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What would make me accept the existence of a deity?
January 11, 2013 at 3:16 pm
This is what all theists want to know. What would make an atheist accept the existence of a deity?
First, what will never get there: people telling me about their favorite deity.
Ever since I was born, the only source of information about any deity, has come to me through other people. Either orally, or through writing, it's always people.
I don't believe what other people say about deities, for the simple reason that I can always find other people claiming similar things about some other deity.
So people or books telling me about deities are not the way to go.
What would do the trick, then?
The deity itself imparting that information on me. Directly, unequivocally.
How, for certain, I don't know.
Perhaps, making me a god for some time. Or just giving me some super-natural powers, such as the ability to regrow amputated limbs, or even decayed brain cells from Alzheimer's patients.
How would I discern it from "aliens did it"? I don't know.
But I'm guessing, if such a deity really wanted me to be aware of its existence, it would find a way. 
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RE: What would make me accept the existence of a deity?
January 11, 2013 at 3:22 pm
Perhaps Poca, making you aware of it's existence is not actually a spell that this god is capable of casting after all. Never rule out incompetence...lol.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: What would make me accept the existence of a deity?
January 11, 2013 at 3:24 pm
(January 11, 2013 at 3:22 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Perhaps Poca, making you aware of it's existence is not actually a spell that this god is capable of casting after all. Never rule out incompetence...lol.
Omniincompetence.
My ignore list
"The lord doesn't work in mysterious ways, but in ways that are indistinguishable from his nonexistence."
-- George Yorgo Veenhuyzen quoted by John W. Loftus in The End of Christianity (p. 103).
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RE: What would make me accept the existence of a deity?
January 11, 2013 at 3:42 pm
(January 11, 2013 at 3:22 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Perhaps Poca, making you aware of it's existence is not actually a spell that this god is capable of casting after all. Never rule out incompetence...lol.
If we assume it managed to accomplish it for other people, some time ago, then I'm guessing we could rule out incompetence.
Or are my standards that much higher than illiterate, desert people?
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RE: What would make me accept the existence of a deity?
January 11, 2013 at 3:59 pm
(This post was last modified: January 11, 2013 at 4:04 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
No reason to assume that, they're clearly dolts who were incapable of adequately assessing their own experiences, you're looking for a god that actually exists, correct? In any case, I ran a record fast 5 mile for my battalion once -only once-...I could never duplicate it. Maybe god just got that one call out by luck in the distant past, without understanding how he accomplished it (since we're making assumptions....). Accidents, however happy, don't confer competence.
Plug in whatever you like, perhaps god is babbling constantly but due to the phases of the moon and alignment of the planets (or whatevers clever these days) somebody just overheard a snippet of it.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: What would make me accept the existence of a deity?
January 11, 2013 at 4:02 pm
(January 11, 2013 at 3:16 pm)pocaracas Wrote: But I'm guessing, if such a deity really wanted me to be aware of its existence, it would find a way.
If any god existed and really were omnipotent, it could simply will the truth of itself into all of us just like that. Some theists say "the truth of god is in all of our hearts" but this is obviously false.
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RE: What would make me accept the existence of a deity?
January 11, 2013 at 4:05 pm
(January 11, 2013 at 3:16 pm)pocaracas Wrote: This is what all theists want to know. What would make an atheist accept the existence of a deity?
My ignore list
"The lord doesn't work in mysterious ways, but in ways that are indistinguishable from his nonexistence."
-- George Yorgo Veenhuyzen quoted by John W. Loftus in The End of Christianity (p. 103).
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RE: What would make me accept the existence of a deity?
January 11, 2013 at 6:50 pm
a blowjob by a deity
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RE: What would make me accept the existence of a deity?
January 11, 2013 at 6:53 pm
God-tier weed.
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RE: What would make me accept the existence of a deity?
January 11, 2013 at 6:55 pm
It's so easy: God appearing.
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