Atheist group at Christian University - TCU

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1

1still_waters

Guest
#1
FORT WORTH -- A new student group at Texas Christian University aims to let students discuss freely their atheistic or agnostic views on religion.


"Freethinking Frogs" is being founded by Alexis Lohse.


The transfer student said she wanted to establish an organization "that was agnostic and secular," so that students with those beliefs would have a place free to discuss and challenge conventional religious thinking.


New atheist group launches at TCU | wfaa.com Dallas - Fort Worth
 
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Tintin

Guest
#2
If that's going to happen, there should also be a place where people are free to discuss and challenge agnostic and secular thinking.
 
Mar 21, 2011
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#3
So we call this meeting to order.
Who would first like to discuss something.
"Well I have no belief, so I don't have an opinion on nothing"
"I'm also unsure about having nothing to say"
"I'd like to say, it's really good to meet and discuss nothing, because we believe that it doesn't exist. We can't say what it is, because it's our belief that nothing exists".
"I'm glad we cleared that up. So.... who is up for Atheist Scrabble?"
"What's Atheist Scrabble?"
"It's like normal scrabble without Beliefs in God"
"Umm... how's that different?"
"Stop making trouble".
 
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#4
The biggest problem they have is that the reductive materialist worldview they place their faith in posits that everything is ultimately meaningless. They are simply a collection of dying biological material on a dying planet, fueled by a dying sun, in a dying solar system, in a dying universe that is expanding at an ever increasing rate of speed to the point where even atoms won't be able to form or hold together making even the possibility of life impossible. And nothing can be meaningful without life. So what's the point?
 
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Batman007

Guest
#5
The biggest problem they have is that the reductive materialist worldview they place their faith in posits that everything is ultimately meaningless. They are simply a collection of dying biological material on a dying planet, fueled by a dying sun, in a dying solar system, in a dying universe that is expanding at an ever increasing rate of speed to the point where even atoms won't be able to form or hold together making even the possibility of life impossible. And nothing can be meaningful without life. So what's the point?
Well I suppose that makes the life we have now all that much more meaningful.

Also plenty of atheists and agnostics believe in reincarnation. In fact in my experience, a very large number of atheists and agnostics believe in some kind of "life" after this one.
 
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Tintin

Guest
#6
Well, then they're not true atheists, are they? :p
 
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Batman007

Guest
#7
Eh, depends on your definition. That's where it gets murky. You can be spiritual and believe in some kind of "afterlife" without being religious. I can go into those specific definitions if you guys insist but otherwise I don't really feel like pulling out my school notes.

Either way, it's a big topic of discussion when I talk to other non-religious friends, is what and if there's anything out there after death. The majority lean on the "I don't know" but "I don't believe", which are two very different statements, both of which I personally fall into as well.

Personally, I'd be very interested in going to one of those clubs mentioned by OP, just to see what everyone's views are.
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#8
Hmm... I believe everyone is religious. Some about sports, some about their faith in God or gods and godessess, others concerning finances, possessions and sex. Humans can make a religion of anything. So I'm not buying that one. :)
 
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Batman007

Guest
#9
Hmm... I believe everyone is religious. Some about sports, some about their faith in God or gods and godessess, others concerning finances, possessions and sex. Humans can make a religion of anything. So I'm not buying that one. :)
Lol ok then.

I'll just go back to practicing video gamism before resting for my daily sleepist practices.
 
A

AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#10
It does. Without life, meaning is not meaningful.

Atheism is the disbelief in the existence of a deity or deities. Most atheists I've met are also reductive materialists meaning they hold the view that only the material world (e.g. matter) is truly real and that all processes and realities observed in the universe can be explained by reducing them down to their most basic material components (e.g., atoms, molecules, and everything else thought to make up what we know as "matter"). The younger obnoxious naive atheists I meet online especially fall into this category.

The more philosophical, and often older, atheists I meet often are not reductive materialists. While they deny the existence of a deity or deities, they sometimes hold pantheistic beliefs that transcend pure matter. Instead of invoking God, they invoke everything from an oscillating universe to the multiverse. These beliefs of theirs are either scientifically refutable (as well as theologically refutable) or unprovable theories that simply don't actually accomplish what they think they do.


Well I suppose that makes the life we have now all that much more meaningful.

Also plenty of atheists and agnostics believe in reincarnation. In fact in my experience, a very large number of atheists and agnostics believe in some kind of "life" after this one.
 
