Atheism, please note the capitalisation❤️

[ProfessorDavey]

So out of your suitcase of theories on the workings of religion we have 1) Upbringing 2) Church or temple or mosque attendance and now 3) The promise of reward or punishment.

Yup - these are all standard elements in the religious toolbox aimed at inculcating belief. RCC is a fantastic example of 'joined-up' thinking across all those three elements. When a couple marries they are expected to commit to have children and to bring them up RCC. When they have children the RCC expects parents to have the child baptised and at that ceremony for the parents again to commit to their own faith and to do all they can to bring up their child RCC. And the church expects those children to participate in (and go through extensive preparation for) first communion and confirmation. And the church expects attendance at mass and other attendant obligations. And throughout there is a clear message that if these expectations are not met then hell, rather than heaven is the likely post-death outcome.

And perhaps the RCC might be the most joined up (not really sure, but RCC is the example I have the most insight into through my wife and her family), but I think most other religions have rather similar elements of child initiation and development of beliefs, of obligations and of claimed post-death outcomes if those obligations are/are not met.

...also....4) mental incapacity?

Eh - you've lost me now. Where on earth have I suggested mental incapacity?

[ekim]

It seemed like everything I heard from followers of religion sounded so absurd and irrational and close-minded - as though they had entered a different world or parallel universe - that it prevented me from giving more than a passing thought to the ideas behind religions. The religious were like a barrier to religion and that was the basis of my atheism.

My parents were not particularly religious but I was sent to Sunday Schools more as a social occasion and making friends, but I think some of the schooling must have rubbed off on me at the time.  During the 2nd World War, having been bombed out of the house I was born in when I was about 5 years old, we moved to another location which unfortunately was located within a triangle where there was a bomber command base on one side, an American Air Force base on another and an British Army base on the third.  I remember, at the age of about 7, hiding under the stairs during a particularly intense overhead German bombing raid and anti-aircraft gun fire saying to my mother ' I think we need to pray to God'.  Nowadays I am more inclined to have an ignostic approach because of the lack of definition of 'God'.

[The Accountant, OBE, KC]

My parents were not particularly religious but I was sent to Sunday Schools more as a social occasion and making friends, but I think some of the schooling must have rubbed off on me at the time.  During the 2nd World War, having been bombed out of the house I was born in when I was about 5 years old, we moved to another location which unfortunately was located within a triangle where there was a bomber command base on one side, an American Air Force base on another and an British Army base on the third.  I remember, at the age of about 7, hiding under the stairs during a particularly intense overhead German bombing raid and anti-aircraft gun fire saying to my mother ' I think we need to pray to God'.  Nowadays I am more inclined to have an ignostic approach because of the lack of definition of 'God'.

Glad you made it through that!

Yeah agree there is a lack of definition. I find I don't need to define/ understand it - I just have some ideas about the concept that I can use to benefit me, which means I am no longer an atheist. 

[ekim]

Glad you made it through that!

Yeah agree there is a lack of definition. I find I don't need to define/ understand it - I just have some ideas about the concept that I can use to benefit me, which means I am no longer an atheist.

Perhaps you could share them, Gabriella.  (Especially as you are 'Quite handy with weapons' and your name means 'Champion of / Strength of God  )

[Gonnagle]

Dear Ekim and Gabriella,

Defining God?

Gonnagle.

[The Accountant, OBE, KC]

Perhaps you could share them, Gabriella.  (Especially as you are 'Quite handy with weapons' and your name means 'Champion of / Strength of God  )

Think I shared the benefits for me earlier e.g. sense of accountability to something higher/ better than me that I did not have as an atheist, which sometimes leads to different decision-making that seems to have a positive impact on my life in my opinion; emotional/mental/ physical boost from Muslim rituals of prayer and reciting the Quran in Arabic.

Haha - yeah I'm not 'handy with weapons'  - thought the tag line went with my new persona and avatar on here. And I had no idea what the name 'Gabriella' meant - thanks

[The Accountant, OBE, KC]

Dear Ekim and Gabriella,

Defining God?

Gonnagle.

From a Muslim perspective, in the Quran there is a short sura or verse called Al-Ikhlas as a response when people asked for a definition of Allah - https://quran.com/al-ikhlas?translations=131%2C22%2C19

I included 3 different translations in the link ranging from older English to more modern translation. One translation below:

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “He is Allah—One;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none comparable to Him

[Gonnagle]

From a Muslim perspective, in the Quran there is a short sura or verse called Al-Ikhlas as a response when people asked for a definition of Allah - https://quran.com/al-ikhlas?translations=131%2C22%2C19

I included 3 different translations in the link ranging from older English to more modern translation. One translation below:

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “He is Allah—One;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none comparable to Him

Dear Gabriella,

And that will do for me❤️ Eternal, Absolute,.

And now that we have the God question out of the way, lets talk Islam, specifically the question of laughter, I have read about it, but if you don't mind, Gabriella's thoughts on the subject, please.

Gonnagle.

[ekim]

Dear Ekim and Gabriella,

Defining God?

Gonnagle.

God - Old English - supreme being, deity; from Proto-Germanic guthan which is of uncertain origin; perhaps from ghut- "that which is invoked".  Originally a neuter noun in Germanic, the gender shifted to masculine after the coming of Christianity.

[Gonnagle]

God - Old English - supreme being, deity; from Proto-Germanic guthan which is of uncertain origin; perhaps from ghut- "that which is invoked".  Originally a neuter noun in Germanic, the gender shifted to masculine after the coming of Christianity.

Dear Ekim,

That which is envoked, Eternal, absolute my own feeble attempt, Be still and know that I Am

Now we can stop, that is enough❤️

Or is it

Gonnagle.

[ekim]

Dear Ekim,

That which is envoked, Eternal, absolute my own feeble attempt, Be still and know that I Am

Now we can stop, that is enough❤️

Or is it

Gonnagle.

Or is it?  Two words from the Bible translated as God:

YHWH is an archaic third person singular imperfect of the verb "to be", meaning, therefore, "He is being".  "I am being". It stems from the Hebrew conception of monotheism that God exists by himself for himself, and is the uncreated Creator who is independent of any concept, force, or entity; therefore "I am that I am".
Elohim, means "He who is the object of fear or reverence", or "He with whom one who is afraid takes refuge". Another theory is that it is derived from the Semitic root "uhl" meaning "to be strong". Elohim then would mean "the all-powerful One"