Atheist zealots a heavy cross to bear

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by weateallthepies

This just moves us into the cherry picker's favourite line that it's "just a metaphor" whilst on the other hand asking us to accept other passages as fact.

How do you know which is which?

I'm just speculating on how I think it may work. Obviously the game God plays is not a game, but as science shows there are rules that he apparently decides to operate within. But thats a good thing. In order for Choice, which is the key aspect of our existence, to have its meaning its very important that there be effects to causes in the universe. Otherwise there could be no real example of people who chose morality as a way of life. Get it people, Gods plan is something about getting us to choose to be moral. And the universe is set up, it seems, to facilitate that choice. God only has use for those folks. The rest burn in hell. I don't know maybe as a designer God is trying to constantly improve his designs, and incorporating choice into the equation is the important improvement.

If you were trying to design an intelligent computer, machines that regularly lied and acted on evil whims would be fairly useless to us. If the computer was intelligent it would have to be able to choose actions and weigh out consequences. And the only point in having that machine would be to have ones which chose for the Good.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

terrazoids... you just don't get it. From he lack of evidence you provide for her existence, god is as scary as the tooth fairy.

When that tooth fairy comes for you it aint money thats going to appear under your pillow...

[sweevo]

The only challenge to atheism would be evidence for theism. So far, there is none.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by Lo Zeno

You know that Christians aren't the only one who send out missionaries and "do good onto others", don't you?



Did you read the word Empire that I wrote? No?
Did you read about Chinese philosophy? No?
Did you know that the Greek, too, started out as tribes, yet they developed the roots of Western philosophy? No?
Did you know that in Palestine the Hebrew were tribes of herders too, and despite that the Bible claims that God chose them as their favourite people?
No?
I guess you don't.

You guess wrong. All societies started as tribes. And my point is there are no examples of true atheists at that point or subsequently until the 16th century.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by Graham

Let's reflect on this thread so far. Since Terrazoids has been largely unsupported, the challenges to his/her faith have tended to outweigh the challenges to atheism, but Terrazoids' armour of faith has proved very hard to shift, so the zealotry has grown more aggressive on the atheist side.

There's little sign though that aggressive atheist zealotry will ever shift Terrazoids' faith. By extrapolation, perhaps we can now agree that atheist zealotry is a heavy cross to bear?

But could a myriad small quiet voices of reason fare any better?

Graham

very good... very good . Athiest zealotry is indeed a heavy cross to bear. And it just weighs you down lower and lower.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by terrazoids

Is it really so nutty what I'm talking about? By the way, does anyone here actually understand what I'm talking about?

Yes and yes.

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by Graham

By extrapolation, perhaps we can now agree that atheist zealotry is a heavy cross to bear?

Could we remove the word "atheist" from that sentence? It doesn't really matter what flavor zealotry is, it always is a burden.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by terrazoids

You need to get out and start helping other people without condition. Then you'll know whos lying and whos telling the truth.

I'm going to refer you back to the Buddhist (and atheist) Thich Nhat Han and your earlier reply.

Originally Posted by terrazoids

So lets see…. hmm …. hum de dum .. people mentioned Buddhism. Ok so you managed to empty your head…. Then what?! ! Just sounds like a waste of time that could be spent doing things like, hmm maybe… HELPING other folks? Common people really, oh and by the way I wouldn't let someone called "Snitch Nhat Han " out of my sight for one little second let alone read a book by him.

Please read up on Thich Nhat Han and reflect on whether you, or anyone you know, have helped as many people.

Martin Luther King didn't nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize without good cause.

Graham

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by Graham

Let's reflect on this thread so far. Since Terrazoids has been largely unsupported, the challenges to his/her faith have tended to outweigh the challenges to atheism, but Terrazoids' armour of faith has proved very hard to shift, so the zealotry has grown more aggressive on the atheist side.

There's little sign though that aggressive atheist zealotry will ever shift Terrazoids' faith. By extrapolation, perhaps we can now agree that atheist zealotry is a heavy cross to bear?

But could a myriad small quiet voices of reason fare any better?

Graham

Its interesting to me that so far the more analytical types in this forum are attracted to the Old Testament to try and disprove. Us religious types are more interested in how we behave and act in the world rather than wasting time trying to attack others and score points. As an atheist, you need to justify your position. You need to attack. I don't.

[sweevo]

Originally Posted by terrazoids

As an atheist, you need to justify your position. You need to attack. I don't.

No, we just need to point out that there is no evidence whatsoever for your claims.

I don't need to attack any more than somebody who doesn't believe in pixies needs to attack somebody who insanely claims, without any evidence, that pixies exist - just to point out the utter lack of evidence that makes the belief in pixies insane.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by Graham

I'm going to refer you back to the Buddhist (and atheist) Thich Nhat Han and your earlier reply.




Please read up on Thich Nhat Han and reflect on whether you, or anyone you know, have helped as many people.

Martin Luther King didn't nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize without good cause.

Graham

Like I said I'm deeply suspicious of people called Thich Han, why, you might as well be called Han Solo! Anyway. HA! Buddhism! What a waste of time!

People hanging around taking other folks food for free while they apparently spend their whole life trying to gain some 'Enlightenment'. Gee whiz, and when they're done, they're so spaced out they get up from under the tree and stand in the same spot staring into space for 6 days! Oh yeah, and then theres all those Buddhist kingdoms, of which Tibet was one, that regularly practiced serfdom, child slavery, and sick stuff like brothers sharing one wife. I once met a Buddhist monk from Bhutan who used to brag that at night he'd go around sleeping with girls at nightclubs, and in the day wander the forest begging for rice with a rice bowl. Wow. Its funny how people have come to think so highly of Buddhism since a number of hollywood types got involved. While you're at it why not believe in the alien overlord Zeno! And be a scientologist!

Yeah sure... Keep meditating. And become enlightened by reading books by Han Solo! Funny...

[sweevo]

Originally Posted by Graham

Please read up on Thich Nhat Han and reflect on whether you, or anyone you know, have helped as many people.

So that's what terrazoids meant. The appeal to ridicule logical fallacy.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by sweevo

No, we just need to point out that there is no evidence whatsoever for your claims.

I don't need to attack any more than somebody who doesn't believe in pixies needs to attack somebody who insanely claims, without any evidence, that pixies exist - just to point out the utter lack of evidence that makes the belief in pixies insane.

Get on your knees and pray right now. This instant. Do it with all your heart and you'll get your evidence.

[terrazoids]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yes and yes.

So what am I talking about then?

[sweevo]

Originally Posted by terrazoids

Like I said I'm deeply suspicious of people called Thich Han, why, you might as well be called Han Solo!

Does your Jesus approve of making fun of the names of people of other cultures?