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A question for theists...

  • 26-10-2007 11:56am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    One of the things atheists are regularly criticized for are statements along the lines of 'but how can you believe something so stupid?'.

    What I'd like to ask is: can you see why an atheist/agnostic sees it as stupid to believe in a deity?


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,220 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Wouldn't this have been more appropriate in one of the believers foras? Or do they come in here too?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,857 ✭✭✭✭Dave!


    biko wrote: »
    Wouldn't this have been more appropriate in one of the believers foras? Or do they come in here too?
    The more masochistic of them come here regularly ;) And the more masochistic of atheists often go there :p


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    Sleepy wrote:
    can you see why an atheist/agnostic sees it as stupid to believe in a deity?
    I'd like to personally distance myself from that oddly put question, while respecting Sleepy's right to ask it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    Sleepy wrote: »
    One of the things atheists are regularly criticized for are statements along the lines of 'but how can you believe something so stupid?'.

    What I'd like to ask is: can you see why an atheist/agnostic sees it as stupid to believe in a deity?

    I suppose it would be important to separate out the difference between a stupid idea and a stupid person.

    I think the ideas of western religion are stupid. Its nonsense, an all powerful supreme being decides to meddle around with gardens in the middle east, sending his "son" down to be tortured to death to save us from sin. Nonsense. I'm sure it made sense to the group of nomadic herders in the middle east when the universe was a few thousand miles long and they believed only a handful of people existed with the heavens being really near.

    I don't believe theists who believe this are stupid though.

    I believe that they compartmentalize and convince themselves that this does actually make sense because they want it to be true so badly that they let the idiotic nature of the stories slide.

    An example I've used in the past is the mother who is convinced her son is innocent of some crime, despite the mountains of evidence that he is guilty. The mother isn't stupid. She doesn't believe her sons bullsh*t story about the police framing him because she has a few marbles lose. She convinces herself that this story of his makes sense because she wants it to be true, the alternative is not something she is prepared to face.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    That's pretty much my understanding of it too Wicknight, otherwise smart people choosing to ignore logic and reason for whatever reason they so badly want to believe in a god.

    What I'm wondering is does someone who's made this choice realise why others consider what they're choosing to believe to be so stupid.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,371 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    Most of them aren't stupid, they're a special kind of crazy. Head-fected with ancient evil.

    Oh yes :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    Zillah wrote: »
    Most of them aren't stupid, they're a special kind of crazy. Head-fected with ancient evil.

    Oh yes :)

    Damn my ears were burning, now I know why.

    Hi Zillah!
    Sleepy wrote: »
    One of the things atheists are regularly criticized for are statements along the lines of 'but how can you believe something so stupid?'.

    It does happen and I consider it rude but not as rude as those that say a person is stupid or thick for having faith or a belief in deity.

    It is one thing to say a persons opinion is stupid while respecting their right to have an opinion even if it is stupid it is another thing entirely to say that they are stupid for having that opinion.

    Zillah wrote: »
    What I'd like to ask is: can you see why an atheist/agnostic sees it as stupid to believe in a deity?

    Yep and that opinion is as far as I am concerned the same as a christian saying that my Gods are satan or that thier god is the only one.

    I don't are if they think that it is silly to have the beliefs that I have but there is a difference between saying that and saying I am uninformed, un enlightened or thick or backward.

    I don't expect people who have not had the same experience I have to understand my life why I do the things I do, believe the things I believe.

    Thats fine if a person wants to think that all gods are peoples imaginary friends but there is no need to be rude about it.

    Respect goes a long way in dealing with people wether that be respecting that someone has faith or respecting that they do not.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    Sleepy wrote: »
    What I'd like to ask is: can you see why an atheist/agnostic sees it as stupid to believe in a deity?

    Yes I can see why they think that. But I try to look beyond their bigotry and debate with them instead. :)


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,427 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    PDN wrote:
    But I try to look beyond their bigotry
    Have you ever seriously considered that we might be closer to the truth than you?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,186 ✭✭✭✭Sangre


    what has bigotry got to do with it?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    Sangre wrote: »
    what has bigotry got to do with it?

    That's the usual reason why anyone thinks others are stupid for believing something different.

    If a Christian thinks atheists are stupid then I think bigotry is the reason. The same goes for Jews who think Muslims are stupid. It also applies to atheists who think theists are stupid.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    robindch wrote: »
    Have you ever seriously considered that we might be closer to the truth than you?

