Poll: the supernatural

[tehweave]

I like to think that "ghosts" "supernatural beings" "spirits from the dead" or whatever you want to call them exist, but I've never actually encountered a supernatural being, nor ever been in a situation thinking to myself "That was a ghost!"

It would be amazing to experience such an event.

 

[Skeleon]

Nah, I don't believe in supernatural stuff.
But I enjoy it in fiction.

0p3rati0n, I just want to say that just because we can't explain something yet doesn't mean we have to turn to the supernatural (in this case god) to explain it.
Even if a theory still has flaws or holes, it's at least supported by some evidence.
I like to point to Zeus, Jupiter, Thor and whatever other Thundergods there are out there for an example: People didn't know how lightning and thunder came to be, so they created a powerful supernatural entity to explain it.
I'm just saying: The fact that we don't know how or why (yet), does not imply the need for anything supernatural.
Also, why would there have to be a source for the universe but not for a god?
I'm not very knowledgeable in this particular area (I'm more of a biology-person), but I heard of one particular theory that states that the universe is in fact infite and keeps constantly expanding and collapsing (with the latest "big bang" just being the latest in an unending series).
If the universe is in fact infinite there wouldn't need to be a source for that, either.

 

[traceur_]

There is no supernatural.
Just because you can't find explaination for something, doesn't mean it happens against the laws of physics.
I've experienced some highly improbable coincidences and tricks played by my mind, but I was never dumb enough to call it "paranormal", "supernatural" or "magic".

Sorry for being such a buzz-kill.

this

Ghosts, vampires, demons, wendigos etc do not exist, kay? kay?

No such thing as "psychics", just cold reading

ok? the "supernatural" does not exist.

 

[0p3rati0n]

once again your putting god as a person thus he has to have a b-day. God is infinite, side eight, etc. That's why "he" has always been here. TA-DA right back ;P

No, see, that doesn't explain anything at all.
Which is my major problem with religion.

It's all a lot of "This is how it is. We can't prove it, and we never will, but if you do not believe exactly what we say, you fucking burn."
So no. No ta-da for you until you can explain why or how.

You can't even god d*** well prove "he" exists nor can you disprove "he" exists! God stands out side time and space. So that's how "he" has always be here. "He" will never die! "He" has no birthdate either! So "he" must be infinity.

 

[0p3rati0n]

I wish I had, and I wish I believed in it, but unfortunately I haven't and I don't.

I must be the only atheist and sceptic who wishes they believed in God and the supernatural (sorry if it sounds like I'm comparing God to ghosts, that isn't my intention - I'm just too lazy to construct that better).

then why don't you???

Why don't I believe...? My brain just won't allow it. However I think about it, I just can't convince myself.

You can't force yourself to believe something you don't, right...? That's why i hate it when I and others like me get described as the 'filth of the unbelievers' by the religious (yes, have actually heard that one) because ffs, what am i supposed to do...?

The reason I'd like to 'have' some sort of god, though, is that I believe it must be a great comfort for people, and i'd like to have that.

there's no atheist in foxholes son. Also you don't want to believe there is a god. So how about this believe in a greater power not a god.

 

[Skeleon]

there's no atheist in foxholes son. Also you don't want to believe there is a god. So how about this believe in a greater power not a god.

So you're saying belief in god is a dysfunction of the brain under stress when all other coping strategies fail?
Interesting take on it.

About your other question: I guess what the believers out there must understand is that atheists don't really choose not to believe, they just don't. At least that's how I see it.
I sometimes wish I had faith as support in my life, too, when things go wrong; but wishing doesn't make it so.
It is a question of how you feel inside and when one doesn't feel any faith one can't suddenly, actively have faith by sheer determination.
And that's true for belief in god or any supernatural entities.

 

[Willwillwritehiswill]

No. All things are open to interpretation and can be rationally reasoned.
Charlie Brooker summarised my feelings quite well.

I mean, if you want to believe in psychics, fine. You're a dangerous idiot and I wouldn't trust you to operate a spoon without putting an eye out ... but fine. Your choice. Delude yourself silly. Your world is probably more fun than the real one. There's no death, just an afterlife filled with magic spirits who like to communicate with eerie, ugly, otherwise-unemployable bottom-of-the-barrel "showmen" back on Earth.

But don't accuse anyone with the temerity to question your sad supernatural fantasies of having a "closed mind" or being "blind to possibilities". A closed mind asks no questions, unthinkingly accepting that which it wants to believe. The blindness is all yours.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/dec/04/television.comment

If there's proof, i will believe in it. That is the blessing of a scientific mind.

 

[Koeryn]

My sister's car has a ghost she's named George (it's not a very frightening name, hence why she picked it) that appears on occasion, and she's not the only person who's seen him. The first time SHE did she was getting ready to dive out of her car while pulling up to a stop light 'cause she thought there was somebody in her car with her. Then she realised she could see through him, called him George, and went about her buisness mildly freaked out.

She's also worked at a Hallmark that had at least two ghosts/poltergeists that would shuffle the cards where no one was near (The hallmark usually had two girls working, these events happened when both girls were in easy sight of each other (For the most part) with no one being near the sight of the events), footsteps in the store, occasional whispers, figurines jumping off of shelves, and the manager, my sister, and two other girls had their asses pinched.

On a trip home from New Mexico 10-15 years ago, we were driving through a storm (out running a tornado, it was a helluva lot of fun for me, I LOVE storms), when my older brother spotted what he called "Torpedo lightning". It was much like ball lightning, but basically it dropped out of the clouds, hovered in place for a moment, the front half spinning quickly one direction, the other half slowly in the other, then shot across the sky and back into the clouds.

One of my friends lived two houses away from a house that a man killed his family and himself in, no one on that street walked past it on the side walk, everyone would cross the street to get around it. That house was just plain creepy. The blinds would move on occasion, and it's not that there was anyone inside. The place was locked up tight, no broken windows, no nothing. Just over grown grass.

I saw something flying on my way home with my little brother last year that looked exactly like a small dragon. By small, I mean maybe an eight foot wing span, 3-4 foot long tail, long neck with a very distinctly unbirdlike head. Damned near crashed my fuckin' car watchin' the bloody thing as it dove into a field. My brother saw it too, and it wasn't a bird. Everything about it was wrong. Wasn't feathered, wings were more bat-like in shape and construction.

That's 'bout the extent of my paranormal stuff.

 

[Valiance]

There is no supernatural.
Just because you can't find an explanation for something, doesn't mean it happens against the laws of physics.
I've experienced some highly improbable coincidences and tricks played by my mind, but I was never dumb enough to call it "paranormal", "supernatural" or "magic".

Sorry for being such a buzz-kill.

This.

I have encountered what some people might call "paranormal" and "supernatural," but that's only because science hasn't studied and explained it yet.

I'm sure in time, humanity will find a reason for it.

And until then, I'll just wait.

 

[0p3rati0n]

there's no atheist in foxholes son. Also you don't want to believe there is a god. So how about this believe in a greater power not a god.

So you're saying belief in god is a dysfunction of the brain under stress when all other coping strategies fail?
Interesting take on it.

sorta what I said about there are no atheist in foxholes has a little different meaning. I goes more of a War side than a religious. "There are no atheists in foxholes" means war is horrible. So horrible that your mind can't take it all in. So you mind comes to a state where you just know there is some power (not a god) that can help take it away. That's what "there are no atheist in foxholes means. You'll see very little atheist in war. But the saying goes more to the WWII thing.

 

[0p3rati0n]

There is no supernatural.
Just because you can't find explaination for something, doesn't mean it happens against the laws of physics.
I've experienced some highly improbable coincidences and tricks played by my mind, but I was never dumb enough to call it "paranormal", "supernatural" or "magic".

