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Recent content by Jarofthoughts

  1. J

    Respecting religion?

    Be as that may, I never made that claim.
  2. J

    Respecting religion?

    How so? Really? Then please, provide your definition of 'evidence' then. I've said a great many things in this tread. Perhaps if you could be a tad more specific I would be more than happy to provide support for my statement.
  3. J

    Respecting religion?

    I don't recall making such a claim. Perhaps you are mistaking me for someone else... And again, I assume you mean DELUDED, not diluted. What I was referring to was the theistic claim that there is a god. That is a positive claim that leaves the burden of proof on the theist.
  4. J

    Respecting religion?

    When referring to insecurity, I mean intellectual insecurity, not lack of confidence. But, considering that they usually do not hold these beliefs for intellectual reasons, it may be that this is not relevant.
  5. J

    Respecting religion?

    By evidence one generally means objective, empirical and scientific evidence. Personal experiences amount to little more than opinion in this context.
  6. J

    Respecting religion?

    Hardly the same thing considering that the parents are usually the ones who tell their children that there is no Santa, and that there is no social reinforcement to keep believing it. This is not surprising. It is called 'confirmation bias' and is a very common fallacy and, it should be...
  7. J

    Respecting religion?

    Logically speaking it is always the one(s) making a positive claim that has the burden of proof. Also, I think you meant 'deluded', not 'diluted'... ;)
  8. J

    Respecting religion?

    Are you seriously making the argument that religion does not affect American society on a daily basis? Have you watched political debates lately? What about the Creationist movement, the Pro Life movement, Proposition 8 and the opposition against stem cell research?
  9. J

    Respecting religion?

    Belief in a god is by necessity belief without evidence considering that there -is- no evidence for the existence of any gods. That being said, the reason I don't think the census polls get it right is because a lot of people tick off the theist (usually Christian) box more out of tradition...
  10. J

    Respecting religion?

    First off, I don't think 80% of Americans believe in God. I think people lie on the polls, or reply what they have always replied, either because they don't think much about it, or because of social pressure. But no matter. The reasons why people believe in a God or Gods can, of course, vary...
  11. J

    Respecting religion?

    I respect my friends (regardless of their faith or lack thereof), but I don't have to agree with everything they say or mean, or even respect what they say or mean. Again, respect people, not ideas. I think you have misunderstood the term 'open mindedness'. This video explains it quite...
  12. J

    Respecting religion?

    I just think it is necessary to separate beliefs (i.e. ideas) from the people that hold them. An idea/belief can, and should, be judged on it's own merit, regardless of who subscribes to it. Our world is largely made up of ideas, beliefs and ideologies of some kind or another. They may be...
  13. J

    Respecting religion?

    But that was exactly the point of the question in the OP. I have no problems respecting people, but I see no reason to respect ideas. In fact, I think respecting ideas is not only wrong, but can be directly harmful. True enough, but while we can both agree that, say, Newton was a brilliant...
  14. J

    Religion and Spirituality Survey for Year 12

    Done.
  15. J

    Respecting religion?

    Alright, but let's imagine for a moment that some random Christians came knocking on my door witnessing (or whatever you choose to call it), basically trying to get me to join in their belief in Christianity. And being an atheist, I might respond along the lines of telling them that there is...
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