    Of course. I would be a bigot not to consider such a possibility. However, I don't think that is the case.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    Nowhere in my initial post did I say theists were stupid.

    I do consider faith to be stupid in the sense that it's completely based on choosing to believe what you want to.

    If anyone could give me a logical defense for the existence of a deity, I might give their ideas more credence but I've yet to come across anyone capable of doing even this much, never mind providing a rational for believing that their particular religion (or their personal variation of that religion) is the "right" one.

    I can understand someone being frightened of mortality, feeling like they need a crutch in life or simply wanting to believe in a nice promise to the point that they'll choose to believe it. What I'm wondering is can those that do make these choices see why someone else might consider it silly?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    Sleepy wrote: »
    That's pretty much my understanding of it too Wicknight, otherwise smart people choosing to ignore logic and reason for whatever reason they so badly want to believe in a god.

    What I'm wondering is does someone who's made this choice realise why others consider what they're choosing to believe to be so stupid.

    Yeah its an interesting question.

    TBH I'm amazed that theists believe the stuff they do, like on the Creationists thread. I cannot fathom how they can say some of the stuff they say without realising that it is nonsense. Which is where the compartmentalisation comes in. I think part of them does realise its nonsense, yet another part, the part that would be effected by that, just shuts itself off from this.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    PDN wrote: »
    That's the usual reason why anyone thinks others are stupid for believing something different.

    Sleepy doesn't think you are stupid. He thinks the things you believe in are stupid.

    The question then is why then do you believe in stupid things.

    And as I mentioned its probably not because you have rationally looked at these things (you aren't stupid after all), but for other reason such as the desire for these things to be true, that lets you by-pass the ridiculousness of it all and just accept it as is.

    It does get interesting though when theists attempt to rationalise their beliefs. A classic example is BC trying to argue that the fact that no Roman's or Jews recorded that Jesus didn't resurrect is strong evidence that he did in fact resurrect.

    Now that is, to put it mildly, a stupid argument. Its a nonsense argument. Its like saying that if you don't record now that I'm not levitating my cat with my mind that is evidence I was levitating my cat with my mind.

    That is not to say BC is stupid for accepting it, because he is not accepting it as an act of rational thought. He is accepting it because he is trying to convince himself that his beliefs are some way supported, again in the same way that a mother may try and convince herself that the police are framing her criminal son.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    Wicknight wrote: »
    Sleepy doesn't think you are stupid. He thinks the things you believe in are stupid.

    The question then is why then do you believe in stupid things.

    Little bit of a leap of logic there.

    The question is why do you & Sleepy (include as many of the 7 dwarfs as you wish, although I would guess you think Dopey is a theist) believe opposing viewpoints to be stupid.

    There are several possible answers.
    1. You may be exceptionally wise and well informed and therefore all other belief systems apart from your own really are stupid.
    2. You may only think you are exceptionally wise and well informed, in which case your arrogance blinds you to the truth in other belief systems.
    3. You may be bigoted against other belief systems (dragged unwillingly to mass too many times) and therefore are unwilling to acknowledge the truth in other belief systems.

    I suspect, if we were so inclined, we could fill many pages of a long and meandering thread debating which of these possibilities are actually correct.
    And as I mentioned its probably not because you have rationally looked at these things (you aren't stupid after all), but for other reason such as the desire for these things to be true, that lets you by-pass the ridiculousness of it all and just accept it as is.

    Of course it is equally possible that your desire for certain things not to be true causes you to reject them and to characterise them as stupid.

    If I was indulging in wishful thinking then I would be a Unitarian/Universalist. I would not for a minute choose to believe that people I love are going to hell because I 'desire such things to be true'. Instead I would believe in a religion where there is no hell, where I could drink and fornicate as much as I wanted with no adverse consequences, and where everyone else would have to make regular large financial contributions to PDN.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 305 ✭✭Shane_C


    Dades wrote: »
    I'd like to personally distance myself from that oddly put question, while respecting Sleepy's right to ask it.

    Good answer :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    PDN wrote: »
    If I was indulging in wishful thinking then I would be a Unitarian/Universalist. I would not for a minute choose to believe that people I love are going to hell because I 'desire such things to be true'. Instead I would believe in a religion where there is no hell, where I could drink and fornicate as much as I wanted with no adverse consequences, and where everyone else would have to make regular large financial contributions to PDN.

    TV evangelist, then.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    Scofflaw wrote: »
    TV evangelist, then.
    :)

    Or Pope.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    PDN wrote: »
    :)

    Or Pope.

