(October 10, 2012 at 2:39 pm)ronedee Wrote: All you A's do is take everything/anything I say, or anyone with a religion says and twist it up to suit your own dispositions at the moment.
Wow, nice sweeping generalization...
rondee Wrote:It's rather childish, and boring to "assume" everyone who is a "believer" is a clone of your worst "Christian" nightmare. And vis-vis (OK?).
Just wondering, why are 'assume' and 'believer' in quotes? We don't assume that every believer is a clone of our worst christian the nightmare. However, it is a fact that with almost no exception, the less religious a nation is, the lower its crime rates are.
rondee Wrote:I pretty much knew this would happen from the get go. But I also thought I'd get good, engaging arguments on why there isn't a God. My observations (if I may do some twisting myself) is there are deep rooted reasons besides "I haven't seen a God lately", that makes you rely on your eyes and reasoning based on subtraction.
We didn't do any twisting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morality_an..._and_crime
This doesn not prove that religion makes you less moral, but certainly doesn't go the other way.
rondee Wrote:No matter what you feel about God... Faith is still a part of EVERY person's life! Whether it's believing that our country will rebound, or the stockmarket, or our kid will do good in school, or that our faithfulness in our job, or careers will pay off someday.
Despite what other people have said, you are technically right. It takes a miniscule shred of faith to believe that the world won't end on the winter solstice this year, but it takes an enormous amount to believe it will. Without absolute knowledge, believing anyhting technically requires faith, just a negligible amount.
rondee Wrote:Not all of you have chimmed in, but most of you seem to think I'm just another religious zealot who's trying to thump you over the head with my bible. And with nothing to offer except more of the same.
Actually, the "religious zealot who's trying to thump" us "over the head with" his bible would be offering more of the same. If you are not this, then by all means, change the subject.
rondee Wrote:I'm understanding that you don't want to engage in anything that will refute what you have your mind set on. I guess I'm like that too.....BUT....with one big difference!
Err...no. We are perfectly willing to engage with something that will refute our mindset; we just haven't found it.
rondee Wrote:I'm unable to think that this is all there is to life! "Time" alone, and of itself proves there was indeed a beginning....and there will be an end! What preceeded that, and what will come after that are still a mystery to EVERYONE!
How is there something before the beginning and after the end? Books don't have a page -3. A prequel, maybe, but that is simply redefining where the beginning is.
John Adams Wrote:The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.
