Surprising lack of knowledge among theists.

[logician]

No, your post doesn't still stand, my friend. You're missing the whole point because you're not thinking like a scientist. Simply observe how people who call themselves Christian actually behave, instead of, in effect, telling them how they should behave in order to be "Good Christians". After all, who are you or I to tell Christians whether they are "Good" Christians or not?

Actually, I was a "good" Christian for a number of years. I never met a "good" Christian that knew nothing about the Christian bible. Obviously, there a tremendous number of "Christians" who give lip service to the religion, but otherwise it plays little part in their lives.

 

[Sunstone]

they have no mind of thier own.

Are quite you certain of that? That sure sounds like the sort of mindless generalization that shows up in textbooks on logic as an example of how not to reason. It seems to me many Christians -- perhaps even most Christians -- are very creative when it comes to their religion.

I would suggest watching the documentary Jesus Camp.

I've seen it. And while it reflects the beliefs and practices of many people who call themselves Christians, I'm not under the impression that it reflects the beliefs and practices of the majority of people who call themselves Christians.

 

[Sunstone]

Actually, I was a "good" Christian for a number of years. I never met a "good" Christian that knew nothing about the Christian bible. Obviously, there a tremendous number of "Christians" who give lip service to the religion, but otherwise it plays little part in their lives.

We'll just have to agree to disagree then. I'm not budging and neither are you.

 

[Sunstone]

That God doesn't exist based on whatever fallacious reasoning they might enjoin.

We'll just have to agree to disagree here, Pete. Neither one of us is going to budge on this.

 

[Scuba Pete]

We'll just have to agree to disagree here, Pete. Neither one of us is going to budge on this.

You are doing a lot of that tonight! Are you certain that you believe that ALL atheists rely on sound logic for what they believe? That's a lot of faith!

 

[fantome profane]

Your beef is that Dawkins, unlike Dennett, does not coddle belief in belief. That's where I agree with Dawkins, and disagree with writers like Dennett.

Have you read Dennett’s book? He spends an entire chapter discussing this. Belief in belief is one of his major themes. It is not about coddling, but about studying it in objective scientific way. Define the phenomenon, study the phenomenon, explain the phenomenon. You are the one who suggested that Dawkins approach to religion is scientific. If it is scientific then coddling or not coddling is irrelevant.

I don’t want to make this about Dennett vs Dawkins, the point is that there are other books out there.

 

[+Xausted]

Actually, I was a "good" Christian for a number of years. I never met a "good" Christian that knew nothing about the Christian bible. Obviously, there a tremendous number of "Christians" who give lip service to the religion, but otherwise it plays little part in their lives.

Hello, I might i interject? i was one such goodChristian for 16 years, and i know hardly anything about the bible. Even as theology student I know hardly anything. I didnt gve lip service, but i still dont know anything.
i am only a single person, so this theory of yours can not be ignored on my word, as i may be the exception to the rule. but I am still one such person

 

[madhatter85]

I know many atheists, but very few who are angry at God.

because most believe there is no God. a True athiest does not believe in any kind of supreme being or power.

Some peopel who call themselves athiests are just angry at "God" and are not truely athiests.

Some Athiests are just Agnostic.

 

[Magic Man]

So what? A lot more people probably know what works for them, than know what's in the Bible.

I just want to be clear that I understand this. I didn't make it clear in my last post, but I know that there are many Christians who don't think the way "most Christians" do. For instance, stephenw. He is Christian by his own admission, and yet he thinks of things vastly differently than most other Christians I've talked to. I don't consider him any less Christian, but he's not the sort that I'm focusing on with my comment about Christians not practicing Christianity being amusing.

 

[Valjean]

You are doing a lot of that tonight! Are you certain that you believe that ALL atheists rely on sound logic for what they believe? That's a lot of faith!

I've seen a number of posts here that seem to presuppose that atheists have some sort of belief system. They don't. Atheism is non-belief. It's not taught or learned. It's the intellectual default position.

Atheists don't believe in Jehova for the same reason you, I assume, don't believe in Thor or Tinkerbell -- they've seen no credible evidence for Thor or Tinkerbell. Does your a-Thorism entail some system of belief? Are you angry at Thor? Do you reject Thor? Do you try to push your athorism on others?

I think some people are imputing a great deal to what is, literally, nothing.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Does your a-Thorism entail some system of belief?

Yes, it most certainly does. Fortunately, I have the intellectual honesty to both see and admit that.

 

[Poisonshady313]

Keeping in the spirit of the thread title, I think it's time for a...
Pop quiz!

Without looking it up online or in your bible, somebody please tell me,

Of the 12 sons of Jacob, who is the oldest? the youngest?

 

[lunamoth]

Reuben

Benjamin

 

[Poisonshady313]

Reuben

Benjamin

Very good. And in a timely fashion.


Who were their mothers?

 

[lunamoth]

Very good. And in a timely fashion.


Who were their mothers?

Leah

Rachel

 

[Poisonshady313]

The men in the dungeon with Joseph... the men whose dreams were interpreted by Joseph... what were their professions?

What were their fates?

 

[lunamoth]

At least one was a cook, I think. One was killed and the other freed.

 

[Poisonshady313]

At least one was a cook, I think. One was killed and the other freed.

Been a while since you've looked at the story of Joseph, huh?

 

[lunamoth]

Been a while since you've looked at the story of Joseph, huh?

Well, I just looked it up and I am correct about what I said. The other was a cupbearer.

 

[Poisonshady313]

For those watching, the baker was hanged, and the cupbearer was restored to his position as cupbearer.