Euthyphro dilemma

[Edwardo Piet]

I don't think all theists are idiots but I do think all theism is idiotic. And hence not worth taking seriously.

My opinion is that you are misrepresenting what we actually disagree about. And you actually agree with me that theism is ridiculous and I am only suggesting we stop giving theism the benefit of the doubt. Hence why I see no problems with debating with theists when the subject isn't theism. When the subject is theism it's like debating whether Elvis is still alive: A total waste of time and energy. Humoring the belief that Elvis is still alive by addressing that belief as if it's a belief worth debating... is what I am suggesting we stop doing. And my point is that humoring theism is the equivalent of that.

Probably.  I know I don't want to talk to fundies.  If that's all they've got then, yeah, pretty much a waste of time.

But fundies are only more absurd pragmatically and morally. In logical terms of what they actually believe and the unreality of the truth-claims that they are incorrect to accept because those truth-claims are not true... the difference between a fundie's God and a moderate's God is like the difference between George Bush believing God speaks to him through a hairdryer and George Bush believing God speaks to him. Something being more cartoony doesn't in itself make it any more improbable or absurd.



So basically... we are wasting just as much time talking to moderates because they still believe in something as irrational as believing that Elvis is still alive. The only difference is that moderates are less bigoted and less literal about the Bible (or Koran, or whatever). And they are more likely to accept evolution, etc. They still have a ridiculously absurd core belief: What they believe in is still an imaginary friend that created the universe. Which is as absurd (perhaps more absurd) than believing that Elvis is still alive.

In fact... in some ways we're wasting our time MORE by talking to moderates. Because IF we DO have any chance of deconverting theists to atheism... it's the fundies that need to be deconverted the most as they tend to be more bigoted and harmful in their beliefs . . .