RE: How to convert Christians to atheists in 30 seconds (ironically, using bible)
December 6, 2016 at 1:49 pm
(December 6, 2016 at 1:41 pm)Simon Moon Wrote:(December 6, 2016 at 1:26 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: That is correct.
Though I also can't "test" a lot of other things that I believe to be true. Such as the fact that my husband loves me.
Sure you can test that your husband loves you. Not to an absolute certainty, but very close.
All you have to do is have an internal model of how someone that loves you would behave, talk, act, etc. Then compare your husband's language and actions to your model.
If he checks off most of the boxes, you can be very sure he loves you. There's your test. The claim that your husband loves you is not in the least bit extraordinary, so the above would be a pretty reliable test.
When I run even a simple test like this against your god, he does not check off any of the boxes. Let alone any of the boxes that would be required for the extraordinary claim of a the existence of a god.
That's the thing though. These "tests" (if we're going to call them that) are personal. Not something that can be proven with concrete evidence or in a lab. Someone who is a cynic about romantic love and who doesn't believe in marriage can say the boxes I created don't mean anything... that many people check off those boxes but then end up leaving their spouse or cheating on them. At the end of the day, I can only use my own logic and experiences to form my opinion.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh