Why don’t you believe in God?

[Pogo]

View attachment 91935

And if your side loses?

 

[TLK Valentine]

To be fair, these things could just as easily point to a God that was not made in your image rather than a nonexistent one.

Also very true - Who's to say we're God's favorites?

which makes me wonder which possibility the believers would think is worse:
1. God doesn't exist
2. God doesn't care
3. God exists and cares... just not for them.

 

[Rival]

No, belief in a theistic god doesn't continue to be wildly popular for over a thousand years just because people happen to like it.

Wow, what a bizarre statement which any interaction with any group of theists would disprove.

What a damn cynic you are.

 

[Pogo]

You seem very sceptical that religion survives because people are actually religious and believe in a particular faith.

I'm so sick of seeing this from atheist types.

A religion can't just flourish because people happen to like it, God forbid.

And your evidence that belief is not cultural and that conforming to cultural norms is not a way of avoiding discomfort?:

 

[Rival]

And your evidence that belief is not cultural and that conforming to cultural norms is not a way of avoiding discomfort?:

Err, ask any religious believer why he believes?

We do have actual reasons for believing that aren't atheist strawmen.

Stop assuming why people believe and actually listen to them.

I'm in a minority in my country as a Christian in my 20s. Stop believing atheistic myths about religious people;.

 

[Pogo]

Err, ask any religious believer why he believes?

We do have actual reasons for believing that aren't atheist strawmen.

Stop assuming why people believe and actually listen to them.

I'm in a minority in my country as a Christian in my 20s. Stop believing atheistic myths about religious people;.

Sorry, at three times your age, I am still waiting for an argument that would convince me that belief is anything more than cultural, it is not even a question of atheism but believers I have met admit that they might well not believe if it were not for their cultural upbringing..

There is a great big world out there of ideas.

 

[Rival]

Sorry, at three times your age, I am still waiting for an argument that would convince me that belief is anything more than cultural, it is not even a question of atheism but believers I have met admit that they might well not believe if it were not for their cultural upbringing..

There is a great big world out there of ideas.

Yes, and some of those ideas are theistic. Just because they haven't convinced you, doesn't mean they can't convince others.

If you want to get rid of culture, be my guest, and have no atheism, no science, no literature, no art, either. Culture is not your foe. It's your very humanity.

 

[Pogo]

Yes, and some of those ideas are theistic. Just because they haven't convinced you, doesn't mean they can't convince others.

If you want to get rid of culture, be my guest, and have no atheism, no science, no literature, no art, either. Culture is not your foe. It's your very humanity.

What does culture actually have to do with theism? Why do you consider theism necessary?

 

[Rival]

What does culture actually have to do with theism? Why do you consider theism necessary?

You were the one who said people are theists because of their culture, not me. That's not my position.

I don't consider theism 'necessary'. I am a theist because I believe it makes the most sense.

By the way, this thread is not about theists, it's about non-theists. I wonder where they come from if culture is so theistic....

 

[Pogo]

You were the one who said people are theists because of their culture, not me. That's not my position.

I don't consider theism 'necessary'. I am a theist because I believe it makes the most sense.

By the way, this thread is not about theists, it's about non-theists. I wonder where they come from if culture is so theistic....

Maybe it makes more sense to us and we are still waiting for anybody to present anything to change our minds?
I will admit we are in a minority, but that is for cultural reasons.

 

[Magic Man]

Wow, what a bizarre statement which any interaction with any group of theists would disprove.

What a damn cynic you are.

The fact remains that belief in a theistic god doesn't continue because people happen to like it. I'm not even sure what you're proposing that has to do with anything. Christianity and Islam are still around because of support from powerful states. Otherwise, they'd have died out with many other ancient theistic belief systems.

If yo disagree, you can provide something of substance. If you're just going to use words like "bizarre" and "damn cynic" to dismiss things you don't like, then why bother?

 

[YoursTrue]

Not sad. Unfortuntely, becuse I wish I could have claimed that for myself, Without the need to quote.
it is the quintessential reason for not believing in God. Or Mother Goose. Or Jesus. Or the great Juju. Or Bigfoot. And so on.

For the simple reson that all those beings have the exact same evidence, plausibility and necessity. None. And it is therefore irrational to believe one nd not the other. Which allows us to conclude that it is rational to equally disbelieve them all.

ciao

- viole

OK, if that's how you see it.

 

[YoursTrue]

Yes. Unfortunately.

ciao

- viole

Why, however, do you say 'unfortunately' when I asked you if it was Clarence Darrow who said that?

 

[Rival]

The fact remains that belief in a theistic god doesn't continue because people happen to like it. I'm not even sure what you're proposing that has to do with anything. Christianity and Islam are still around because of support from powerful states. Otherwise, they'd have died out with many other ancient theistic belief systems.

If yo disagree, you can provide something of substance. If you're just going to use words like "bizarre" and "damn cynic" to dismiss things you don't like, then why bother?

The testimony of almost any religious person as to why he believes in a given religion.

I'm not sure why you keep dismissing this.

I. Holy Books can convince people.

II. Experiences with God can convince people.

III. Philosophical, scientific and theological arguments can convince people.

IV. Near death experiences can convince people.

V. The beauty and wonder and mathematical perfection of everything around us can convince people.

Etc.

These arguments are so routine I don't know why they even bear repeating.

 

[Pogo]

Why, however, do you say 'unfortunately' when I asked you if it was Clarence Darrow who said that?

Because she wished it was original to her?
C.Darrow beat her by a number of years.

 

[Pogo]

Err, ask any religious believer why he believes?

We do have actual reasons for believing that aren't atheist strawmen.

Stop assuming why people believe and actually listen to them.

I'm in a minority in my country as a Christian in my 20s. Stop believing atheistic myths about religious people;.

Been there, done that, I am not claiming strawman, but what evidence do you have that is not emotional internal thought that might sway me?

 

[Rival]

Been there, done that, I am not claiming strawman, but what evidence do you have that is not emotional internal thought that might sway me?

See above.

if you reject all those, you don't seem to be arguing in good faith.

 

[Pogo]

Yes, and some of those ideas are theistic. Just because they haven't convinced you, doesn't mean they can't convince others.

If you want to get rid of culture, be my guest, and have no atheism, no science, no literature, no art, either. Culture is not your foe. It's your very humanity.

Oh, so if we agree on an idea, it is thus theistic and thus a point for you?
Example please?
Some variation on the golden rule?

 

[Rival]

Oh, so if we agree on an idea, it is thus theistic and thus a point for you?
Example please?
Some variation on the golden rule?

I don't know what you're talking about at all?

This is not some competition.

 

[Pogo]

See above.

if you reject all those, you don't seem to be arguing in good faith.

Did I say I reject them?
As to faith, yes duh, I don't believe in faith as a useful term in understanding reality.
It certainly exists, but it's utility is questionable.