    Ah, the good old Borgias! You're living in the past, to quote the song.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,371 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    Thaedydal wrote: »
    Damn my ears were burning, now I know why.

    Hi Zillah!

    Hi :D
    Thaedydal wrote:
    Zillah wrote:
    What I'd like to ask is: can you see why an atheist/agnostic sees it as stupid to believe in a deity?

    Libel!
    PDN wrote:
    That's the usual reason why anyone thinks others are stupid for believing something different.

    Or, y'know, evidence. Or the entire lack thereof.

    Tell me, if I were to assert that cats and dogs were different breeds of the same species, would it be bigoted of someone to consider me stupid or ignorant for believing such a thing? I assume not. Why then, do claims gain a special place free of such judgement once they involve the man in the sky?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    PDN wrote: »
    Of course it is equally possible that your desire for certain things not to be true causes you to reject them and to characterise them as stupid.

    Say me and Sleepy are bigoted. Say we are self hating atheists who long for the loving hand of God that Christians claim to experience. Does that mean the beliefs of your religion aren't stupid? No, it actually has no effect on that either way.

    And I think you release that, which is why you are trying to make the issue about bigotry in the hope that me and Sleepy wont' continue lest it appear that we are bigoted.

    The question is how do you not realise that is what you are doing?

    This type of thing happens all the time in the Creationists thread. JC or Wolfsbane will come up with some new convoluted argument as to why the big bang has been disproved by a paper some grad student published in 1967.

    The question the rest of us reading that are left thinking is how do they not realise how stupid that argument is. They publicly state that its not stupid at all, often with a "ha we have disproved evolution!" That might be the public face of their argument, but internally they must on some level realise that is they are resorting to this the foundation of their beliefs has a problem.
    PDN wrote: »
    If I was indulging in wishful thinking then I would be a Unitarian/Universalist. I would not for a minute choose to believe that people I love are going to hell because I 'desire such things to be true'.

    Of course you would.

    The foundation of all religion is the idea that there is something wrong with us, all of us. The religion then places itself as a force that can fix or save us from this.

    Most people, on some level, believe that there is something wrong with them, even if they recognise this is not a rational belief. A super model will look into a mirror and see someone ugly. The kindest man in the world frets over how rude he was to the bus driver. The only people who don't worry about what they perceive is wrong with them are psychopaths.

    Religion feeds on this, and manipulates it. Offers supernatural solutions to very ordinary problems, such as loneliness, fear, anger, pain.

    Of course you believe that people you love are going to hell because you believe you aren't For you to be save some people must not be saved, because otherwise there would be no processes to your salvation. You need to believe that you are saved from what ever it is that you fear about life and want to be saved from.

    The ultimate question though is how do you not know this is what you are doing?

    I honestly don't understand, and I don't think Sleepy does either. Of course by the virtue that you appear not to realise this you aren't in the best position to tell us. But for atheists like myself it is fascinating.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,925 ✭✭✭aidan24326


    Scofflaw wrote: »
    TV evangelist, then.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw

    He does tick alot of the boxes...

    PDN I look forward to seeing you on the god channel sometime soon.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    PDN wrote: »
    Little bit of a leap of logic there.

    The question is why do you & Sleepy (include as many of the 7 dwarfs as you wish, although I would guess you think Dopey is a theist) believe opposing viewpoints to be stupid.

    There are several possible answers.
    1. You may be exceptionally wise and well informed and therefore all other belief systems apart from your own really are stupid.
    2. You may only think you are exceptionally wise and well informed, in which case your arrogance blinds you to the truth in other belief systems.
    3. You may be bigoted against other belief systems (dragged unwillingly to mass too many times) and therefore are unwilling to acknowledge the truth in other belief systems.

    I suspect, if we were so inclined, we could fill many pages of a long and meandering thread debating which of these possibilities are actually correct.

    Of course it is equally possible that your desire for certain things not to be true causes you to reject them and to characterise them as stupid.

    If I was indulging in wishful thinking then I would be a Unitarian/Universalist. I would not for a minute choose to believe that people I love are going to hell because I 'desire such things to be true'. Instead I would believe in a religion where there is no hell, where I could drink and fornicate as much as I wanted with no adverse consequences, and where everyone else would have to make regular large financial contributions to PDN.
    If considering your beliefs to be stupid makes me a bigot, sure I'm a bigot. I don't hate you for having them, consider them to make you a bad or inherrantly stupid person but I do reserve the right to call them stupid.

