Debunking Christianity? It's actually quite as simple as asking "why?"

[Cinjin]

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Yep - that's a fair perception. Belief in anything unseen does tend to make one hypocritical in some way or another because my beliefs are no more valid than anyone else's. That's the inevitable illogical conclusion and paradox to who I am. I have found no way around it.

It's got nothing to do with it being "unseen" - both you and the theists have proposed a deity for which you make certain claims, neither of you have any good reason to believe what you do so your critique of their deities motivations are frankly rather bunk - sure, you make less claims about the motivations of the deity than they do, you don't make claims about the presence of events that aren't confirmed for instance, but it's still the same type of claim despite it being less frequent.

The difference that seems to make me tolerable is that I'm not going around claiming I have proof, spouting ridiculous assertions about the age of the world, condemning others to hell, and denying contradictions with "author's original context" arguments. In short, I don't claim to actually know God.

More tolerable, sure, but are your beliefs respectable? No, I can't respect you for having a belief in some concept for which you have no good reason to believe just because you don't want to order others around with some assumed moral authority like the theists.

...and without deism - I would (and possibly will) default to atheism. I will be the first to concede that God may not exist. It is an impossible thing to prove. For now however, Deism allows me the small amount of faith I always wanted and the ability to ridicule silly books about goat herders and superstition.

So you believe in a deity because you want to believe in a god?

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First of all let me say, I'm not sure what it is you would like me to concede with this second post. I already said that my belief in a creator God insures some level of personal hypocrisy. It seems a little like baiting to me. However, you clearly have a bone to pick with me so I will indulge the argument for the time being - as I do usually respect the nature of your intellectual posts.

It's got nothing to do with it being "unseen" - both you and the theists have proposed a deity for which you make certain claims, neither of you have any good reason to believe what you do so your critique of their deities motivations are frankly rather bunk - sure, you make less claims about the motivations of the deity than they do, you don't make claims about the presence of events that aren't confirmed for instance, but it's still the same type of claim despite it being less frequent.

Actually, the only hard fast claim I've ever made of "my" God is that he is a Creator - and to the best of my knowledge, I have never made a claim other than that. In addition, I've always held to the fact that I don't know if there even IS a God - I simply choose to believe there is. You said I make less claims about his motivations ... incorrect - I make NO claims as to his motivations. I merely said that the motivations that others claim as hard fact are utterly ridiculous. If you want to accuse me of being a fool for believing in God - that's fair. It is not fair however to interpolate my ridicule of the revealed religions of the world as some kind of assertion that my beliefs in a Creator are any more valid than the beliefs they have of their god.

More tolerable, sure, but are your beliefs respectable? No, I can't respect you for having a belief in some concept for which you have no good reason to believe just because you don't want to order others around with some assumed moral authority like the theists.

You're an atheist. I certainly don't expect you to respect my beliefs (even though I respect your lack of belief). I have a reason for what I believe. Clearly it's not good enough for you, and that's completely fine with me. If you choose not to respect me as a person because of one thing in my personality that you consider a flaw than sadly there is nothing I can do about that. Many of my very good friends have a strange idea and/or practice that I think is an effort in futility, but as a whole, I still choose to love and respect them.

So you believe in a deity because you want to believe in a god?

Certainly. What other reason could there possibly be? I don't believe in heaven or hell. I'm not worried about my soul. I sure as hell have no tangible evidence of God. Yes, I simply choose to believe in God. Don't get me wrong - I tried atheism on for awhile and it fit ok. Atheism makes far more sense to my logical mind, but you cannot always fight something you feel in your chest. I cannot explain why I found the idea of a Being that had the ability to create so compelling. Highly intelligent, but imperfect. Powerful, but certainly not omnipotent. Someone or something I will in all likelihood never know. Are these characteristics he has? I have no idea, but I sure as hell don't go around telling people that they are, and defending that point with a really old fucking book. And that is why I will continue to ridicule Christianity without guilt and only minor hypocrisy.


The short of it: If you're looking for a valid defense of one's faith ... it does not exist. If you're looking for an apology for my ridicule of Christianity ... that too does not exist.