Rant against anti-atheist agnostics.

[Ben Davis]

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Don't get me wrong, I'm agnostic too. Very much so in fact.

But 'militant' agnostics, like a certain new member whose user name cuts a little close to home, tick me off. Please tell me what it is you think you know about what these god-things are that makes you argue so vociferously against non-belief in them.

I get agnosticism. I don't get anti-atheism. What is that about? Personally I have no more trouble with agnostic theists than I do agnostic atheists. These are my peoples.

Anti-atheist agnostics, like their brethren atheist anti-theists, carry around huge axes to grind. Both talk proudly of reasoned argument and evidence. But both are obviously more animated by emotional bile than any reason they actually own up to. Both are obviously working through issues which cloud their judgment.

[/vent]

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On thread, the mechanisms for the existence of anti-atheists are like those of antidisestablishmentarians: they're a natural cycle of our defensive mechanisms. It's often born from the fact that the composition of most theisms are so obviously mythological that the simple existence of atheism is a direct and serious threat; sometimes it comes from the (mistaken) belief that atheism = antitheism. Whatever the cause, theism has an 'opponent'. If someone opposes theism then we can expect someone to oppose those who oppose theism. The arguments themselves are largely irrelevant, defense of sincerely held belief is human nature.

Re. vicarious redemption, all I have to say is John 3:16. All denominations of Christianity agree on this:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

Arguing about whether there was 'sacrifice' or not is beside the point: the redemption is vicarious by definition.

Drich, your attempts to sidestep the issue are disingenuous in the extreme. You would not be a Christian if you didn't believe John 3:16. Your apologetics fall flat in the face of your own scripture.