Sorry for being such a buzz-kill.

Ditto

ok let me ask something before I go into something. Are you both atheist?

Irrelevant. A belief in God does not include or preclude belief in ghosts (unless your Catholic )

Supernatural means beyond nature, if you believe in God, God actions are natural. Natural means having or constituting a classification based on features existing in nature.

wrong it's totally relevant. Anything that's not to our human nature is supernatural. Also have you not been reading the last 4 pages?

 

[-Orgasmatron-]

I voted no and I don't believe it happens, although I'd like to believe otherwise, but can't til I see it for myself.

Got a story though.

My uncle fought in the Falklands war, so his wife, my aunt, was living alone for awhile in their house. Anyway, according to her a month or so after he went to war this ghost started visting her in her room. At first she just thought she was crazy and ignored it, but eventually it started talking to her and she started talking back. Eventually it told her it's name was Stan, now she didn't know at the time that Stan was the name British soldiers gave to fallen Argentinians. According to her after awhile Stan started to become abit of a bastard and so she started sleeping downstairs. Once her husband returned home Stan dissappeared for good.

Like I said I don't believe in any paranormal shit, that's because I can't until I experience something like that for myself. Though my aunt is a pretty down to earth women so I wouldn't say she lied about the whole thing.

EDIT: Oh wait... this has turned into a religious arguemt fuck fest, well there was a waste of 10 minutes typing that up... Nice going guys.

 

[Cliff_m85]

I wish I had, and I wish I believed in it, but unfortunately I haven't and I don't.

I must be the only atheist and sceptic who wishes they believed in God and the supernatural (sorry if it sounds like I'm comparing God to ghosts, that isn't my intention - I'm just too lazy to construct that better).

then why don't you???

Why don't I believe...? My brain just won't allow it. However I think about it, I just can't convince myself.

You can't force yourself to believe something you don't, right...? That's why i hate it when I and others like me get described as the 'filth of the unbelievers' by the religious (yes, have actually heard that one) because ffs, what am i supposed to do...?

The reason I'd like to 'have' some sort of god, though, is that I believe it must be a great comfort for people, and i'd like to have that.

there's no atheist in foxholes son. Also you don't want to believe there is a god. So how about this believe in a greater power not a god.

My father fought during Desert Storm as an Atheist.

 

[0p3rati0n]

I wish I had, and I wish I believed in it, but unfortunately I haven't and I don't.

I must be the only atheist and sceptic who wishes they believed in God and the supernatural (sorry if it sounds like I'm comparing God to ghosts, that isn't my intention - I'm just too lazy to construct that better).

then why don't you???

Why don't I believe...? My brain just won't allow it. However I think about it, I just can't convince myself.

You can't force yourself to believe something you don't, right...? That's why i hate it when I and others like me get described as the 'filth of the unbelievers' by the religious (yes, have actually heard that one) because ffs, what am i supposed to do...?

The reason I'd like to 'have' some sort of god, though, is that I believe it must be a great comfort for people, and i'd like to have that.

there's no atheist in foxholes son. Also you don't want to believe there is a god. So how about this believe in a greater power not a god.

My father fought during Desert Storm as an Atheist.

ok good for him. So is he still an atheist?

 

[Cliff_m85]

I wish I had, and I wish I believed in it, but unfortunately I haven't and I don't.

I must be the only atheist and sceptic who wishes they believed in God and the supernatural (sorry if it sounds like I'm comparing God to ghosts, that isn't my intention - I'm just too lazy to construct that better).

then why don't you???

Why don't I believe...? My brain just won't allow it. However I think about it, I just can't convince myself.

You can't force yourself to believe something you don't, right...? That's why i hate it when I and others like me get described as the 'filth of the unbelievers' by the religious (yes, have actually heard that one) because ffs, what am i supposed to do...?