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AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#11
You are correct in that everyone has a metaphysical worldview. Even an atheist who holds solely to reductive materialism has a metaphysical worldview. Theologists often extrapolate that to a definition of religion such as Merriam-Webster's usage number four which allows a definition of religion to be defined as "a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith."

The agenda of the postmodernists isn't simple acceptance of persons who are different or believe or behave differently in line with classical tolerance but rather they require approval and participation in their attitudes and activities and seek to use government force to accomplish it.

"They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you." 1 Peter 4:4.

The "religion" of postmodern political correctness is defined as conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend postmodern political sensibilities [as in matters of sex or race] should be eliminated.

Eliminated. Pay attention to that word as that is their ultimate goal. They seek to eliminate your religion and replace it with their own "religion."

Since your religion and epistemology is irreparably in opposition to their "religion," how will they be "eliminate" yours?

Initially, it will be through the rule of law and bullying (e.g. persecution). When that fails to force you to abandon your religion for their "religion," their only remaining option is to eliminate you.

Behold, the "new tolerance."



Hmm... I believe everyone is religious. Some about sports, some about their faith in God or gods and godessess, others concerning finances, possessions and sex. Humans can make a religion of anything. So I'm not buying that one. :)
 
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Batman007

Guest
#12
It does. Without life, meaning is not meaningful.

Atheism is the disbelief in the existence of a deity or deities. Most atheists I've met are also reductive materialists meaning they hold the view that only the material world (e.g. matter) is truly real and that all processes and realities observed in the universe can be explained by reducing them down to their most basic material components (e.g., atoms, molecules, and everything else thought to make up what we know as "matter"). The younger obnoxious naive atheists I meet online especially fall into this category.

The more philosophical, and often older, atheists I meet often are not reductive materialists. While they deny the existence of a deity or deities, they sometimes hold pantheistic beliefs that transcend pure matter. Instead of invoking God, they invoke everything from an oscillating universe to the multiverse. These beliefs of theirs are either scientifically refutable (as well as theologically refutable) or unprovable theories that simply don't actually accomplish what they think they do.
Without life meaning is not meaningful? Where's this without life coming from? As far as I know we're all alive. At least for now. So there's plenty of meaning. That meaning's just not handed down by some higher power, we have to create it for ourselves.

Atheism isn't just the lack of belief in deities, it's being without religion. You can be religious and not believe in god.

Well the thing is, I don't think any atheist exists that can say for certain how things are when we die, or what the "mysteries" of the universe are. Because we admit, for the most part (there are always those annoying people who think they KNOW) that these questions are unanswerable. So of course we ponder them, because we're human and curious. However, we don't base our lives around them.

One of my favorite topics of discussion with my friend (I have no idea what she labels herself, religiously, actually I should ask) is what happens when we die. We throw out wild theories, we come up with weird ideas. They're just contemplations not meant to be taken seriously.

So when you say "these beliefs of theirs are either scientifically refutable (as well as theologically refutable) or unprovable theories that simply don't actually accomplish what they think they do," I want to know what you think they're trying to accomplish?
 
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AgeofKnowledge

Guest
#13
You should have read my posts further up the page where I answered your questions and refuted your false assertions before you even asked or made them.

Without life meaning is not meaningful? Where's this without life coming from? As far as I know we're all alive. At least for now. So there's plenty of meaning. That meaning's just not handed down by some higher power, we have to create it for ourselves.

Atheism isn't just the lack of belief in deities, it's being without religion. You can be religious and not believe in god.

Well the thing is, I don't think any atheist exists that can say for certain how things are when we die, or what the "mysteries" of the universe are. Because we admit, for the most part (there are always those annoying people who think they KNOW) that these questions are unanswerable. So of course we ponder them, because we're human and curious. However, we don't base our lives around them.

One of my favorite topics of discussion with my friend (I have no idea what she labels herself, religiously, actually I should ask) is what happens when we die. We throw out wild theories, we come up with weird ideas. They're just contemplations not meant to be taken seriously.

So when you say "these beliefs of theirs are either scientifically refutable (as well as theologically refutable) or unprovable theories that simply don't actually accomplish what they think they do," I want to know what you think they're trying to accomplish?
 
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Batman007

Guest
#14
You should have read my posts further up the page where I answered your questions and refuted your false assertions before you even asked or made them.
Where? What? I don't see anywhere that you answered the last post I made. Unless I'm missing it. Feel free to quote it, but I don't know what you're talking about.