Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm beginning to realize more and more that these folks are invited, and encouraged. This forum doesn't WANT people like you and me here. This forum isn't for Christians...it's for people to talk bad about Christians .
I would have told you that a long time ago but you never listen to anything I say
But perhaps the main argument atheists use is: there is no evidence. There are several aspects of life you assume as real of which there is absolutely no evidence. Just look and you'll find how you take for granted things for which no evidence is possible. How many people here believe love is real? If you were to say that my mother's love doesn't exist because I can't give credible evidence, then you'll be crazy. But I know others have experienced love one way or another, so I don't need to prove my mother's love.
That's just one example. If you are honest with yourself you'll find many more.
'Love' is an emotion, just like anger or happiness.
But there is another reason why I find your comment interesting. Two of the arguments atheists use are: a) the Bible is a mythological book. b) believers can't even follow God's rules. Therefore c) god doesn't exist. It doesn't take a smart person to figure out that c doesn't follow from a and b being true. It is perfectly logical to say a and b are true while believing in God. The definition of myth is: "a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon."
But perhaps the main argument atheists use is: there is no evidence. There are several aspects of life you assume as real of which there is absolutely no evidence. Just look and you'll find how you take for granted things for which no evidence is possible. How many people here believe love is real? If you were to say that my mother's love doesn't exist because I can't give credible evidence, then you'll be crazy. But I know others have experienced love one way or another, so I don't need to prove my mother's love.
That's just one example. If you are honest with yourself you'll find many more.
I think you're way off track here.
First, you say we think a + b = c. Nope. Most of us do believe that the bible is mostly fiction. Oh, some facts here and there, but essentially historical fiction. Doesn't mean there isn't some good advice in there, but even christians can't agree on what's factual in the bible and what's metaphorical in the bible. And yes, an awfully lot of christians don't really fulfill the teachings of christ. And, we aren't at all convinced that god exists...but most of us don't say that c is caused by a and b, rather that a and b are diagnostic of c.
And no, there is evidence for love being a concept. We see it in the behaviors of people. There is evidence. However, we also see that love fails, that love can be fickle, that people stray from their love, and that sometimes love is a negative force.
And the problem with your way of thinking is that if we don't believe what you believe, you're upset about it. It gets under your skin. You get angry about it. You lack confidence in your beliefs. They're shallow.
People are just as dishonest to try to prove that God doesn't exist. For example, when someone start a thread about churches closing, but says "if not imaginary, is an absolute do nothing", but then his first respond is: that's not it, it's because he doesn't exist. I called his dishonesty and was told I just don't understand the premise of the argument.
But there is another reason why I find your comment interesting. Two of the arguments atheists use are: a) the Bible is a mythological book. b) believers can't even follow God's rules. Therefore c) god doesn't exist. It doesn't take a smart person to figure out that c doesn't follow from a and b being true. It is perfectly logical to say a and b are true while believing in God. The definition of myth is: "a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon."
But perhaps the main argument atheists use is: there is no evidence. There are several aspects of life you assume as real of which there is absolutely no evidence. Just look and you'll find how you take for granted things for which no evidence is possible. How many people here believe love is real? If you were to say that my mother's love doesn't exist because I can't give credible evidence, then you'll be crazy. But I know others have experienced love one way or another, so I don't need to prove my mother's love.
That's just one example. If you are honest with yourself you'll find many more.
It's a means to an end. The government allows diverse people to vote and everyone is not comfortable with that fact or with diversity.
But perhaps the main argument atheists use is: there is no evidence. There are several aspects of life you assume as real of which there is absolutely no evidence. Just look and you'll find how you take for granted things for which no evidence is possible. How many people here believe love is real? If you were to say that my mother's love doesn't exist because I can't give credible evidence, then you'll be crazy. But I know others have experienced love one way or another, so I don't need to prove my mother's love.
I give you credit for trying, but it's not a good analogy. The difference... and it's a key difference... is that your mother is real, and there is plenty of evidence she is real. There is no question she existed. Whatever emotions and feelings she experienced are beside the point, but we can ask her directly and she can describe them. We don't have to use our imaginations as to her existence or her feelings.
