Wow! Nice posts guys.
(August 31, 2009 at 4:21 am)padraic Wrote:This type of thinking really gets my goat. It's not Christian, although of course you're entitled to your POV, As is often repeated in churches.. "God has no grandchildren". You can't somehow imbibe belief.. until you make a positive decision YOU ARE NEVER a Christian.Quote:Belief in something is not a choice ... belief is the result of a rationalisation process (horribly twisted in theists I know) that brings that person to a particular POV.
Not sure that's correct. Most people I know received their religious beliefs as very young children, well under 'the age of reason'. As children we believe implicitly what our parents tell us,about the world,god,other people and ourselves.
(August 31, 2009 at 4:21 am)padraic Wrote: However,as I've said before,my atheism is not a choice,but an inescapable conclusion reached after many years trying to avoid that conclusion.Perhaps that's why I'm often so contemptuous of the theists who infest atheist forums;their apologist position is old tired and boring.As I said, atheism, or lack of belief, is the default position. You say you went from believer by default to atheism through reasoning. You never considered the logic of Christianity as It has to be considered, from non belief.
