Can atheists convert theists?

[strattosphere]

Strattosphere -

No not really, I don't rely on anyone else. Besides, belief is perfectly acceptable. If you define acceptable as what you would accept, that's personal to you. I can accept any belief I like. If you have no means of stopping me from believing whatever I like, then using the word "acceptable" in the context that you mean it, is obsolete. As it stands, I can believe whatever I feel like believing, and it is acceptable because I accept it.

Are you actually reading what's written?

Just in case there's any ambiguity, here's the definition of 'acceptable' with regard to religion from the online dictionary:-

to regard as true or sound; believe

So when you say 'it is acceptable because I accept it.' what you are saying is you believe it because you believe it. Redundant!

I didn't say you rely on anything. I said religions rely on each other. Belief in God is deemed acceptable (true or sound) to humans because of history, the amount of believers, religious iconography, the presence of religious commentators and of course family. What this means is that people become aware of the concept of God at a very early age and this normalises it.

When you say belief is acceptable I assume you mean that the idea of a belief in God is thought of by most people as a valid thing. If so then you are generalising. Many people (more than half in the UK) don't find the idea of a belief in God acceptable or valid.

If you have moved from one of the organised religions to the adolescent halfway-house of the belief in a universal consciousness then I congratulate you. Like many before you, you have taken the first step towards rationality and being a grown-up. It hopefully won't be too long before you come to terms with the fact that the universe is not conscious and that there is no God.