Now an Agnostic...

SmallTalkRed wrote:Hello holly-
I have read this thread and completely mesmerized by it.

I don't think I have entered a disscussion about God.

I don't know if you care what I think and feel about it.

Chucky recomended a good book.

peace,
--Red

Sure I care about what you think about it Red. Go ahead and say what you wish.

Holly3278 wrote:Hi Kevin. I had problems signing in to PsychForums is why I couldn't PM you. I was finally able to sign in on IE7 instead of Firefox.

As for where Heaven is at. I would say it is in some third dimension or something. As for where Hell is at, it's probably also in another dimension or something. But honestly, I don't know.

Ahh, another dimension? So, you are a supporter of 'String Theory'? String Theory is a theory of the Universe (i.e. - about how everything in it 'works') and it claims that there are 11 dimension in total. I'm sure that this is mentioned in the book I recommended, which I will gladly email to you shortly (I got your PM).

Red, please speak your opinion. I've missed you around the forum and need a good dose of you again

Kevin

Chucky wrote:

Holly3278 wrote:Hi Kevin. I had problems signing in to PsychForums is why I couldn't PM you. I was finally able to sign in on IE7 instead of Firefox.

As for where Heaven is at. I would say it is in some third dimension or something. As for where Hell is at, it's probably also in another dimension or something. But honestly, I don't know.

Ahh, another dimension? So, you are a supporter of 'String Theory'? String Theory is a theory of the Universe (i.e. - about how everything in it 'works') and it claims that there are 11 dimension in total. I'm sure that this is mentioned in the book I recommended, which I will gladly email to you shortly (I got your PM).

Red, please speak your opinion. I've missed you around the forum and need a good dose of you again

Kevin

Actually I don't know if I believe in the String Theory or not. I don't know much about it. I'm pretty much an amateur when it comes to science. Honestly, I am just an Agnostic. I want to believe in a god but the belief in a god just seems so illogical anymore.

oh, science is wonderfully interesting, Holly3278. Hee are some interesting facts:

- The stars that you see in the night-sky are a gateway to the past. Why? - Because the light that each star emits takes [usually] millions of years to travel all the way through space to Earth and your eyeball.

If you look at the Sun, you're seeing it as it was 8 minutes in the past (it takes light that long to travel from it to earth)


- A human cell is roughly 1000 times larger than a bacterial cell, which is itself roughly 1000 times larger than a virus


- The weight of faeces is roughly half made up of bacteria


- The total weight of all the bacteria in the world far outweighs the weight of all animals in the world. Bacteria are EVERYWHERE


That's all for now.

Chucky wrote:oh, science is wonderfully interesting, Holly3278. Hee are some interesting facts:

- The stars that you see in the night-sky are a gateway to the past. Why? - Because the light that each star emits takes [usually] millions of years to travel all the way through space to Earth and your eyeball.

If you look at the Sun, you're seeing it as it was 8 minutes in the past (it takes light that long to travel from it to earth)


- A human cell is roughly 1000 times larger than a bacterial cell, which is itself roughly 1000 times larger than a virus


- The weight of faeces is roughly half made up of bacteria


- The total weight of all the bacteria in the world far outweighs the weight of all animals in the world. Bacteria are EVERYWHERE


That's all for now.

Hi Chucky. I already knew the first fact that you gave me. I did not know the 2nd and 3rd ones though. Thank you for this interesting information.

You are of course welcome, my dear Holly. Another interesting fact centres around 'mitochondria' - Have you heard of these? They are 'organelles' inside cells in our bodies, and they basically produce energy for our cells to use. However, it is believed that mitochondria actually began their existence as bacteria; bacteria which became incorporated into mammals. The reason why they think this is because each mitochondrion has its own DNA which is different from our 'normal' DNA found in the nucleus of the cell. Plus, this mitochondrion DNA is in circular form and contains no introns, just like a bacterium's.

What else... ...Oh, viruses are not regarded as lifeforms at all. They are defined as 'sub-cellular particles'.


Kevin

Chucky wrote:You are of course welcome, my dear Holly. Another interesting fact centres around 'mitochondria' - Have you heard of these? They are 'organelles' inside cells in our bodies, and they basically produce energy for our cells to use. However, it is believed that mitochondria actually began their existence as bacteria; bacteria which became incorporated into mammals. The reason why they think this is because each mitochondrion has its own DNA which is different from our 'normal' DNA found in the nucleus of the cell. Plus, this mitochondrion DNA is in circular form and contains no introns, just like a bacterium's.

What else... ...Oh, viruses are not regarded as lifeforms at all. They are defined as 'sub-cellular particles'.


Kevin

Hi Kevin. Thanks again for this interesting information! I am really learning a lot!

No problem, Holly. I was actually in a book shop on Saturday and picked up a copy of A Brief History of Time again! I didn't buy it, but I just read a few lines from it for old times' sake.

Anyway, good luck.
Kevin

Chucky wrote:No problem, Holly. I was actually in a book shop on Saturday and picked up a copy of A Brief History of Time again! I didn't buy it, but I just read a few lines from it for old times' sake.

Anyway, good luck.
Kevin

Ah ok cool. And thanks for wishing me good luck Kevin. I'm going to need it if I'm ever going to get better.

Probably some of the most compassionate books I've read about how to live life "post-religion" have been written by atheists.

Eric Maisel (IIRC) recently wrote a book called "The Atheist's Way" that demonstrates how to create meaning in life. I believe he takes a standpoint that we may not ever prove that there's a God, but that there are ways to go about living life by making up your own mind about what the meaning or "purpose" of life is.

Another, probably not the best one I can refer you to however, is by Robert M. Price, a churchgoing atheist and biblical scholar, who wrote a book called "The Reason-Driven Life." It's probably not best to start with this book since it's a direct criticism of Warren's "The Purpose-Driven Life" unless you are already familiar with that work. But Price goes through and quotes several biblical passages and demonstrates that much of the bible does contain advice that can be used to build a meaningful life.

Though I have not read this author yet, I might also recommend "Losing Faith in Faith" by Dan Barker. I have heard much about it and look forward to reading it myself.

I think I know what you're going through. I was raised Mormon and was an avid believer until my early 20s. I then went from that to Paganism and Wicca to LaVeyan Satanism then finally to atheism. It's been a wild ride for me, but worth it. But I know what it was like to cringe in fear of hellfire and damnation. It's not an easy path to get off of. I was further urged off the path of religion altogether when I saw that being transsexual and gay was not conducive to Mormon lifestyle. I just could not find proof of any God in my life, so I just don't worry about heaven OR hell anymore. The journey has made me appreciate studying all religions objectively, all philosophies, and for once in my life, I enjoy reading about science and thought like never before.

Don't worry about the destination. Concentrate on the path. And enjoy the journey. That's just my two cents.