Any Theists on AF, I Challenge You to a Debate on the Existence of God

[fr0d0]

IMO it's not fair to say that we can't prove or disprove supernatural claims. Supernatural claims often explain the natural world, and those explainations can be tested.

For example, most Christians believe that prayers are granted when God is willing, and they believe certain things about God's will. So people have tested prayers, and the prayers always fail to have any effect. Christians excuse the failure of these prayers, by saying that God's will is hard to know, but then they treat the Bible like a legal agreement with God. It's cherry picking.

I don't know how you can claim to know Gods will and therefore claim to know that prayer has failed.

the bible is incredibly complex and most reference not including caveat is prejudice. Christians often cherry pick, yes. We all project our own desires onto things, often subconsciously. No exceptions.

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So does mine (look to facts). Why I submit to organised religion is so that I don't introduce personal failings. How do you know your world view isn't selfish?

Well there it is then. Here is where we part company. I entirely rely on myself, recognizing that submitting to the correct expert would at least require that I be able to identify such. Since my judgement is essential in any case, I embrace it. I refuse to leave to chance that I will throw in with the right authority. By relying on my own judgement I can at least hope to get better at it over time. If instead I put my faith in an external authority I can only get better at justifying my initial choice which I would always know to have been unjustified.

I don't see how you can't ultimately defer to your own judgement. I think you're being overly dismissive. Are you saying that you would never bow to superior advice? That's what I'm saying... we take the best advice we can rather than bullishly forcing our own, possibly selfish interests above all others.