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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rick Julian who wrote (25150)	10/3/1998 11:46:00 AM
From: Craig Richards	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Rick, I think your ideas of atheism are similar to eating at McDonalds and disliking food. There is a great diversity of atheist thought, some atheists are very spiritual, and there can be a lot more to being an atheist than just the "I don't believe in God" declaration. I'd also like to point out that by stating your beliefs so strongly, you are only likely to reinforce them. By asking questions and searching, as Sam has suggested, maybe you will learn more. I personally don't believe in God, but I'd rather spend my time in more positive spiritual pursuits rather than obsess about some concept I don't believe in. So although I consider myself an atheist, I also pursue spirituality in other ways, and am not in any way an "evangelical" atheist. It is those "evangelical" atheists who create the web pages you denounce. However, your challenge is to find those atheists who do not proclaim themselves as such. Having said that, in general I do not see much benefit in discussing atheism, and would much rather discuss spiritual practices that all can benefit from, theists and atheists alike. Craig

To: Rick Julian who wrote (25150)	10/3/1998 1:10:00 PM
From: Rick Julian	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

All: I'm beginning to feel as though I've overstayed my welcome here on this thread. I have enjoyed reading it since I joined SI, and wouldn't change it one bit. There are some very bright (and funny) posters whom I enjoy reading, and I don't want to bog the thread down with laborious discussions of existential questions. But once in a while, serious consideration of some of the most basic of these: "Is there a God?" "What is the meaning of life?" . . .provide a healthy check-up of our belief systems. I happened to do my check-up in a written, public forum--cool by me, uncomfortable to others. I'm nothing more than a pilgrim on the path (admittedly a warrior natured, opinionated one) looking for answers to these questions. I meant harm to no one, and hope at least one of you was given a positive pause. Later, Rick . . .we now return you to your regularly scheduled program . . .

To: Rick Julian who wrote (25150)	10/4/1998 11:55:00 PM
From: Grainne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

<My problem with it intellectually, is this is also where it dies. Because there is no philisophical creativity in it, it cannot grow beyond a black seed.> Are you seriously saying that NOT believing in a deity which is invisible and perhaps even silly and scary at the same time is negative? I think it is brilliant! I think there is huge beauty in logical, rational thought, and I do not notice any lack of creativity in people who do not believe in God. Rather, I notice that most of them try to seize the beauty in each day that is offered, because this is what we have.