You could be right Jan but if there is a God maybe he keeps me around to stop complacency in the believers.
It certainly helps.
But I doubt you're being kept around, anymore than anyone else. No doubt this notion you have of God, allows you to think in this way.
If there is a God I doubt if he cares about humans any more than any other creature.
If he cared he would do something to stop the cruelty to humans and animals.
We, as humans, are the ones who are cruel to ourselves, each other, and to other living beings. We can make that stop, if we really want to, by not partaking in anything that is in league with cruel behaviour. We have a choices, and we choose every moment of our lives. Not just the waking conscious moments, but the sub conscious as well.
As you can imagine, it may not be possible to achieve that, because we are free to choose. So we have to live with the consequences of the choices we make.
And I will look at evidence.
So far the evidence is more supportive of my view than any believers view.
What are you looking for exactly?
God? There is no evidence that leads to actually being no God. If you decide that exhibit A demonstrates no God. Then it will have been you who added the final conclusion. In short it is you that decides there is no God. And that's what an atheist is.
For an atheist, there is no God, and for a theist, there can only be God. That's why these positions are fundamental to our existence.
I had a " religious" experience once and really thought God was talking to me. Not in words but an overwhelming feeling that I had been chosen to do a certain thing.
Lucky I had not succumbed as I would still be on a pointless quest.
Who knows maybe I was the one and missed the call.
And you think theism is that which succumbs to those voices and feelings?
A common misconception among atheists. By that, I don't mean only professed atheists, but people who generally think that.
No.
I won't play games because I am confident you understand what I say.
If I thought you had a problem understanding my meaning I would help out.
Maybe I don't fully understand what you're saying. Or maybe I simply need more information.
If you wish to ask a question present it in detail and I will do my best to provide you with an honest answer.
A question is a question. What do you mean by presenting it in detail?
Do you require more detail for that question? Or that one? Or that one? Or that....?
The bible can only be one thing and that is a book.
A "religious book" is a " religious book"...a book relating to religion...not a book on wood work.
If you're not prepared to go into discussion about it, then why bring it up in the first place? Is this how you're going to respond to all my questions?
I found out Santa was made up first, then that many folk are fools, and many folk are liars, and many folk are simply full of crap.
You know, I never found out that Santa wasn't real. It just didn't matter anymore. It didn't matter what people said. Even if the everyone in the world had said Santa is real. It couldn't make me accept it. Because I didn't. But if it turned out Santa was real, then either I accept it, or carry on regardless. In short, I don't care. I imagine that's how God is, for you.
There seems that there was a trend to personify and relate to the heavens.
Do you reject this?
I don't know. What information do you have, that would confirm this?
Now given there seems to be many who used similar personification routines is it not reasonable to wonder why Jesus is presented similar.
But why Jesus, though?
Is it because Jesus is historically who he is. Or is it because Jesus claimed he was the son of God, and performed miracles?
If he hadn't performed those miracles, would you still doubt he existed? Would you even be bothered?
The or resurrection parallels the Suns behaviour at the end of winter so you can accept that it was a lie or a demi God was sent to some obscure place to minister to one group.
I suppose you could say the same for the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly.
You are speaking from the view point of a materialist. As such you will block anything you regard as supernatural, or find an explanation that fits your worldview. You may be correct in some cases, but you may be incorrect in some as well. You, we will never know, until we realise, and we cannot realise until we know. A vicious circle? Yes, until we understand. In doing so we make progress.
Balance it all and Jesus seems to be just another man claiming to be the son of God, but who knows...that is finally the point...no one knows anything but happy to make up stuff.
Just because you don't know, doesn't mean others don't.
That simply is not correct.
The big problem for Christians is that the is no record outside the bible, which will not be objective.
It is correct.
Google it and see for yourself.
A composite of evidence from various reliable sources of the times.
How is it that historians have no problem with it, but you do? What more evidence, than the majority of historians agreeing with it it, do you need, to lose your scepticism?
There is no evidence, because you don't want there to be any evidence. There never will be any evidence, because you will always set the bar just out of reach.
That is
because you are atheist. Not because of evidence, or lack of.
Jan I am a reasonable man I will look at what you offer and give it my absolute respect and only then will I reject
Alex, you're not as reasonable as you seem to think.
Happy Christmas.
Jan.