    I do find your choice of wording quite interesting to be honest. I'm a 'bigot' for calling your religion bunkem and 'unable to acknowledge the truth' in belief systems because I'm either arrogant or I was dragged to church too many times. The notion that I've just looked at the facts, available evidence (or lack thereof) applied logic and reason and adopted the only sensible position on the matter is elevated to 'exceptional' wisdom while you relegate atheism/agnosticism to a 'belief system' in an attempt to make them sound like theisms.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,580 ✭✭✭Splendour


    Sleepy wrote: »
    One of the things atheists are regularly criticized for are statements along the lines of 'but how can you believe something so stupid?'.

    What I'd like to ask is: can you see why an atheist/agnostic sees it as stupid to believe in a deity?


    Yep, as a Christian I can totally understand this as we are told in 1 Corinthians 1,18:

    "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

    So it is perfectly acceptable for an athiest to think that believing in the God as stupid. But we're 'fools for Christ' and that's fine with me... :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    Splendour wrote: »
    Yep, as a Christian I can totally understand this as we are told in 1 Corinthians 1,18:

    "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

    So it is perfectly acceptable for an athiest to think that believing in the God as stupid. But we're 'fools for Christ' and that's fine with me... :)

    "Because it says so in the Bible" isn't really understanding, is it?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    PDN wrote: »
    Little bit of a leap of logic there.

    The question is why do you & Sleepy (include as many of the 7 dwarfs as you wish, although I would guess you think Dopey is a theist) believe opposing viewpoints to be stupid.

    There are several possible answers.
    1. You may be exceptionally wise and well informed and therefore all other belief systems apart from your own really are stupid.
    2. You may only think you are exceptionally wise and well informed, in which case your arrogance blinds you to the truth in other belief systems.
    3. You may be bigoted against other belief systems (dragged unwillingly to mass too many times) and therefore are unwilling to acknowledge the truth in other belief systems.

    I suspect, if we were so inclined, we could fill many pages of a long and meandering thread debating which of these possibilities are actually correct.

    your assumptions are based on atheist being a belief system ,and there is such a thing as valid belief systems, you know better so you're just being ....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    your assumptions are based on atheist being a belief system ,and there is such a thing as valid belief systems, you know better so you're just being ....

    No, my assumption is based on Wicknight's beliefs constituting a belief system. Of course I may be mistaken and there may be no coherency to his beliefs whatsoever. He may just believe a lot of random and contradictory stuff in which case he would have no belief system and your criticism would be justified.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    PDN wrote: »
    Little bit of a leap of logic there.

    If I was indulging in wishful thinking then I would be a Unitarian/Universalist. I would not for a minute choose to believe that people I love are going to hell because I 'desire such things to be true'. Instead I would believe in a religion where there is no hell, where I could drink and fornicate as much as I wanted with no adverse consequences, and where everyone else would have to make regular large financial contributions to PDN.

    see PDN here you go again , there's your religious beliefs and the real world where there can be consequences in this life for excesses.

    PDN you really do have a GOD complex.

    and don't quote the devil at me this time!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    see PDN here you go again , there's your religious beliefs and the real world where there can be consequences in this life for excesses.

    PDN you really do have a GOD complex.

    The quote of mine is clearly referring specifically to religious beliefs and the spiritual consequences of activities governed by religious beliefs.

    Of course physical and social consequences of excessive actions exist in everyday life, and those consequences may be beneficial or adverse depending on the culture. I thought that was obvious enough to go without saying, but I obviously underestimated the risk of anyone being either so desperate as to deliberately quote me out of context, or so dim as to genuinely not even get the context. I will try to spell it out more clearly next time.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,849 ✭✭✭condra


    What I'd like to ask is: can you see why an atheist/agnostic sees it as stupid to believe in a deity?

    Duh! Yes of course I can see why they see it as stupid, because everything has to make sense for them.

    It's called a leap of faith. If I didn't take a leap of faith, I might think that the Flying Spaghetti Monster (parmesan be upon him) was a silly concept, but I took the brave step and as a result my soul will be saved.

    Let me tell you now mister, not everything in life has to make sense.

    fsm.jpg


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    Sleepy wrote: »
    I do consider faith to be stupid in the sense that it's completely based on choosing to believe what you want to.

