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To the contrary. My experience leads me to believe the chances are overwhelming that there is a creator. I was trying to approach my argument from the perspective of a skeptic.
Experience? So often this turns out to be very subjective or invalid assessments.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmiej
By the same token, billions of people throughout history have believed in God. A significant % of those are educated, intelligent people.
But we have seen repeatedly that intelligent, educated, highly qualified and articulate people here and elsewhere talk the most incomprehensible drivel because they have not applied those other needful methods - validated evidence and sound reasoning, but have put their intelligence to false reasoning to prop up unvalidated claims or beliefs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmiej
Generally though, educated, intelligent people would not blindly follow something with no evidence.
Yes they would - if they were taught that faith in whatever everyone else believed must be true and were NOT taught to apply skeptical reasoning (skepticism about any evidence that conflicts with Faith - based preferences is not skeptical reasoning but prejudiced denial).
This is of course why we goddless baskets claim that the majority of trained scientists do not buy faith - claims, but that is by no means universal. I have seen some theists who took their science courses and did perfectly good work, but as soon as their faith got involved, logic and reason went out of the window.
Specifically, one geneticist talked nonsense about atheism must know everything or it is irrational and an jesuit astronomer talked bilge about 'have you looked everywhere in the universe?'
Their silliness did not mean that they were unintelligent or uneducated, but that they were not applying reason to the matter but prejudiced dismissal of a viewpoint that conflicted with their faith.
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 06-28-2012 at 02:49 AM..
Experience? So often this turns out to be very subjective or invalid assessments.
But we have seen repeatedly that intelligent, educated, highly qualified and articulate people here and elsewhere talk the most incomprehensible drivel because they have not applied those other needful methods - validated evidence and sound reasoning, but have put their intelligence to false reasoning to prop up unvalidated claims or beliefs.
Yes they would - if they were taught that faith in whatever everyone else believed must be true and were NOT taught to apply skeptical reasoning (skepticism about any evidence that conflicts with Faith - based preferences is not skeptical reasoning but prejudiced denial).
This is of course why we goddless baskets claim that the majority of trained scientists do not buy faith - claims, but that is by no means universal. I have seen some theists who took their science courses and did perfectly good work, but as soon as their faith got involved, logic and reason went out of the window.
Specifically, one geneticist talked nonsense about atheism must know everything or it is irrational and an jesuit astronomer talked bilge about 'have you looked everywhere in the universe?'
Their silliness did not mean that they were unintelligent or uneducated, but that they were not applying reason to the matter but prejudiced dismissal of a viewpoint that conflicted with their faith.
Some time ago...you mentioned an empty wine bottle which you kept handy, waiting for a theist miracle to ...fill it
Is it still handy and is this your proposition for evidence which would suite your fancy ? What are the conditions and when was this proposition made?
Generally though, educated, intelligent people would not blindly follow something with no evidence.
Oddly enough that is what most atheists would also argue. Intelligence and education is not a new concept. The Greeks and Egyptians were very intelligent and well educated and they believed in many gods and superstitions we now know are false. Some of the worlds more intelligent people once though the world was flat, that the earth was only a few thousand years old, the earth was the center of the galaxy, and many more things. We now know that all of these are false. They believed many of these things without evidence.
Why can't people accept that life has no inherent purpose or meaning?
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer
I imagine life to be like a blank sheet of paper. I am the author of my life and am free to write my story in any way I want to.
What is unacceptable about this point of view?
Nothing.
"Why can't people accept life has no inherent purpose or meaning", is true.
Whether you believe the script is already written, or the slates blank; the meaning is personal for everyone. You either find its meaning for yourself, or stay cynical, depressed, and mentally lost.
Seriously, if it's okay with you that your life has no inherent purpose or meaning, it's okay with me. There's nothing unacceptable about that point of view if it makes you happy. Personally, I couldn't live that way.
Who says that point of view means that their life has no purpose. What people commonly mean when they say the meaning of life is why do we exist in general. A person can live a life full of meaning and purpose and still believe the overall meaning of life actually has no meaning or greater purpose.
Oddly enough that is what most atheists would also argue. Intelligence and education is not a new concept. The Greeks and Egyptians were very intelligent and well educated and they believed in many gods and superstitions we now know are false. Some of the worlds more intelligent people once though the world was flat, that the earth was only a few thousand years old, the earth was the center of the galaxy, and many more things. We now know that all of these are false. They believed many of these things without evidence.
Thats too bad because theres all kinds of intelligence. Ive never met a well rounded intelligent person who emphatically and adamantly did not believe in a whole God potencial. Never....theres always the luggage and the irrational.
Thats too bad because theres all kinds of intelligence. Ive never met a well rounded intelligent person who emphatically and adamantly did not believe in a whole God potencial. Never.
That is because you associate a belief in god as necessity for someone to be a well rounded intelligent person. I know several well rounded intelligent people that emphatically and adamantly do not believe in a whole God potential. It all depends on how you define intelligence.
That is because you associate a belief in god as necessity for someone to be a well rounded intelligent person. I know several well rounded intelligent people that emphatically and adamantly do not believe in a whole God potential. It all depends on how you define intelligence.
Well then lets hear the explanation as to how they emphatically and adamantly justify their position in denying a God potencial. Otherwise it is a dumb assertion and we are dealing with little little intelligence.
Thats too bad because theres all kinds of intelligence. Ive never met a well rounded intelligent person who emphatically and adamantly did not believe in a whole God potencial. Never....theres always the luggage and the irrational.
Never...lol.
What makes a person irrational has nothing to do with the topic, or a belief in whole God potential.
What makes a person irrational has nothing to do with the topic, or a belief in whole God potential.
Well then lets hear the explanation as to how they "rationally", emphatically and adamantly justify their position in denying a God potencial. Otherwise it is a dumb assertion and we are dealing with little little intelligence.
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Why can't people accept that life has no inherent purpose or meaning?
