(December 2, 2013 at 5:57 pm)Zazzy Wrote:

(December 2, 2013 at 3:30 pm)Jacob(smooth) Wrote: Lol! I've told you I'm following a religion and that it does not matter to me a whit if the stories upon which it is based are even true or not! I'd be willing to KEEP following it, even If I had proof positive that the people in it didn't say the things the bible had them saying, or do the things the bible said they did!

What could be less reasonable than that!?!?

The fact that you know it's unreasonable is what make you reasonable.

It's like people who say that the amazing thing is that there is something instead of nothing. To my mind, if the only dimension we possessed was analytic, then there would be no 'me' at all. The amazing thing is that I can be inspired, in love, creative and recognize the truth when I hear it. All those things reinforce that I am somebody in particular, and that truly makes me glad.

I never underwent a religious conversion but I did come to experience myself in a deeper way than the levers of my conscious mind alone would ever have revealed. That has made all the difference. Every factoid and explanation is nothing by comparison.

Jacob is right of course that it doesn't really matter what story we tell to keep ourselves connected to the transcendent. All that matters is that it works. Anyone who trusts their rational mind to be the arbiter of who we are is lost.

Quote:Having said that, I am acutely aware that my experience is absolutely no proof of the reality of anything I choose to believe in.

So admitting you have no evidence means we should be satisfied with anything you claim from now on? Did it ever occur to you the reason you don't have any evidence is because god does not exist and like you said you merely chose"to believe it?

"I like it" and "It feels right" and "faith" and "tradition" are not good reasons, they are merely mental placebos. The ancient Egyptians falsely believed the sun was a god for 3,000 years and I am sure it "felt right" and was a tradition for that long.

Think of all the other religions and god claims you reject. They have no evidence either and they also chose to believe what they believe. HOW, not what do you believe, BUT HOW do you know you are not making the same mistake in logic?

(December 2, 2013 at 2:32 pm)LastPoet Wrote: Its always nice to have a reasonable christian here. Almost too good to be true

Must be a poe!

(December 2, 2013 at 6:14 pm)Brian37 Wrote:

Quote:Having said that, I am acutely aware that my experience is absolutely no proof of the reality of anything I choose to believe in.

So admitting you have no evidence means we should be satisfied with anything you claim from now on?

What have I claimed exactly? The question was why I am a Christian. You can be satisfied with my claim or not as to why I am a Christian as you please. I'd be interested to know why you think I'm a Christian if you don't accept my views on the matter.

Quote:Did it ever occur to you the reason you don't have any evidence is because god does not exist and like you said you merely chose"to believe it?

I think I said that somewhere didn't I? In my op? That I have a sneaking suspicion that atheists were right? Perhaps read what I wrote, it may answer your question for you. Did it occur to me that" like I said I chose to believe it"? Of course it occurred to me that I chose to believe it. That's why I said, I chose to believe it. What an odd question.

Quote:"I like it" and "It feels right" and "faith" and "tradition" are not good reasons, they are merely mental placebos. The ancient Egyptians falsely believed the sun was a god for 3,000 years and I am sure it "felt right" and was a tradition for that long.

Not good reasons for what exactly? To think that something is true? Yeah I think I said that as well.

Quote:Think of all the other religions and god claims you reject. They have no evidence either and they also chose to believe what they believe. HOW, not what do you believe, BUT HOW do you know you are not making the same mistake in logic?

I don't know (and yes I think I said that too). But what I believe works for me. If those other religions work for other people, then good for them. I would not presume to tell them they've made a mistake in logic, the basis they have for their belief might well be the same as mine.

I'm not sure who your arguing with here Brian, but I don't think it's me. I never said mine was the RIGHT religion, or that anyone's else's was the WRONG religion. Nor did I say any of my beliefs were true, because as you rightly say there is zero proof. I merely answered the question I was asked about hey I was a Christian.

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(December 2, 2013 at 6:46 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

(December 2, 2013 at 2:32 pm)LastPoet Wrote: Its always nice to have a reasonable christian here. Almost too good to be true

Must be a poe!

Would that not make it an antipoe?

Quote:Poe's law, named after its author Nathan Poe, is an Internet adage reflecting the idea that without a clear indication of the author's intent, it is difficult or impossible to tell the difference between an expression of sincere extremism and a parody of extremism.[1]

No. A rational xtian is almost an oxymoron.

Anyone who thinks that a dead jew came back to life to atone for all the sins of the world is pretty far removed from rationality to begin with. Yet, if they don't think that, they aren't much of a xtian.

So you think it's hard to tell if Someone who appears to be a rational Christian is in fact an irrational Christian playing a gag?

Interesting....
(shit they're on to me).

(December 2, 2013 at 4:17 pm)Jacob(smooth) Wrote:

(December 2, 2013 at 4:08 pm)Chas Wrote: So you're satisfied with rationalizations and wishful thinking. How very analytical.

Ask me a question about science, or medicine, I'll give you an analytical answer. Those are the areas where analytical is important, nay essential.

So far as a world view, individual morality, psychology and suchlike goes, I'm satisfied with functional. If analytical works well for you then give yourself a big hand . Woot for the more analytical than thou chas

Your weak attempt at sarcasm falls short. Clearly I am more analytical than you since I apply it consistently.

Carry on with your compartmentalization, cognitive dissonance, and delusion.

(December 2, 2013 at 7:10 pm)Jacob(smooth) Wrote: So you think it's hard to tell if Someone who appears to be a rational Christian is in fact an irrational Christian playing a gag?

Interesting....
(shit they're on to me).

I've never met a really rational xtian.

(December 2, 2013 at 7:23 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

(December 2, 2013 at 7:10 pm)Jacob(smooth) Wrote: So you think it's hard to tell if Someone who appears to be a rational Christian is in fact an irrational Christian playing a gag?

Interesting....
(shit they're on to me).

I've never met a really rational xtian.

It's an oxymoron.

(December 2, 2013 at 5:53 pm)whateverist Wrote:

(December 2, 2013 at 1:05 pm)freedomfromfallacy Wrote: I'm still reserving judgment on how 'nice' this place is, or is not

How many more reps will that take?

at least five, but certainly no more than one hundred.