    What makes you think that people get a choice ?
    Sleepy wrote: »
    If anyone could give me a logical defense for the existence of a deity, I might give their ideas more credence but I've yet to come across anyone capable of doing even this much,

    Logical argument or a defence as they are quiet different.
    I know that for me it is logical as my own experiences and interactions
    have left me with no doubt that there are gods but they are subjective persona experiences and I know I can never explain them so that they mean the same to anyone else. I know that there are other people who have had similar experiences but they will never be exactly the same.

    Sleepy wrote: »
    never mind providing a rational for believing that their particular religion (or their personal variation of that religion) is the "right" one.

    I don't believe that at all. It is certainly "right" for me.
    Sleepy wrote: »
    What I'm wondering is can those that do make these choices see why someone else might consider it silly?

    I make choices all the time that people think silly but it is my life and as long as I am not harming others ( which is what socail morality is about ) so what if other think my choices are silly as long as they add to my happiness.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    Thaedydal wrote: »
    What makes you think that people get a choice ?
    Well, it's quite simple really. Unless someone accepts their parents' faith blindly (in which case their opinion is worthless) they have to examine their own beliefs. Any religion involving a deity or deities requires a leap of faith which is essentially someone deciding to believe in that deity or deities in spite of rational choice.
    Logical argument or a defence as they are quiet different.
    I know that for me it is logical as my own experiences and interactions
    have left me with no doubt that there are gods but they are subjective persona experiences and I know I can never explain them so that they mean the same to anyone else. I know that there are other people who have had similar experiences but they will never be exactly the same.
    I don't consider a defence that's not based in logical argument to hold any weight tbh.

    Saying that to you it is logical but it's something you can't explain sounds a little oxymoronic to me. If your beliefs were logical you could spell out the steps your reasoning took while determining to believe in your gods. An inability to do this would suggest that your beliefs are in fact illogical.
    I don't believe that at all. It is certainly "right" for me.
    This, I have to admit, I don't really understand but that's probably because I don't have a full understanding of your belief system (I know you believe in multiple deities and think you lean towards Wicca but that's about all I can remember from your postings on religion before). I am, however, interested to hear how you'd rationalise the ability for many religions to be right or indeed for personal religions to hold any value other than that of a placebo.
    I make choices all the time that people think silly but it is my life and as long as I am not harming others (which is what socail morality is about ) so what if other think my choices are silly as long as they add to my happiness.
    In this, we're in total agreement. As I suspect you know from your involvement in the educate together movement, however, most religions are rather vested interest groups in the societies of the countries in which they exist. When someone can acknowledge that their beliefs are illogical, can see why others may regard them as silly and don't try to force those beliefs on others I have no problem with them choosing to believe what I perceive to be silly if it makes their life a happier one.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    PDN wrote: »
    The quote of mine is clearly referring specifically to religious beliefs and the spiritual consequences of activities governed by religious beliefs.

    Of course physical and social consequences of excessive actions exist in everyday life, and those consequences may be beneficial or adverse depending on the culture. I thought that was obvious enough to go without saying, but I obviously underestimated the risk of anyone being either so desperate as to deliberately quote me out of context, or so dim as to genuinely not even get the context. I will try to spell it out more clearly next time.

    problem is PDN even your hypotheticals are outside reality.

    dim now is it rather then stupid?, thesaurus saves the day again.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 668 ✭✭✭karen3212


    problem is PDN even your hypotheticals are outside reality.

    dim now is it rather then stupid?, thesaurus saves the day again.


    :)forgive them, for they know not what they do:)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭Havermeyer


    Put it this way. If PDN was born in Iraq into a muslim family, would he still be such a devout christian?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    nummnutts wrote: »
    Put it this way. If PDN was born in Iraq into a muslim family, would he still be such a devout christian?

    As opposed to my being born in Western Europe into an atheist family? Wasn't that enough of a handicap for me to overcome without you going inventing even worse scenarios?


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    PDN wrote: »
    As opposed to my being born in Western Europe into an atheist family? Wasn't that enough of a handicap for me to overcome without you going inventing even worse scenarios?
    At least in your eyes we're not the worst possible scenario. ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,686 ✭✭✭✭PDN


    problem is PDN even your hypotheticals are outside reality.

    Good heavens! Hypotheticals that are outside reality. What crimes will I be guilty of next? Using figures of speech that are non-literal? Pausing while I use a comma?
    dim now is it rather then stupid?, thesaurus saves the day again.

