Back to Theism

[Kyuuketsuki]

[quote='Kyuuketsuki' pid='12531' dateline='1238099904']IMO (and it is just opinion) it's no good trying to be an atheist ... it's just a label, it's what you are when other things force you to the realisation that there are no gods. I'm an atheist because the available evidence, or absence of, indicates there is no god (strongly IMO), if the available evidence indicated there was a god I'd become a theist.

Do you believe in quarks? Why? When have you ever experienced them? What evidence outside of an appeal to authority do you have for the existence of quarks, or for that matter that the moon is solid, or for that matter that the sun will rise tomorrow.[/quote]

Not specifically but the quark model does tend to explain things quite well and is now supported by some significant evidence including the high-energy annihilation of electrons and positrons producing muon-antimuon pairs or quark-antiquark pairs that ultimately produce hadrons. The most recent evidence lends support to the six quark, three colour model over the five quark, three colour model.

There's quite a nice slide set explanation here and if you're into bittorrent at all you can download an excellent BBC 3 part series called "Atom" which takes you through the history of atomic theory right up to current thought.

Ultimately I accept these things because they are part of science, because they are published in scientific journals and presented to us laypeople in popular science books, magazines and programming. If you think that means I know nothing then fine, believe that, but if you do I think I'll choose to believe you're a scientific know-nothing ... that sound about fair?

To my mind it sounds to me like you're advancing the view that none of us can prove the world exists at all which is fine but if you genuinely believe that then all I can suggest ids that you test it. I've always thought that a good test would be to step out into the middle of a lane full of fast moving traffic but, with the greatest respect of course, I would rather not because I AM prepared to assume this world is real.

The sun is likely to rise tomorrow for some very good reasons, firstly it has been observed to rise (always in the east) for all of recorded history secondly because we have some significant evidence and pretty damned accurate scientific models that explain exactly why the sun rises each day, why it rises in the east and why it is likely it will continue doing so. Not trying to be funny here Edward but did you attend any science classes at school and beyond?

For 99.99% of the knowledge we have, we have no direct evidence.

So what, nothing is science says we have to observe these things with our own little twinkies.

[quote='Kyuuketsuki' pid='12531' dateline='1238099904']To deny order in the universe however, now that's about on the level of mentally ill.

Agreed, science is about order, reason and explicability.

[quote='Kyuuketsuki' pid='12531' dateline='1238099904']We believe what we choose to believe.

True but atheism isn't a belief, it's a label. It carries no philosophy whatsoever, carries none of the ritualistic trappings of religion ... it is not a belief; you can't choose to be one.

It doesn't change the truth at all. Sometimes there is global warming, sometimes there isn't.

Actually scientific consensus is pretty much that there is.

I'm afraid your a bit innocent, my friend.

You might get banned for a number of things but advancing untenable points of view isn't one of them. .

Uh huh. Well, it's the being intentionally disruptive part that has such a broad definition, isn't it?

Adrian pretty much said it dude and besides, you've got some way to go before you're as irritating as some other posters here ... personally I think there's hope for you yet.

The Catholic Church is good for nothing if not for producing atheists.

There are over a billion Catholics worldwide so I'm afraid you're going to have to back that up with a little bit more than, "I say it so it's true!

Kyu