A rational explanation for hell?

[Epimethean]

Better than senseless ...

[edk]

As far as I understand it he's amazed at how stupid you are; it's not that you've made a good point, it's that what you've said is totally impossible to make sense of. I'm not sure the fact that you come out with statements so incomprehensible that people can't come up with a reply to them is a good thing.

[Minimalist]

That purple bird is much more important than the imaginary sky wizard.

And potentially far more likely to exist.

[Faith No More]

C Rod,

Your argument basically seems to boil down to the fact that since no who is dead has come back and told you there is no afterlife, you will hold onto the possibility that it exists. What if I told you that since no one has been to the surface of the sun, that I will hold onto the possibility that a man lives on the surface? The rational response to that would be that belief is irrational because it subverts the laws of nature as we understand them. Since the surface of the sun could not be personally observed, should I refuse to let go of my belief that someone lives on it? No, because it defies everything we know and understand.

The concept of an afterlife is a man living on the sun. You will never personally observe the contrary, but that is no reason to still believe in it.

[Ace Otana]

if out of your heart you do not care for him than why are you angry.

Firstly, I cannot care about a being if I don't even believe it exists and second, you cannot hate something you don't believe exists.

If you do not want him and he gives you not him is that good because your getting what your want or do you want him?

It's not about whether I want him or not. Theists claim there is a god and as an atheist I'm simply rejecting that claim due to lack of evidence, value and explanatory power.

Should he be this "thing" you wish to know or justify yourself with or should you wish to justify him?

Nope, just want evidence. Evidence that supports this things existence.

flawed understanding?

Perhaps it's you who lacks understanding?

[Cinjin]

Firstly, I cannot care about a being if I don't even believe it exists and second, you cannot hate something you don't believe exists.

Although I side with the atheists every time on these issues, as a Deist I take a small exception to this rule.

In a way, I do hate their god. I hate what he represents. I hate the evil he packages and sells as righteousness. I loath his lies and his sadistic nature. I truly hate that he loves himself so much that he would condemn billions upon billions of people to eternal damnation and then claim that they did it to themselves. Their god is no different than a wife beater who proclaims to his battered spouse, "See what you made me do!"

I hate their god. I know he's completely fictional, but you know what ... so is the character, Ross from NBC's sitcom, Friends ... and I've always hated that whiny fucker too.

Just because somethings not real, doesn't mean I don't have the right to hate it.

[Ace Otana]

You're right. The character they invented is a right piece of work. Total arsewhole. A dictator who's ego is many times bigger than himself, and who doesn't seem to give a shit about anything. No interest in taking responsibility for his actions. That kind of character resembles the minds of deluded men. I hate theists for their disgusting beliefs in such a vile being. It's even worse when they try to rationalise it.

Their god concept is a vile monster. I can't hate the being here in reality because there is no such thing but their made up sky daddy, yeah he's a total bastard.

[fr0d0]

You guys just love your fantasies right?

[Ace Otana]

You guys just love your fantasies right?

Think it's the other way round mate.

[The Grand Nudger]

Anyone remember that little bit I wrote about believers feeling that they are part of the chosen group, saved from his punishment, and as such, it doesn't concern them. Some go even farther, for any dictator, and like to tell others that there are no camps, no gulags, no impropriety. It's a psychological defense mechanism. No one likes to be shown where they are wrong. We as atheist criticize the god myth, but the believer interprets this as an attack on their ability to accurately perceive and assess the world around them. This has long been known to "cult de-programmers".