Comments on: Humans FTW! Sky-Bully FTL!

By: dk

dk — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:45:29 +0000

Two comments to add to this thread …

(a) there are lots of rational discussion on non-theism in the US, but mostly on the coast, away from our very special regiously nuts

(b) I believe that God is zero divided by zero

By: Gazhay

Gazhay — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:35:08 +0000

@Jess : Does personal experience on both coasts not count?
Ignorant generalization? No. Small sample size? Yes.

I also think all French people are obnoxious, but again that’s because I worked with a large number of rude Frenchmen.

You also cannot deny most of the 80′s propeganda on the subject.

By: Stray Taoist

Stray Taoist — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:26:45 +0000

I do believe you are all stuck in the late 18th century (very) Western European concept of God.

Before anyone goes any further, put your prejudices down, step away from the web and check your premises. There are *thousands* of years of different theological schools of thought on all this, yet you (we) always focus on a very late interpretation. Arrogant, no? Even most _Christians_ don’t know much of the split in the Orthodoxy (aside from ‘themmuns sometimes have big and impressive beards’), let along what happened before the political council of Nicaea that set the *snip lots of stuff*

But moon ponies? Where can I gets me one of those?

By: darrylxxx

darrylxxx — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:06:06 +0000

@Rissko I don’t think it can be debunked his side of the second coming or irrefutable proof… that’s the point. I believe/wager that an omniscient being exists that takes many forms. And no, I don’t feel the need to bow down to all forms equally. Also I don’t believe there is such a thing as a “correct god”, just the possibility or likelihood of A god… and yes, he probably sees right through me!

By: mj

mj — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:27:01 +0000

Except I read too many “Thank God” and references to miracles.

By: andrewgdotcom

andrewgdotcom — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:06:48 +0000

I think you’re reading too much into the use of the word “miracle”. In everyday discourse, it has ceased to mean “act of God” and now merely means “something incredibly unlikely”.

By: mj

mj — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:50:30 +0000

I think the essential issue is that Faith/Belief is not a choice – it’s like many things – you can pass through phases.

I believed in God when I was a young child because I had no doubt he existed. I also had no doubt in Santa.

As I grew up, I lost that belief because my rational mind refused it. If somehow my rational mind is subverted (or damaged), then possibly my faith in God will return. I cannot choose to believe in God any more than I can choose to believe in Santa, moon ponies or a free lunch.

So, yes, it may seem that I’m positing that to believe in God you have to be brain-damaged or infantile.

By: Rissko

Rissko — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:26:18 +0000

Darrylxxx – I think this wager is firmly debunked.
How do you know you are wagering on the existence of the correct God? Or perhaps you believe in all Gods equally? In which case don’t forget it is Woden’s Day tomorrow, remember to make your offerings!

Or even if you have managed to pick the one true God to worship, then given that he is omniscient, will he not see through such fence-sitting trickery?

By: darrylxxx

darrylxxx — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:48:10 +0000

I’m with Blaise Pascal on this one – I wager the existence of God…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_Wager

By: John C. Welch

John C. Welch — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:46:26 +0000

actually, these days, I wish it was back to “atheism = communism”. Nowadays it’s “atheism = ATTACK THEM AND DRIVE THEM FROM THE SIGHT OF DECENT GOD-FEARIN’ FOLKS!!!!”