Atheists... why do you believe that God doesn't exist?

[Whateverist]

Of course belief in the xtian god is not a matter of evidence or proof, it is a faith-option. It is the honoring of an inner hunch for which no corroborating evidence can be found. It is probably grounded in an impulse not to go through life as a muggle.

I wouldn't call logical deduction a hunch though.

Makes me wonder what exactly you have in mind. Logical deduction depends on ones premises and you can't use deduction to pick out the true ones. I guess it comes down to eye-witness accounts and so on? (Beware confirmation bias.)

... I still say there is no justification for bringing the bible into it. It is a hedging of faith. It is like someone who can make no use of their intuition without taking out a deck of Tarot cards. A bible may serve the same function but there is no justification for choosing between tarot cards, the bible or tea leaves. Whatever gets you in touch with the mystery will do, but all will fuck with you if you mistake the medium for the message.

I'm not talking about tarot cards or using the bible as an intuitive focus. People can use reason to compare a revealed text with other sources, like archeological artifacts and other documents, to decide whether to trust the revelation or not. You cannot say there is no evidence, but it is fair to question the evidence presented. As for me, I wish there were earlier records, more gospel accounts, and independent contemporary supporting documents. There aren't, but I consider what we do have sufficient to make Judeism and Christianity religions in which reasonable and intelligent people can follow.

I'm not sure there are any religions which can't be reasonably and intelligently followed by people raised in the appropriate settings. I'm surprised you would want to make the claim that only the religion that is part of your cultural milieu passes the objective test of reasonableness. That does seem to leave you open to the charge of being, if not xenophobic, at least provincial.


You both seem eager to claim that reason leads to theism. I think the most you can claim is that reason doesn't rule it out. But I think Chad goes way to far in claiming that reason specifically leads only to the religions with which he happens to be best acquainted.