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No. Just daft. Either read and respond or ignore. Take your pick. I don't care either way. But don't keep flouncing and saying you are not going to read or respond any more and then, even after just a few days, do just that.
]...and yet I don't get warned or banned so it can't be that bad. Sometimes, when the nail won't go in one needs a heavier hammer and I'll take it as a compliment if that seems to be working. It's not something that worries me and I'm more than happy to be labelled a 'new atheist'. You need to get used to it old mate because we are growing rapidly whilst atheists like you are slowly depleting. We've had enough of being told to sit down, shut up in case you offend our beliefs and do what we (the Church) tell you to do. We are fighting back at last and frankly, We don't care if Christians get their delicate sensibilities trodden on or their belief in stone-age mythology get's ripped apart. We are tired of saying 'Sorry I offended your archaic beliefs.' We don't care about that any more.
No. You can't be half-an-atheist. You either believe or you don't.
...and where have I ever said it does. In fact, as recent as my last few posts I have stated that I'm perfectly open to change my beliefs should verifiable evidence dictate.
No, it is up to each individual to decide his or her beliefs, and his or her way of addressing those beliefs. It is up to each individual to decide how strong their beliefs are. And it's up to each individual to decide how aggressive they want to be. You post tirades. Most of us don't look at that as being very productive.
Oh, and by the way, I'll respond to your posts when I want to, if I want to. And if you don't like that, lay down on the floor and throw a tantrum, and I'll still do as I wish.
Oh, and by the way, I'll respond to your posts when I want to, if I want to.
That's fine by me. Be my guest. Just stop making a fool of yourself by flouncing off declaring that you are neither going to read or respond to my posts again...and then doing just that a few days later.
And it's up to each individual to decide how aggressive they want to be.
Then why are you criticising me for doing just that. You really don't know what you are saying do you?
Claim that you are not going to respond to my posts any more - and then do just the opposite.
Claim that my posts are very aggressive and nasty and then say that it's up to everyone to decide post as aggressively as they see fit.
If that is the case , I will post as aggressively as I see fit and leave it to the mods to decide what lives and what doesn't...and I'll thank you to mind your own business regarding my style of posting. Have a nice day.
As I recall, Phet. you were a Christian (though having doubts) when you arrived, wasn't it so? I'm aware of your background as a high -level educational instructor. But nobody is an expert in everything and there are no courses or examination -papers in atheism. It's something that every deconvert has to get to know.
Yes, you are right that everyone is on a sliding scale of knowledge about the god -claim (aside from how valid that knowledge is). But this is only the knowledge position and nobody knows for sure - they are all agnostic. From being convinced because of ID or the First cause argument to being absolutely sure that there is no need for a god or sign of one.
But whether one believes in the god -claim or not seems to me to leave little wiggle room. As I recall it wasn't the evidence that swayed you to come over to our side, but the ranting and hate of the theists when you put in a few questions.
You are right about the sliding scale of knowledge (evidence) about God, but Raffs is right (or substantially so) about the belief -position; you believe in a god, or you don't - according to what you know. There is no conflict between a knowledge position and a belief position. Atheism is based on agnosticism.
This seems oddly like Christians arguing about who is a true Christian and who is not. Since irony is my 8th favorite thing:
the·istDictionary result for theist
/ˈTHēist/Submit
noun
noun: theist; plural noun: theists
1.
a person who believes in the existence of a god or gods, specifically of a creator who intervenes in the universe.
"I am a hardcore theist and the person most close to me is my God"
adjective
adjective: theist
1.
denoting or relating to belief in the existence of a god or gods, specifically of a creator who intervenes in the universe.
If a person remains unconvinced of above aren't they an [a]theist?
Theism like Atheism is simple - you believe in the god -claim, you are a theist. If you don't you are an atheist.
Real Christians just confuses the issue. One can be a theist but not a Christian. One can be a humanist but not an atheist.
Keep in mind that agnosticism is not a belief position, but a bit of a truism - nobody knows for sure whether a god exists or not - and all that matters is whether you believe in one or not.
Into that, any belief position can be fitted, after a bit of perfectly harmless interrogation with mild torture.
- nobody knows for sure whether a god exists or not..
I read that often on forums, I'm beginning to believe 999 outta 1000 do not know, you're right!
I'm not big on 'belief' and certainly not big on blind faith...ok they're sweet.
Boy oh boy, I'll tellya ...I sure know there is a Divine Consciousness....a Spiritual Presence of what would be called God, (that presents stunningly to me more as a Father/Friend).
Omg, a Presence that breathes and transforms the human mind to be able to perceive It...
(Dr. Bucke coined the term Cosmic Consciousness in the 1890s...others spoke of the Doors of Perception being opened...I'll say!! I would say that is like when areas of your brain
become activated and your sight becomes like an EM microscope and you 'see' what's really going on here. Ha, with no drugs...)
My gosh, those that think there is a God...I would have to ask them why?
Because you want One so badly? Because you need there to be One for hope?
Because that is your default mode influenced by your family?
Because you just feel some inspiration in your heart from a Sunday sermon or upliftment
from a few loving, hopeful verses in a book?
That's like believing in the Tooth fairy...sweet, but come on.
My input is always the same .... go inside, within, in stillness until you know God up close and personal...
intimately.
There is no 'confusion about faith', then.
There are people that know there is a God...is my point to the above sentence.
You are right. The confusion was nef's in the OP. Faith is not (as he said) trusting that a ladder will hold. That is based on understanding of the properties of the ladder. And I check my old wooden one for soundness every time I clear the gutters, too.
It is not trusting in something without valid evidence or even in spite of it. That's what we call 'faith'. We know that people who have faith have no doubts. They are sure that what they interpret their feelings as is true. We just think that there are other interpretations of those feelings.
That is unanswerable since evolution does appear to be the method of choice for life and God IS a LIVING God. However, any data or information pre-evolution is unknown or obscure at best.
So a complex, intelligent being just existing is the least probable option.
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