Do you think Atheists are stupid?

[Astreja]

It doesn't require faith. Prayer is prayer. Some seemingly lousy little shit prayer, that you recited with honest intent, will have some kind of effect.

*I* would require faith in order to pray. Otherwise I would see it as lying to myself, which would have a negative effect on me. That's why I don't pray at all.

[Ahriman]

It doesn't require faith. Prayer is prayer. Some seemingly lousy little shit prayer, that you recited with honest intent, will have some kind of effect.

*I* would require faith in order to pray.  Otherwise I would see it as lying to myself, which would have a negative effect on me.  That's why I don't pray at all.

Well okay then.

[Ahriman]

You don't have physical evidence for the existence of gravity. Do you think gravity is real?

What exactly do you think the evidence for gravity is?

Well there isn't much, is there? But obviously, something is happening. Shit falls when you drop it. There is clearly some kind of universal law that says things fall when you drop them. I just don't think there is any actual evidence for this law, beyond the fact that we know the law exists.

[Angrboda]

What exactly do you think the evidence for gravity is?

Well there isn't much, is there? But obviously, something is happening. Shit falls when you drop it. There is clearly some kind of universal law that says things fall when you drop them. I just don't think there is any actual evidence for this law, beyond the fact that we know the law exists.

You said gravity, not the law of gravity. We don't know exactly what gravity is, but we have plenty of physical evidence of things falling that it exists.

[Silver]

If you can observe the effects of gravity, things falling, then clearly the law is accurate.

[Ahriman]

Well there isn't much, is there? But obviously, something is happening. Shit falls when you drop it. There is clearly some kind of universal law that says things fall when you drop them. I just don't think there is any actual evidence for this law, beyond the fact that we know the law exists.

You said gravity, not the law of gravity.  We don't know exactly what gravity is, but we have plenty of physical evidence of things falling that it exists.

You're right.

[Authari]

@Authari

Prove to me that God exists. Then we can discuss who's stupid and/or deluded. 

I have no objection to believing in a god as long as proof based upon a rational standard of knowledge is forthcoming. Is that too much to ask? But surely theists can’t expect me to adopt their beliefs on the basis of what has been presented thus far. Every “proof” I’ve heard and every piece of evidence I’ve seen for the existence of god(s) is easily countered by rational evidence and arguments to the contrary. No convincing evidence for the existence of any deity has ever emerged. But I’m more than willing to listen to theistic arguments or view theistic evidence as long as cross-examination is permitted. As conditions now stand, theology rests far more on superstition and faith than upon facts and reason.

Energy is the essence of Sentience, the whole universe is made of energy, ergo the entire universe is sentient. It took me 10 years to come up with that philosophy but at the end of the day I satisfactorily proved the existence of God to myself who was then an atheist. I had a lot of vexation in my heart towards God. So I speak from experience when talking about my own crises of faith. The fact of the matter is most people on this forum are here to stroke their own egos I know I used to be an atheist and hang out on atheist forums. Its sad that people can not be honest about their feelings towards God. Many here suffer from the same vexation I had but they'll never admit it.

I live a life now knowing that there is this great sentience that permeates the cosmos and ordains all things according to its laws. Do I flatter myself by imagining that I am more special than anyone else? No, but I do hold life as something sacred, so in that regard I view all life as something 'special' in and of itself. Sometimes if you want proof for the existence of God you have to find it yourself, and so I did. Its easy to take a position that aligns with your current beliefs, but its difficult going against the grain to try to prove yourself wrong.

[Authari]

This forum?  Or this earth?  How do you know that where God is currently is not a place?  William Lane Craig argues that God was timeless until creation, at which time a temporal relationship between God and the world was created.  Maybe something analogous applies to the spatial dimension?  We're told that God is everywhere.  How can he be everywhere if he is nowhere?

God observes our dimension from a kind of "hypostatic" vantage point. Hard to explain. God isn't everywhere, I'm not sure why anyone would say that. If God was everywhere, nothing bad would ever happen. His Providence is a real thing, experienced by all people, but God almost never intervenes directly.

You wouldn't be of the opinion then that energy is the essence of sentience and the whole universe being made of energy is also therefore sentient making it indeed that God is everywhere and in all things. If we forget about accidents and human decisions, the universe is really quite a beautiful thing to behold as the Manifestation of the Reality of God.

[Ahriman]

God observes our dimension from a kind of "hypostatic" vantage point. Hard to explain. God isn't everywhere, I'm not sure why anyone would say that. If God was everywhere, nothing bad would ever happen. His Providence is a real thing, experienced by all people, but God almost never intervenes directly.

You wouldn't be of the opinion then that energy is the essence of sentience and the whole universe being made of energy is also therefore sentient making it indeed that God is everywhere and in all things. If we forget about accidents and human decisions, the universe is really quite a beautiful thing to behold as the Manifestation of the Reality of God.

I don't think God is everywhere. God is not some fruity pantheistic deity.

[Fake Messiah]

the whole universe is made of energy, ergo the entire universe is sentient. It took me 10 years to come up with that philosophy but at the end of the day I satisfactorily proved the existence of God to myself who was then an atheist.

This seems like a very primitive worldview--just like when primitive man saw lightning in the sky and thought it was a god.

Its sad that people can not be honest about their feelings towards God. Many here suffer from the same vexation I had but they'll never admit it.

Oh, ok, I admit it. Just yesterday I was angry at Poseidon in the morning, and then I was angry at Krishna at noon, and then at Thor in the evening.