(March 2, 2020 at 3:58 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:

(March 2, 2020 at 2:24 pm)Klorophyll Wrote: Don't you have some decency to respect other people's beliefs, since you obviously can't back up your silly insults ?

Just FYI - no one is required to respect anyone else’s beliefs and declining to do so is in no way a measure of decency.

Boru

The problem arises, when theists make their god beliefs such a huge part of their mental makeup, that, when we do not respect their beliefs, they take it as not respecting them.

We laugh at their silly, unsupported, god beliefs, they think we are disrespecting their entirety as a person.

People earn respect, beliefs, not so much

(March 2, 2020 at 2:24 pm)Klorophyll Wrote:

(March 2, 2020 at 12:55 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: I don't think that big mo is making house calls either.

Don't you have some decency to respect other people's beliefs, since you obviously can't back up your silly insults ?

Do you respect those who believe in flower fairies? How about druids? How about bigfoot believers? You "respect" all of those? Right? How about flat earth believers? You believe those right? They are worthy of respect, right?

Or are you flat out lying?

No, what you really want, what you really, really want, is that everyone "respects" your particular flavour of nutty. Everyone else's flavour of nutty is right out. Only your nutty is true.

Do you think anyone but you buys that?

(March 2, 2020 at 2:24 pm)Klorophyll Wrote:

(March 2, 2020 at 12:55 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: I don't think that big mo is making house calls either.

Don't you have some decency to respect other people's beliefs, since you obviously can't back up your silly insults ?

It's clear from the amount of content-free snark on this forum: many people are here simply to show disrespect. It's what they like to do.

(March 2, 2020 at 3:04 pm)Belacqua Wrote: What closed box are you talking about?

I'm talking about the world we live in. We are in it. It moves and changes and we can see it.

Bel, there is a box in front of you, sealed from every side.

Can you give me a definition of what is inside the box ?

YES or NO 

simple question

Can you give me a definition of what is inside the box ?

(March 2, 2020 at 4:37 pm)Belacqua Wrote:

(March 2, 2020 at 2:24 pm)Klorophyll Wrote: Don't you have some decency to respect other people's beliefs, since you obviously can't back up your silly insults ?

It's clear from the amount of content-free snark on this forum: many people are here simply to show disrespect. It's what they like to do.

"Respect" is not a thing deserved. It must be earned.

You have failed in that regard.

Are your notions so fragile that they cannot be challenged for fear of breaking them? Surely, if your ideas held any water, they would withstand scrutiny simply on merit? And if it turns out that your ideas cannot withstand scrutiny, what does that say about your ideas?

(March 2, 2020 at 4:37 pm)Belacqua Wrote:

(March 2, 2020 at 2:24 pm)Klorophyll Wrote: Don't you have some decency to respect other people's beliefs, since you obviously can't back up your silly insults ?

It's clear from the amount of content-free snark on this forum: many people are here simply to show disrespect. It's what they like to do.

When we constantly hear the same flawed arguments, stereotypes, the same misunderstanding of very basic logic over and over, many times from the same people, it gets a bit difficult to refrain from snark.

What many theists are asking us to show respect for, is close to the equivalent of a bunch of 10 year olds being asked to show respect to another 10 year old who still believes in Santa.

Yes, this post contains snark.

(March 2, 2020 at 4:50 pm)Rahn127 Wrote:

(March 2, 2020 at 3:04 pm)Belacqua Wrote: What closed box are you talking about?

I'm talking about the world we live in. We are in it. It moves and changes and we can see it.

Bel, there is a box in front of you, sealed from every side.

Can you give me a definition of what is inside the box ?

YES or NO 

simple question

Can you give me a definition of what is inside the box ?

What is the purpose of this thought experiment? I don't see how it has anything to do with the subject.

Yesterday I gave you three traditional definitions of God. Each of them was arrived at by looking at the world in front of us and using reason to think about things. 

If you don't agree with that reasonings' conclusions that's fine; a lot of people don't agree with it. But pretending there's some sort of secret box thing going on is not relevant.

(March 2, 2020 at 5:13 pm)Belacqua Wrote:

(March 2, 2020 at 4:50 pm)Rahn127 Wrote: Bel, there is a box in front of you, sealed from every side.

Can you give me a definition of what is inside the box ?

YES or NO 

simple question

Can you give me a definition of what is inside the box ?

What is the purpose of this thought experiment? I don't see how it has anything to do with the subject.

Yesterday I gave you three traditional definitions of God. Each of them was arrived at by looking at the world in front of us and using reason to think about things. 

If you don't agree with that reasonings' conclusions that's fine; a lot of people don't agree with it. But pretending there's some sort of secret box thing going on is not relevant.

You don't? Why not?

It is your magic box, after all.

(March 2, 2020 at 5:13 pm)Belacqua Wrote:

(March 2, 2020 at 4:50 pm)Rahn127 Wrote: Bel, there is a box in front of you, sealed from every side.

Can you give me a definition of what is inside the box ?

YES or NO 

simple question

Can you give me a definition of what is inside the box ?

What is the purpose of this thought experiment? I don't see how it has anything to do with the subject.

Yesterday I gave you three traditional definitions of God. Each of them was arrived at by looking at the world in front of us and using reason to think about things. 

If you don't agree with that reasonings' conclusions that's fine; a lot of people don't agree with it. But pretending there's some sort of secret box thing going on is not relevant.

I'll take that as a NO, you can't define what is in the box.
Do you know why you can't define it ?

Because a definition is a description of what something is, what it does, how it behaves, a list of properties or attributes, etc.

And you can't define something without first knowing what it is.

Your definitions of a god are hollow and empty and meaningless because you can't give a definition until you demonstrate that the the thing you are defining actually exists in the first place.

You can't define an unknown.
A god is an unknown value.

I contend the value is zero until such a time anyone can demonstrate that it's value is more than nothing.

(March 2, 2020 at 4:37 pm)Belacqua Wrote:

(March 2, 2020 at 2:24 pm)Klorophyll Wrote: Don't you have some decency to respect other people's beliefs, since you obviously can't back up your silly insults ?

It's clear from the amount of content-free snark on this forum: many people are here simply to show disrespect. It's what they like to do.

That's absolutely true. I thank God there is a day of judgement. I thank God that one day everyone will account for every sentence that came out of his mouth, especially any dismissal of good arguments by babble and noise. I thank God my efforts won't go in vain because these children decided it's time to shout.

It's understandable why people like Hawking proudly declare that "there is no god" and gladly woke up in the morning full of hope, even desire to spread their stupid ideas about religions, Hawking had a fulfilling academic life that somehow silenced his crying inherent tendency to belief, he also had the most stupid opinion about god ever, and this discrepancy is amazing : world class scientists are prepared to babble nonsensical shit when it comes to god and theology. They replace this innate sense towards awe/belief with their advocacy for its opposite, combined with some social status and a sense of "not needing god", it's a simple psychological trick that sadly works. But when it comes to some of these fools here, they obviously can't follow a train of thought without barking, or handle discussing historical figures completely outside of their local legal system, if there is any, yet face any theist with this mocking attitude, like they're in some kind of cleverness challenge or something. That's the kind of attitude that makes a human being deserve hell.

I recall when no one will even admit there are interesting definitions of God and uninteresting ones, they hate the fact that thinking unbiasedly about definitions leads to forced results like God absolutely not existing or having already revealed himself. For them, all theology is red herring, simply because their christianity turned out to be red herring, and they see no problem in generalizing their childhood trauma to all religions.