On religion

[MyUserName]

Personally, I am an atheist because religion has not satisfied it's burden of proof. It is a large claim so it requires large proof which stands up to scrutiny.

I do not have an axe to grind against religion, I merely have the same standards for it as for other large claims e.g. aliens.

[d000hg]

Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo. - Epicurus

If God exists why do we have an immune system, is it because He is not omnipotent and not the only creator or is it so he can torture us with his other creations?

Given your level of education, I call troll.

[sasguru]

If you want to hear some evidence go on an Alpha course or read a book.

To save us some time perhaps you could point to at least one piece of evidence that these sources cite?

[d000hg]

Given that we've had this conversation several times already and you've personally asked me that question before, no. Your only reason to ask is to draw me into a pointless argument we've had before, which will descend within about 3 posts to you throwing personal insults and then (on past form) making barbed comments about it in every other thread I post in, before probably getting banned.

Why should you trust what I say... go read a recognised book on the subject.

No doubt you'll respond "if you can't post evidence that's because you admit you haven't got any", but be that as it may. If you want a pointless argument that goes nowhere, wait for Robby or OH to turn up in an economics thread.

[sasguru]

Given that we've had this conversation several times already and you've personally asked me that question before, no. Your only reason to ask is to draw me into a pointless argument we've had before, which will descend within about 3 posts to you throwing personal insults and then (on past form) making barbed comments about it in every other thread I post in, before probably getting banned.

Why should you trust what I say... go read a recognised book on the subject.

No doubt you'll respond "if you can't post evidence that's because you admit you haven't got any", but be that as it may. If you want a pointless argument that goes nowhere, wait for Robby or OH to turn up in an economics thread.

I'll take that as a "No" then

[NotAllThere]

While most Christians don't bother investigating the evidence of their faith (in the same way that most people who watch TV don't bother with investigating electromagnetism), there are those that do. They examine the evidence and find it satisfactory at an intellectual level - people such as Maxwell, Barrow, Davies, McGrath.

However. the same evidence that convinces one person to believe - or that their faith has a good intellectual foundation - convinces another not to believe. For example, some people look at the amazing way the immune system works, and see that as evidence of god. Dawkins sees the same evidence and believes it points to god not existing.

It's all a matter of choice.

One wise man said, a couple of thousand years ago, that even if someone died and was later raised from the dead, still people would choose not to believe.

[d000hg]

...no...

I'll take that as a "No" then

Not much gets past you.

[vetran]

One wise man said, a couple of thousand years ago, that even if someone was comatose and later recovered, still people would choose not to believe.

FTFY - possibly

[speling bee]

The problem is that God (as described in Christianity) has standards that are too high. He can judge you on how you've lived your life but no matter how well you tried to live, you fall short of his exacting standard.

And of course, what you like to think he should be like, or how you think he should behave don't make a jot of difference to how God does (or doesn't) behave/exist.

You'd need someone with a more thorough grounding in theology and more time on their hands than I. I'm sure if you were interested in a proper answer, you could find a good book on Christian Apologetics.

Put a sock in it. A thread was created by an atheist asking questions, in which others have put questions. If you think those of us with faith responding is preaching then butt out of the thread.

If you want to hear some evidence go on an Alpha course or read a book... if you don't then don't jump in to a thread to make spiky comments about how "there's no evidence and anyway stop telling me what you think". If you want to have a closed mind on the subject that's your right, but then don't enter a discourse on the subject if it's just going to annoy you.

But don't you have a view on the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah and the plagues of Egypt? Or do you follow the view that God is Love ergo by definition, these are acts of Love.

[d000hg]

But don't you have a view on the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah and the plagues of Egypt? Or do you follow the view that God is Love ergo by definition, these are acts of Love.

Not really, and no. But I'm satisfied sufficiently they don't contradict what I know of God, that I don't feel the need to dig deeper. Some people find that topic a stumbling block, others suffering in general, or science, etc. I investigated the areas I found problematic and not those I didn't have issues with.