how do you forgive yourself?

[Jeffonthenet]

You say that one is justified in saying that there is only one medicine to cure a disease because it can be scientifically proven while mine faith cannot. You say also say, "your religion… cannot be verified, so it must not be believed in."

You seem to be saying that things which cannot be verified by the scientific method should not be believed in. However, this statement itself cannot be verified by the scientific method. Neither can things like the existence of the past, basic logic. And it doesn't follow that these things are irrational to believe in because they cannot be verified by the scientific method.

I went back and bolded the part that I felt was more important, while at the same time italicized the "passing thought". It wasn't his point, as far as I can tell, to say that only that which can be tested by the scientific method is real. Sure, he most definitely meant to say that the scientific method is worthy of use to the degree that it can determine truth, which I'm sure you don't disagree with; however, it was an afterthought by which to validate his analogy that he included the scinetific method at all.
The main point was only that which can be verified is allowed to flaunt itself as anything more than a daydream.
Oh, and you can't do that for your sky fairy. That was the point that went over your head.

It seemed to me that the underlined statement was the logic upon which his entire case must depend, whether he really recognized that or not. And according to the statement I underlined, I cannot accept the reality of the past or basic logical truths or the reliability of my sense perception because none of these can be verified without circular arguments.

Atheists don't generally take the position that "there is no God" due to the reprecussions of that position. We can, however, make fun of your God as a fairy tale and a fable, because despite the implication that that God is false, how can one be criticized for making fun of an unproven concept? Making fun a group that worships Santa would be a fair analogy: we can't see Santa, hear Santa, or feel him, but due to rationalizations by the group he is unfalsifiable. That doesn't make him any less worthy of scorn, does it?

I would not have said this because I knew I would get involved in an endless argument over what atheism is… however, I said it in this case because the logic he was using to conclude his point seemed to require it.