The reason I'd like to 'have' some sort of god, though, is that I believe it must be a great comfort for people, and i'd like to have that.

there's no atheist in foxholes son. Also you don't want to believe there is a god. So how about this believe in a greater power not a god.

My father fought during Desert Storm as an Atheist.

ok good for him. So is he still an atheist?

I don't see how that would matter, since while he was in the foxhole he was an Atheist. But yes, he is an Atheist still.

 

[0p3rati0n]

I wish I had, and I wish I believed in it, but unfortunately I haven't and I don't.

I must be the only atheist and sceptic who wishes they believed in God and the supernatural (sorry if it sounds like I'm comparing God to ghosts, that isn't my intention - I'm just too lazy to construct that better).

then why don't you???

Why don't I believe...? My brain just won't allow it. However I think about it, I just can't convince myself.

You can't force yourself to believe something you don't, right...? That's why i hate it when I and others like me get described as the 'filth of the unbelievers' by the religious (yes, have actually heard that one) because ffs, what am i supposed to do...?

The reason I'd like to 'have' some sort of god, though, is that I believe it must be a great comfort for people, and i'd like to have that.

there's no atheist in foxholes son. Also you don't want to believe there is a god. So how about this believe in a greater power not a god.

My father fought during Desert Storm as an Atheist.

ok good for him. So is he still an atheist?

I don't see how that would matter, since while he was in the foxhole he was an Atheist. But yes, he is an Atheist still.

I just needed to last sentence that's all.

 

[ygetoff]

you believe trillions of galaxies in this demension and the next can be held together by super strings vibrating in the 10th demension and yet you find it hard to imagine that a human mind can find a way to continue existing without a corporeal form?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak5IA4TPHac

why must you hate on quantum possiblity?

ok good so let me go on. Why do you think there is no outer power (aka GOD) I think you put god as a person more or less a power. God is infinity, side eight, etc. That's why "he" has always been there/ here. When I get the question why doesn't god help us with our problems. It's because he helps our inner straight. He can help externally. But that's only if you say it was him and his work.

Look at nature it could never happen on it's own. If it did how. Evolution? Ok then how did that happen? the big bang? Ok then how did that happen? dust particles collecting in space where nothing is there? Ok then how did that happen? That's the dead end. That's the part scientists can't figure out and will never will.

Scientist also are trying to find out what powers the power of an atom. That's another thing they will never find out.

So work off that.

Look people, I'm not saying that science has an answer for every question and I don't deny that things like origin of the universe or the very nature of existence and non-existence lie beyond our ability to reason, but I know what people mean by "supernatural" and I know it's all bollocks. Were not talking about human conciousness existing in alternative universe (which is something probable IMO), but about ghosts, psychics and other things that we know are impossible in this world (even with the quantum string theory) and in fact are widely documented as frauds and illusions.

Well congrats retard your not a complete atheist!

No, I'm not a complete materialist, but I don't believe in an omnipotent intellect, so I am an atheist.
Also I'm not intellectualy retarded, which you can clearly see by the fact that I speak two languages and my current occupation.
kthxbai

wow ok I can't go on. I'm not here to convert you. More or less to show you what in my thoughts are. That's one reason we are here. So believe what you believe and I'll believe what I believe. But just remember this there are things in this life that we could never explain and it doesn't mean our minds are playing tricks. There is a lot more to this world. But something needs to help it come to be. So I can't go on with what your saying. Case closed on this person.

Seriously? You are frustrated? What about him? You called him a retard, and then proceeded to counter his points with "well God did it and you dont get it so there."

Frustrated? yes
Overwhelmed? yes
out of mind? yes

Sorry I've been overwhelmed by the quotes and I want to explain everything in what I believe in. Which got me frustrated. So my mind go out of sense and I said somethings that I should of said. So I apologize for my rudeness. What you said "well god did it and you don't get it so there" I'm not saying that. I could say that and be a complete f***tard to everyone and the universe. But no. So once again I apologize for any rudeness I have said.

