(November 12, 2012 at 8:51 am)Strongbad Wrote: Claiming that no one else's claims are as true as your claims is the height of christian arrogance. Is your head buried in the christian sand, or are you willing to accept the claims made by muslims, hindus, jews, etc.?

No one is forcing you to believe something you don't want to. What's the big problem? Are you finding dissatisfaction in the "freedom of thought" you claim I don't have?

Then you are saying that ALL claims are valid Daniel?

(November 13, 2012 at 4:25 am)Daniel Wrote: No one is forcing you to believe something you don't want to.

Long ago, christianity was forced upon me. Fortunately, the brainwashing didn't stick. You, on the other hand, were not so lucky.

Quote:What's the big problem?

From my perspective, there is no problem at all. Nice try, though.

Quote: Are you finding dissatisfaction in the "freedom of thought" you claim I don't have?

I never claimed that you didn't have "freedom of thought". You are free to believe any stupid shit you want.

(November 13, 2012 at 9:14 am)Strongbad Wrote: Long ago, christianity was forced upon me. Fortunately, the brainwashing didn't stick. You, on the other hand, were not so lucky.

Yeah I'm convinced I'm brainwashed. Who brainwashed me? Did I do it to myself?

Quote:I never claimed that you didn't have "freedom of thought". You are free to believe any stupid shit you want.

I tend not to believe the stupid shit, but thanks all the same for the kind invitation.

(November 13, 2012 at 9:21 am)Daniel Wrote:

(November 13, 2012 at 9:14 am)Strongbad Wrote: Long ago, christianity was forced upon me. Fortunately, the brainwashing didn't stick. You, on the other hand, were not so lucky.

Yeah I'm convinced I'm brainwashed. Who brainwashed me? Did I do it to myself?

Not at first.
At first, it's your family, your community.... the tv, friends, school, politicians, etc.
You acquire the concept of god before you believe in it.
Then you believe your elders when they tell you that god exists.
Then you are convinced that god exists.
And you believe that god exists.
Then you have kids.
And let the ball roll again for them.

Depending on where in the world you grow up, you are brainwashed with a given deity.
In Europe/America/Australia/parts of Africa == Jesus
In the middle East/Indonesia == Allah
Jews are somewhere lost in between Europe and the middle East....

China/India == Budah
India == Shiva & company
Russia == (not sure) Jesus, the orthodox version (?)

Other parts of the world will have other religious pressures from the community...
It's a fairly worldwide phenomenon...

You then believe this deity exists and proceed to brainwash your youngsters. Just by your believing, you role-model for these youngsters.
When I was 10, I had no idea that there were other religions... I thought every single person on the planet was catholic.... how relieved I became when I found that that's not the case!!

(November 13, 2012 at 9:21 am)Daniel Wrote:

(November 13, 2012 at 9:14 am)Strongbad Wrote: Long ago, christianity was forced upon me. Fortunately, the brainwashing didn't stick. You, on the other hand, were not so lucky.

Yeah I'm convinced I'm brainwashed. Who brainwashed me? Did I do it to myself?

No, as pocaracas stated, people don't brainwash themselves; it was done by your parents or other authority figures. At first, you believed what you were taught to believe. Now, you reinforce the delusion yourself. You disbelieve every other religion, yet you willfully suspend disbelief in christianity.

Quote:I never claimed that you didn't have "freedom of thought". You are free to believe any stupid shit you want.

(November 13, 2012 at 9:21 am)Daniel Wrote: I tend not to believe the stupid shit, but thanks all the same for the kind invitation.

One man's stupid shit is another man's "faith".

(November 12, 2012 at 5:10 pm)Truth Matters Wrote: [quote='Ryantology' pid='361807' dateline='1352744835']

No argument insisting the existence of God is valid until God is conclusively proven to be real. He is fiction until proven otherwise.

Your refusal to accept this does not constitute a victory in debate. Sorry to break your streak. :c

That's obviously false.
The arguments and evidence ARE the demonstration of probable existence (ontological foundations).

Using your sloppy thinking, atoms, subatomic particles, gravity or love could not be proven real. We only know of them by evidence and experience derived from their known effects.

Sorry, but your poor reasoning skills don't defeat anything.

---

(November 12, 2012 at 2:40 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: I don't think you have been paying attention.

Every argument you have put forward has been tired, old, well refuted looonnnggg ago bollocks.

I think you like to delude yourself that you've won an argument the same way my dad does, by being loud and always saying the last thing.
This has no bearing on whether he is right or not, just that he's louder and more persistent.

Quote:Then defeat one of them. You can't. You just claim it.

Ok then one of your most common arguments is the frankly pathetic onotological argument which boils down to "god must exist because he just must".
It tries to use invalid, evidence free reasoning to magic god into existance.

Quote:if the greatest possible being exists in the mind, it must also exist in reality. If it only exists in the mind, a greater being is possible—one which exists in the mind and in reality

The argument makes a statement that it fails to back up with anything resembling evidence or even good logic.

It is a massive fail

Well that's one.

(November 12, 2012 at 12:17 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

Quote: IM ASKING A SINGLE QUESTION TO WHICH THERE IS NO FOLLOW UP QUESTION

Of course, if you are going to ask questions you shouldn't get bent out of shape when you get an answer.

If you only want answers you agree with you should ask in your church...not a place clearly marked "ATHEIST FORUMS."

Min, how come you only read what you want to read.i said I'm asking a single question -THAT'S IT!!
I didn't get bent out of shape at the non-answer I got- I got bent out of shape because it was implied that I'm wanting to debate about things that I never mentioned.
Why would you even mention asking my church friends. Did you actually read the question??!
doi-oi-oi-oing!!!!!

(November 12, 2012 at 6:39 am)Daniel Wrote: Why do you feel the insistent need to throw insults all the time, is it a fundamental aspect of your Atheism?

Yeah, "I don't believe in God" means "It is fundamental that I insult people".

I just really need to highlight the following portion of Downbeatplumb's post as it is SO TRUE when talking to christards.

(November 12, 2012 at 2:40 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote:

(November 12, 2012 at 2:16 pm)Truth Matters Wrote: That would be all Atheists ...or at least the last five or six hundred I've debated over the years.
Not one argument ever defeated - not even once.

I think you like to delude yourself that you've won an argument the same way my dad does,
by being loud and always saying the last thing.
This has no bearing on whether he is right or not, just that he's louder and more persistent.

Just because no one pays attention to you, doesn't mean you have any kind of valid point.
Ever seen a sane person backing slowly away from a nut case ranting in the middle of a busy sidewalk?!?

No???
That's because you're the nutcase we're all walking away from.