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RE: Why be good?
June 3, 2015 at 11:40 am
Yes, Santa is way more believable. The only reason people stop believing in Santa is the belief is not reinforced. If kids were surrounded with people who believed in Santa and actively discouraged, even punished, from questioning his existence then they'd believe in him as adults.
The story of Christianity is far more ridiculous, far fetched and unlikely than the Santa one.
Santa doesn't live at the North Pole all the time you know. Why do you assume you know everything about him? I guess you haven't had a personal experience with him?
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RE: Why be good?
June 3, 2015 at 11:40 am
(June 3, 2015 at 11:37 am)Randy Carson Wrote: Santa is more believable?
Grown-ups know that they are Santa. Kids who are older know that their parents are Santa. Parents eventually tell their kids that they were Santa. If you go to the North Pole, can you find Santa's workshop? Can NORAD track Santa's sleigh every Christmas eve?
No?
How does this work with Christianity?
*wink, wink*
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RE: Why be good?
June 3, 2015 at 11:41 am
(This post was last modified: June 3, 2015 at 11:42 am by robvalue.)
Ah, so naive! He thinks Santa isn't real. He fell for the "parents are Santa" ruse. It's kinda cute really 
There's a lot more to Santa you know. He controls the weather as well, and many other things. Not everyone is allowed all the information about him.
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RE: Why be good?
June 3, 2015 at 11:43 am
(June 3, 2015 at 11:37 am)Randy Carson Wrote: (June 3, 2015 at 11:13 am)robvalue Wrote: Santa is more believable?
Grown-ups know that they are Santa. Kids who are older know that their parents are Santa. Parents eventually tell their kids that they were Santa. If you go to the North Pole, can you find Santa's workshop? Can NORAD track Santa's sleigh every Christmas eve?
No?
How does this work with Christianity?
What's the difference?
At least with the idea of santa you get stuff.
You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.
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RE: Why be good?
June 3, 2015 at 11:44 am
Shall we let him in on the Santa stuff? What do you think guys 
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RE: Why be good?
June 3, 2015 at 11:47 am
(This post was last modified: June 3, 2015 at 11:47 am by Whateverist.)
(June 3, 2015 at 11:43 am)downbeatplumb Wrote: What's the difference?
At least with the idea of santa you get stuff.
Whatchatalkinabout? With xtianity there is stuff you can get for the after life .. a shroud, some lilies, a few nice words on your behalf.
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RE: Why be good?
June 3, 2015 at 12:02 pm
(June 3, 2015 at 11:37 am)Randy Carson Wrote: Santa is more believable?
Yes, of course Santa is more believable: the Santa claim relies on less magic than the god claim, and requires one to accept fewer unproved premises on faith. It's more reasonable to believe in a being that can do some supernatural things on faith, than it is to believe in a being that can do everything, on faith. If we're talking about what's more reasonable to believe... Santa wins.
Quote:Grown-ups know that they are Santa. Kids who are older know that their parents are Santa. Parents eventually tell their kids that they were Santa. If you go to the North Pole, can you find Santa's workshop? Can NORAD track Santa's sleigh every Christmas eve?
No?
How does this work with Christianity?
The beliefs are largely the same, in terms of evidentiary support. The only real difference is that, where parents own up and admit that Santa isn't real when their kids start questioning, there is a large and committed apparatus in place to keep people believing in god, in the church. There's whole segments of community extolling the virtues of taking this god claim on faith and never questioning it. Parent's don't just admit that they have no reason to believe in god, and they back that up with horrible threats of hell. That's the difference.
And can you find evidence of god? Can Norad track god?
No?
Then why the hell are you asking these questions as though there's some significant deviation in the level of evidence available for either claim? 
"YOU take the hard look in the mirror. You are everything that is wrong with this world. The only thing important to you, is you." - ronedee
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RE: Why be good?
June 3, 2015 at 2:02 pm
(June 3, 2015 at 12:02 pm)Esquilax Wrote: The beliefs are largely the same, in terms of evidentiary support. The only real difference is that, where parents own up and admit that Santa isn't real when their kids start questioning, there is a large and committed apparatus in place to keep people believing in god, in the church. There's whole segments of community extolling the virtues of taking this god claim on faith and never questioning it. Parent's don't just admit that they have no reason to believe in god, and they back that up with horrible threats of hell. That's the difference.
Were you abused as a child? Man...my parents never threatened me with "horrible threats of hell". Instead, they explained why God had sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross so that none who believe in Him might perish but have everlasting life.
What kind of a warped caricature do you envision when you think of a group of Christians getting together on a Sunday morning for services? Are people there out of fear, out of obedience, or out of love?
Quote:And can you find evidence of god? Can Norad track god?
No?
No. And this is why most of what is argued in this forum fails miserably. Science can say nothing about God.
Nothing.
Because God is immaterial, and science deals only with the physical, material world.
Quote:Then why the hell are you asking these questions as though there's some significant deviation in the level of evidence available for either claim?
Because there is a huge difference between the two (and deep down, you know it). But hey, this forum exists for the entertainment of its members...not their enlightenment. I get that now.
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RE: Why be good?
June 3, 2015 at 2:05 pm
(This post was last modified: June 3, 2015 at 2:06 pm by PhilliptheTeenageAtheist.)
(June 3, 2015 at 2:02 pm)Randy Carson Wrote: (June 3, 2015 at 12:02 pm)Were you abused as a child? Man...my parents never threatened me with "horrible threats of hell". Instead, they explained why God had sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross so that none who believe in Him might perish but have everlasting life. Wrote: What kind of a warped caricature do you envision when you think of a group of Christians getting together on a Sunday morning for services? Are people there out of fear, out of obedience, or out of love? Some of my siblings have cried out of fear that they weren't saved the right way and that they were going to hell.
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. -Bertrand Russell
Even if god did exist, he has yet to prove it, and our doubt is justified.
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RE: Why be good?
June 3, 2015 at 2:07 pm
Then why are you wasting time on us unreachable, willfully blind, those-who-actually-know-there's-a-god crowd of heathens?
In every country and every age, the priest had been hostile to Liberty.
- Thomas Jefferson
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