I really liked Carlin. Most of his comedy was based on the amount of shock value that could be drawn from it and since I’m a huge fan of satire, he did extremely well with that venue also.
Carlin's genius was that he could lead you down the path into a place where you would finish the joke in your own mind.
The atheist says 'I know', the agnostic says 'I don't know'. I always wonder how an atheist thinks he has enough raw information to decide there is no God. He must know the origin of time and the universe to be able to be so definite. He should tell the rest of us about those things.
Oppenheimer might have been a Jewish Atheist but he regretted his part in making the bomb all the rest of his life. Groves was the son of an Army Chaplain and most certainly a Christian.
He knew a lot but didn't know all. The fact that empty space can contain all the potential for a universe of mass, energy and time... well, we just don't yet have the math for it. No human understands the universe.
I have discussed this subject with my cousin, a priest. I belong to a family of Atheists -generations- and the only believer is said cousin. He ended up accepting that Atheism is, indeed, a "system of beliefs"...a system that believes in the NO existence of a god. BTW, I have been insulted and almost physically harmed for saying that I am an Atheist.
It is undoubtedly a sad thing when those of my faith would threaten anyone because of their beliefs. Many of us misinterpret Exodus 20:7 to simply mean to “say” God’s name in vain (ushering cursings with God interjected) never thinking about the fact that if we have indeed taken His name or rather, are a child of God, how dare we do that which would go against what His name stands for or what the scriptures have taught? At the very worse, we are to walk away from those who refuse to believe, not beat them over the head. I can easily form a dialog with anyone of any “religion” or lack of? and enjoy doing so if it is a civil discourse. As for being upset, I do get a tad terse when someone interjects their Aheistic views in a conversation wholly devoted to the belief in God just as I would if someone of faith interrupted a conversation wholly devoted to Atheism. It just isn’t polite and doesn’t accomplish a thing.
I am convinced believers -any faith- feel threatened when somebody says to them "God doesn't exist."...I was told by few these words make them to doubt their beliefs and push them to "investigate" .One must be brave to face change
There are people of faith who think that they are victims , as well as people of no religious faith who see themself as a victim. I think that it is basically what is called the “victim mentality”, and not something that is prevalent with everyone. I believe in God, but I do not feel threatened or doubt my belief just because someone else does not share those beliefs. I certainly would not attack another person for not having religious beliefs. As @Bobby Cole mentioned, people can have great conversations together, irrespective of whether or not they are believers in God. The only time that it annoys me is when were are discussion some part of the Bible, or a religious concept, in the religion section of the forum, and non-believers feel like they have to interrupt the conversation just to announce (over and over) that they do not believe in God. I see no rational reason for someone to do that, do you ?