RE: Atheism is just as irrational as Theism.
October 12, 2011 at 12:19 pm
(This post was last modified: October 12, 2011 at 12:48 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
The existence of a business is cut and dry Frodo, at least in any country with an even remotely passable set of laws. Bad analogy. Still unable to make your own case? Is this the business major theory of god? I want to buy stock in your immaterial business btw, it has to be the only show in town. I still find it hilarious that you're dead set on bullshitting your way into sort of christian majority, as if such a thing exists. Why don't we limit ourselves to arguing for one non-existent thing at a time?
"God doesn't exist because we can't sense him" would be fine, except that there are many things which we cannot sense (without machines) which plainly do exist. Until you have something of substance, there is nothing to consider.
The idea that the function of god is how we would map out the data concerning god falls flat on its face. There would have to be a god before function could be determined. If we were to allow function to provide a sort of indirect observation that function would have to align itself to some actual observation. For example, if the function of god was to save human beings and bring their spirit closer to itself, one would need to observe a spirit. If it were to punish the wicked, one would have to show that the wicked are punished along the lines drawn in a manner that is beyond our control or ability. If it were to create us, one would need to show that we were in fact created. See, it's not difficult to think these things up, and you should know that, since that's what classical apologetics are all about, start to finish.
Merely stating that "the function is the map" or that "Our ability to know god comes from understanding of his/our function" without any justification is trash. Back it up or drop it.
When you complain that atheists "just don't get it" you're only complaining that they don't get you. Cry me a river. Whatever arguments you feel you have for or against any particular christian belief are meaningless the minute we disengage you and speak to the next theist in line. You all need to get your shit together before you put it on the table.
Ultimately I do agree with the op, in that overall the concept of god is unintelligible when taken without dogma. The theist adds plenty of this and so their god is well defined. Unfortunately for them the definition is utter garbage. Can I imagine the unimaginable and then declare that it doesn't exist? No. But I don't have to. Theists have books that have that pretty much taken care of, and those I can take line by line and at the end confidently call bullshit.
"God doesn't exist because we can't sense him" would be fine, except that there are many things which we cannot sense (without machines) which plainly do exist. Until you have something of substance, there is nothing to consider.
The idea that the function of god is how we would map out the data concerning god falls flat on its face. There would have to be a god before function could be determined. If we were to allow function to provide a sort of indirect observation that function would have to align itself to some actual observation. For example, if the function of god was to save human beings and bring their spirit closer to itself, one would need to observe a spirit. If it were to punish the wicked, one would have to show that the wicked are punished along the lines drawn in a manner that is beyond our control or ability. If it were to create us, one would need to show that we were in fact created. See, it's not difficult to think these things up, and you should know that, since that's what classical apologetics are all about, start to finish.
Merely stating that "the function is the map" or that "Our ability to know god comes from understanding of his/our function" without any justification is trash. Back it up or drop it.
When you complain that atheists "just don't get it" you're only complaining that they don't get you. Cry me a river. Whatever arguments you feel you have for or against any particular christian belief are meaningless the minute we disengage you and speak to the next theist in line. You all need to get your shit together before you put it on the table.
Ultimately I do agree with the op, in that overall the concept of god is unintelligible when taken without dogma. The theist adds plenty of this and so their god is well defined. Unfortunately for them the definition is utter garbage. Can I imagine the unimaginable and then declare that it doesn't exist? No. But I don't have to. Theists have books that have that pretty much taken care of, and those I can take line by line and at the end confidently call bullshit.
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