no its not.
you have no idea what is or isn't out there. you don't know all the secrets of life or the universe.
you can't know what happens after death and you don't know how life began. we know evolution is real, but we don't know how the first cell came about or the first planet. or the universe.
it stands to reason that something or someone had to get the ball rolling.

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Psych Majors are JUNG and HORNEY

Freedom is SEXY

My educational experiences in college and elsewhere support your statement that no one really knows for sure. Belief doesn't make it so, and disbelief doesn't make it no so. The impact from both western and eastern spiritual technologies (at least the essence of these beliefs) is in the application of their principles in our daily life. By acting like Jesus, or the Buddha, or Muhammad, or Lao Tzu, or others, will I find meaning, happiness, enlightment, the Kingdom of God. I believe in higher realities because I believe in lower realities. Take our body for example. At one level it’s one living body, at another its billions of living creatures, cells that work together and some that don’t (virus, cancerous, parasites). We are aware of that reality but the cells are probably unaware of a larger reality outside their little universe. Also, the earth is a body made up of billions of living creatures too and perhaps a higher reality. The universe, billions of earth-like bodies making up an even larger reality. Mostly speculation but their does appear to be some hierarchy. If there is a hierarchy there is likely an ultimate reality, God. I'd rather think that than not think that.

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"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke

"Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true. " Demosthenes

A few points. I am making the claim that "we don't know whats out there". Though, specifically, that this knowledge isn't only unattainable, but that it doesn't exist. There isn't truth or essence, these are CONTINGENT elements found within the history of language. I can point to people and places where your ideas originated. You think that the language of someone from the past is going to be sufficient? There is a reason why religion statistically declines in more affluent countries around the world... its not within a modern context. Its not that helpful. No one reads Mark Twain anymore, not like they read chuck palanuik or watch movies.

to "believe" is theistic. a negation.. thats eastern. By definition, an atheist makes no metaphysical claims; it is a position devoid of theory, atheoretical.

cells dont have language dog

As much as I like to attack you on points, I also like to give credit. Well stated. Agree 100%, ney 110%

If I am wrong, I am wrong. If your god wants to condemn me to hell solely because I didn't believe in him, then you are welcomed to him.

To expand the question a tad, the lack of understanding of a religion can affect the understanding of the art in question. For instance, how much of us can really appreciate Hindu art without understanding what the significance of what some of the figures mean? I mean pure aesthetics can only carry one so far. I do know that I began to appreciate Buddhist art a heck of a lot more when I begin to know more about it and all those saint pictures mean more when you know the symbolism involved regarding each saint.

Now of course anyone can learn this outside of accepting the religion.

Its all about the joooooooooooooooooooooooos

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Its better to have fussed and crabbed then never to have fussed at all - Lucy

Uhm, atheism is a metaphyscial assertion. There is no (assertion) God (metaphysics).

You know. Agnosticism looks better every passing day here :-)

I agree, one need not embrace theology to understand non-secular content but it helps, just as one doesn't have to embrace medicine to understand medicine. I would perfer the doctor who embraced medicine. You do not embrass theology, I assume, but you claim to understand it???

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"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke

"Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true. " Demosthenes

They got cell phones idiot. Seriously burb look into "cell signaling", cell communicate with each other no sht.

__________________
"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke

"Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true. " Demosthenes