Because they used to be more religious, and don't realize the extremist view they are now taking by trying to deny everything about God.
Immaturity.
You may want to reconsider what is immature.
As a child, there are many who have imaginary friends. We, as a society, say, "Oh, how cute."
Children get over having those imaginary friends. However, as adults, society generally calls having imaginary friends or enemies as "faith", and staunchly defend their perspectives.
Yes, faith is just that, believing in something that is unprovable, just like an imaginary friend is for a child. We defend that as a society, the right to believe in something that is imaginary, and try and indoctrinate many children into that belief.
I give you credit for trying, but it's not a good analogy. The difference... and it's a key difference... is that your mother is real, and there is plenty of evidence she is real. There is no question she existed. Whatever emotions and feelings she experienced are beside the point, but we can ask her directly and she can describe them. We don't have to use our imaginations as to her existence or her feelings.
You can't say any of that about the god belief.
We are not discussing if my mother is real, the issue I raised was: is love real. We can all agree it is real, and the reason is not that you can talk to my mother, the reason that love is real is that you have probably experienced it. We do not search for proof of what we experience. We only look for proof of what one man has said is real [thus openly the possibility it is true], yet the rest of us cannot experience it (yet).
And since nobody has taken serious what I said, I'll start you off. Again, this is just one more example, our life is filled with all sort of believes that people accept as real. None of which can be backed by evidence.
I post here because I find discussing religion, and religious beliefs interesting. I am currently in the middle of two fascinating, if a bit frustrating conversations, where I have learned quite a bit about individual's beliefs about God. Some things I didn't expect! And it certain has forced me to think about religion in different ways.
I am not any closer to becoming a believer again, but that's not the point. The point is rubbing up against all manner of ideas to understand what they are, where I agree, where I disagree, and why. And to be able to think through these things and articulate my thoughts on the issue. I find it incredibly helpful to think through these things, and to try to understand the perspective of others, even if I don't agree. I'd like to know exactly where and why I diverge from them...
We are not discussing if my mother is real, the issue I raised was: is love real. We can all agree it is real, and the reason is not that you can talk to my mother, the reason that love is real is that you have probably experienced it. We do not search for proof of what we experience. We only look for proof of what one man has said is real [thus openly the possibility it is true], yet the rest of us cannot experience it (yet).
And since nobody has taken serious what I said, I'll start you off. Again, this is just one more example, our life is filled with all sort of believes that people accept as real.
Starts at 0:28
Oh, but I do take you serious(ly). That's why I took the trouble to reply. I just don't think your argument is well supported.
You may not be discussing if your mother is real, but her status is relevant. That love you experienced comes from a known source, and I have no trouble accepting it (the emotion and its source) is real. Simply put, there is evidence for that love. Thus, that is not a good example of the many believes (beliefs) we supposedly accept as real without any evidence.
I also take you seriously enough to have watched the video all the way through, but it contributes nothing to the discussion. How do snippets of disconnected statements about dark matter, gravity and the big bang (knit together out of context) provide examples of all these things we accept as real, in the absence of evidence? I gather the closing frames are meant to deliver the take home message: "Without the big bang, we don't have evolution. Without evolution, we have divine creation. The end."
If intelligent design is where you are going with this line of reasoning, then (a) that's a very roundabout way of getting there, and (b) I was wrong to take you seriously.
I post here because I find discussing religion, and religious beliefs interesting. I am currently in the middle of two fascinating, if a bit frustrating conversations, where I have learned quite a bit about individual's beliefs about God. Some things I didn't expect! And it certain has forced me to think about religion in different ways.
I am not any closer to becoming a believer again, but that's not the point. The point is rubbing up against all manner of ideas to understand what they are, where I agree, where I disagree, and why. And to be able to think through these things and articulate my thoughts on the issue. I find it incredibly helpful to think through these things, and to try to understand the perspective of others, even if I don't agree. I'd like to know exactly where and why I diverge from them...
-NoCapo
did you let your kids watch syfy stuff?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
