I highly suspect the phrase "by chance" doesn't, in any way shape or form, mean the same thing to many atheists and/or skeptics as it does to many Christians. It seems there's a discrepancy somewhere... whether or not it's intentional... that's a good question.

(February 2, 2020 at 6:44 am)zebo-the-fat Wrote: If all this is due to "intelegent design" why are there so many stupid bits of design in most organisms? (A single opening for breathing, speaking, eating and drinking, that's a stupid design) and who designed this designer? (if complex systems need to be designed then they need a designer who in turn would need to be designed.... back to an infinate number of designers)

Easy: Just assert an omnipotent designer who decides to make flawed designs. Explains nothing everything.
Cant find your car keys? omniscient detective, who decides not to find them for you.
Your kid dying of cancer?
Appendix?
Bad weather?
Bad luck in the lottery?
...
..
.

I love asking questions like...

What is god made of?

What are its physical properties?

How exactly does god operate?

When we get down to brass tacks, we really find out that we're discussing a non-topic, so to speak

(February 2, 2020 at 7:32 am)EgoDeath Wrote: I love asking questions like...

What is god made of?

What are its physical properties?

How exactly does god operate?

When we get down to brass tacks, we really find out that we're discussing a non-topic, so to speak

Echoing Heinlein's plaint that theology is a subject with no content, since the core topic (God) isn't well enough defined to be discussed.  Dendrologists might disagree about the finer points, but they pretty much agree about what is or isn't a tree, metallurgists long ago got together on what is meant by 'metal'.  The definition of 'god', conversely, is all over the bleedin' map.

Boru

(February 2, 2020 at 7:51 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Echoing Heinlein's plaint that theology is a subject with no content, since the core topic (God) isn't well enough defined to be discussed.  Dendrologists might disagree about the finer points, but they pretty much agree about what is or isn't a tree, metallurgists long ago got together on what is meant by 'metal'.  The definition of 'god', conversely, is all over the bleedin' map.

Boru

Ah, interesting. I'll take a look into "Heinlein." I've always felt like: when you have enough definitions of god to cover all bases, it seems you're attempting to do just that - cover all bases, lest it be discovered that you actually do not know what the hell you're talking about. I find it especially entertaining when the New Age types (not sure if that's worth capitalizing) speak of "god" in vague terms like "energy" or "essence" or "vibrations"... or say shit like "god is everywhere" or "god is everything" or "living in the godhead" or "being one with god."

Funny stuff, quite honestly. Especially considering that a lot of the New Age stuff is just watered down Christianity with some Eastern Mysticism sprinkled in for good measure, just to cover all the bases, once again. Cloud a concept in ambiguity and you never have to really defend any hard claims or ideas, and any of your opponents who are challenging you or trying to debate you are "missing the point" or "being too literal" or "not being literal enough" or "need to have a more open mind," or some combination of these nonsensical ideas.

OP is a step above my cousins. "You don't believe in God? I'll just have to shoot you in the face."

(February 2, 2020 at 9:03 am)EgoDeath Wrote:

(February 2, 2020 at 7:51 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Echoing Heinlein's plaint that theology is a subject with no content, since the core topic (God) isn't well enough defined to be discussed.  Dendrologists might disagree about the finer points, but they pretty much agree about what is or isn't a tree, metallurgists long ago got together on what is meant by 'metal'.  The definition of 'god', conversely, is all over the bleedin' map.

Boru

Ah, interesting. I'll take a look into "Heinlein." I've always felt like: when you have enough definitions of god to cover all bases, it seems you're attempting to do just that - cover all bases, lest it be discovered that you actually do not know what the hell you're talking about. I find it especially entertaining when the New Age types (not sure if that's worth capitalizing) speak of "god" in vague terms like "energy" or "essence" or "vibrations"... or say shit like "god is everywhere" or "god is everything" or "living in the godhead" or "being one with god."

Funny stuff, quite honestly. Especially considering that a lot of the New Age stuff is just watered down Christianity with some Eastern Mysticism sprinkled in for good measure, just to cover all the bases, once again. Cloud a concept in ambiguity and you never have to really defend any hard claims or ideas, and any of your opponents who are challenging you or trying to debate you are "missing the point" or "being too literal" or "not being literal enough" or "need to have a more open mind," or some combination of these nonsensical ideas.

I always wonder when these people talk about "Energy" or "Vibrations" how much energy (how many watts?) and what is vibrating (and how fast?)

(February 2, 2020 at 9:08 am)zebo-the-fat Wrote: I always wonder when these people talk about "Energy" or "Vibrations" how much energy (how many watts?) and what is vibrating (and how fast?)

Science doesn't know everything maaaaaaaaan.... In fact, I've never even met this Science guy... how do we even know he's real, dude? Have an open mind maaaan you're killing my buzz.

---

(February 2, 2020 at 9:07 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: OP is a step above my cousins. "You don't believe in God? I'll just have to shoot you in the face."

Sounds a tad friendlier than you.  

lol jk

Hey, I haven't shot anybody in years. Not above the waist anyway.

(February 2, 2020 at 9:08 am)zebo-the-fat Wrote:

(February 2, 2020 at 9:03 am)EgoDeath Wrote: Ah, interesting. I'll take a look into "Heinlein." I've always felt like: when you have enough definitions of god to cover all bases, it seems you're attempting to do just that - cover all bases, lest it be discovered that you actually do not know what the hell you're talking about. I find it especially entertaining when the New Age types (not sure if that's worth capitalizing) speak of "god" in vague terms like "energy" or "essence" or "vibrations"... or say shit like "god is everywhere" or "god is everything" or "living in the godhead" or "being one with god."

Funny stuff, quite honestly. Especially considering that a lot of the New Age stuff is just watered down Christianity with some Eastern Mysticism sprinkled in for good measure, just to cover all the bases, once again. Cloud a concept in ambiguity and you never have to really defend any hard claims or ideas, and any of your opponents who are challenging you or trying to debate you are "missing the point" or "being too literal" or "not being literal enough" or "need to have a more open mind," or some combination of these nonsensical ideas.

I always wonder when these people talk about "Energy" or "Vibrations" how much energy (how many watts?) and what is vibrating (and how fast?)

These are the sort I refer to generically as 'the crystal people' (about, not made of).  I didn't half piss one of them off on another forum. S/he was yammering on and on about the powers of selenite, amethyst, peridot and the like.  I mention that I had - literally - thousands and thousands of crystals in my home and I hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary.  This person asked how I had room for so many crystals, and I said I keep them all in a salt cellar. 

I think an internet speed record what broken when I was put on ignore.

Boru