Athiest comfort

[jake-the-peg]

In the below thread Mike came up with some prayer and wonderred if athiests could come up with anything as comforting

Will we pick up the challenge?

Here's my contribution for you Mike.

The iron that forms your blood, the calcium in your bomes, the air in your lungs were all formed in a gigantic star that exploded and in it's death threw the materials for your life into the Universe.

One day when you die those same materials will be engulfed by this sun and may in turn seed a new solar system.

Truely you are stardust - the child and father of a blazing beacon of light

[mummybunny6]

:)

[Davethedog]

Why do Athiests need comfort? In fact why do you need comfort?

I have friends that will help me and who I in return will help. I have a family that loves me and I love in return.

Neither my friends or family require my total blind obeidence.

You make a common error we don't need whatever you get out of religion and we want it less. I have no need of a mythical diety and if I do i'll choose Father Christmas.

[jomifl]

everything evolves toward extinction,
religion being no exception

[naomi24]

Love. x

[wolf63]

Doc - surely it is Santa Claus.

[Davethedog]

God, allah, Santa Klaus/Clause, the tooth fairy, big foot, Yeti Whats it matter.

BUT there are Fairies down the bottom of my garden and I defy anyone to prove me wrong. I have total faith and the fact I cannot prove it, means that you are all stupid because you cannot prove there not, there.

See i've got the hang of this now, so send money.

[naomi24]

Tut! If I didn't know better Dave, I'd say you were being a tad cynical there. ;o)

[ll_billym]

The Devil, well he doesn't really exist.

[mike11111]

Haven't really got an answer to any of this, apart from, "May Our Blessed Lord shine his light upon you, forgive you the errors of your ways, and bring you unto his everlasting peace".

[birdie1971]

I'm convinced Dave. Where do I send the money to and how much do you need to support your fairy foundation?

[wildwood]

I take comfort in the knowledge that I do not prescribe an imaginary omnipotent diety that allows millions of completely innocent children to die horrible deaths every year and creates individuals that wage war on others and kill those that do not follow their cruel and senseless values.

Just as we support children in the believe of the Toothfairy/Santa, we should support others who choose to believe in Idols and find comfort in this, as long as this believe does not impair on others, financially or physically.

[fredpuli47]

Exactly , Wildwood. If people find comfort in believing what a religion holds to be true (take your pick, the faiths don't agree on much) so be it. Their mindset might be that anyone who doesn't believe in a god is doomed, or to take pity on non-believers, or to utterly fail to comprehend how anyone can live without God in their life, but so be it, if they don't insist on my thinking otherwise than I did.

We have no need of a kind of atheist prayer for comfort.

Reminds me of being an alcoholic. When I was a practising one, I couldn't understand how Moslems could live and enjoy themselves without alcohol in their lives. Strangely, and incomprehensibly, they did. I lost count of the number of times I was told that only God in my life could make me sober , often by recovering alcoholics whose devout belief and faith had not saved them from being drunks in the first place ! The God who let them drink was supposed to make them sober. This never struck them as a problem. But they found some hope in that and it made them happier, so it was fine. But I could have done without the lecture, however puzzled or well-meaning the speaker was!

[mibn2cweus]

Comfort is the awareness of the absence of pain and suffering, in relation to ones previous experience. I say “awareness” as opposed to the alleviation of ones ability to sense that the cause of discomfort remains to be resolved as with the use of drugs that block the brains capacity to relay instinctually programmed information that from an evolutionary standpoint has help to promote the survival of the organism so afflicted.

On a cognitive level, comfort translates to the conclusion that ones physical, mental and spiritual well-being have been established and are being satisfactorily attended to. Perhaps there is no better time than when one has achieved such a state of being and is well rested and restored from their efforts to arrive there, to contemplate how best to maintain and promote the conditions on which long term comfort depends.

Hmm, I just thought of something I should attend to . . .

[mibn2cweus]

Oh, by the way. Would you all learn to spell 'athiest' correctly. This really bugs me.

[ludwig]

// On a cognitive level, comfort translates to the conclusion that ones physical, mental and spiritual well-being have been established and are being satisfactorily attended to. Perhaps there is no better time than when one has achieved such a state of being and is well rested and restored from their efforts to arrive there, to contemplate how best to maintain and promote the conditions on which long term comfort depends. //

Thanks for that Mib. Now, pardon me while I just go and slash my wrists.
I like Jake's and Naomi's answers.

[jomifl]

Thank you for that Mike that was a great comfort, just one question, how does 'our lord' come to be blessed, I know 'he' blesses people allegedly but who or what blesses 'him' and what does it mean?

[mibn2cweus]

Ludwig, I wish you success in your efforts to achieve some measure of comfort although I feel obliged to caution you that your method of choice might be limiting your potential for realising some degree of future happiness and self-fulfillment.

[jake-the-peg]

Sorry about the spelling mib

Have you ever wondered why it bugs you?

Is it related to a need for certainty or stability do you think?

Do you think it could be related to your relationship with your mother?

<ping> Times up I think we've made real progress today

[mike11111]

Blessed in this context is used as an adjective rather than a verb, two meanings of which are, inter alia:


1. Bringing relief or happiness
2. In heaven

(Chambers Dictionary)