Atheists believe in what makes sense, are not bias and takes all good from all religions and discards the rest of the propaganda. Just because there is not a following or a divine intervention to set ones life in a cattle heard doesn't mean that there is no thought, compassion or understanding. If facts say people lived they did but asking whether we believe in a dead person past these facts is questionable.
Poll says 7 to 1 that atheists do not admire Jesus, which says quite a bit. You have to go way out of your way not to admire the man, the persona or just the concept. This is why of all theologies I always say atheists are just total douchebags.
Yeah, i feel he should be admired, if not for his deity, then for the good he tried to install in mans heart. He walked the earth teaching men to be clean on the inside, and it will show on the outside. Doesn't matter if you believe in him or not people. He stood for love, peace, and obedience. If you do not admire someone for that, what do you admire? Evil? wrong doing? war?
Another considered post from an advanced spiritual being, the personification of Christ's directive to his followers: (On Michael Vick - or, blacks as apes as it's better known): Race, II, on whether blacks are less intelligent than other races (Please note the nifty rigorous scientific term "My experience/research"): You know, dumb as a box of rocks,but man, can they DANCE! On women, and shooting people (?): On rape victims getting the lash in Saudi Arabia: Rape victims, II: Women, III. A woman is found alive after several days lost in the wilderness. To the spiritually challenged, such as this atheist, this would be great news. But I forgot the downside: Women, and Race, III (?): Confused? 'Cuz I thought "black" frightened the bejeezus (pun intended) out of you: (emphasis TWalker's). Call me dumbfounded. *********** Physician, heal thyself.
I'll admire him when I see concrete proof he even existed. If you have some, please, point it this way. Then again, my acceptance (but not following, mind) of Nihilism would probably hinder any admiration for his values, but he "was" brave, I'll say that.
I think the point is that even if you don't accept divinity, or his historical existence (there is evidence for this), you have an ethos to evaluate. A similar thing exists in Shakespeare. Many saw it was written by good old Bill Shakespeare, many say it was, in fact, the 7th Earl of Oxford, Edmund deVere, admitted to court, who was the author of the plays we know of as "Shakespeare." The two camps get hot and bothered. I say, who cares? We have the words, which are enough.
It's easy to admire Jesus' actions, but his words can be a little harder for Atheists to swallow. He taught valuable lessons with his actions, such as caring for someone who had been shunned by the rest of society, but if he said he was the son of God and taught people to practice a religion that was a fraud (which an Atheist would be inclined to agree with) then there is not much that one can admire, as his words would have fooled billions of people and been the cause of many conflicts over the past 2,000 years.
Dave the thing is jesus never told these people to go to war over him. He said whosoever shall live by the sword shall die by the sword. So many people used his name to start wars from all christian sects(including my own one , catholics). He always taught people to be there for their fellow man, not make war on them for oil, for money or for power.
Well, I'd argue that technically, as an atheist, his values are no more or less important or admirable than any other human, or life form for that matter, to have ever existed. I'm not religious, why should I follow the dogma/commandments? Tell me, what has stopped you from stealing? All our laws and morals/ethics derive from religious teachings. If you stop to think about it, it's quite hypocritical that I or other atheists follow them. Don't you think it's quite interesting how social norms and what's considered acceptable or not has religious foundations, despite the secularisation of most of the Western world?
No I don't think you "thought" at all and yes you are dumbfounded no doubt. What was the purpose of stringing together a dozen unrelated posts of mine and pretending they in any way related to this? much less the dishonest insinuations that I am racist or sexist....hahha. (not so) nice try.....better luck next time dumbfounded..... P.S. > Vick does look like an ape and atheists are still douchebags, furthermore atheists are not a race and neither is Vick although Vick is a douchebag as well. Smoke on that for a bit......
Better? I'll make it easy. Your views on race and women are anathema and antithetical to Christ's message. You have zero business making a judgment on the worth or lack thereof of anyone's morality.
Wow! Some people really do not know how to answer a simple yes or no question, the answer is no. You can close the topic.
Jesus walked the earth doing good and asking us to do the same, if you do not admire that, than what do you admire? How can you not admire someone trying to do good? In my opinion it shows how tightly shut most atheists eyes really are. You are so stubborn and biased on religion, you deny a good man the admiration he deserves. A good decent man, and you dont admire him. What if it was any other man but Jesus, that walked around, place to place and did great things, and taught others to do good things. Say his name was Fred. Would you admire him? The question is do you admire Jesus, not Do you admire Christianity. Sure Jesus stood for Christianity, but as an individual, how can you not admire him.
First of all, tere tere, Hanz, from a guy married into an Estonian clan. Secondly, the answer isn't as simple as that. I consider atheism a quest to discover the truth. If there is good anywhere, I embrace it. Christ's message - whether you even accept the man walked the earth or not - is a good one in many ways. And I think SB's point is valid. In a world consumed with self-absorption and rampant materialism, the idea of thinking of others, and of putting as much store in things of the mind, spirit, whatever you want to call it, as in things of this world isn't a bad thing to carry around with oneself. My thoughts, anyway, as one who doesn't hold any religious beliefs.
Twalker, I see that you are on and you appear to have left a neg rep to post #34 above. Wouldn't it just be better to conduct it in the open?
Ha what exactly are my views on women and race? You havn't asked so you wouldn't know you just pick through near 1,000 of my posts and pretend they are racist and sexist yet they are not. I could explain each and every one in detail but no time for that. Just like every atheist I have ever met you want to claim moral superiority; hoping I am Christian, racist and sexist? when I am necessarily none of the above. I judged no ones morality (I only called Atheists douchebags)much less yours I just stated at a 7 to 1 ratio atheists here did not admire Christ...thats absurd. Yet you are one who does...perhaps you are the exception the rule that atheists are douches I don't know. Antithetical to Christs message? ha Christ had no message because there was no christ! After all Christ would be one in the same as the father supposedly, and if there is no father there was no christ. Atheists by and large I will admit are very intelligent folks but the problem is they are still running on the "prowess of intellect", self-will and ego and have yet to be humbled by any spiritual experiences. Atheists just have no real arguments...admit it and at least claim agnosticism.
Do they? I'm more inclined to believe that our morals and ethics derive from our genes, and that we have evolved to be moral. Take the directive against stealing: would a society thrive if all of its members were inclined to steal food from each other instead of farming it or going out and foraging for it? Such a society would soon starve and go extinct.