Belief what is it good for?

[jonb]

Yes I agree, but never the less I am interested in the syndrome, I don't really understand how it works in the mind of the afflicted, I want to try and understand what they see.

You can always masturbate to your beliefs. The syndrome has been posted elsewhere on this board and has been scientifically explored and an aberration of the mind (thanks Neuroscience)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story...=110997741

Please click on the links and explore just WHAT your mind gets up to...all sans a fuzzy imaginary friend.

Can I ask you what beliefs you are imposing on me? If you Knew anything about absurdism you might understand I see rationalists as having an untenable belief system let alone theists.
If you expect me to have to explain myself to you I am an artist, and I wish to understand what is going on in the mind of the observer, Now what system is it you believe in that wishes to confine my actions? You are nearer to being part of the theist brethren than you think, OK pal.

[KichigaiNeko]

I am not IMPOSING ANYTHING on you (stop being a wimp)

I have no interest in you personally. You are an artist? Good for you (I don't care) You find the world of Absurdism comforting? Fantastic! (I don't care)

This observer answered your question.OK?PAL? What more do you want??

[jonb]

This observer answered your question.OK?PAL? What more do you want??

The last word

[KichigaiNeko]

This observer answered your question.OK?PAL? What more do you want??

The last word

You got it

[jonb]

The last word

You got it

Thank you, Kiss Kiss

[Jeffonthenet]

Faith has been defined by theologians even during the protestant reformation as much as trust in God as believing that he exists. I take it to mean trusting what you know is true. For example, I may know that my best friend is 100% honest, but not trust him with my wallet. If this were the case, I would not be trusting what I know to be true, namely, that he is completely honest and so wont steal my money.

First of all Jeff I have to applaud you. I am new as you know, and I was seeing a number of theists or what purport to be theists only prepared to talk on threads which they had set up and are as bias as this one is in the other direction. As such I wondered would any theists dare to walk into into the Lions den, You are a true Daniel.

That said lets get to the nitty gritty, My lack of belief, I have not created it, it is not a wall to be broken a defence that shields me from god, I always loved the stories, the stories actually have influenced my philosophy and my personal moral code in part comes from the Abrahamic tradition, but there is no emotional response to god, if anything I don't think I would like the chap. From the earliest age I can remember I was deeply unimpressed with the concept of miracles, that one person would be sorted out while all the rest were left, or that power was just being used for show, really got under my skin and annoyed me. If this life is as often put forward by theists is a test, there is no point in testing what you know is in theist terms going to fail. Therefore is not my very existence a proof there is no god?

Hi jonb, thank you sincerely for the kind words As for your response, I sympathize with it as I have likewise felt myself to be quite justified in atheism in the past. However, there are a few ways in which this response could be toppled. The first is if there is such a thing as original sin in the Augustinian sense which means people would be guilty even before understanding the concept of God. The second is if it is the case that God is only obligated to reveal Himself to you sometime before you die. The third is if one is not deprived of heaven because a lack of belief in God, but because of other moral sins such as not giving more to the poor, or not doing more about, for example, the massive sexual slavery industry. (any lack of action seeming almost infinite in comparison to the great suffering endured by some in this world and moral obligation to relieve this suffering) The last would be that you are not truly in touch with your own heart on the matter. Any one of those options being the case would be enough to mean that your comments are consistent with the existence of the Christian God. Personally, I lean toward the third.