RE: Believers, put yourself in my place.
November 22, 2016 at 4:57 pm
(This post was last modified: November 22, 2016 at 5:01 pm by AceBoogie.)
(November 22, 2016 at 12:47 pm)robvalue Wrote: I would say that they do have "evidence", of some sort. Just not what a critical thinker would call evidence. I don't think someone can randomly choose to believe something that they didn't a minute ago, without something happening to bring about that change of mind. For many theists, everything is evidence, because they've been indoctrinated into thinking so.True but one can choose to do certain things to keep their beliefs alive. One can choose to ignore certain lines of evidence or choose to remain uneducated on certain subjects because they believe in believing. Lacking a belief in a god is different because I would argue most atheists have reviewed the "evidence" that religion has presented and have seen the logical fallacies therein.
As in my dragon example, I don't think any sane person can suddenly decide they believe in dragons based on nothing.
An important point is that anyone can say they believe something. I expect there are a lot of theists who say they believe certain things because their religion requires them to, but that they don't actually believe them.
(November 22, 2016 at 4:22 pm)Neo-Scholastic Wrote: Sure you can. It's like shopping for shoes and deciding not to buy a pair. In this case we are talking about someone who is reflecting on the proposition "Is there a god?" At that point there's no returning to some default state of benign ignorance. He or she must either weight the pros & cons or not bother. To answer in the negative is to decide against it.I do not "decide against" the idea of god. You're implying that believe in the existence of god is the default position and I just don't buy that for a second. I simply do not believe the claims made by religion because, honestly make no sense. I mean I could choose to go to church every sunday and read the bible, etc. etc. but that does not change the fact that the idea of god makes no sense to me. I cannot choose that it doesn't make sense - it simply doesn't make sense to my mind.
If you never told a child about any gods or religions I think they would be an atheist their whole life. Does that mean they are 'deciding against' god? No.
“Love is the only bow on Life’s dark cloud. It is the morning and the evening star. It shines upon the babe, and sheds its radiance on the quiet tomb. It is the mother of art, inspirer of poet, patriot and philosopher.
It is the air and light of every heart – builder of every home, kindler of every fire on every hearth. It was the first to dream of immortality. It fills the world with melody – for music is the voice of love.
Love is the magician, the enchanter, that changes worthless things to Joy, and makes royal kings and queens of common clay. It is the perfume of that wondrous flower, the heart, and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon, we are less than beasts; but with it, earth is heaven, and we are gods.” - Robert. G. Ingersoll
It is the air and light of every heart – builder of every home, kindler of every fire on every hearth. It was the first to dream of immortality. It fills the world with melody – for music is the voice of love.
Love is the magician, the enchanter, that changes worthless things to Joy, and makes royal kings and queens of common clay. It is the perfume of that wondrous flower, the heart, and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon, we are less than beasts; but with it, earth is heaven, and we are gods.” - Robert. G. Ingersoll