    Well, I do believe that a broad vocabulary is an asset. "Stupid" would have done just as well, however. While I would not accuse someone of being stupid because of their beliefs, I would certainly assess someone as stupid based on their inability to master basic English or to engage sensibly in debate.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    PDN wrote: »
    He may just believe a lot of random and contradictory stuff

    Wouldn't that make me a Christian :D:eek::cool:


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    PDN wrote: »
    As opposed to my being born in Western Europe into an atheist family? Wasn't that enough of a handicap for me to overcome without you going inventing even worse scenarios?

    Bah, that's an easy one. Culturally, you're surrounded by Christianity, and any act that turned your head from your upbringing would naturally take you there, particularly if you actually mean 'non-worshipping' rather than 'atheist', as you often do.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭Havermeyer


    Bah, that's an easy one. Culturally, you're surrounded by Christianity, and any act that turned your head from your upbringing would naturally take you there, particularly if you actually mean 'non-worshipping' rather than 'atheist', as you often do.

    That's exactly what I was gonna say.


  • Posts: 0 CMod ✭✭✭✭ Kason Bitter Science


    Sleepy wrote: »
    Well, it's quite simple really. Unless someone accepts their parents' faith blindly (in which case their opinion is worthless) they have to examine their own beliefs. Any religion involving a deity or deities requires a leap of faith which is essentially someone deciding to believe in that deity or deities in spite of rational choice.
    Or perhaps they've had experiences that continually point them in the direction of a particular deity
    Saying that to you it is logical but it's something you can't explain sounds a little oxymoronic to me.
    Or lacking in sufficient eloquence
    or don't want to explain

    I am, however, interested to hear how you'd rationalise the ability for many religions to be right
    Different people worshiping different gods, doesn't mean the other gods don't exist


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    bluewolf wrote: »
    Or perhaps they've had experiences that continually point them in the direction of a particular deity
    Well, I'm not a qualified psychiatrist but I'd certainly recommend seeing one if you believe you're having that many experiences of divine intervention. Or do you mean choosing to attribute random chance/coincidences/things that you can't explain to the existence of a deity? Because that's rather illogical thinking
    Or lacking in sufficient eloquence
    or don't want to explain
    Thaed is certainly not a woman lacking in eloquence.

    Not wanting to explain? Well, why bother joining the discussion then?

    Different people worshiping different gods, doesn't mean the other gods don't exist
    Well, there's a bit of a problem there. Since they're all attributing their creation to different things (or indeed claiming that someone will suffer in 'the afterlife' for choosing to believe different things) someone's got to be wrong. Otherwise you're acknowledging that it's all wrong but that you believe in this because you want to and don't see any harm in others doing that too.

    The latter I agree with to an extent. That extent ends when you teach those beliefs to your children, to others or allow it to influence you politically i.e. it's fine for you to believe something nonsensical as long as you acknowledge it may be nonsense but it helps you in your own life.


  • Posts: 0 CMod ✭✭✭✭ Kason Bitter Science


    Sleepy wrote:

    Thaed is certainly not a woman lacking in eloquence.

    Well that's true of course, I was trying to give general answers(which I see now weren't great since I have a bad cold, sorry), not answer for her

    the rest I will have to get back to you on


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 287 ✭✭TheThing!


    "One of the things atheists are regularly criticized for are statements along the lines of 'but how can you believe something so stupid?" (Messed up the quote & 2 lazy to fix)

    Any atheist who comes out with a statement like that needs to have a long think about their beliefs. That statement is a logical fallacy, a classical argument from personal incredulity. Atheists are supposed to be the logical ones; they are the ones who are supposed to support their beliefs with solid arguments, leaving the flawed logic and intellectual dishonesty to the theists. However, stating that you are an atheist is slightly opening yourself up to attack as it is a belief which like theism requires a certain amount of faith. You are better off being rigorous and calling yourself an agnostic.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,857 ✭✭✭✭Dave!


    TheThing!, do you believe in astrology?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 287 ✭✭TheThing!


    DaveMcG wrote: »
    TheThing!, do you believe in astrology?

    No I don't, I am a skeptic, and I can see no evidence to make me believe in astrology


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    *takes ball and runs with it*
    TheThing! wrote: »
    No I don't, I am a skeptic, and I can see no evidence to make me believe in astrology
    Doesn't that require a certain amount of faith to believe that it's not bona fide?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    Dades wrote: »
    *takes ball and runs with it*

    Doesn't that require a certain amount of faith to believe that it's not bona fide?

    Aha, the classic "Doubt Takes Faith" opening. No doubt it will be countered by the equally classic "Imaginary Teapot" defence.

    It would certainly be nice to see this one played to a conclusion for once.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


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