Religion: a socially acceptable delusion.

Deism: a personified emotional need for an answer, fair enough. Pretty harmless, although irrational.

Religious theism: unfounded beliefs, often including-

(1) The creator still exists
(2) The creator is aware of us
(3) The creator realizes we're self-aware
(4) The creator is concerned with what we do
(5) The creator appeared at some point and dictated a load of bizarre garbled messages which are supposed to be meaningful to us
(6) The creator plans to manifest us in some other reality based on some rules which no one can agree on, and which it doesn't feel necessary to clarify, often including believing things based on no evidence
(7) We can somehow interact with the creator
(8) Everyone else who claims to interact with the creator but comes back with a different message is wrong
(9) The creator is all powerful and compassionate yet created and allows suffering
(10) The creator knows what we will do in advance, yet we have a genuine choice too
(11) The creator won't provide anyone with evidence until they already believe, yet it wants people to go around explaining how it is real, using unreasonable pressure
(12) The creator is fine with all these incorrect religions, and the divisiveness and deaths the conflicts between them cause

The most convincing reason I have for not believing, is not being convinced.

The remarkable similarity between a believer defending their relationship with god, and a child trying to hold onto belief in Santa or fairies. It's so fricking obvious it's painful to me. Grasping at straws and throwing tantrums.

And the way god agrees with everyone, yet they don't agree with each other. How this can't bother religious people more, I don't know. God is very much a personal god. It's their own personal idea of god.

Oh, I forgot to reply to the OP. The reasons I don't believe? I've heard lots of different religious propositions and if I had to sum up why I don't believe them... I guess you could say that my "reasons for disbelief" are the things believers have said. That's really all we have to go off of with this stuff, right? Things people say? The combination of supernatural claims combined with the lack of supernatural phenomena seems to make it hard for anyone to form a belief about religion. Of course, all things make sense to those who don't really care to think about it, but that's not what we're talking about...is it?

(May 12, 2016 at 3:55 pm)Rhythm Wrote:

(May 12, 2016 at 3:54 pm)Drich Wrote: meh...

one man's F-up is anothers opportunity. In the end I said what I had to say, and your evaluation of my delivery nor anyone else's can change that.

Or did you really think You (of all people) could bait me into an "up sell?"

A minute ago you were here to bring us an accurate picture of god..but now it's only important that you can hear your own voice?

the picture was delivered. You are now wanting me to sell it to you. That's not what I do.

You aren't the one who gets to decide that Drich.  The picture wasn't delivered, I neither understand what it is you're talking about or assign you enough credibility for your ramblings to refer to -anything- other than your own self-aggrandizement.

If you've been tasked, or given yourself the task, of delivering an important message...opening the door to a crowded hall and yelling in a language no one understands about something no one in the room believes in is most definitely not "delivering the message".  You're simply making an excuse for your own ineptitude.  

But in this response, as in so many others, we see that you don't actually believe your masters message is serious enough to deserve even the most marginal amount of effort. You're content with jerking off on the page..and your contentment is the thing that matters. Not only are you a shitty messenger, you're a shitty servant....and to use one of your gems -that's going to be between you and god.

Maybe there are no weeds and no wheat...you're just bad at this? I know, it's a radical idea. It's probably more likely that the tool's weeds and wheat description of human beings is accurate...than that you aren't good at something. Your failures are most likely the result of the faults of everyone else on earth, rather than your own shortcomings.

Drich wants it both ways at once, nurturing the whole field with his own brand of manure and hoping to raise the wheat, but the weeds are to blame for not meeting the standard for the harvest.

Quote:Witchsmeller Pursuivant: (GOOD and EVIL are written on either fist) I have two functions - to protect the good, and to crush the evil...

(reveals an egg in each hand)

Watch!

(Witchsmeller instantly clenches both fists)

Prince Harry: Fascinating! Absolutely fascinating! Erm... actually, you have crushed both eggs, you know.

Witchsmeller: Some that seem good sometimes proveth to be evil.

Some who want to seem good prove to be wankering off all over the forum