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Some great news for a change!
January 7, 2015 at 5:12 pm
(This post was last modified: January 7, 2015 at 5:22 pm by Simon Moon.)
With the disturbing news from France today, at least there is some good news in US.
http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.co...icals.html
"We are facing a crisis in America. Skepticism is rising [as if this is a bad thing]. Too many young people are leaving the faith. Few Christians are able to effectively share Jesus with others." Lee (I used to be an atheist) Strobel
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
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RE: Some great news for a change!
January 7, 2015 at 5:17 pm
(This post was last modified: January 7, 2015 at 5:20 pm by Nope.)
Many years ago, people like me would have kept their lack of faith to themselves and carried on, probably attending church because tha was where I would have gotten my community support. Now, there is the internet so that people who doubt can find other doubters and form an online support system. Actually reading Christian apologists online helped by fail from faith as I realized that not only could they not adequately answer my questions but they couldn't answer anyone else's.
He shouldn't just be worried about young people leaving the faith. I stopped believing in my forties and my loss of faith was the catalyst to my younger children's loss of faith.
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RE: Some great news for a change!
January 7, 2015 at 5:20 pm
(January 7, 2015 at 5:17 pm)Nope Wrote: Actually reading Christian apologists online helped by fail from faith as I realized that not only could they not adequately answer my questions but they couldn't answer anyone else's.
They claim to write for the sceptics, but all they can do is provide crutches for the ones actually believing. I've yet to find any apologist who's not outright ridiculous in his arguments.
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RE: Some great news for a change!
January 7, 2015 at 5:23 pm
I'm not even remotely surprised. Sad yes for the human lives that were killed, happy because people are starting to think for themselves about their own beliefs.
Atheism is a non-prophet organization join today.
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RE: Some great news for a change!
January 7, 2015 at 5:26 pm
(January 7, 2015 at 5:20 pm)abaris Wrote: They claim to write for the sceptics, but all they can do is provide crutches for the ones actually believing. I've yet to find any apologist who's not outright ridiculous in his arguments.
They really ought to start calling them justificationists.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
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RE: Some great news for a change!
January 7, 2015 at 5:45 pm
(January 7, 2015 at 5:26 pm)Faith No More Wrote: (January 7, 2015 at 5:20 pm)abaris Wrote: They claim to write for the sceptics, but all they can do is provide crutches for the ones actually believing. I've yet to find any apologist who's not outright ridiculous in his arguments.
They really ought to start calling them justificationists.
Very true.
I have never met a theist that became a believer because of the cosmological argument, teleological argument, TAG, ontological argument, etc.
They only use them to justify their already existing unjustified beliefs.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
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RE: Some great news for a change!
January 7, 2015 at 5:59 pm
Quote:"In the next decades we will see a massive decrease in evangelical influence politically, economically, culturally, and financially" writes John S. Dickerson, in The Great Evangelical Recession
Good. Die, motherfucker.
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RE: Some great news for a change!
January 7, 2015 at 6:09 pm
Every time I come here I feel better. I give up trying to destroy religion myself years ago. Used to lock horns with all of them upon contact.
This thread gives me hope for the world. Quite literally.
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RE: Some great news for a change!
January 7, 2015 at 6:14 pm
(January 7, 2015 at 6:09 pm)Landfish Wrote: Every time I come here I feel better. I give up trying to destroy religion myself years ago. Used to lock horns with all of them upon contact.
This thread gives me hope for the world. Quite literally.
Religion always destroys itself history has taught us that.
Atheism is a non-prophet organization join today.
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RE: Some great news for a change!
January 7, 2015 at 7:24 pm
(January 7, 2015 at 6:09 pm)Landfish Wrote: Every time I come here I feel better. I give up trying to destroy religion myself years ago. Used to lock horns with all of them upon contact.
This thread gives me hope for the world. Quite literally.
Don't sell yourself short.
Every conversation or debate you have ever had with a theist, has helped the cause. No matter how small.
The chances of changing the person you are directly engaging is very hard. But you never know what effect you had on bystanders.
But then again, every little thought you put in the head of the person you locked horns with, is like a seed that may have an effect years later. I know for a fact that I've helped cause fundies to become more moderate, less literalist, caused moderates to become Deists, etc.
Just the fact that atheists are no longer remaining politely hidden around theists is a major factor.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
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