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  1. AlexanderG

    Theology/Theologies. Are they all harmful by default?

    "Atheists don't like" "they want" "they desire." This false psychologizing is a good defense mechanism for the faithful, because it helps you stereotype everyone who disagrees with you as having ulterior motives and a bad character. It protects you from accepting that reasonable...
  2. AlexanderG

    Theology/Theologies. Are they all harmful by default?

    This is a cool thread and an interesting topic. As a skeptic and atheist, I think theology can only exist within a fundamentally flawed epistemology. If you accept that your theology is merely an exercise of your personal imagination, then it can be useful as an introspective tool. You can...
  3. AlexanderG

    Hypocrisy starts at the top?

    Thanks for this. You've described the chasm between theistic and non-theistic epistemology better than I ever could. And maybe both sides are projecting; we keep trying to reason with them, and they keep assuming that we're secretly driven by our emotions and desires when we are determining what...
  4. AlexanderG

    Hypocrisy starts at the top?

    Yes, this gets right to the topic at hand. My definition of love is a pattern of behavior: showing up, being there for someone, nurturing and comforting them, and putting their needs and wishes ahead of yours. Many Christians presuppose that god's actions reflect a mysterious understanding of...
  5. AlexanderG

    Hypocrisy starts at the top?

    Interesting. There's a lot of tension in your response and your "blessing of not knowing god," compared to many other Christians who talk about the close personal relationship they have with god, who is more real to them their own wife, etc. I'm not clear on how you can talk to someone daily...
  6. AlexanderG

    Hypocrisy starts at the top?

    I understand that the bible claims that god exists, and that he is perfect and gets to judge everyone, and gets to use physical violence to punish anyone who disobeys him, and any mistake is always our fault, never his. We should be so thankful for the love he gives us, because we're worthless...
  7. AlexanderG

    Hypocrisy starts at the top?

    1. Might makes right, in other words. Yes, I can imagine a much better standard. A standard that prioritizes the wellbeing of humans, for example, or a standard that prioritizes the least amount of involuntary violations of anyone's will, without their prior consent. There are an infinite number...
  8. AlexanderG

    Hypocrisy starts at the top?

    I'm saying that I wouldn't have any good reason to conclude that this god is either good or evil. That's the problem. I'm not concluding one way or the other, but pointing out the dilemma as an internal critique. And as I said before, "power" and "intelligent" have no relation to being good per...
  9. AlexanderG

    Then .... Now....

    Yep. All the American moralizing about the virtues of democracy suddenly goes silent, if a country has oil or enough money to invest in US arms sales. I'd like to see us putting a trade embargo on Saudi Arabia until their human rights progress to at least an 18th century equivalent, but that's...
  10. AlexanderG

    The unholy crisscrossing of mediums

    I've really been enjoying the Wheel of Time adaptation that was just released on Prime. This is an interesting example, because a subset of longtime fans of the book series appear to be enraged that the TV adaptation isn't exactly like the books, whereas a majority of fans are grateful and...
  11. AlexanderG

    The self learning swarm is here and it's going to get even smarter..

    "Used for population control"? What? "Impossible to kill?" Huh? AI is a tool like any other tool. You understand a knife more than you understand AI, and my guess is that you're filling in your ignorance with scenes from sci-fi horror movies or conspiracy websites, and working yourself up over...
  12. AlexanderG

    Hypocrisy starts at the top?

    Exactly. My point is that the "grand overview" that we can't see, or the "reason behind it" that we don't understand, could just be that your god is evil. Or he could be inexplicably good. Or be a gaslighting moral hypocrite. And you have absolutely no method to tell the difference or show the...
  13. AlexanderG

    Hypocrisy starts at the top?

    Interesting. Do you think that being a cosmic super-intelligence that creates universes would somehow prevent that person from being evil or malicious? Or imperfect? Or hypocritical? As @PureX said, many Christians consider their god to be "inexplicable," and it seems any number of vices could...
  14. AlexanderG

    Hypocrisy starts at the top?

    I'm wondering how theists, particular those within the Abrahamic traditions, deal with the apparent double standard between god and his creations for what qualifies as moral behavior. For example: 1. God says to love your enemies and turn the other cheek if you are struck, but god eternally...
  15. AlexanderG

    How to prove a personal god exists

    If your god interacts with reality in any reliably detectable way, then you should be able to predict and test this effect based on the understanding of your god. This would be evidence. Otherwise, if you only think your god affects your thoughts, feelings, and hopes, then it's...
  16. AlexanderG

    What are the differences between God and Jesus Christ?

    It is just an internal critique. It is the Christians who are promoting the notion of the trinity, where Yaweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all the same single being. This is not a straw man, but an examination of the implications of their claim if it were true. Obviously, if you're not a...
  17. AlexanderG

    DUNE

    I loved it. The acting, the music, and the cinematography were all top tier, and the story and world-building were well adapted. Every scene felt like I was looking at art. Maybe I'm just a sucker for good sci-fi.
  18. AlexanderG

    I Know What God Fears

    Based on the Bible, god fears iron chariots. Just like fairies. Fairies can't overcome iron either.
  19. AlexanderG

    Near Death Experiences and Religion

    I mean, NDEs are what happens when a brain is starved of oxygen for a while. If you just stand up suddenly, sometimes the blood will dump out of your brain for a few seconds, and you can have tunnel vision, feel disoriented, see weird flashes of light, feel dislocated. So, just imagine that...
  20. AlexanderG

    Freedom is better than Life

    Yes, I would shed my fleshly body and become a god ruling over the universe and all people, if that's what it took to get everything I want and to be able to judge and punish whoever went against my opinions. I'd nobly and selflessly make that terrible trade-off... :rolleyes: But more to...
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