My (second ) introduction - hope this one works!

motomarco
Posts: 18
Joined: 2011-08-06
User is offlineOffline
My (second ) introduction - hope this one works!

Greetings to all!

I have been lurking around these forums for some time, and have finally decided to begin posting.  I am originally from Chicago, and recently moved to Florida.  By day I am a commodities broker (think stockbroker except I deal in things like corn, soybeans, etc), and my hobbies include wrenching on cars, playing the guitar and chemistry - yes I consider myself an amateur chemist.

Philosophically, like many of you I'd imagine, I am an avowed Agnostic.  I don't believe that humans have the knowledge or ability to determine whether or not "God" (or "Gods" ) exists.  On a more personal level, I am unsure whether I believe in a god or not.   I may believe, I may not believe - I simply "don't know" at this point.  That's why I'm here  - hopefully to get some answers.

I very much like using logic to solve problems, and am interested in subjects like religion, philosophy, science and the unknown.  I look very forward to posting on a more regular basis here, and appreciate the warm welcome I've been given so far.

Best,

MB

 

 


cj
atheistRational VIP!
cj's picture
Posts: 3330
Joined: 2007-01-05
User is offlineOffline
seems to be working

Hi,

Welcome from the Pacific Northwest.  I resemble my avatar way too much anymore.

Post early and often.

 

-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.

"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken

"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.


ex-minister
atheistHigh Level Moderator
ex-minister's picture
Posts: 1711
Joined: 2010-01-29
User is offlineOffline
Welcome aboard. This is s

Welcome aboard. This is s good place to address those kind of questions. Feel free to start such a topic.

Religion Kills !!!

Numbers 31:17-18 - Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.

http://jesus-needs-money.blogspot.com/


Vastet
atheistBloggerSuperfan
Vastet's picture
Posts: 13234
Joined: 2006-12-25
User is offlineOffline
Welcome! I can understand

Welcome!
I can understand not knowing if there's a god, but the idea of not knowing ones own beliefs is nonsensical to me. Your beliefs influence your behaviour. Examine your behaviour to better understand your beliefs. If you feel a need to behave a certain way, ask yourself why. Understand why. Know yourself before trying to figure this shit out. It'll be easier.

Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.


harleysportster
atheist
harleysportster's picture
Posts: 3359
Joined: 2010-10-17
User is offlineOffline
Welcome

Welcome aboard again. Agnostic Atheist biker here. Have you checked out the links on your left ? Try the video : Am I Agnostic or Atheist ? Let me know what you think.

Cherry Mistmas

“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno


Atheistextremist
atheist
Atheistextremist's picture
Posts: 5134
Joined: 2009-09-17
User is offlineOffline
Welcome aboard Marco

 

Have fun working out your position. 

 


motomarco
Posts: 18
Joined: 2011-08-06
User is offlineOffline
Thank you all

As atheistextremist said, I intend to have fun working out my position.  The RRS is one of those rarely found corners of the web.  Very glad to be here!

Marc


Brian37
atheistSuperfan
Brian37's picture
Posts: 16424
Joined: 2006-02-14
User is onlineOnline
motomarco wrote:Greetings to

motomarco wrote:

Greetings to all!

I have been lurking around these forums for some time, and have finally decided to begin posting.  I am originally from Chicago, and recently moved to Florida.  By day I am a commodities broker (think stockbroker except I deal in things like corn, soybeans, etc), and my hobbies include wrenching on cars, playing the guitar and chemistry - yes I consider myself an amateur chemist.

Philosophically, like many of you I'd imagine, I am an avowed Agnostic.  I don't believe that humans have the knowledge or ability to determine whether or not "God" (or "Gods" ) exists.  On a more personal level, I am unsure whether I believe in a god or not.   I may believe, I may not believe - I simply "don't know" at this point.  That's why I'm here  - hopefully to get some answers.

I very much like using logic to solve problems, and am interested in subjects like religion, philosophy, science and the unknown.  I look very forward to posting on a more regular basis here, and appreciate the warm welcome I've been given so far.

Best,

MB

 

 

Welcome. But just to let you know. I really hate the word "agnostic" falsely being used by itself. It is a qualifying word not a position itself. It tells you nothing about what you don't know about. It merely means "I don't know".

So for it to make sense it has to go in front of theist or atheist.

An agnostic theist is someone who would say "I take the position that a god might or does exist, but I don't claim to know it's attributes or makeup".

An agnostic atheist would say "I do not currently hold the position that a god exists, but since we do not know the future, my position might change"

Myself, I describe as a flat out atheist as far as past and present claims of god/s/deities/super natural. But only in a very strict semantic sense I don't know what future evidences might come about, though it is so fleetingly unlikely throwing the concept of a god in the trashcan of ideas, I wont lose any sleep over it. It would be like worrying about the existence of invisible pink unicorns.

 

Ultimately the core reason I reject ALL god claims currently, is that it starts with the unfounded naked assertion that thought can occur without a material process, and there has never been any scientific evidence that empirically demonstrates thought occurring outside evolution. Will there ever be such evidence? Technically "I don't know". But considering the amount of evidence leading to a natural world and away from a magic world, I'd say all god concepts are worthless mental placebos humans invent.

If I may suggest some books and terms you might want to familiarize yourself with.

"The New Atheism" Victor Stenger

"The God Delusion" Richard Dawkins

"God Is Not Great" The Late Christopher Hitchens

"The End Of Faith" Sam Harris

"Letter to a Christian Nation" Sam Harris

"Infidel" Ayaan Hersi Ali

 

Terms if you dont know

 

1. The problem with infinite regress.

2. The problem with Pascal's wager

3. Epicurus "problem with evil"

4. Ocham's Razor

 

websites I find useful

 

This one.

 

www.atheistforums.com

www.atheistforums.org  (yes there are two different "atheist forums" one .com and one .org

www.skepticsannotatedbible.com

www.positiveatheism.com

www.ffrf.org "Freedom from religion foundation"

www.atheists.org "American Atheists"

www.atheistalliance.org

 

Welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog