How would you manipulate a Christian into being an atheist?

Nothing is meaningful to me.

Some things might feel meaningful to me, but I understand the illusion of that feeling.

I know many things are illusions, but I don't deprive myself of the feelings only possible through experiencing illusions.

in fact, i actively seek out illusions, immerse myself in them, forgetting they are illusions, to experience those emotions.

it is important to be grounded in this world, for sure. it is to your advantage. but that doesn't preclude allowing the illusions to experience meaning and feeling.

wouldn't you agree?

I do let that in on occasion, as a means of keeping me healthy.

So then, are you a Nihilist, Harpsichord? That is the conclusion I can draw thus far.

Nihilism has some merit in terms of its effects in combating negative thinking, but as an actual doctrine attempting truth it is inherently self-contradictory, or at least easy to vindicate against.

Don't think of Morality as social rules, think of it as that which guides behaviour - like, the inherent goal in everything you seek.

From my understanding, the Christian approach to the problem of morality is something like aligning the Free Will of man with the Perfect Will of God. God is Love, which is a relation between two beings - through Love we are given the freedom to turn away from Love, but only by willfully returning to the Way of Love do we move to the right path. Such is the source of power, the affirmation of our existence.

Hence, Christian morality is based on Love. First of all, to love God who is the source of Love, and second of all to have Love for our fellow human, as we are all images of God.

But that means nothing to you if you don't give any credit to morality. To you, it seems, all is arbitrary, nothing is better than anything, and so no choice is inherently better than any other choice. Such a view, to me, only makes sense from a Moral perspective as a disabling mechanism useful in understanding one's true Will. I take it you disagree, though.

Bipolar or Schizophrenic with religious delusions? ^

Harpsichord wrote:I've been trying to figure this one out. It's kind of a puzzle, but I want to solve it because Christianity irritates me. I also would rather enjoy it if I was capable of making someone nonreligious, getting past all the defensive ###$ mechanisms that keep people religious.

I'd try to start with planting seeds, but I'm trying to think of the ways in which I can do that. I suppose it depends on the target. Insecurity seems like a good vehicle for that seed - I see a lot of religious people act defensively about it without having any threatening material in the vicinity.

Obviously contradicting people makes them defensive, but if I could perhaps make them feel insecure with insinuations and showing a lot more security in being nonreligious, I think that would have a greater impact.

How old are you 12?

Right? seriously it is wrong, if they are 'fleecing' the flocks...

Scattered Ashes wrote:So then, are you a Nihilist, Harpsichord? That is the conclusion I can draw thus far.

Nihilism has some merit in terms of its effects in combating negative thinking, but as an actual doctrine attempting truth it is inherently self-contradictory, or at least easy to vindicate against.

Don't think of Morality as social rules, think of it as that which guides behaviour - like, the inherent goal in everything you seek.

From my understanding, the Christian approach to the problem of morality is something like aligning the Free Will of man with the Perfect Will of God. God is Love, which is a relation between two beings - through Love we are given the freedom to turn away from Love, but only by willfully returning to the Way of Love do we move to the right path. Such is the source of power, the affirmation of our existence.

Hence, Christian morality is based on Love. First of all, to love God who is the source of Love, and second of all to have Love for our fellow human, as we are all images of God.

But that means nothing to you if you don't give any credit to morality. To you, it seems, all is arbitrary, nothing is better than anything, and so no choice is inherently better than any other choice. Such a view, to me, only makes sense from a Moral perspective as a disabling mechanism useful in understanding one's true Will. I take it you disagree, though.

Attempting truth? I'm simply observing a lack of any real basis for any morality whatsoever. I do consider myself a nihilist to morality in the very same way that I'm an atheist to religion. I just think it's some invented buIIshit. Yes, we have some moral instincts, but the instincts are basically "invented" buIIshit as well, "invented" by (emerged from) natural selection.

Smelljasmine wrote:Bipolar or Schizophrenic with religious delusions? ^

Both, I'm schizoaffective.