Is it possible to talk with an atheist?

[Sanmario]

I am a theist, and I love to talk with atheists on the issue of God exists or not.

Is it possible to talk with them, and I am not into converting them to accept the existence of God, but just to get to learn from them to think better, on the issue God exists or not.

To learn from them as to think better, am I lying?

No, I am not lying, I really want to see how they think as to themselves come to their position that there is no God; in that way I can and will get to be a better thinker, from knowing how others think who do not share my position of God existing.

It is like that I eat meat and vegetable, but there are folks who are vegetarians, so by talking with them on how to eat better, I can and will learn to adopt a better diet.


So, let me see if any atheists will talk with me.

 

[fantome profane]

Go ahead.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Atheists are generally known for being extremely reticent regarding god and religion.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

I know exactly where you are coming from. I am atheist, and I very much enjoy debating and questioning those of belief to better hone my position and use the experience and knowledge gained from the exchange to better flesh out my own ideology - basically to fill in the cracks - find all the faults in my own thinking and adapt to something better if what I previously thought or believed is found lacking when put to the test.

 

[jonathan180iq]

It is like that I eat meat and vegetable, but there are folks who are vegetarians, so by talking with them on how to eat better, I can and will learn to adopt a better diet.

I love this analogy - The atheist position is the better diet. I agree.

 

[Curious George]

I am a theist, and I love to talk with atheists on the issue of God exists or not.

Is it possible to talk with them, and I am not into converting them to accept the existence of God, but just to get to learn from them to think better, on the issue God exists or not.

To learn from them as to think better, am I lying?

No, I am not lying, I really want to see how they think as to themselves come to their position that there is no God; in that way I can and will get to be a better thinker, from knowing how others think who do not share my position of God existing.

It is like that I eat meat and vegetable, but there are folks who are vegetarians, so by talking with them on how to eat better, I can and will learn to adopt a better diet.


So, let me see if any atheists will talk with me.

Of course.

 

[Quintessence]

Such conversations are commonplace around here. That said, I often notice people talking past each other where there are differences in fundamental questions relating to one's worldview, irrespective of what the topic of discussion is. We just can't "get" something that is dramatically outside of the box that we think in. That is often the case with the issue you mention in the OP, @Sanmario.

 

[crossfire]

I am a theist, and I love to talk with atheists on the issue of God exists or not.

Is it possible to talk with them, and I am not into converting them to accept the existence of God, but just to get to learn from them to think better, on the issue God exists or not.

To learn from them as to think better, am I lying?

No, I am not lying, I really want to see how they think as to themselves come to their position that there is no God; in that way I can and will get to be a better thinker, from knowing how others think who do not share my position of God existing.

It is like that I eat meat and vegetable, but there are folks who are vegetarians, so by talking with them on how to eat better, I can and will learn to adopt a better diet.


So, let me see if any atheists will talk with me.

Hi Sanmario. While I'm more transtheist than atheist, I would say thinking for yourself is a good thing, and seeking out ways by which you can improve your thinking is admirable!

 

[YmirGF]

I am a theist, and I love to talk with atheists on the issue of God exists or not.

Is it possible to talk with them, and I am not into converting them to accept the existence of God, but just to get to learn from them to think better, on the issue God exists or not.

To learn from them as to think better, am I lying?

No, I am not lying, I really want to see how they think as to themselves come to their position that there is no God; in that way I can and will get to be a better thinker, from knowing how others think who do not share my position of God existing.

It is like that I eat meat and vegetable, but there are folks who are vegetarians, so by talking with them on how to eat better, I can and will learn to adopt a better diet.


So, let me see if any atheists will talk with me.

I am a so-called "strong" atheist. I love to talk to theists.

*absently sharpens fangs*

What would you like to discuss first?
I gather you firmly believe in a god being lording over creation.
I've been in that camp and no longer feel a need to support such presumptions.
Let's chat, shall we?

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I am a theist, and I love to talk with atheists on the issue of God exists or not.

Is it possible to talk with them, and I am not into converting them to accept the existence of God, but just to get to learn from them to think better, on the issue God exists or not.

Why not? I am an atheist, and I talk all the time. (Here's a sample of 3 posts on the topic of my atheism: Why are you an atheist?)

To learn from them as to think better, am I lying?

If you are really trying to learn, no you're not lying. But think about so many domestic quarrels: one part describes their problem while the other, pretending to listen, instead is preparing their rebuttal. Such arguments usually get heated and end badly. If the listener, on the other, were to respond first with a version in their own words of what their partner said ("so what you're saying is....?"), those arguments are often settled rather quickly.

Unfortunately, when I post articles like those I did in the thread I linked to, I usually get 2 sorts of responses: "I agree," to which there's really not much more to say, and "you're wrong!" with no further explanation -- to which, again, there's really not much to say!

No, I am not lying, I really want to see how they think as to themselves come to their position that there is no God; in that way I can and will get to be a better thinker, from knowing how others think who do not share my position of God existing.

It is like that I eat meat and vegetable, but there are folks who are vegetarians, so by talking with them on how to eat better, I can and will learn to adopt a better diet.

So, let me see if any atheists will talk with me.

I just did, and if you respond in honest dialogue, I will continue.

 

[Sanmario]

Addressing YmirGF:

This is the philosophy board, so we will talk about God existing or not, purely on reason, observation. and intelligent conclusion, no bringing in any revelation whatsoever, unless the revelation is just an icing, but it is really the thinking that is grounded on reason and observation, leading thereby to intelligent conclusion.

For example, in the Bible there is this sentence, "In the beginning God made heaven and earth."

It's in the Bible wherefore it is taken by biblical believers to be a statement of revelation, but even without the Bible, among thinkers based purely on reason and observation they can and have come to the intelligent conclusion that there is a being which made heaven and earth.

So, let you and me start with the concept of God, what do you say?

I am a so-called "strong" atheist. I love to talk to theists.


*absently sharpens fangs*


What would you like to discuss first?

I gather you firmly believe in a god being lording over creation.

I've been in that camp and no longer feel a need to support such presumptions.

Let's chat, shall we?

 

[Fire_Monkey]

Atheists are generally known for being extremely reticent regarding god and religion.

Speak for yourself. I'm a proud card carrying Atheist and I love discussing Theology, Eschatology, and especially Theodicy with theists. In fact I'm not sure there is anything that I can say I enjoy debating more.

So......Sanmario, bring it on, amigo!

 

[Fire_Monkey]

Addressing YmirGF:

This is the philosophy board, so we will talk about God existing or not, purely on reason, observation. and intelligent conclusion, no bringing in any revelation whatsoever, unless the revelation is just an icing, but it is really the thinking that is grounded on reason and observation, leading thereby to intelligent conclusion.

For example, in the Bible there is this sentence, "In the beginning God made heaven and earth."

It's in the Bible wherefore it is taken by biblical believers to be a statement of revelation, but even without the Bible, among thinkers based purely on reason and observation they can and have come to the intelligent conclusion that there is a being which made heaven and earth.

So, let you and me start with the concept of God, what do you say?

Yeah, so, in philosophy, the discussions as to the nature of God is referred to as Theodicy. And I agree with you totally....When somebody wants to talk about God or even when they ask me if I believe in him, the first thing I ask in return is......Define what you mean by God. There can be no real meaningful discussion until that cornerstone is laid.

 

[EverChanging]

I am a "sexed up atheist" (religious naturalist and pantheist). The question of the existence of deities interests me less than spirituality in general, and I feel I have more in common with religious people than many atheists, so yes, it should be easy to talk to me. Like theists atheists come in many varieties -- generalizations are impossible beyond the fact that we lack a belief in certain theistic conceptions.

There are atheists who are culturally Christian, Hindu, Islamic, etc. Some are eclectics spiritually, some are neo-pagan. Some are not religious at all. And the same things can be said of theists.

 

[Willamena]

I am a theist, and I love to talk with atheists on the issue of God exists or not.

Is it possible to talk with them, and I am not into converting them to accept the existence of God, but just to get to learn from them to think better, on the issue God exists or not.

Hello.

To learn from them as to think better, am I lying?

I don't know: that sentence isn't well put-together.

No, I am not lying, I really want to see how they think as to themselves come to their position that there is no God; in that way I can and will get to be a better thinker, from knowing how others think who do not share my position of God existing.

They do not all think alike, so I wish you luck.

It is like that I eat meat and vegetable, but there are folks who are vegetarians, so by talking with them on how to eat better, I can and will learn to adopt a better diet.

That assumes that vegetarian is a better diet.

So, let me see if any atheists will talk with me.

Okay.

 

[Willamena]

I love this analogy - The atheist position is the better diet. I agree.

I'm sorry, but if you were a TRUE vegetarian, you'd know that it's not a diet at all.

(Oh, that's sarcasm.)

 

[Fire_Monkey]

Addressing YmirGF:

This is the philosophy board, so we will talk about God existing or not, purely on reason, observation. and intelligent conclusion, no bringing in any revelation whatsoever, unless the revelation is just an icing, but it is really the thinking that is grounded on reason and observation, leading thereby to intelligent conclusion.

For example, in the Bible there is this sentence, "In the beginning God made heaven and earth."

It's in the Bible wherefore it is taken by biblical believers to be a statement of revelation, but even without the Bible, among thinkers based purely on reason and observation they can and have come to the intelligent conclusion that there is a being which made heaven and earth.

So, let you and me start with the concept of God, what do you say?

So, right off the bat you are committing one of the accepted Five Logical Fallacies that are a part of traditional philosophical debate guidelines.

And what you did we call a Strawman Argument. That's when you use your own words to skew or inaccurately represent your opponent's opinion. You did this when you claimed, laughably and very wrongly, that anybody who is reasonable and logical believes that the Universe was created by a God. A divine and omniscient entity.

Dude! Are you nuts? What the hell do you think all these educated atheists like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins and millions of others are? LOL. And myself as well. I am college educated and very reasonable and logical. My degree is in an Engineering field. And I don't believe the universe needed a God at all. Rather, it was created according to known laws of physics and thermodynamics.

And the methodology with which we got here was Evolution. Over 90% of professional and academic biologists with doctoral degrees believe in evolution and outright dismisses the need for a God. They also almost unanimously dismiss Genesis and its silly creation story as nothing more than Hebrew Bronze Age mythos.

Evolution has passed every text ever thrown at it with flying colors. There isn't even a close second theory or even a hypothesis to challenge it. This, according to the most well educated Mennonite the planet. We have the answer to anything you need to know. And also transitional fossils. The Bible on the other hand is as far from a science book as one can get. It is a collection of allegory and myths and fables written over the span of a dozen or more centuries, by dozens of authors. All of them with agendas. It is filled with proven contradictions and falsities. It is Hebrew mythology. No more science than Greek mythology.

Your going to have to step up your game several notches if you wish to hang in a debate with me, sir. I'm a theists worst nightmare! An atheist who knows the Bible and theology concepts better than most theists. LOL.

Your turn. Let's speak about the evil in the world. And your god and why he has disappeared and has not a scintilla of proof or even evidence for his existence.

I'll be eagerly awaiting your erudite reply.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I am a theist, and I love to talk with atheists on the issue of God exists or not.

Is it possible to talk with them, and I am not into converting them to accept the existence of God, but just to get to learn from them to think better, on the issue God exists or not.

To learn from them as to think better, am I lying?

No, I am not lying, I really want to see how they think as to themselves come to their position that there is no God; in that way I can and will get to be a better thinker, from knowing how others think who do not share my position of God existing.

It is like that I eat meat and vegetable, but there are folks who are vegetarians, so by talking with them on how to eat better, I can and will learn to adopt a better diet.


So, let me see if any atheists will talk with me.

I used to be a theist.

I would say some points would be that people who believe in God with "certianity" also clearly harbor a lot of confusion and debate pertaining to how God interacts, talks, and the interpretation by which God or gods are able to reveal a presence among their peers. This confusion dosent apply to that in nature, like the breeze blowing, the warmth of the Sun on the skin. Confusion over those things dosent exist because of the obviousness of those things. There is consensus.

Something that theists can't come to terms with one another. This has been and still is the red flag that people in fact are barking up the wrong tree as it pertains to the actuality of the matter.

To put it short, God's alleged presence and existance simply can't compare with those simple and clear truths that the Sun and breeze clearly brings.

Nature works fine, for which no God is present such beyond human input, feelings, and action alone.

If people talk, God talks. If people are silent, God is silent. Just nature "speaks" and presents a presence to us. Its good enough for me.

It works well. :0)

 

[icehorse]

Welcome @Sanmario -

I also disagree with this statement of yours:

It's in the Bible wherefore it is taken by biblical believers to be a statement of revelation, but even without the Bible, among thinkers based purely on reason and observation they can and have come to the intelligent conclusion that there is a being which made heaven and earth.

I would like to read an example from you about the "reason and observation" that were used to conclude that their is a creator.

 

[Jeremiahcp]

I am a theist, and I love to talk with atheists on the issue of God exists or not.

Is it possible to talk with them, and I am not into converting them to accept the existence of God, but just to get to learn from them to think better, on the issue God exists or not.

To learn from them as to think better, am I lying?

No, I am not lying, I really want to see how they think as to themselves come to their position that there is no God; in that way I can and will get to be a better thinker, from knowing how others think who do not share my position of God existing.

It is like that I eat meat and vegetable, but there are folks who are vegetarians, so by talking with them on how to eat better, I can and will learn to adopt a better diet.


So, let me see if any atheists will talk with me.

What God?