RE: Convert me!
September 1, 2012 at 5:12 pm
(This post was last modified: September 1, 2012 at 5:23 pm by Simon Moon.)
(September 1, 2012 at 4:49 pm)Penhorse340 Wrote: Even if you believe there is no shred of truth in religion, are you seriously contending that nobody has ever had benefit in their life from believing in religion? No alcoholics have even used religion to rehab? No bereaved people have ever been comforted by it? I thought sweeping soundbites like that were the preserve of theists!
i don't think there are many here that don't understand that people are; comforted by their religious beliefs, claim to change their lives because of religious beliefs, or receive other claimed benefits.
The question is, which is better at describing reality?
If you or other theists want to believe because it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, go ahead, As long as you don't try to force them on others, have at it.
But the bottom line is, faith based belief is not another source for knowledge.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
