Ben Stein (What a guy) - In relation to the God thread

[BigDaddy]

Try being an athiest. Tell your family you are an athiest. Try telling your friends you are an athiest. Your co-workers. Just imagine the responses.

PM me if you would like to further disuss atheism...that goes for any of you mags.

Can't say it's too hard being an atheist in Massachusetts... or liberal... or gay (not that I really know)... or whatever. I can only imagine how it is in the "Bible Belt", though. My parents switched to the Unitarian Church (from Lutheran) and it's a very progressive and interesting place. You get exposure to many religions, sex ed for teens and if you miss a Sunday, no one gives a shit. I don't go anymore, but if I were to join a church, that'd probably be the one.

[rideit]

The only gospel you need....
http://www.venganza.org/

[MassLiberal]

Can't say it's too hard being an atheist in Massachusetts... or liberal... or gay (not that I really know)... or whatever. I can only imagine how it is in the "Bible Belt", though. My parents switched to the Unitarian Church (from Lutheran) and it's a very progressive and interesting place. You get exposure to many religions, sex ed for teens and if you miss a Sunday, no one gives a shit. I don't go anymore, but if I were to join a church, that'd probably be the one.

I agree, the UUs are pretty interesting.

[Humble]

Hey Humble, just for your information I believe us atheists are still very low on the belief totem pole here in the US. We are a very small part of the population and have very little affect (not effect) on the political, economic and religious arenas of this country and the world. If we did you would be surprised by how different the world would be.

If you feel threatened by an atheist majority here on TGR then maybe you should go elsewhere. Maybe you shouldn't, I don't care. We are here for skiing and exchanging info about skiing and telling lies about skiing and giving/getting deals on gear and etc. Sorry snowboarders because when I say "skiing" I include you too, I just don't feel the need to write skiing/riding.

Try being an athiest. Tell your family you are an athiest. Try telling your friends you are an athiest. Your co-workers. Just imagine the responses.

PM me if you would like to further disuss atheism...that goes for any of you mags.

lol. i wasnt attacking anyone, im one that beleives i dont have the right to judge anyone but myself. i was merely posting something in relation to another thread (and yes i got this in an email so i am not 100% sure of it credibility (ben stein wrote it?)) and yes i came here for the talk about "snow"riding but this is a place where we can share opiions and have mature conversations, is it not?

sorry if i offended you. oh and even if i didnt have faith. Religion is the most logical thing around bro

heres 4 scenarios (genral for length purpouses)

1. Dont Beleive in God - Your Wrong - "they" say you go to hell (im not sure)
2. Dont Beleive in God - Your Right - Nothing Happens
3. Do Beleive in God - Your Wrong - Nothing Happens
4. Do Beleive in God - Your Right - You go to Heaven

so even if Religion isnt practical to you, and though i do hate to define it in this way, it is much more logical than atheism.

im not sure who nick and jessica are either, but im pretty sure they arent responsible for centuries of war, corruption, and violations of human rights.

religion is just another man made institution of controll.
do we really belive in a giant invisible man in the sky

random mutation, big bang... ill take imperical logic over blind faith anyday..unless ofoarse that logic is calling for 2-4 inches, my blind faith would expect 12-16...
.

his arguement on Nick and Jessica was not that they caused war corruption ect... he was just wondering why is it almost preferred that a person worships celebritys and (no pun intended) God forbid we beleive in God.

and if your all about the Big bang ect... how did the particles ect... come into existence so that they may have the chance to "bang" together

you should read Darwins case for God where he talks about the Eye, the Earth and the egg

very interesting stuff.

[The AD]

so even if Religion isnt practical to you, and though i do hate to define it in this way, it is much more logical than atheism.

So you're just willing to go along with all the claptrap on the gamble that it might actually get you into heaven, huh? Go for it then. Personally I like to look at the actual facts and use that as the basis to determine the plausibility of "God," but that's just me. If there really is a God it seems like he'd be sharp enough to know who's been a good person and who hasn't and use that as the basis for who gets into heaven rather than who prays and goes to church on Sunday.

[Humble]

So you're just willing to go along with all the claptrap on the gamble that it might actually get you into heaven, huh? Go for it then. Personally I like to look at the actual facts and use that as the basis to determine the plausibility of "God," but that's just me. If there really is a God it seems like he'd be sharp enough to know who's been a good person and who hasn't and use that as the basis for who gets into heaven rather than who prays and goes to church on Sunday.

oh i dont look at it that way, but philosophy and logically thats how mills goes about defining his "Best Bet" theory

im more along the lines of, religion has become tainted in many ways and that God is on a much different level of thinking than man is and i trust him with my life at the end of it... i will say that most people dont know shit when it comes to God and religion, and thats why there is faith

[danimal's dead]

I haven't been to church in almost 20 years. I attended a Catholic school from grades K-8 with real nuns who wapt us on the knuckles with a ruler and made us read Bible passages over and over. We went to church 3 times a week, went to confession on Wednesday, had religion class 5 days a week and sang hymns all the time. After convincing my parents to let me attend a public school because it was free, I had no use whatsoever for religion.

But, after a particularly sick powder run of 2,000 vert or more, I have been known to thank god. I'm not totally sure who I'm thanking and that thanks is usually uttered right after a whole bunch of holering and "phuck yeahs." But sometimes things are just too perfect and too beautiful to be random and I just have to stop and say thank you to the big mother wheel for providing me with so much powder and so much pleasure.

I also feel like I should already be dead, all the crap I've pulled, stupid things done, bad choices etc... but I'm not. While at the same time friends have been lost, good people who didn't deserve to die have died, lots of weird stuff has happened around me. And here's my money quote, even though I can't say I'm a Christian (we differ on too many social issues), I still feel "life is just too random to be random," there just has to be something out there. Whatever it is, I'd just like to say thanks for another great season, and I'm glad I'm still here, hopefully I'm lucky enough to do it all again next year.

[Humble]

I haven't been to church in almost 20 years. I attended a Catholic school from grades K-8 with real nuns who wapt us on the knuckles with a ruler and made us read Bible passages over and over. We went to church 3 times a week, went to confession on Wednesday, had religion class 5 days a week and sang hymns all the time. After convincing my parents to let me attend a public school because it was free, I had no use whatsoever for religion.

But, after a particularly sick powder run of 2,000 vert or more, I have been known to thank god. I'm not totally sure who I'm thanking and that thanks is usually uttered right after a whole bunch of holering and "phuck yeahs." But sometimes things are just too perfect and too beautiful to be random and I just have to stop and say thank you to the big mother wheel for providing me with so much powder and so much pleasure.

I also feel like I should already be dead, all the crap I've pulled, stupid things done, bad choices etc... but I'm not. While at the same time friends have been lost, good people who didn't deserve to die have died, lots of weird stuff has happened around me. And here's my money quote, even though I can't say I'm a Christian (we differ on too many social issues), I still feel "life is just too random to be random," there just has to be something out there. Whatever it is, I'd just like to say thanks for another great season, and I'm glad I'm still here, hopefully I'm lucky enough to do it all again next year.

good views, the only thing that can hurt you is if you stop searching or stop beleiving.... progession is just as important spiritually (not religiously) as it is on a snowboard or skis

[PaSucks]

He worked for the Nixon administration... just a random fact

He wrote speeches for the Nixon adminstration, it isn't like he was a policy maker or anything.

I have heard him on talk radio shows several times, and while I don't agree with a lot of his politics, he had a lot of inteligent things to say and he was genuinly entertaining.

[GheePup]

lol. i wasnt attacking anyone, im one that beleives i dont have the right to judge anyone but myself. i was merely posting something in relation to another thread (and yes i got this in an email so i am not 100% sure of it credibility (ben stein wrote it?)) and yes i came here for the talk about "snow"riding but this is a place where we can share opiions and have mature conversations, is it not?

sorry if i offended you. oh and even if i didnt have faith. Religion is the most logical thing around bro

heres 4 scenarios (genral for length purpouses)

1. Dont Beleive in God - Your Wrong - "they" say you go to hell (im not sure)
2. Dont Beleive in God - Your Right - Nothing Happens
3. Do Beleive in God - Your Wrong - Nothing Happens
4. Do Beleive in God - Your Right - You go to Heaven

so even if Religion isnt practical to you, and though i do hate to define it in this way, it is much more logical than atheism.





his arguement on Nick and Jessica was not that they caused war corruption ect... he was just wondering why is it almost preferred that a person worships celebritys and (no pun intended) God forbid we beleive in God.

and if your all about the Big bang ect... how did the particles ect... come into existence so that they may have the chance to "bang" together

you should read Darwins case for God where he talks about the Eye, the Earth and the egg

very interesting stuff.

I wasn't offended at all. I just couldn't believe that someone would blame this countries troubles on us few people that are atheists and felt the need to speak up in our defense just like the Mormons spoke up here in another thread. (I know, nice run on sentence) Good for them Mormons. I hope if any gay thread comes up that the fags and lesbos here will speak up too and use their real user names.

Ad beat me to the whole getting into heaven thing so I won't go there, too much. Believe in god and go to heaven, don't believe in god go to hell...what a complete line of BULLSHIT!!! You are good and you go to heaven, you are bad you go to hell...I can understand that. Then again I don't believe in heaven or hell but if (a big if) there is a heaven and hell I am not too worried about it.

I tend to go along the lines of the Scientologist in that we are living on a prison planet (basically hell) that was set up by the other races of the universe in order to confine the misfit and degenerate souls to one planet, for ever and ever. Oh, I can see it coming now...

[GheePup]

Can't say it's too hard being an atheist in Massachusetts... or liberal... or gay (not that I really know)... or whatever. I can only imagine how it is in the "Bible Belt", though. My parents switched to the Unitarian Church (from Lutheran) and it's a very progressive and interesting place. You get exposure to many religions, sex ed for teens and if you miss a Sunday, no one gives a shit. I don't go anymore, but if I were to join a church, that'd probably be the one.

I didn't say it was hard to be an atheist. You do get some pretty funny looks and questions though when god comes up in a conversation and you express your belief that god does not exist.

[thegnar73]

lol. i wasnt attacking anyone, im one that beleives i dont have the right to judge anyone but myself. i was merely posting something in relation to another thread (and yes i got this in an email so i am not 100% sure of it credibility (ben stein wrote it?)) and yes i came here for the talk about "snow"riding but this is a place where we can share opiions and have mature conversations, is it not?

sorry if i offended you. oh and even if i didnt have faith. Religion is the most logical thing around bro

heres 4 scenarios (genral for length purpouses)

1. Dont Beleive in God - Your Wrong - "they" say you go to hell (im not sure)
2. Dont Beleive in God - Your Right - Nothing Happens
3. Do Beleive in God - Your Wrong - Nothing Happens
4. Do Beleive in God - Your Right - You go to Heaven

so even if Religion isnt practical to you, and though i do hate to define it in this way, it is much more logical than atheism.





his arguement on Nick and Jessica was not that they caused war corruption ect... he was just wondering why is it almost preferred that a person worships celebritys and (no pun intended) God forbid we beleive in God.

and if your all about the Big bang ect... how did the particles ect... come into existence so that they may have the chance to "bang" together

you should read Darwins case for God where he talks about the Eye, the Earth and the egg

very interesting stuff.

yes i understand his arguement was not that they cause war corrutpion etc.

my point was that, and realize celebrity culture sickens me, nick and jessica have had a far less devastating effect on humanity over the course of history.
also if i remember correctly the constitution says nothing about celebrity culture and everything about seperation of church and state.

1. Dont Beleive in God - Your Wrong - "they" say you go to hell (im not sure)
2. Dont Beleive in God - Your Right - Nothing Happens
3. Do Beleive in God - Your Wrong - Nothing Happens
4. Do Beleive in God - Your Right - You go to Heaven

so even if Religion isnt practical to you, and though i do hate to define it in this way, it is much more logical than atheism.


that is not operating out of logic, that is operating of fear.

as for your question of the big bang theory, um, so where did GOD come from? id say thats the same place the particles came from.

[Humble]

1. Dont Beleive in God - Your Wrong - "they" say you go to hell (im not sure)
2. Dont Beleive in God - Your Right - Nothing Happens
3. Do Beleive in God - Your Wrong - Nothing Happens
4. Do Beleive in God - Your Right - You go to Heaven

so even if Religion isnt practical to you, and though i do hate to define it in this way, it is much more logical than atheism.


that is not operating out of logic, that is operating of fear.

as for your question of the big bang theory, um, so where did GOD come from? id say thats the same place the particles came from.

not my argument at all, its actually the 19th century philospher John Stuart Mill's "Best Bet" theory which is much much more complex, but ends up that beleif in a religion is more logical then lack of beleif.

i would never define my beleif in those terms, i dont think true beleif (faith) can be defined or reasoned and that is the point

the idea of God requires that he was, is, and will always be. that is much different than the idea of particles, as they must be created

[thegnar73]

yes i understand his arguement was not that they cause war corrutpion etc.

my point was that, and realize celebrity culture sickens me, nick and jessica have had a far less devastating effect on humanity over the course of history.
also if i remember correctly the constitution says nothing about celebrity culture and everything about seperation of church and state.

1. Dont Beleive in God - Your Wrong - "they" say you go to hell (im not sure)
2. Dont Beleive in God - Your Right - Nothing Happens
3. Do Beleive in God - Your Wrong - Nothing Happens
4. Do Beleive in God - Your Right - You go to Heaven

so even if Religion isnt practical to you, and though i do hate to define it in this way, it is much more logical than atheism.


that is not operating out of logic, that is operating of fear.

as for your question of the big bang theory, um, so where did GOD come from? id say thats the same place the particles came from.

[Humble]

yes i understand his arguement was not that they cause war corrutpion etc.

my point was that, and realize celebrity culture sickens me, nick and jessica have had a far less devastating effect on humanity over the course of history.
also if i remember correctly the constitution says nothing about celebrity culture and everything about seperation of church and state.

1. Dont Beleive in God - Your Wrong - "they" say you go to hell (im not sure)
2. Dont Beleive in God - Your Right - Nothing Happens
3. Do Beleive in God - Your Wrong - Nothing Happens
4. Do Beleive in God - Your Right - You go to Heaven

so even if Religion isnt practical to you, and though i do hate to define it in this way, it is much more logical than atheism.


that is not operating out of logic, that is operating of fear.

as for your question of the big bang theory, um, so where did GOD come from? id say thats the same place the particles came from.

not my argument at all, its actually the 19th century philospher John Stuart Mill's "Best Bet" theory which is much much more complex, but ends up that beleif in a religion is more logical then lack of beleif.

i would never define my beleif in those terms, i dont think true beleif (faith) can be defined or reasoned and that is the point

the idea of God requires that he was, is, and will always be. that is much different than the idea of particles, as they must be created

[Jer]

I believe that's Pascal's Wager, not anything by JS Mill.

Worst - Argument - Ever.

[Humble]

your so right it is pascals wager.

maybe because he uses Mills tables for deciding whats good or bad it threw me off

and i agree, most retarted way to go about finding God

[Long duc dong]

My opinion of Ben Stein just went way down. I have no problem with religion, just do not shove it down my throat. When someone asks me to pledge allegiance to their god, they are shoving it down my throat. It is prett simple. If you want to worship and believe that is fine, but do not ask me to affirm the existence of your god.

[Long duc dong]

Edit to note: this reply is directed at Ben Stein or whoever wrote that article, not anyone reading this.

1) The atheists I know are well-educated and busy and don't have time to read "People" or "Us" or watch "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"...it's the God-fearing matrons of Middle America who have an inexhaustible appetite for this crap.

2) No one is forcing anyone to buy celebrity magazines...it's called the free market, which Republicans appear to worship even more than Jesus. The vast majority of America is Christian, and occasionally Jewish. If you really wanted devotional hymns at the checkstand, you'd get them. But you buy gossip rags, so that's what you get.

3) The religious right has this amazing ability to feel persecuted even when they RUN THE WHOLE $&@$ COUNTRY ALREADY. You want to be persecuted, come out as an atheist. We've had our President tell us that we shouldn't be allowed to be citizens of the USA.

4) You can worship God all you want, anywhere you want. If you want to pray in the checkstand line or at your desk at work, go right ahead. But you don't get to indoctrinate *my* kids into *your* religion using government money, and I am not oppressing your poor widdle high-income upper-class big-business-and-government-owning tuchis by stopping you.

4) In short, to Ben Stein or whoever wrote this: you are factually wrong, and personally an ass.

Absolutely correct. I would like to see a breakdown of the people who read those magazines. I will bet anyone that 96 percent of them or more are atheists. Atheists tend to be on the intellectual side, and intellectuals do not read that garbage.

[thegnar73]

sorry if i offended you. oh and even if i didnt have faith. Religion is the most logical thing around bro

heres 4 scenarios (genral for length purpouses)

1. Dont Beleive in God - Your Wrong - "they" say you go to hell (im not sure)
2. Dont Beleive in God - Your Right - Nothing Happens
3. Do Beleive in God - Your Wrong - Nothing Happens
4. Do Beleive in God - Your Right - You go to Heaven

so even if Religion isnt practical to you, and though i do hate to define it in this way, it is much more logical than atheism.

ok here you say that YOU are defining it this way

not my argument at all, its actually the 19th century philospher John Stuart Mill's "Best Bet" theory which is much much more complex, but ends up that beleif in a religion is more logical then lack of beleif.

i would never define my beleif in those terms,

here you are blaming Mills' outdated 19th century bullshit excuse for logic.


and this is my favorite

the idea of God requires that he was, is, and will always be. that is much different than the idea of particles, as they must be created

religions great houdini clause.

well i choose to belive that particles have, are and always will be in exsistance...and if you send me 10% of your annual income i will teach you about the all knowing particles of the universe that drive this world forward.