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Posted, just in case the world ends and there is no more Wikipedia, but CD survives:
Quote:
In an article titled "Is There a God?" commissioned, but never published, by Illustrated magazine in 1952, Russell wrote:
Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This is, of course, a mistake. If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time.[2]
In 1958, Russell elaborated on the analogy:
I ought to call myself an agnostic; but, for all practical purposes, I am an atheist. I do not think the existence of the Christian God any more probable than the existence of the Gods of Olympus or Valhalla. To take another illustration: nobody can prove that there is not between the Earth and Mars a china teapot revolving in an elliptical orbit, but nobody thinks this sufficiently likely to be taken into account in practice. I think the Christian God just as unlikely.[3]
The notion of an afterbody or spirit body or soul, is pretty ubiquitous in human culture. Some sort of energy that survives death. Pillars of light, is I think the biblical reference. I don't know. If that's true, then an evil or a confused person might remain evil, or confused.
I think the majority of atheists deny the possibility or likelihood of anything surviving death.
I took peyote a number of times when I was in my 20's. I came away from that with the impression that human existence in the world is not what it appears on the surface, that there are many other realms of existence.
I'm scared of psychedelics--weed was enough to put me in the ol' ward once. Seems like a very high risk, high reward experience, potentially, from all I've read and have been told.
Regarding the possibility of an afterlife--perhaps for as long as 10 minutes:
Infidel! We all know that the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a false god. The one true god is the Invisible Pink Unicorn!
You from Buffalo originally, sir? I recognize your username and see that 'Buffalo area' is your most common subforum. Cheers. I'm relatively young (certainly so by city-data standards); recall from what I think I remember of your prior posts that you left Buffalo 50 years ago or something. As with phetaroi, but 60 miles down the road (he's from the birthplace of Mormonism iirc, Palmyra I believe). Given that mordant is in upstate NY, very upstate NY-heavy forum if 'roots' are taken into account. Octogenarian kevxu is also originally from LeRoy by way of NYC and now Portugal if I remember correctly.
Interesting that Twain said: “Having faith is believing in something you just know ain't true.”
No time to read through this entire thread today, but I'll try when I return tomorrow. To continue my search of threads worth checking out better than some of the recent ones I've sadly been wallowing in a bit too long now...
He also said, ""If Christ were here now there is one thing he would not be – a Christian".
Perhaps on the list of top atheists then? I'm not sure a Presbyterian can rightfully be on such a list...
No time to read through this entire thread today, but I'll try when I return tomorrow. To continue my search of threads worth checking out better than some of the recent ones I've sadly been wallowing in a bit too long now...
He also said, ""If Christ were here now there is one thing he would not be – a Christian".
Perhaps on the list of top atheists then? I'm not sure a Presbyterian can rightfully be on such a list...
That is an interesting quote. And I rather think it is true. What I read in the NT is often not reflected in at least right wing christianity. They've taken the beauty of the philosophy and made it ugly.
The notion of an afterbody or spirit body or soul, is pretty ubiquitous in human culture. Some sort of energy that survives death. Pillars of light, is I think the biblical reference. I don't know. If that's true, then an evil or a confused person might remain evil, or confused.
I think the majority of atheists deny the possibility or likelihood of anything surviving death.
I took peyote a number of times when I was in my 20's. I came away from that with the impression that human existence in the world is not what it appears on the surface, that there are many other realms of existence.
Just semantics, but atheists don't really "deny the possibility" of anything. It's more like looking for evidence that demonstrates the existence of whatever possibility under consideration. For as long as it makes good sense to do so before finally concluding what is actually fact and what is at best conjecture...
I've taken a few substances back in my day that also helped me enjoy (or not enjoy) an altered state or two. I came away with the impression that drugs can make us experience many "realms of existence" while staying well put in our own skin, no matter how far out the trip seemed to take me. Might as well call our dreams another realm of existence. Right? Why not?
Not much more or less is happening either way, except dreams are not typically or necessarily drug induced...
You are correct, Kara. There are other realms in our Reality. It is safest and best to visit them sober rather than under the influence of some substance.
Just say not to drugs?
Doesn't seem like many commenting in this forum are following that advice...
Twain's calculations were off a bit. I looked up how much rain it would take to cover the earth (which is what the Bible says happened). This is from a thread a couple of years ago, but there have been others.
Not sure which is more telling, the questions we ask or the answers we get...
"First, how is it possible to survive while it is raining that hard, day after day, in living conditions available to humans and animals several millennia ago?"
Did you get any good answers?
I'm thinking either; a) you are taking this tale far too literally, or b) God made it so to allow the story to continue, or c) sure hope you don't think you're going to heaven by asking such questions!
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