I understand the distinction; it has been flogged to death on this site. My point is that I do not believe a god plays any part in the scheme of things. Being fallible I may be wrong but I naturally don't think so. Whether he exists and I am denying him or whether no such entity exists is a matter of indifference to me.
God is a crutch for the weak minded
- Thread starter Medicine*Woman
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I understand the distinction; it has been flogged to death on this site. My point is that I do not believe a god plays any part in the scheme of things. Being fallible I may be wrong but I naturally don't think so. Whether he exists and I am denying him or whether no such entity exists is a matter of indifference to me.
Enmos
Valued Senior Member
Ok, what if I told you that the tree in my back yard actually created all other life on earth.
And that when I talk to it it answers me in my head..
I can pray to it and request mundane things, but I still have to work for it to come true..
Since discovering that this tree can do this my life has changed in a profound way. I am much happier now.
The tree also made me realize that there is no death for those who believe in it. When our body dies our spirit will fertilize it's flowers and that will produce a purple fruit. We are then in heaven.. the eternal life, as the tree creates life through it's fruit.
All praise the Purple Apple Tree !
So... do you believe in this tree ? Do you believe in its existence ?
Or are you an atheist !? :bugeye:
You do realize that by asserting this, you have also asserted that you are omniscient??
Yes, I see your point, thanks. Perhaps, I should have worded it better to reflect the similarities of the various religions.
Yes, I see that example. But, I would ask at what point does statement of fact become questioning, and vice-verse? Do we ask the same questions over and over again, despite the fact we will see the same answers, over and over again?
Does it not get to the point where asking for a demonstration of theist's claims becomes an exercise in futility?
Do conclusions drawn from atheists, which are usually conclusions of theist's claims as "indistinguishable from the imaginative," become a set of beliefs themselves?
Simon Anders
Valued Senior Member
I am not suggesting you ask the same questions over and over. I am simply pointing out that, for example, in this thread MW begins with a bunch of assertions. Perhaps they are correct, perhaps not, but assertions.
Well, that all depends or varies individual to individual. I don't actually understand the whole phenomenon around the issue of atheists not having beliefs. I am sure some atheists simply lack a belief. I think others have a set of beliefs and not simply about the existence of God as MW's posts make clear. My impression or hypothesis is that most of the people engaging the theists as atheists belong more to the second group. The causes of their having a set of beliefs, especially in a Philosophy subforum is an interesting issue, but it is another issue.
I have sympathy for anyone who is truly cornered in some way, atheist or theist alike. I don't see any reason for religious organizations to be tax free. I don't like it when anybody shoves ideas into anyone's head, theist, atheist, telephones sales people, marketing people and so on.
I do not see the atheists avoiding futility, if that is the goal, in their approaches here at sciforums. The ones active in threads like this one, at least.
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Simon Anders
Valued Senior Member
I still cannot see how it was a response to what I was posting.
Do you see MW's thread title and OP as simply a lack of belief?
If so, I am an atheist in relation to your claim that they are. She has beliefs both about God and about theists. A set.
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Religion is nothing of the sort of a crutch for the weak minded; it is a useful social and psychological tool. Suggesting that it is for the "weak minded" suggests that all those who are religious are weak minded. This, of course, would include most of the greatest people in history, among them King Richard the Lionheart, Abraham Lincoln, Washington, Churchhill, and the like, whom I'd hardly call "weak minded"
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M*W: Perhaps these folks weren't "weak minded," but Abraham Lincoln was not religious at all. He had no respect for christians or christianity.
Entirely wrong. Abraham Lincoln was a deist, and later in life, became a Christian. As for respect, he stated himself that he had respect for the Bible, without believing in it (until his later years)
And as I have shown, being religious has nothing to do with being weak minded. You can name any great person, and chances are, they were religious, except for a handful such as Napoleon
"Lincoln never joined a church nor ever made a clear profession of standard Christian beliefs."
http://www.adherents.com/people/pl/Abraham_Lincoln.html
Although it has no medicinal value, it's therapeutic value is akin to the administration of a placebo.
Q: Hitler was an atheist, he only pretended to be a Christian in order to gain support and to use religion to help him
And Lincoln was a deist who, in his later life, became a theist. He believed in God, regardless
Psychotic: it still has value
And Lincoln was a deist who, in his later life, became a theist. He believed in God, regardless
Psychotic: it still has value
And that is the only word worth responding to as you deem your assertions true "regardless" of fact.
If you read the diaries of Horst Gottlob Knopfohr. you will see that Hitler was of Jewish parentage. His father was a Viennese moneylender and a cantaor in the local synagogue. There is some evidence to suggest that his wife took in washing.
In his youth Hitler once had a meal of Eisbein and sauerkraut which he thoroughly enjoyed. When he later found out that he had eaten pork, instead of repenting he turned against the Jews.
He had a secret nose job in Oberammergau which was done by Max von Blockland-Sturmscheisser, a pioneer of plastic surgery.
In his youth Hitler once had a meal of Eisbein and sauerkraut which he thoroughly enjoyed. When he later found out that he had eaten pork, instead of repenting he turned against the Jews.
He had a secret nose job in Oberammergau which was done by Max von Blockland-Sturmscheisser, a pioneer of plastic surgery.
As history shows us, the only men worth remembering are the men who believed in God. In fifty years, the name of "Richard Dawkins" will be erased from our memories; the generations to come will be entirely clueless as to his past existence. However, the names of the men most faithful to God, especially Muhammad, will be remembered forever.
Kadark
Kadark