Ok. most anyone can make a point without being rude, but you apologized. Yay!
As for the "I didn't say God did it" comment, let me direct yo to what you said a while ago: "But just remember this there are things in this life that we could never explain and it doesn't mean our minds are playing tricks. There is a lot more to this world. But something needs to help it come to be. So I can't go on with what your saying." Right there you pretty much said "God exists but you don't get him."

 

[razer17]

ok good so let me go on. Why do you think there is no outer power (aka GOD) I think you put god as a person more or less a power. God is infinity, side eight, etc. That's why "he" has always been there/ here. When I get the question why doesn't god help us with our problems. It's because he helps our inner straight. He can help externally. But that's only if you say it was him and his work.

Look at nature it could never happen on it's own. If it did how. Evolution? Ok then how did that happen? the big bang? Ok then how did that happen? dust particles collecting in space where nothing is there? Ok then how did that happen? That's the dead end. That's the part scientists can't figure out and will never will.

Scientist also are trying to find out what powers the power of an atom. That's another thing they will never find out.

So work off that.

please dont go around and push your beliefs upon people. they said they are atheists, you aren't going to persuade them to believe in God. (i am also an atheist). and if that comes to a dead end, why was God there, what created/caused him? if he is omnipotent then so are the first atoms.
and if scientists can't ever prove what created the universe, how can you provide proof for God. oh wait, you can't.
also are you trying to say evolution isn't real?

 

[0p3rati0n]

ok good so let me go on. Why do you think there is no outer power (aka GOD) I think you put god as a person more or less a power. God is infinity, side eight, etc. That's why "he" has always been there/ here. When I get the question why doesn't god help us with our problems. It's because he helps our inner straight. He can help externally. But that's only if you say it was him and his work.

Look at nature it could never happen on it's own. If it did how. Evolution? Ok then how did that happen? the big bang? Ok then how did that happen? dust particles collecting in space where nothing is there? Ok then how did that happen? That's the dead end. That's the part scientists can't figure out and will never will.

Scientist also are trying to find out what powers the power of an atom. That's another thing they will never find out.

So work off that.

please dont go around and push your beliefs upon people. they said they are atheists, you aren't going to persuade them to believe in God. (i am also an atheist). and if that comes to a dead end, why was God there, what created/caused him? if he is omnipotent then so are the first atoms.
and if scientists can't ever prove what created the universe, how can you provide proof for God. oh wait, you can't.
also are you trying to say evolution isn't real?

read the rest of the thread and you'll find that I said i was never trying to convert any one more or less give my side of my religion

 

[razer17]

ok good so let me go on. Why do you think there is no outer power (aka GOD) I think you put god as a person more or less a power. God is infinity, side eight, etc. That's why "he" has always been there/ here. When I get the question why doesn't god help us with our problems. It's because he helps our inner straight. He can help externally. But that's only if you say it was him and his work.

Look at nature it could never happen on it's own. If it did how. Evolution? Ok then how did that happen? the big bang? Ok then how did that happen? dust particles collecting in space where nothing is there? Ok then how did that happen? That's the dead end. That's the part scientists can't figure out and will never will.

Scientist also are trying to find out what powers the power of an atom. That's another thing they will never find out.

So work off that.

please dont go around and push your beliefs upon people. they said they are atheists, you aren't going to persuade them to believe in God. (i am also an atheist). and if that comes to a dead end, why was God there, what created/caused him? if he is omnipotent then so are the first atoms.
and if scientists can't ever prove what created the universe, how can you provide proof for God. oh wait, you can't.
also are you trying to say evolution isn't real?

read the rest of the thread and you'll find that I said i was never trying to convert any one more or less give my side of my religion

so your saying that giving reasons to believe that God exists isn't trying to convert people. because im fairly sure thats almost a dictionary definition of trying to convert people.