Do atheists have any evidence to support their beliefs?

[Kylie]

No, I know there have been atheists around for thousands of years but Darwin advanced this belief and now it is taught in schools when the Bible was very much a part of the educational system. All the Ivy League Schools were founded by Christians and in the early 1800's, theology was fundamental. Still after 150 years later, only 10% hold to the TOE as the only explanation of our origins. Unfortunately, it managed to corrupt the minds of half of Christianity who now believe in this theistic evolution, as if God started out things and let evolution finish it.

Oh, look at that. In an effort to discredit evolution, you insult it, calling it a "corruption".

If you have to resort to insults to get your point across, it doesn't seem to be a very good point!

Most supported ever? lol ... by 10% of the world.

Citation needed.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the LIGHT of the world, the Good Shepherd, the Alpha and Omega, the Resurrection and the Life, the Bread of Life, the Door, the Vine, and the only possible way for you to reconcile with God, to receive forgiveness for your sins and the gift of eternal life. Your choice, you are with Him or not. Hold onto Darwin ... he's dead and his teachings will not save you from what is coming, DEATH.

Yeah yeah, I've read this pamphlet before. Got anything new, your just the same old threats of horribleness if I don't convert to your ideas?

 

[Ronald]

Oh, look at that. In an effort to discredit evolution, you insult it, calling it a "corruption".

If you have to resort to insults to get your point across, it doesn't seem to be a very good point!



Citation needed.



Yeah yeah, I've read this pamphlet before. Got anything new, your just the same old threats of horribleness if I don't convert to your ideas?

The TOE is an insult to God.
Everyone dies, it's not a threat. I would just rather chose eternal life in paradice than to get thrown into a Lake of Fire and destroyed. Hey, its your choice. Personally, I don't believe its eternal suffering - it will be quick!

 

[Allandavid]

The TOE is an insult to God.
Everyone dies, it's not a threat. I would just rather chose eternal life in paradice than to get thrown into a Lake of Fire and destroyed. Hey, its your choice. Personally, I don't believe its eternal suffering - it will be quick!

No, it’s not a “choice”. It is impossible to ‘choose’ to believe something for which there is insufficient evidence...

It would, I assume, be impossible for you to choose to believe in the gods of the Hindu, because you see no evidence of them existing...?

It is the same for me for all gods that have been proposed...

 

[Kylie]

The TOE is an insult to God.
Everyone dies, it's not a threat. I would just rather chose eternal life in paradice than to get thrown into a Lake of Fire and destroyed. Hey, its your choice. Personally, I don't believe its eternal suffering - it will be quick!

Yeah, threat of lake of fire. If you're going to argue against the ToE, you really should learn what it actually is and what the evidence for it is.

 

[Rebecca12]

Well forrom memory I read in an entry on feminist epistemology that "rationality" is seen as socially viewed as a more dominant way of knowling. Possibly because we live in a in a male centred world.

Also we live in a world with predominantly male politicians looking to impart values of power, status, money, independence etc above the more "feminie" values of relationship, feeling, empathy, and contextuality over universality. And because of this emotion and intuition (which are argued to be more typical of women) have been marginalised, and set aside as less legitimate.

The point I'm making is not you can do astrophysics using your 'inner teacher', but in scenarios where the evidence ambiguous or fruitless, as in many arguments about God's existence, feelings may be more apt...

Too post modern for me. Intuitions and feelings are highly unreliable. There is no way personal experiences one ascribes as religious can prove to any third party the existence of God. And there are more parsimonious explanations for such experiences that don't require God. It is interesting that such experiences tend to be interpreted in light of one's one religious cultural experience. I have had plenty experiences of of awe but I don't interpret them as religious. We are our chemistry. A dose of oxytocin can give you spiritual feelings.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Too post modern for me. Intuitions and feelings are highly unreliable. There is no way personal experiences one ascribes as religious can prove to any third party the existence of God. And there are more parsimonious explanations for such experiences that don't require God. It is interesting that such experiences tend to be interpreted in light of one's one religious cultural experience. I have had plenty experiences of of awe but I don't interpret them as religious. We are our chemistry. A dose of oxytocin can give you spiritual feelings.

On the other hand, I have been exploring the possibility of mystical experience.... with my toes. Pray and wait for an answer kind of thing..

I never had such a feeling in ages. Nor am i being sarcastic - I just read up on feminist epistemology with emotion, and the body being relegated by males, and well, applied it to the debate. If you don't mind, I don't. Live and let live.

I usually have a vey bad relationship to my body, and this has actually been quite curative. And it tickles too.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

If maybe is the best you can do versus the actual accomplishments of evidence-based approaches maybe it isn't non-believers that are being irrational.

