: As you are Irish Lark (I hope my memory serves me well here),Bone of contention for centuries that one but I think of myself as Irish anyway, or as a Celt.
:i think that the answer to that is obvious, you should become a pagan as your ancestors were. After all, didn't the British bring christianity with them when they invaded Ireland?
I actually havent become a Pagan, I couldnt since the Pagan religion originated in Britain and the pre-christian faith in Ireland was a mixture of Druidism and interdimensional divisions.
By the way the "Irish", the celts never viewed themselves as a nation and roamed between Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany and the isle of man at will, actually where invading 'Britain' way in advance of the land acquisitionist english set foot in Ireland and previously we'd repelled the Romans and Normans.
:I mean really Lark, what would your ancestors say if they could see you, a proud Irishman fawning to the wishes of the English?
Just how have I done that? I also reject that implied jingoism.
: :: Oh give me a break. Atheism means complete denial of any metaphysic, so i don't see how it can be religion.
: : Oh and all religions are metaphysical? I think it's buddism and hinduism, definitely Taoism, which are religions which dont believe in the after life, in the case of Toaism they dont believe in spirituality in the sense of the paranormal at all.
: :The way modern athiests prolestise etc. is akin to any evangelist, take the fact that in and of itself athieism doesnt actually exist, the most prominant magazines etc. I've read all santer about religion particulary, in western fashion, christianity, but is a reaction to something it's very like any other "Faith".
: The problem we have here lark is we lack an objective definition of 'religion'.
A problem for who?
: Things such as Buddism and Taosim are all concerned to an extent with the meaning of life, whereas atheism posits no such thing. It does not provide a specific mantra to live by, a design for life.
In its humanist variants it does actually.
: : You cant prove the existance of a deity but then you cant disprove it either each requires a leap of faith at some stage.
: What's the basis for your leap of faith? Personal experience? How reliable is that? Historical data? How reliable or convincing is that?
I cant see your angle on this, I was rationalising with an athiest about the existance of God, now I dont think you are that athiest, what do you want?
