

I am not 'certain' of anything after death- just like everyone else in the world. Typical of religious or supernatural phenomena, all we have are stories and feelings; 'evidence' but of a very low standard. Until something better comes along- solid evidence produced under controlled conditions, I will continue to demur the enthusiasm of the proselyte.

[@ytxmak]

***** I exist, and I can prove it. Don't open your mind so much that your brains fall out!

[@ytxmak]

***** Fly to Thailand. Call me. I will meet you at the airport. Now stop being so silly.

[@ytxmak]

***** Call me, meet and greet at the airport. I will bring a mirror and show you to yourself. Probably a very handsome sight to behold.

[@paragonofvirtue270]

“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts.” ― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet ,

[@truethinker221]

Preach the gospel always even if it requires words; St. Francis of Assisi.

[@megasalexandros2397]

Lebanon

[@krispybacon9285]

"the world is flat" ~every major religion ever...

[@garystevenson5560]

Alpha is God Beth the Beast. The word become flesh, second Buddha of the Book of the Dead.

[@paxmule]

Imagine NO religion... -John Lennon

[@indigoblue4791]

Excellent suggestion from the last member of the audience. Let's hope someone with the necessary skills hears this and gets on it!! Great talk! 😊

[@rohitsetia3364]

"Humans can't create a mosquito yet they create gods in thousands" -

[@glenliesegang8935]

Any god, especially any like Hitchens describes, is a human creation. My puzzle, if Christians do worship that god, why do they clearly not fear His wrath, not worship Him out of fear of punishment, but describe their God as being like the most loving earthly father ever, who delights in lavishing them with gifts? Why are they calmer? How does the "faith" of genuine followers lead to higher life expectancies, lower stress, greater tolerance and acceptance of others? Why do the true ones glow?

[@michaelchristian9025]

Where is this quote from? If it's your own then don't be bashful! :)

[@seektruth581]

Human's can clone mosquitos.

[@glenliesegang8935]

Religion is what mankind does to make gods do something . Trust is what mankind relies on to stay sane. Science says a Rembrant masterpiece is pigment and binder smeared on a piece of prepared stretched fibrous material tacked to wood by a descendant from the hominid line. Faith says it is a unique and wonderful uplifting unique and unparalleled creation. Science describes a rectangle of fibrous paper with ink pressed onto it from a photo lithographic etched metal plate. Faith says that thousand dollar bill has meaning far beyond its physicality. Science says histone proteins allow DNA to fit inside a cell. Faith is astonished that each cell's DNA is 1 meter long, and, in a lifetime, following the laws which govern space, time, matter and energy, your lifetime of strands, end to end, in 70 years reaches 1 light year. Science cannot tell you that is miraculous. Only faith, trust, wonder.

[@miguelmoraldo4263]

@@StellaLovesMusic25 Lmao hahahaha, how do you explain natural disasters that your invisible friend is ultimately responsible for, notice i said natural disasters bcuz they are not caused by man, Lmao hahahaha end of the world , im pretty sure the planet has been around billions of years and will be here long after we go,the world doesnt hate God, there is no reason to hate something that doesnt exist, thats just silly

[@alpspitz1]

Human societies still obey the laws of tribalism... Religion,politics, football etc.,

[@EVZYL]

The point is that there is one god, and one god only: the flying spaghetti monster.

[@Lou13Cyf3r]

there is more physical evidence ACTUALLY inside everyone. if you lay out the complete nervous system ( including brain, and eyeballs) on a table... YOU are the spaghetti monster!!

[@EVZYL]

Thanks for the promotion!

[@NYCBG]

+EVZYL THANK YOU for being the noble fighter for TRUTH! Indeed, FSM is IT! And THAT! And EVERYTHING in between! Ramen, my friend.

[@cranezilla1016]

+EVZYL Ramen

[@EVZYL]

No, we worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster. We prefer it to Mohammed's flying horse.

[@gxulien]

When I was a kid, i gathered plant from the backyard to make magic potions. My childhood was characterized as naivete.

[@alanlloyd450]

Thank God for RICHARD DAWKINS

[@sharkamov]

😆

[@jvincent6548]

Thank God for Jimi Hendrix, Chopin, Montogomery and Patton, Winston Churchill, Apple, The Doors, Porsche, Picasso, Warhol, European Union, Clean Water, Microwaves...

[@pramilamenon8621]

@@jvincent6548 not winston churchill the porcine racist warmonger who murdered millions of Indians...

[@jvincent6548]

@@pramilamenon8621 Tell me what, why, how? I am genuinely keen to learn. Though allow me to say this of him. He led a nation, indeed an empire, if I could say that without the attachments of outdated colonialism and racism, through adversity that threatened his nation's existence, with dogmatic and clear-sighted leadership against Hitler's tyranny. The rest of the world were occupied with their own issues, or disinterested in Hitler's nazi conquest of Europe. When all other political leaders in Europe caved in to Hitler or sought appeasement with his corrupt and disfigured regime, Churchill alone growled the only effective strategy: to stand up and stand firm against him. How now the world if not for him?

[@pramilamenon8621]

@@jvincent6548 please read up how he singlehandedly killed Indians....