Well that true if your outlook is called rationalism, and incorporates ideas about reason and logic as fundamental to epistemology, I wont grudge you that.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

At least you must admit we are a merciful group who tolerate your offences.

That's true. Thanks too.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Yeah yeah, I've read this pamphlet before. Got anything new, your just the same old threats of horribleness if I don't convert to your ideas?

Well social Darwinism has been a consequence for some.

 

[DogmaHunter]

The TOE is an insult to God

The pope, and most christians along with him, disagree.

 

[KCfromNC]

You respond with your typical insults and bashing.

Citation needed

 

[KCfromNC]

Well that true if your outlook is called rationalism, and incorporates ideas about reason and logic as fundamental to epistemology, I wont grudge you that.

Don't forget the evidence-based part of it as well, and the successful modelling of reality. But yeah, other than that there's no reason to think there's and reason to favor that particular approach compared to the rest.

 

[Ronald]

Yeah, threat of lake of fire. If you're going to argue against the ToE, you really should learn what it actually is and what the evidence for it is.

I've studied TOE, I didn't give you an argument, that would take at least 10,000 words to just summarize my argument. I've spent enough time in the Creation and Evolution section and don't care to go down that road anymore.
If that view of life gives you comfort, joy, peace, a sense of purpose, meaning, contentment or just satisfaction that there is nothing more to life than the natural world and accept death when it comes, there really is nothing more I can say to you.

 

[Allandavid]

If that view of life gives you comfort, joy, peace, a sense of purpose, meaning, contentment or just satisfaction that there is nothing more to life than the natural world and accept death when it comes, there really is nothing more I can say to you.

Sometimes, reality is uncomfortable, joyless, confronting, purposeless, meaningless, discontentful or unsatisfying....but it’s the way our world is nevertheless...

Grown ups learn to live with that...

 

[Dave Ellis]

What nonsense. Accepting reality for what it is hasn’t “cost us”...it has benefited us...

I'm not sure how basing your beliefs on the truth could ever turn out to be an overall negative.

 

[Kylie]

Well social Darwinism has been a consequence for some.

Ah yes.

Social Darwinism, an idea which has nothing to do with atheism, and nothing to do with Darwin.

 

[Kylie]

I've studied TOE, I didn't give you an argument, that would take at least 10,000 words to just summarize my argument. I've spent enough time in the Creation and Evolution section and don't care to go down that road anymore.
If that view of life gives you comfort, joy, peace, a sense of purpose, meaning, contentment or just satisfaction that there is nothing more to life than the natural world and accept death when it comes, there really is nothing more I can say to you.

What makes you think that the validity of a point of view has anything to do with how comforting it is?

And if you have studied the ToE and still reject it, then you didn't actually learn about it. Either that, or your religious beliefs have clouded your judgement.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the LIGHT of the world, the Good Shepherd, the Alpha and Omega, the Resurrection and the Life, the Bread of Life, the Door, the Vine, and the only possible way for you to reconcile with God, to receive forgiveness for your sins and the gift of eternal life. Your choice, you are with Him or not. Hold onto Darwin ... he's dead and his teachings will not save you from what is coming, DEATH.

Um, k. Darwin at least had some facts on his side.

I accept my death. Do you? Or do you tell yourself stories about how you will survive your death?


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Eudaimonist]

Do my posts fail to reach atheists in anyway?

In terms of rational persuasiveness? No.

The fact is, no one in the 15 years that you have been communicating in Christian Forums has succeeded evangelize you or convince you that God exists.

Yes, because casual appeals to emotion don't work. You need to actually make an argument, not merely try to sell us on that we need something that we aren't convinced that we need.

So you disagree with all of us, hundreds who 've attempted. You respond with your typical insults and bashing. 15 years of taking your negative and mean spirited sour dialogue.

It's not mean spirited. We just want rational arguments.

At least you must admit we are a merciful group who tolerate your offences. We have failed you. The Apostle would have given up on you a long time ago, wiped the dirt off his sandals and moved on.

So why are you here?

You can rest assured, I will not waste any time with you anymore. God may still have some mercy left for you. But Romans 1 says, eventually _ He will let you go to your own demise after a time ...

Yeah, okay. Fine. Knock yourself out. I'm not sure why you are telling us this. Haven't your sandals moved on?


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Eudaimonist]

I do hope you find out who you are someday.

I've got that covered.

The TOE is an insult to God.

I'm not sure why that should be.

Everyone dies, it's not a threat. I would just rather chose eternal life in paradice[sic] than to get thrown into a Lake of Fire and destroyed.

I'd rather that science restore me to life than that I die permanently.

Hey, its your choice.

Perhaps. I think it's probably up to others, unless I have myself frozen in liquid nitrogen.


eudaimonia,

Mark