Do atheists reflect?

Straha · Post by **Straha** » 2003-10-07 09:54pm

I was talking with an aquentince (sp?) and the subject of religion came up. My atheism came up, and somehow prayer came up as well, after I said that I never have, and don't pray he gave me a look, and practically shouted "Atheists reflect don't they!" I gave him a puzzled look and walked away. But this brings up the question now, after the fact. Do we reflect?

P.S. Sorry about the horrid grammar and what not, but I'm insanely pissed at my haircut today, barber took off 3 frieken inches, and I am not pleased.

CorSec · Post by **CorSec** » 2003-10-07 09:56pm

Of course we do. Well, at least I do at any rate.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2003-10-07 09:56pm

*looks in mirror, sees self*

Yep, looks like we do. Or me, at least.

Seriously, what do you mean by "reflect" anyway? That we look back on a day's events and think about them? Because if that's what you mean (and the way I generally look at it) it'd be more of the individual's habits/choices than any religious leanings.

El Moose Monstero · Post by **El Moose Monstero** » 2003-10-07 09:59pm

Well, short of implying that athiests who say they dont pray, really do, and that those who don't are actually vampires, that makes no sense. I reflect all the time, things I should have or could have done, things that went wrong, it's how I improve myself. When I was little, I used to do an occassional pray if I was worried about something, but eventually I realised that there was nothing responsible for me other than me.

Alone in a Godless universe and totally out of shake'n'vac.

lance · Post by **lance** » 2003-10-07 10:07pm

I reflect on my decisions a lot. Most likely too much. Though praying in my opinon is not realy a sighn of religion. It is more of a belief in chance in most cases. Like you pray the football game you bet on is gonna win, or than nobody can beat 5 of a kind in poker. That is just you trying to influence lady luck. Unless you worship her its more of an expression.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2003-10-07 10:29pm

Reflection = prayer?

Sounds like he's really reaching to try and link the two. Aside from the obvious pun, reflection is little more than looking upon your actions and thinking about them. Prayer tends to ask some divine being or power for guidance and direction, while straight-up reflection would use rational thought and logic to attempt to guide oneself, and to give oneself direction.

I've had some heated reflection with myself, trying to figure out what I want to do in life. I'm still working on it, but at least I've got a better idea than before. If people were to have seen me while I was doing this, they would have thought I had developed full-blown schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder. Others might have thought it was a religious experience of some sort. I just had to hash things out with someone who knew what I was going through, and I was the only person available.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2003-10-07 10:39pm

I rant and rave at myself when I'm angry. It's just like complaining to God, only I don't kid myself and write off the bad shit that happens to me as something for the best.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2003-10-07 10:45pm

Sure we reflect, anyone can meditate, selfanalyse, etc. It's hardly equatible to prayer.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-10-07 10:47pm

Ho hum. Another day, another Christian trying to convince himself that atheism is a religion too.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2003-10-07 11:02pm

Darth Wong wrote:Ho hum. Another day, another Christian trying to convince himself that atheism is a religion too.

You know, I think I might have just come up with a win-win solution for this. We make a case that atheism be treated as a religion by the government, and that all activities which atheists are required to do by the mandates of the "atheism belief structure" (eating, drinking, fucking, the whole bit) free of all associated taxes.

Either they decline on the basis that atheism is not a religion, but rather the lack thereof, or we get a pretty hefty tax break.

Entirely unrealistic, but hey.

Macross · Post by **Macross** » 2003-10-07 11:38pm

I am an Atheist, I dont pray, I meditate. Meditation is reflection, prayer is begging.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-10-08 12:05am

We're not fucking vampires. Of course we reflect in mirrors.

Lord Poe · Post by **Lord Poe** » 2003-10-08 12:20am

Praying is reflection. I'm surprised the guy actually acknowledged that. It's not a means of communication to a fictional being; its a audible mandate of how one should conduct himself in optimum conditions, and hope for a positive resolution to hopes and fears.

Do I pray? Nope. I don't need to couch my hopes in such silliness. But I thank those that say they will pray for me, because I recognize prayer for what it really is. And I thank them for thinking enough about me to do so.

Demiurge · Post by **Demiurge** » 2003-10-08 12:27am

*reflects*

"Crawling in my skin, confusing world is real."

*searches for razor blade*

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-10-08 01:33am

Durandal wrote:We're not fucking vampires. Of course we reflect in mirrors.

Think it counts if your reflection is the image of the terrifying man-beast dark powers have warped you into?

Post by **Kuja** » 2003-10-08 01:53am

SirNitram wrote:
Durandal wrote:We're not fucking vampires. Of course we reflect in mirrors.
Think it counts if your reflection is the image of the terrifying man-beast dark powers have warped you into?

Oh, I'm sure it counts, but it certainly makes me wonder if Tevar puts a bag over your head before she sleeps with you.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-10-08 01:54am

Kuja wrote:
SirNitram wrote:
Durandal wrote:We're not fucking vampires. Of course we reflect in mirrors.
Think it counts if your reflection is the image of the terrifying man-beast dark powers have warped you into?
Oh, I'm sure it counts, but it certainly makes me wonder if Tevar puts a bag over your head before she sleeps with you.

This from a man wearing a pumpkin.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-10-08 02:02am

I reflect on my actions, my past actions, my history, my personality, my future, what I'm about to do, what I did a moment ago, about this post, about the consequences and results of this post...

and most of all about how much I should get off this message board and finish my homework. On that I'll probably be reflecting on for the better part of the next few hours.

Post by **Kuja** » 2003-10-08 02:03am

SirNitram wrote:
Kuja wrote:
SirNitram wrote:
Think it counts if your reflection is the image of the terrifying man-beast dark powers have warped you into?
Oh, I'm sure it counts, but it certainly makes me wonder if Tevar puts a bag over your head before she sleeps with you.
This from a man wearing a pumpkin.

The pumpkin hides my handsome face. The bag hides your beastial features. Stop lashing out because of these simple truths, or I'll swing over to Freud mode and conclude that your attacks stem from your unresolved Oedipus Complex.

LT.Hit-Man · Post by **LT.Hit-Man** » 2003-10-09 11:55pm

(OT comment)
Hey CorSec I love the pic with the kitten, did you shoot it yourself?
(End of OT Comment)