Silly Atheists.

[Neo-Scholastic]

1. If you have heard our arguments and found them convincing, consider we have heard your rebuttals and found them unconvincing.

Agreed. A productive conversation needs people with differing perspectives to understand each other. At the same time, IMO the best someone can hope for is to have clarity about what the other side truly believes and perhaps how they have arrived at their opinions. I doubt very much that I will ever convert to Islam or that you will buy into the mystical visions of Swedenborg. However, I truly believe that by listening to each other we can more deeply understand the richness of our own faith traditions, the common threads that unite us, and even take to heart some of the earnest criticisms of our atheist brothers and sisters.

2. If we have the burden proof, you have the burden to accept the proof if proven to you or show that the burden has not been met.

I have given up on the burden of proof debate. The debate assumes that that people gain knowledge from the ground up…starting with self-evident truths and reaching conclusions after building a tight chain of logical arguments. But people do not start with self-evident proofs. They are dropped into the middle of life and must work both backwards and forwards at the same time. The wise write life’s philosophy with a pencil. One end has a lead. The other end has an eraser.

3. God by definition is the most important being, if an approach to this is made by jest and his scriptures approached with no seriousness, then whether he exists or not, forgive Theists for seeing it irrational and evil to belittle what by definition most revered being in existence.

Most definitely, yes. It seems like a part of human nature to belittle those who strive for more. Manned flight is impossible. No human can run a 4-minute mile. Perhaps our quest to probe the deepest mystery of human life is folly…trying to find meaning and purpose where none can be found. That is always possible. Jacob wrestled with God and limped away, wounded.

4. It won't ever make sense that hating goodness for what is: is irrelevant to morality and hence, if goodness is God's light that hating that mystic link, would be hating for what it is at it's heart.

Many kids in my high-school people mocked those who did not drink or maintained their virginity. Many people do not see the value in abstinence or temperance. They slander the notions of purity or self-discipline. And when any of those high-minded students lapsed or failed to meet their own high self-expectations, the others insulted them for even trying. The darkness hates the light. That will never change.

5. When we value beings, we value the value in them, if you hate value being linked to God, and value is linked to God, do you hate or love true value of things or do you just make up what value is and attribute to them...try to understand not only the issue of God existence is of vital importance then to love and appreciating and empathy, but that truly to act for the face of God in all things requires to recognize the face of God and his word of light brought to life.

Not sure what your point is here. At the same time, I see your appreciation for the path of the mystic. Last night, I was pondering one of the central mysteries of the Christian faith – the tension between the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ. I questioned who I was by questioning who he is. In my mind’s eye, I saw the Highest Divine Good reaching out into the furthest reaches of creation and drawing the value He imparted to His creation back into Himself. That vision does not seem to be uniquely Christian; but rather, deeply ingrained in Judaism and Islam as well.

6. I can't take your testification that you are honest and truly assess all evidence seriously - in light of how you guys have display an attitude to dialogue over the years. You chose to be silly. And hence, your testification has become meaningless to me as far as these issues go.

The fool is he who thinks he knows, but knows not that he knows not. Shun him.
The sleeper is he who knows, but knows not that he knows. Awaken him.
The wise man is he who knows and knows that he knows. Follow him.