Posts: 23917
Threads: 300
Joined: June 25, 2011
Reputation:
150
RE: Atheists who have converted to theism?
January 4, 2016 at 1:34 pm
(January 4, 2016 at 11:08 am)ChadWooters Wrote: (January 4, 2016 at 10:38 am)Whateverist the White Wrote: I think what you are really finding out is how your mind works.
I say that I seem to learning, in a more general way, how mind works.
Nevertheless, your short response seems to confirm my statement that some more reactive atheists* do not give serious consideration to the positions they reject.
[thinking]Think I'll stop for donuts.[/thinking]
(January 4, 2016 at 11:08 am)ChadWooters Wrote: While I would be unreasonable to expect anyone to immerse themselves in the Scholastic tradition like I have, I feel that dismissing it out-of-hand based demonstrates, at best, shallow reflection and, at worst, a kind of pathological contrariness.
This would be a fairer criticism if Scholasticism was any part of the OP. But honestly, given my intolerance for the genre, my best response is probably to make fart noises under my arm.
(January 4, 2016 at 11:08 am)ChadWooters Wrote: *Not so much you, although your posts do seem, as of late, less comprehensive.
Yeah, I think I'm losing interest in most of the discussions. My wife might be right about atheism .. what is there to discuss?
Posts: 8214
Threads: 394
Joined: November 2, 2011
Reputation:
44
RE: Atheists who have converted to theism?
January 4, 2016 at 2:23 pm
A lot to discuss Whateverist. A lot. And we've discussed a lot.
Posts: 5112
Threads: 51
Joined: September 27, 2013
Reputation:
71
RE: Atheists who have converted to theism?
January 4, 2016 at 11:13 pm
I left faith for a few years, and identified as an atheist/agnostic. Last year, I returned due to an experience of faith, and that was something that never occurred prior to leaving Christianity. What's changed now for me is my faith is about less dogma, and more spirituality, if you will. More prayer/meditation and less about rights and wrongs, fire and brimstone.
Posts: 29101
Threads: 218
Joined: August 9, 2014
Reputation:
154
RE: Atheists who have converted to theism?
January 5, 2016 at 2:46 am
I think that is a fantastic direction to take it in, and I'd like to see more of that! 
Posts: 7259
Threads: 506
Joined: December 12, 2015
Reputation:
22
RE: Atheists who have converted to theism?
January 5, 2016 at 9:17 am
(January 4, 2016 at 11:13 pm)*Deidre* Wrote: I left faith for a few years, and identified as an atheist/agnostic. Last year, I returned due to an experience of faith, and that was something that never occurred prior to leaving Christianity. What's changed now for me is my faith is about less dogma, and more spirituality, if you will. More prayer/meditation and less about rights and wrongs, fire and brimstone.
Assuming that you believe in god, do you also believe that he/she/it answers prayers, that is, is the outcome of some particular event in the future changed as a result of someone praying versus that same individual not praying?
Posts: 13051
Threads: 66
Joined: February 7, 2011
Reputation:
92
RE: Atheists who have converted to theism?
January 5, 2016 at 9:36 am
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
Posts: 8719
Threads: 128
Joined: March 1, 2012
Reputation:
53
RE: Atheists who have converted to theism?
January 5, 2016 at 10:05 am
(This post was last modified: January 5, 2016 at 10:06 am by Neo-Scholastic.)
Sure mathematics has epistemological value as the means by which we know. That has no bearing on the ontological status of the mathematical objects about which we know. Care to opine on that question, FNM?
Posts: 1114
Threads: 28
Joined: June 13, 2011
Reputation:
18
RE: Atheists who have converted to theism?
January 5, 2016 at 10:07 am
(This post was last modified: January 5, 2016 at 10:07 am by Pizza.)
Chad flippantly dismisses modern analytic philosophy while complaining about how atheists flippantly dismiss medieval philosophy, oh irony.
I don't see the value in appeal to medieval metaphysics given most of it is just merely asserted dogma and conflation of linguistic truths with ontological truth.
It is very important not to mistake hemlock for parsley, but to believe or not believe in God is not important at all. - Denis Diderot
We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing. - Gore Vidal
Posts: 13051
Threads: 66
Joined: February 7, 2011
Reputation:
92
RE: Atheists who have converted to theism?
January 5, 2016 at 10:22 am
(January 5, 2016 at 10:05 am)ChadWooters Wrote: Sure mathematics has epistemological value as the means by which we know. That has no bearing on the ontological status of the mathematical objects about which we know. Care to opine on that question, FNM?
Well, that's a question that is well beyond what little expertise I have, but I do lean towards mathematics being a fundamental property of nature as opposed to simply being a human construct. That's a really difficult question to answer, though, and there appears to be no consensus. Anything I have to say on the matter is pure speculation.
Where I take umbrage, however, is when the supernatural is applied to math. There's no need to apply magical explanations to something when nature appears to be perfectly capable of being responsible.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
Posts: 5112
Threads: 51
Joined: September 27, 2013
Reputation:
71
RE: Atheists who have converted to theism?
January 5, 2016 at 1:08 pm
(January 5, 2016 at 9:17 am)Jehanne Wrote: (January 4, 2016 at 11:13 pm)*Deidre* Wrote: I left faith for a few years, and identified as an atheist/agnostic. Last year, I returned due to an experience of faith, and that was something that never occurred prior to leaving Christianity. What's changed now for me is my faith is about less dogma, and more spirituality, if you will. More prayer/meditation and less about rights and wrongs, fire and brimstone.
Assuming that you believe in god, do you also believe that he/she/it answers prayers, that is, is the outcome of some particular event in the future changed as a result of someone praying versus that same individual not praying?
That's a good question. I've always had mixed feelings about others praying over others. For example, when I returned to faith last year, a Christian friend said to me 'I had been praying for you to come back!' And she meant well I wasn't offended or anything, but while I pray now, I view it more as a way for me to connect deeper with God. On a personal level. I don't believe prayers are a laundry list of wants and needs when as I had first viewed them before I left Christianity. I just view my return to faith as a result of a personal faith experience I had last year.
|
