Anoushik

Well Bruin, if God is good and fair and loving then I’ll just be happy to know that He actually does exist. Why would I feel guilt and sorrow and shame? Why would you want to believe in a God that could punish and make you ashamed?

Angel, I'm sorry to point this out but it's so obvious that you're describing yourself here.

Sure! Any idiot can identify problems and mistakes, but if Geghamyan wants a regime change what solutions does he offer for these problems that he so passionately talks about? He doesn't offer anything. And the crowd is so filled with hatred that they don't stop and think about the consequences of a revolution. What a pity!

Amot, hazar amot bolor ayn hayerin vor hima el sksel en xosal vor Kharabaghn el mez petq chi, yev vor anpatvum en Kharabaghtsinerin. AMOT. Inchu ayskan shat atelutiun Kharabaghtsineri, Kocharyani, yev karavarutyan handdep? Chi kareli ayskan kuyr linel yev chtesnel vor kamats-kamats, teryev shat chnchin, Hayastan@ araj e gnum.

This is clearly the case. El inch revolutioni harts ka??? Hayer@ lriv xelker@ kortsrel en. Manavand Los Angelesi hayer@.

So there it is! Finally I understand why you claim atheism is a religion. Well, dear Domino, I say you're wrong. Just because a belief concerns God it doesn't mean that it becomes religious. I won't spent the time pointing out what a religion is since Thoth has done it wonderfully so many times.

Oh, and I wanted to say that this is how the quality of the arts and culture diminishes. In music uneducated people listen to something and shrug their shoulders and tell each other "I guess it's all right" and the next thing you know everybody starts agreeing that whatever they're listening to is pretty good.

Domino, you keep saying that athiesm is a faith, it's a religion. NO, it's not. Just because by your understanding you feel it is a religion doesn't mean that you're right. Are you religious? It's so easy to misunderstand atheists and make judgements and predictions about how they feel about God. I used to do that with my mom. I couldn't believe how she just didn't believe in God. Now the same way I can't believe how people passionately feel there is a God. It's just absurd to me. Similarly it's absurd when I see religious people define what atheism is! They're talking about something they have no understanding about.

Edward is right. These are just pointless arguments. In this case I agree that everyone has their own perspective regarding religion and spirituality.

Sip, I don't agree with you. I think every individual in those masses has no preference of his own and just "goes with the flow". They don't really know why they like something or why something appeals to them as long as everyone else says it's good.

Funny!

What is God? Sasun, you really believe that there is such a being called God that is good and great and loves us? What for does he love us? And what do you gain by believing in that? (I mean what kind of satisfaction do you get other than being saved from hell and living in heaven thing.)

Gevo, I haven't had a "bad" time with God. If he truly existed I would be so grateful to him. I think these people that you're talking about - that have had a "bad" time with God and now out of anger claim to be atheists - I think they are just confused individuals and have no idea what they are talking about. I don't believe that they are atheists, since then they wouldn't blame anyone or hate anyone, since they would know that such a being does not exist.

No, I'm an atheist. The only reason I made a comment about uncertainties was because Gevo asked how it would be possible if everyone thought his/her idea of this world was correct. Here, I agree with you that there are many uncertainties - including the question of a higher being - but whether this higher being exists or not doesn't concern me, because I know that whatever this being is is not God. Thus I don't believe in the existence of a God. Edit: Domino, I forgot to add that atheism is not a religion. Atheists are just ordinary people that the only thing they have in common is that they don't believe in God. How is atheism a religion. There is no belief. By your logic communism would be more of a religion then atheism.

I think one important reason that the current Armenian masses have such bad taste in music is that we are lacking critics. We don't have music critics, art critics, etc., (and we don't respect a small number of critics that do exist). If there was a number of prominent critics that started to point out the flaws in today's Armenian pop culture then our singers would be forced to perform better.

Gevo, there are so many uncertainties in the world. The existence of God is one of those. God's existence is not a self-evident truth. Therefore, everyone starts defining the idea of God in his/her way. Again, when I say I am an atheist is just that I don't believe in the existence of a traditional God (the all-knowing, all-powerful, all-good God). Maybe there might be a higher being - I don't know, but for me there is no God. (I really have to go. This forum is ruining my studies. I have no idea why I keep coming back here to check the latest posts - well, I know why, 'cause this place is so addictive, yet I'm surprised at my own lack of willpower when it comes to this forum. I guess everyone here feels this way, isn't it right, Sip? )

Gevo, like you I've got a midterm to study for and I'm going to regret tomorrow for having visited Hyeforum today. I know I'll be in deep trouble tomorrow, but I can't help it and I'll answer your questions as quick as possible. First of all, of course you can choose to believe what you want to believe in! We are born with the ability to think critically so what's stopping you from coming to your own conclusions about what this world represents? Unless I misunderstand your question I'm puzzled by why you're so surprized by this. Second, I never said I became an atheist because I didn't like what God had to offer. In order for me to like or dislike what that being, called God by believers, has to offer one has to believe in its existence. Like I said, I don't believe such a being exists, therefore I have no opinion as to whether I like, or dislike, or even hate that being.

First of all, Armenia's history goes back much more than 3000 years, and second, Armenia is not in a "shithole politically and economically". If your name was Nasty, your posts would've long been deleted.

Good Thoth! I was thinking of making a similar post.

Gevo, honestly, I don't yet understand what this discussion is about, but I do want to comment on the above: I wasn't born an atheist, neither was I born a believer, but as I tried to make sense of the world in which we live in (by reading what others wrote about religion and analyzing my own beliefs) I realized that I was an atheist. Now, atheism is not a religion (I was wrong about that in my own thread of "Atheism", my apologies to Thoth); atheists simply do not believe in the traditional existence of a god. How is it a religion? And, how can a person hate something that they don't believe exists in the first place? As I was searching for my own explanation of what my existence means, what this physical world means, what God means, what religion means, etc. I realized that the God that most religions believe in does not satisfy my own beliefs of what and how a God should be. So, I came up with my own definition of a God, but realized that such a god does not exist, since the world wouldn't be the same if this god existed. So, I realized that there is no God. I don't hate Him. I don't criticize Him. The only opinion that I have of Him is that He doesn't exist. (I capitalize His name so that you see I'm talking about the traditional God.)

Anka, in an above post you wrote that you "don't understand why other Armenians like to verbally attack each other just because they don't agree on issues". Well, while you didn't verbally attack me personally you did offend me deeply with your above sentences. What you wrote is similar to what a Turk would write.

Why oh why when we think of Armenia we mostly think of Yerevan? What about the rest of Armenia?

Sasun, thanks for being so understanding.

What a sad post.

Sasun, I have no idea what I want. ... It's OK. I should just stop "wondering". Thanks for your thoughts everyone.