This is a defense of our Catholic faith that is taking place on our Catholic Brothers For Christ Youtube account where we posted the videos from the 2015 North Texas Catholic Men’s Conference. Father Larry Richards’ “Be A Man” video seems to be causing quite a bit of controversy.
25EllisDee25 response to +Catholic Brothers For Christ: atheism is not a faith. it is not a theology. i have said this 2 or 3 times already. it is not a religion. it does not require faith. faiths or religions are like different colors of the rainbow. if you are in a room with no windows and no lights and its completely dark, what color do you see? none!! its completely dark!!!!!!!! this is like atheism. now before you twist this example into something to try and prove religion is good, because a darkened room is something bad or negative, first tell me if you sleep at night with all the lights on. sometimes, the dark is very peaceful and relaxing, and free from distraction. we are free to leave this sealed room any time we wish, and go outside where we are constantly bombarded by photons, and that is fine. now let me repeat this for the 4th time. atheists dont need to prove the nonexistence of god any more than you need to prove the nonexistence of unicorns. so stop claiming that. if you keep doing it, just keep in mind that you are knowingly pushing a false claim or idea, and in effect, you are telling a lie, which is a sin against god. 🙂 claiming atheists cannot point to any GREAT accomplishments or value their theology has added is pushing a lie and is also a sin against god because it is a misleading statement. it is like saying men with white hair cannot point to any GREAT accomplishments or value their theology….because having white hair is not a theology, it is a physical trait. atheism is not a theology, its a mental trait of being a rigorous thinker, of having more finely tuned abilities to use reason and logic. this is why the world is moving away from religion and towards science. our brains are advancing. religion is primitive superstition. im not saying all people who believe in god are dumb, but in general, if you were to plot a chart of IQ vs. religious belief, you will see that as IQ goes up, religious beliefs go down. if god is real, this must be part of his plan for us to grow up and leave home leaving him behind. so whether god is real or not, trusting more and more in science and less and less on religion is a good thing. after all, 2 hands working will always get more done than 1000 hands clasped in prayer. prayer does nothing, for anyone. if your mother is dying of cancer, praying will not make her get well. this is true even if we leave science out of it and reason this using your own belief system. if your mom has cancer, it is part of god’s plan. for everything that happens is part of god’s plan. for you to pray and ask for god to heal her is a slap in the face to god. it is you thinking your plan is better than god’s plan. you think god doesn’t know that you want your mother to not have cancer? of course he does! so praying is not even necessary, because he already knows what you want. you are asking god to modify his plan to your personal desires, which is selfish. even if god gives in to your selfish desires and rude interruptions and changes his plan, to do so would mean god was imperfect, because his plan did not anticipate this change….i could go on, but clearly, there is something wrong here. can you explain?
+Catholic Brothers For Christ response to +25EllisDee25: +25EllisDee25 Here is the definition of religion from Wikipedia: A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that aim to explain the meaning of life, the origin of life, or the Universe. Religion – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
Atheism is a collection of beliefs about the lack of proof of the non-existence of God. You believe in atheism as fervently as I believe in Catholicism. My definition of atheism is my own opinion. It has as much validity as yours and fits within the accepted definition of religion. It is what I learned, believed and lived as an atheist.
Isn’t it interesting that atheism exists in a vacuum without the concept of God. Without God, it is merely a rehashed form of relativism, secularism, sectarianism, hedonism…any thought process that allows humans to do whatever they want. The only reason for the existence of the concept of atheism is because some one made it up to justify their rebellion against God’s laws.
However, ultimately it is all about semantics. It can be argued for all eternity. Neither of us will be convinced of the validity of the other persons point of view. Trying to make me feel guilty on the definition of atheism because because of my relationship with God is a little absurd, don’t you think?
Who says your definition of atheism is the only one that is valid? It is only your own opinion just like mine. Also, your analogies are quite condescending. Do you think you could just stay with the facts without the diatribe? I strive not to attack you personally, only share the eternal consequences of your life perspective.
Ultimately, the reason I am even involved in this discussion is my love for you as a child of God (whether you believe it or not). I have a burning desire to implore God, through my fervent prayers, to have mercy on your soul so we can enjoy eternity in heaven together.
We are talking about whether you will burn in hell for all eternity or not. The consequences for you are huge.
If you look online for the most famous atheists, their claims to fame are promoting atheism, anarchy, socialism, communism and relativism. The accomplishments seem somewhat self-serving.
You have a very low opinion of prayer but I personally have experienced miracles in my life and those of my Christian Brothers and Sisters. Many doctors cannot explain miraculous healing’s because of prayer. Obviously, you don’t have much experience with miracles because your don’t believe they exist or can be explained by science.
Just because you don’t believe in the power of prayer does not mean it is true. Billions of people in the past and present disagree with your opinion. God demands that we pray without ceasing. There are many incidents in the bible where God responds to the prayer of humans. Moses and Jacob are two important Prayer Warriors whose prayers impacted God.
Also, how can you talk about God and hypothesize about what He thinks, does or will do when you don’t believe there is any proof He exists. That seems a little disingenuous and disconnected from your atheistic reality, don’t you think?
If reason and logic are of such great value, why are so many people unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives in the societies that are turning their hearts, minds and souls away from God? Why are countries that worship reason and logic disintegrating and filled with conflict…blacks against whites, rich against poor, liberals against conservatives, atheists against Christians, etc?
Why do Communist nations like China and Russia oppress their people, reward the elites with lives of luxury and wage wars across the globe?
Why are you an atheist and what benefits does it provide you or society?