Atheism As A REJECTION OF--Not Disbelief In--An Evil God (devils, hell, church)
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It would appear that a cable TV network is not a reliable source for information. Go figure.
The source that you provided didn't say what you said it it said. Perhaps you didn't read the whole article, but I will remember that you accept Wikipedia as a reliable source in the future.
This is another case of posing some difficulty disproving something "well documented," but surely you know there have been many other "well documented" cases that most intelligent reasonable people don't still consider based in fact or truth. Right? Just consider the many "well documented" cases of witchcraft for example. Many people believe the Bible is full of "well documented" miracles as well, but should we believe in such things.
You don't believe in witchcraft? I do. I also believe in the Biblical miracles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LearnMe
Despite the fact that much along these "well documented" cases can't be proven false for a variety of reasons, the one fact that always comes to my mind is this. We no longer have these fantastic "well documented" miracles going on any more.
Are you serious? Yes we do!
Quote:
Originally Posted by LearnMe
Why is that? I think it's for the same reason they never happened back in the good old days either. Back when miracles seemed to be a "dime a dozen." When then and not now? There's a bit more proof or what to consider that tends to seriously refute the "veracity of an obscure historical event" if you ask me.
Miracles have never been a "dime a dozen". I think you don't know where to look. I'm not sure it matters though. If you don't believe in miracles of the past, why would you believe in miracles of the present?
It's only the most recent generations that have been predisposed to disbelieve in the supernatural. It's an interesting phenomenon, this era of materialistic* unbelief in which we're living.
I'm the kind of person who, if I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all! Some people have GREAT luck (my late husband was one of those people). But having 'good luck' HERE and NOW, doesn't necessarily mean that God 'favors' them. One can have good luck and win the lottery today...make some bad decisions, and end up a pauper several years later.
I don't think that by saying to ourselves that 'bad' fortune is a 'lesson from God' necessarily defies logic and reason. Only God knows what 'good' fortune may do to me in the future...and it may not be for my benefit!
Impressive collection of reply here Mink. Thanks! Hope you don't mind I edited your comment down just a bit only to reply that your comments made me think of this next topic I'm soon to start in another thread. Thanks again.
The source that you provided didn't say what you said it it said. Perhaps you didn't read the whole article, but I will remember that you accept Wikipedia as a reliable source in the future.
Wiki puts the highest estimates at 3,000-5,000 executions. That figure assumes thousands of undocumented executions (quite an assumption!). There is a chart that shows the documented cases by Tribunal, and it puts the figure at 1,303 executed between 1540-1700, with an additional 111 executions between 1701-1746.
But I shouldn't have to be breaking this down for you...
Yeah, I've heard some of these so-called "better" explanations, such as, the world exists 'at RANDOM'...
...which hardly sounds like a 'better' explanation to ME.
But an intelligence with no brain just knowing things is?
Bravo! Like I am always suggesting as well. We should be able to consider ALL the "good, bad and ugly" if we are in any way wanting to pass sound objective judgement about anything.
You're right. We should.
But Thrill's contention is that since the world DOES have all these issues...and that since we have all these issues, there must not be a 'God' who doesn't care about us...let's just take God out of the equation for a moment...
For now, there's no God.
Yet, we still have all these issues! Thrill sees the proposed OP issue as God having created a natural substance that can be used to wipe out mankind. But if there's no God...we're still left with the same problem. Only instead of blaming God, who's LEFT to blame?
Even if there's no God, there's still greed...and hate...and narcissism...and a desire for power....
What about what's been happening in Medjugorje for the last 20+ years?
Yeah..., no..., I'm talking about miracles actually happening and really well documented. I'm not talking about the many sorts of things people come to believe without that sort of evidence and well documented proof. Even the Vatican research on Medjugorje is inconclusive (and hardly considered worth researching outside the more fundamental Catholic community). I think I've shared that great TED Talk video that is about "why people believe weird things" so I won't do so again.
Unless anyone is interested who hasn't seen it already. Just let me know...
Impressive collection of reply here Mink. Thanks! Hope you don't mind I edited your comment down just a bit only to reply that your comments made me think of this next topic I'm soon to start in another thread. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
LearnMe
LOL! Thanks. Had some catching up to do. Looking forward to your next topic!
You don't believe in witchcraft? I do. I also believe in the Biblical miracles.
Are you serious? Yes we do!
Miracles have never been a "dime a dozen". I think you don't know where to look. I'm not sure it matters though. If you don't believe in miracles of the past, why would you believe in miracles of the present?
It's only the most recent generations that have been predisposed to disbelieve in the supernatural. It's an interesting phenomenon, this era of materialistic* unbelief in which we're living.
Seriously? You believe all those people who were burned at the stake were actually witches? Or are you now selectively believing what you want and forgetting about all those "well documented" cases?
Believing some of these things can be a very dangerous thing. As I'm sure those "witches" would like to tell you. Sure seems to me you are one of those who are part of that problem.
Wiki puts the highest estimates at 3,000-5,000 executions. That figure assumes thousands of undocumented executions (quite an assumption!). There is a chart that shows the documented cases by Tribunal, and it puts the figure at 1,303 executed between 1540-1700, with an additional 111 executions between 1701-1746.
But I shouldn't have to be breaking this down for you...
I can't help but point out as one who has read a fair amount about world history, there have been a great many murders committed because of a belief in a god. I won't bother to make an attempt to come up with a number, but I think "countless" is close to the mark. Killed for a variety of reasons stemming from wanting to please a god, wanting to bring about good weather or end bad circumstances, wanting to kill people possessed by the devil or evil of some sort. Not to mention the many who have been killed as a result of the frictions religion has created in another wide variety of ways, including the friction between competing religions.
All on man of course. Not a god, because, hello? It's all man made!
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Some people have GREAT luck (my late husband was one of those people). But having 'good luck' HERE and NOW, doesn't necessarily mean that God 'favors' them. One can have good luck and win the lottery today...make some bad decisions, and end up a pauper several years later. 
