I did a search, and its alarming how often this has to be cleared up. Example:
Let me attempt to illustrate exactly why this is the absolute worst choice of words to make a point that you are absolutely NOT MAKING.
Lets say that Bill, Jane, and John appear on earth as intellectual beings capable of reflectioin and communication.
They are aware of their surroundings and begin to experience their existance as human beings to the best of their capability...
Before long they are learning very much about the world. They learn to make fire and tools. They take materials given to them and create useful objects from them. They engage in conversation about life and before long, they begin to contemplate their origin...
This is where The Burden of Proof begins...You with me Theists?
All 3 people have the question: "Where did we and our surroundings come from?"
Bill: "I was rubbing 2 sticks together earlier to create a fire, I realized that because I can make things, everything must in fact also have been created by someone else. Then I had a dream. A voice told me that I was right, and that they were in fact the one that created EVERYTHING!"
Jane: "What do you mean Bill? Are you saying that because you can rub sticks together to cause fire, the Sun that is also hot must have a similar origin, and your dream confirms this?"
Bill: "Precisely! Perhaps the voice of my dream belongs to a giant person like us...One we cannot see."
John: "I don't know Bill, I don't think we know enough about that Sun thing to be making such bold presumptions, all though the dream thing is pretty weird."
Bill: "Come on John, it makes perfect sense! Do you have a better idea?"
John: "No, and I'm not saying I believe you and I'm not saying that I don't, I would prefer not to speculate any further."
Bill: "Well, what about you Jane? Do you agree that what i've said must be true and that my dream confirms it?"
Jane: "No Bill, I do not believe you."
Bill: "Then you must be able to prove that my claim is false, otherwise you are choosing to be ignorant in the face of facts!"
Jane: "Not exactly, You took 2 sticks and made fire. We know the sun is hot, but we have no idea what exactly it is made of, nor can we see any reason to believe that a heat source such as that can be created from sticks, so to assume that because it is hot like our fire, it must have the same origin, seems a bit misleading. Secondly, we know how to make fire because we understand how to use the sticks. But, the sticks were here before the fire they created, and because we no so little of the sun, the same could be true for it. The sun may not need an explanation like the fire. Perhaps things are bit more complex then things just appearing from creation. Lastly, if someone made the Sun, and the sticks making fire is your reason for thinking it in the first place, what material do you suppose they used to create it? It seems as though your explanation needs some work. Also, Bill, I was thinking about fish the other day, and had a dream I was one. I am not convinced that this is a hint that I must actually be a fish."
Bill: "So, you believe that the being I will call God is not real."
Jane: "You misspeak again Bill. I do not believe that you are correct in your attempt at explaining our origin. I did not believe in God one hour ago, and I do not believe in it now. I do not know exactly where we came from, but I do reject what you've offered as an attempt to explain it."
Bill: "But you cannot show that what I say is false."
Jane: "I have no reason to believe what you say is true either, and for the time being, that's more than enough to feel confident that it isn't. My position has not changed. I have a question, you've failed to provide an acceptable explanation so I will continue my search for a more accurate one that has verifiable and reproducible results like the sticks and fire."
It's not that I believe there is no God.
I have no reason to believe that there is a God at all. It is the unmoved default position of having questions, and searching for answers back by proof and not unfalsifiable claims.
(April 24, 2013 at 6:22 pm)purplepurpose Wrote: You never even once visit church or pray to a God coz you BELIEVE that there is no God.
Let me attempt to illustrate exactly why this is the absolute worst choice of words to make a point that you are absolutely NOT MAKING.
Lets say that Bill, Jane, and John appear on earth as intellectual beings capable of reflectioin and communication.
They are aware of their surroundings and begin to experience their existance as human beings to the best of their capability...
Before long they are learning very much about the world. They learn to make fire and tools. They take materials given to them and create useful objects from them. They engage in conversation about life and before long, they begin to contemplate their origin...
This is where The Burden of Proof begins...You with me Theists?
All 3 people have the question: "Where did we and our surroundings come from?"
Bill: "I was rubbing 2 sticks together earlier to create a fire, I realized that because I can make things, everything must in fact also have been created by someone else. Then I had a dream. A voice told me that I was right, and that they were in fact the one that created EVERYTHING!"
Jane: "What do you mean Bill? Are you saying that because you can rub sticks together to cause fire, the Sun that is also hot must have a similar origin, and your dream confirms this?"
Bill: "Precisely! Perhaps the voice of my dream belongs to a giant person like us...One we cannot see."
John: "I don't know Bill, I don't think we know enough about that Sun thing to be making such bold presumptions, all though the dream thing is pretty weird."
Bill: "Come on John, it makes perfect sense! Do you have a better idea?"
John: "No, and I'm not saying I believe you and I'm not saying that I don't, I would prefer not to speculate any further."
Bill: "Well, what about you Jane? Do you agree that what i've said must be true and that my dream confirms it?"
Jane: "No Bill, I do not believe you."
Bill: "Then you must be able to prove that my claim is false, otherwise you are choosing to be ignorant in the face of facts!"
Jane: "Not exactly, You took 2 sticks and made fire. We know the sun is hot, but we have no idea what exactly it is made of, nor can we see any reason to believe that a heat source such as that can be created from sticks, so to assume that because it is hot like our fire, it must have the same origin, seems a bit misleading. Secondly, we know how to make fire because we understand how to use the sticks. But, the sticks were here before the fire they created, and because we no so little of the sun, the same could be true for it. The sun may not need an explanation like the fire. Perhaps things are bit more complex then things just appearing from creation. Lastly, if someone made the Sun, and the sticks making fire is your reason for thinking it in the first place, what material do you suppose they used to create it? It seems as though your explanation needs some work. Also, Bill, I was thinking about fish the other day, and had a dream I was one. I am not convinced that this is a hint that I must actually be a fish."
Bill: "So, you believe that the being I will call God is not real."
Jane: "You misspeak again Bill. I do not believe that you are correct in your attempt at explaining our origin. I did not believe in God one hour ago, and I do not believe in it now. I do not know exactly where we came from, but I do reject what you've offered as an attempt to explain it."
Bill: "But you cannot show that what I say is false."
Jane: "I have no reason to believe what you say is true either, and for the time being, that's more than enough to feel confident that it isn't. My position has not changed. I have a question, you've failed to provide an acceptable explanation so I will continue my search for a more accurate one that has verifiable and reproducible results like the sticks and fire."
It's not that I believe there is no God.
I have no reason to believe that there is a God at all. It is the unmoved default position of having questions, and searching for answers back by proof and not unfalsifiable claims.