Christians are easily startled, but they'll soon be back. And in greater numbers 36:11

[Gethelred]

Welcome to the Ask an Atheist thread II.

Previous part:

Win Prizes - Ask an Atheist - Shoe's on the other foot now!

Alright, we're going to have a change of tack. As I'm sure you can see, the thread title has been changed to Ask an Atheist. People who have a question to ask of the atheists who populate this thread - more than the christians do - should feel free to ask questions of them. If you've still got...

www.bigfooty.com

Standard board rules apply.

 

[liz]

The fantasy is basically the same.

Not really, other than to the extent that all fantasy is fantastical.

 

[Total Power]

Again, once your standpoint is that you KNOW Christianity is not for you, Apologetics will not do it for you. That is clearly the reverse situation to your point that once you're a believer, there's no way out.

There always is a way out, but you are too stubborn to know otherwise. So why say he's a brilliant writer? if his only target audience are Christians, he's hardly a brilliant writer and please note, he is also heavily criticised within the Christian world. A brilliant writer should be for all kinds of audiences. Not just a specific one. He says science should fit into Christianity, i don't know anyone with a semblance of education would agree. But religion does that to you..it switches off that part of the brain.

Lewis a very ordinary writer. Even Tolkien, a devout Catholic, disliked Lewis's Narnia series because of all the forced Christian allegory and apologetics in them. But Mere Christianity is a fiction writer trying to come off as an academic while posturing apologetic arguments that are inherently flawed. (I listed a few of them in my earlier posts, as usual, you ignored all of them and carried on with your posts).

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

A decapitated doll and a prayer for my death: The many, many threats of the Exclusive Brethren

A parcel mailed to me at The Age office contained a small, blonde female doll, its head had been ripped from its shoulders. It wasn’t the only threat the members of the Exclusive Brethren had made against me.

www.smh.com.au

Oh so very Christ-like.

I don’t see why I should pay any attention to someone proclaiming the goodness of Christianity while this sort of thing goes on by Christians.

 

[Vdubs]

A decapitated doll and a prayer for my death: The many, many threats of the Exclusive Brethren

A parcel mailed to me at The Age office contained a small, blonde female doll, its head had been ripped from its shoulders. It wasn’t the only threat the members of the Exclusive Brethren had made against me.

www.smh.com.au

Oh so very Christ-like.

I don’t see why I should pay any attention to someone proclaiming the goodness of Christianity while this sort of thing goes on by Christians.

Why always focus on extreme nutters like this, as if they represent global Christianity

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Why always focus on extreme nutters like this, as if they represent global Christianity

Because Christians tell us they’re “saved” from not being Christian.

Also, because it’s quite wicked and undemocratic, the amount of behind-the-scenes influence this mob have.

All very well for them to abjure voting, but that doesn’t give them the right to circumvent it for everyone else.

As you read the article, did it not alarm you to see the degree to which politicians and the police seem to do their bidding?

 

[Boston tiger]

Atheism
By
Rowe, William


Atheism is the position that affirms the nonexistence of God. It proposes positive disbelief rather than mere suspension of belief.
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy

 

[GrayRanga]

Because Christians tell us they’re “saved” from not being Christian.

Also, because it’s quite wicked and undemocratic, the amount of behind-the-scenes influence this mob have.

All very well for them to abjure voting, but that doesn’t give them the right to circumvent it for everyone else.

As you read the article, did it not alarm you to see the degree to which politicians and the police seem to do their bidding?

Many years ago (and in a previous job), I was tasked to take minutes of a number of interviews with prisoners in the sex offender section of a protection prison.

Over dinner that night (after we had all had long showers to try and cleanse our minds of what we had heard), somebody asked rhetorically why so many of those interviewed had found religion whilst inside,

The most religious of the interviewers expressed (possibly semi cynically ) the mainstream religious approach, that that by finding God their sins were assuaged and they could put their sinful life behind them to start afresh.

The most senior, cynical and world weary of the interviewers expressed a diffferent opinion

1 They believed that expressing a new found religious belief it may help the propects of their release.

2 Churches are full of recently divorced or separated single mums seeking help from the Church community

3 In a Church community, a male may not be expected to quickly form a sexual relationship with the mum and his positive attitude towards the children was percieved part of a deeper support for her

4 Should he submit to the enticement of pre-pubescent children in his care, he could just ask for forgiveness from God until the next time he succumbed

5 Churches are happy hunting grounds for paedophiles

 

[evolved2]

Atheism
By
Rowe, William


Atheism is the position that affirms the nonexistence of God. It proposes positive disbelief rather than mere suspension of belief.
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy

That's not really true in practice. Belief is on a spectrum. Some theists have more faith than others, don't they? In the same way, some atheists strongly disbelieve, some aren't convinced, and some are apathetic.

1. Strong theist. 100% probability of God. In the words of Carl Jung: "I do not believe, I know."
2. De facto theist. Very high probability but short of 100%. "I don't know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there."
3. Leaning towards theism. Higher than 50% but not very high. "I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God."
4. Completely impartial. Exactly 50%. "God's existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable."
5. Leaning towards atheism. Lower than 50% but not very low. "I do not know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be skeptical."
6. De facto atheist. Very low probability, but short of zero. "I don't know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there."
7. Strong atheist. "I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung knows there is one."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrum_of_theistic_probability

Then you have ignosticism which I also view as a form of atheism.

Ignosticism - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Total Power]

Atheism
By
Rowe, William


Atheism is the position that affirms the nonexistence of God. It proposes positive disbelief rather than mere suspension of belief.
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy

im a non-smoker. I acknowledge that doesn't tell you about my overall health or what other vices I might have. But it isn't supposed to do that. Other labels can accomplish that.

Im an atheist because I lack a belief in any of the gods that are claimed to exist by religions. And until such time as credible and verifiable evidence (and to an extent, UNIQUE to that particular religion, where the followers of that particular religion experienced it only) for deities is presented there is no reason to pretend they do.

Saying Jesus heard me and changed me life is not credible nor unique. God has better things to 'save' than your privileged first world life.

 

[evolved2]

im a non-smoker. I acknowledge that doesn't tell you about my overall health or what other vices I might have. But it isn't supposed to do that. Other labels can accomplish that.

Im an atheist because I lack a belief in any of the gods that are claimed to exist by religions. And until such time as credible and verifiable evidence (and to an extent, UNIQUE to that particular religion, where the followers of that particular religion experienced it only) for deities is presented there is no reason to pretend they do.

Saying Jesus heard me and changed me life is not credible nor unique. God has better things to 'save' than your privileged first world life.

You'll smoke in Hell!

Not gonna lie, Christians and Muslims make me hope the afterlife is real.

 

[Total Power]

Not gonna lie, Christians and Muslims make me hope the afterlife is real.

Why are so many heathens so desperate to live on?

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

You'll smoke in Hell!

Not gonna lie, Christians and Muslims make me hope the afterlife is real.

Heaven sounds like a really good place to put all the Christians.

 

[sdfc]

Seems like a choice between an old man in the sky or nothingness after we die.

 

[evolved2]

Seems like a choice between an old man in the sky or nothingness after we die.

Choice is an illusion.

 

[sdfc]

Choice is an illusion.

That's a copout. It's ok to say you think we cease to exist after we die or you find it pointless to contemplate.