RE: Strong Atheism starts from faith
February 19, 2010 at 4:30 am
(This post was last modified: February 19, 2010 at 4:30 am by tackattack.)
(February 19, 2010 at 1:00 am)tavarish Wrote:
I was probably a little too hyped on caffeine; I've been away from it for a while. It's just a little frustrating that, as a theist, I would have precursored any positing of a rebuttal with that, at least 3 people would have pointed out the attack on innuendo. Though, not nearly as frustrating as having to type half of this response three times, due to internet problems.
1-So we can agree that we both have faith that God could exist, just varying levels. That point can rest then.
2-Yes and my concept of God should be irrelevant to you. Conceptually God, from a Christian perspective, gives each of us a direct line to understanding him. Subjectivity is actually a key. I’m not making a claim for you, only myself.
3-I guess that list would be better as a whole other thread.
3.5- Ok so I’ve clarified peer review as testimonial, make your point.
4.3- Actually I have said the exact opposite of your first assertion. “I don't feel he acts on our behalf or intercedes but is omnificent and omnipotent.” I would say we all have a holy spirit that we interact with. It pulls us closer to God in a way similar to a magnet and iron shavings. The Holy Spirit being the magnetic fields and God being the magnet, etc.
4.3.1-You’re just reasserting that it can be independently tested and replicated. I clearly delineated that my experience has not, to my knowledge, been replicated and is not indicative of normal responces to various stimuli.
4.3.2- How can I be misled by myself(read illusion)? The only person I can be is me, and the only direction I can go is forward. Every time atheists claim I’m delusional or need to test God by jumping into traffic the people who know me laugh.
4.5 It could possibly be a form of confirmational bias (less than20% IMO) but definitely not rationalization. I believe that rests on your interpretations of relevant and immediate, which seem to me to reside in the conscious mind not the subconscious.
4.6 For instance I’m sitting in prayer thanking God for his wonderful awesomeness and suddenly a friend I haven’t spoken with in 6 years just pops into my head. I pray for him and feel his body needs healing, so I ask for it. I shoot him an email just BS’ing about how he’s been and it’s been a while, and how’s the family. Come to find out that he’s going though the stress of having polyps tested and very worried about it. I then respond back about my prayer and he shared the test results and we all had a good story to tell.
4.7- see the metaphor in 4.3 It’s not like I couldn’t separate the magnet and the iron fillings. I can tell God no, I can refuse to do what the spirit nudges me to ask about, say, or go. I did it before. Every time I do go along with it though, synchronicity events start stacking up.
4.8 They’re unique to me. You’re referencing the populace though so I inferred you were talking about unique among a group. They’re not unique among Christians, but to an individual they stand out for their own belief.
This really was much more eloquent and inclusive of all my thoughts the first time. I’m getting tired now and Void is doing a great job of distracting me, to his benefit. I'll have to reassess tomorrow.
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari