lol creationists
- Thread starter mattseh
- Start date
Faith is defined as "belief that is not based on proof"
Explain to me how you are going to use reason and logic to assault someone's "beliefs that are not based on proof", and how thinking you might be able to do that doesn't make you some sort of fool.
Explain to me how you are going to use reason and logic to assault someone's "beliefs that are not based on proof", and how thinking you might be able to do that doesn't make you some sort of fool.
I agree, personally I don't intentionally start arguments with or poke at creationists unless they come at me first.
It doesn't matter why creationists believe in God or gods. Be it faith or perceived witnessing of some divine miracle, like Guerrilla stated, it's a psychological attack on their identity. Are they going to 'believe' your logic and reasoning, no probably not but they will still feel assaulted and most of the time a very emotional reaction is induced because you have challenged their identity.
I was born in the bible belt, northern Alabama to be exact, and most of my relatives living there are strong believers in Christianity. While I'm atheist, I don't ever challenge them or blame them for their beliefs. They lived in a time where information was slower, much much slower and traditions/beliefs were strongly influenced by parents and those around them.
The internet has completely changed this, but once you have literally built your life around a belief and lived that way for many decades, I'd imagine it would be pretty difficult to just give it up. Not to mention a huge part of Christianity is branding in one's skull that you will live an eternity in misery by giving up these beliefs.
I think this is why you see so many assholes on Reddit with their little rage comics promoting Athiesm and how Christians are "SO STUPID". I bet most of them are ex-Christians reassuring themselves that an eternity of pain and suffering does not await.
Religion is a dying breed in this day and age. w/e go sling Christian Mingle and stfu about it.
The internet has completely changed this, but once you have literally built your life around a belief and lived that way for many decades, I'd imagine it would be pretty difficult to just give it up. Not to mention a huge part of Christianity is branding in one's skull that you will live an eternity in misery by giving up these beliefs.
I think this is why you see so many assholes on Reddit with their little rage comics promoting Athiesm and how Christians are "SO STUPID". I bet most of them are ex-Christians reassuring themselves that an eternity of pain and suffering does not await.
Religion is a dying breed in this day and age. w/e go sling Christian Mingle and stfu about it.
It sounds like you've had very few if any dealings with individuals possessed of true faith. People that actually have faith don't care what you think about it, or them, or what evidence you are able to present, because their belief system insulates them from all attacks. They do not feel assaulted when you confront them with logic or reasoning because those things are incapable of shaking their beliefs.
On the other hand, just about every atheist I know can't help but fulminate in impotent rage at the notion that some people do not share the secular humanist views they have adopted.
Again, tell me who is acting childish.
I guess we have very different experiences. In my experience it is quite the opposite. Atheists tend to be playful / slightly amused / sometimes annoyed by the irrational debate tactics employed by creationists. Creationists on the other hand evoke a much more emotional reaction during any sort of debate that challenges their beliefs. Since atheism is essentially the lack of belief in the supernatural, it doesn't hold the same level of psychological attachment.
I see your point, sometimes its hard to take the high road 100 percent of the time though.
I think it's entirely possible we've had very different experiences regarding this.
The few theists I know personally are intensely private regarding their faith, and will not even attempt to defend it when confronted by an atheist. They just smile and nod, and avoid the conflict entirely.
On the other hand, I've known coffee-shop intellectual/liberal arts/philosophy majors/dropouts by the score, and the majority of them can't wait to jump in with a little Richard Dawkins zinger to show you how goddamned intelligent they are at any given moment.
I don't believe in god, but I will choose the company of a reserved theist who is able to keep his beliefs private over that of a loudmouthed atheist who can't help but show me how brilliant he is any day of the week.
I'm willing to wager that it really has everything to do with the circles you travel in, and where you live.
I don't live in the south, and I don't come in contact with a great number of theists (that I know of).
Certainly though, some theists are guilty of trying to convert everybody they meet, and I don't care for that at all.
Quite possible. In all honesty since I've moved back to the west coast (Orange County), I don't see as much of it. I was in the mid-west for 6 years and it's a lot worse over there.
That email is a great example of everything wrong in the academic community. More often than not it seems it's not really about educating people, it's about mocking them for being stupid. There's no sincerity, just vanity.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2xGIwQfik]Dawkins vs. Tyson - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2xGIwQfik]Dawkins vs. Tyson - YouTube[/ame]
I know I said I was leaving, but I've been checking back on my thread and couldn't resist posting here.
While perception of reality is of course relative, is reality itself relative? I've seen you step into religious threads before and it's usually all style and no substance (like in your initial post here).
I see no issue with somebody believing in what they want to believe, and I see no reason to attack this person without basis. But this statement kind of goes beyond that:
Judgment by definition is an analysis of evidence; mankind would be in a very poor position if we didn't judge other things and other people. Likewise, theists should be dutifully judged (like atheists) in order to analyze the evidence and attempt to uncover truth about the nature of reality and how we function in it. I wouldn't call these people hypocrites or assholes.
While perception of reality is of course relative, is reality itself relative? I've seen you step into religious threads before and it's usually all style and no substance (like in your initial post here).
I see no issue with somebody believing in what they want to believe, and I see no reason to attack this person without basis. But this statement kind of goes beyond that:
Judgment by definition is an analysis of evidence; mankind would be in a very poor position if we didn't judge other things and other people. Likewise, theists should be dutifully judged (like atheists) in order to analyze the evidence and attempt to uncover truth about the nature of reality and how we function in it. I wouldn't call these people hypocrites or assholes.
I wonder if a study exists that compares belief/prayer to a God and the confidence attained compared to no belief in a God.
Basically, does prayer and having an all powerful entity to pray/talk to boost the levels of confidence/abilities of a person?
Anyone want to weigh in on this?
Basically, does prayer and having an all powerful entity to pray/talk to boost the levels of confidence/abilities of a person?
Anyone want to weigh in on this?
BBC News - Religion and sport: Do prayers help players?
"This is what Jeong-Keun Park of Seoul University did in 2000 by studying the performances of Korean athletes. He found that prayer was not only a key factor in coping with anxiety but also in attaining peak performance."