Agnostics

[bennyboy]

The thing is, the vast majority of theists aren't just thinking of some bland intelligent force. They think they know all sorts of details about it, details they can't possibly know. At this point, it's pretty safe to discard their ideas as fantasy, even if it might be very roughly based on something that could be real.

Oh, absolutely. And to be honest, if I was on a Christian forum, I'd probably just declare as gnostic atheist-- because I feel pretty confident that everything they say will be fetid horse shit. It's only MY definitions of God, or other philosophical views, which I'm likely to seriously consider.

And the consequences of a force existing we know nothing about, and probably can't learn anything about for now, is pretty irrelevant. So either way, it's a pretty pointless question.

Again, absolutely. Ask Christians why you should pray, and you're unlikely to get the response, "Because then you'll get the life you want and deserve." And if they DO say that, they haven't read the Bible.

So. . . real God who can't help me live my life with more satisfaction and enjoyment? Fuck it, I could be walking the dogs or banging the wife right now. By the way, I was once fairly seriously religious (or at least spiritual). And I have to say that the disconnect between my behavior, my spiritual condition, and the resultant circumstances really beat it out of me. I mean. . . you go out of your way to help some kid, and he runs away with your stereo. You honor a disadvantageous contract because you shook hands, and honor is honor, and the OTHER guy fucks off with the deposit you didn't really want to pay in the first place. That kind of stuff.

Being good just doesn't seem to pay off.