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Benevolent Creator God?
RE: Benevolent Creator God?
(August 24, 2021 at 8:28 am)Ahriman Wrote: If there are blind theists, then they have found faith in God in a way I'm not familiar with.

There are certainly Christians and other theists who I would call blind faith believers.  I wouldn't label anyone this way without having a personal conversation with them because it isn't that easy a state to determine.  It usually isn't a black/white question as it seems it would be.  I've had some very deep and complicated conversations with Christians about this.  Almost every Christian you meet will deny they believe by blind faith, but the more you question them, the more it becomes clear that many of them do.  And I'm talking almost exclusively about your average layman, not a priest or minister or even a well educated theologian, just your basic church going everyman.  Although I have debated/discussed the issue with a sort of lefty preacher on another forum.  Those who are leaders of a congregation are far more difficult to pin down but if you delve deeply enough you'll find that they often reduce to blind faith as well.  There are million "reasons" people believe but most often those reasons can be easily deconstructed.
Why is it so?
~Julius Sumner Miller
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RE: Benevolent Creator God?
I mean, I think you'd find that the number of people who indicate that they believe in god is much larger than the number of people who indicate that they believe in god -and- have had some personal experience with that god, to draw any sort of informed conclusion.

The larger mass of the blindly faithful are equally if not more suspicious than atheists of that small number of afflicted zealots.
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: Benevolent Creator God?
(August 24, 2021 at 10:20 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: I mean, I think you'd find that the number of people who indicate that they believe in god is much larger than the number of people who indicate that they believe in god -and- have had some personal experience with that god, to draw any sort of informed conclusion.

The larger mass of the blindly faithful are equally if not more suspicious than atheists of that small number of afflicted zealots.

Hmmm.  I'm not so sure about that.  What experience led to you to come to that conclusion?
Why is it so?
~Julius Sumner Miller
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RE: Benevolent Creator God?
(August 24, 2021 at 1:21 am)Ahriman Wrote:
(August 24, 2021 at 1:12 am)LadyForCamus Wrote: Trollololol.
What that says to me, is that you don't have an "inside". Is that true?

Sounds to me like you’re a dishonest interlocutor.
Nay_Sayer: “Nothing is impossible if you dream big enough, or in this case, nothing is impossible if you use a barrel of KY Jelly and a miniature horse.”

Wiser words were never spoken. 
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RE: Benevolent Creator God?
(August 24, 2021 at 2:32 am)Ahriman Wrote: You wouldn't consider the writings of prominent theologians, such as Thomas Aquinas, Saint Augustine, and others, who were, and still are, considered highly intelligent people, to be a reliable source of information?

Um, no. Theologians are essentially just failed novelists. Hilarious
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RE: Benevolent Creator God?
(August 24, 2021 at 8:30 am)Foxaire Wrote: All theists are blind, to reason.

I respectfully argue this is false.  I have had some very deep conversations/debates with theists who are extremely good at logical reasoning.  Granted, these people don't tend to be fundamentalists or even evangelicals but still theists very much, Christian at that.  If you can read Francis Collins and still say this then I would be surprised.  I had a years-long relationship with someone who could easily match just about any argument he confronted.  He was not your average Christian but very much believed in the risen Christ.  In fact, I would say he probably found fewer advocates among Christians than atheists.  My point is that you shouldn't consider all Christians as a whole this way.  If you truly believe this is true, then I suspect that you haven't met some of the more intelligent Christians that do have profoundly good reasoning skills.  I had hoped there might be someone of that stature on this forum but sadly I haven't found that to be true so far.

But I will agree that their percentage is rather small.  Your average church might have one.
Why is it so?
~Julius Sumner Miller
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RE: Benevolent Creator God?
(August 23, 2021 at 9:53 pm)Ahriman Wrote:
(August 23, 2021 at 6:51 pm)Ravenshire Wrote: I didn't bold that line.

You cal that an explanation?!? That's some weak ass shit right there.
I don't see you offering a better one.

I'm supposed to explain your bat-sit craziness? Sorry, that's your job.

(August 23, 2021 at 10:16 pm)Ahriman Wrote: Everything God does, is for the greater good.

Evidence in support of this claim?

(August 23, 2021 at 11:28 pm)Ahriman Wrote: Look inside yourself. Search your heart.

"Use the force, Luke." [Image: Eye_Roll.gif]

(August 24, 2021 at 8:04 am)Ahriman Wrote:
(August 24, 2021 at 8:00 am)brewer Wrote: So...... you've seen god.
The transcendent beauty of my dachshund's face, is enough to prove God all on its own.

Yeah, I mean fuck all those guys who spent generations breeding dogs to that exact profile. All their work is meaningless since gawd poofed dachshunds into existence.

Your stupidity knows no bounds.

(August 24, 2021 at 8:31 am)Ahriman Wrote:
(August 24, 2021 at 8:30 am)Foxaire Wrote: All theists are blind, to reason.
What makes you think I'm blind to reason? Have I not been perfectly coherent in all of my responses thus far?

Coherent and reasonable are two very different things.
Thief and assassin for hire. Member in good standing of the Rogues Guild.
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RE: Benevolent Creator God?
(August 24, 2021 at 10:53 am)Spongebob Wrote:
(August 24, 2021 at 10:20 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: I mean, I think you'd find that the number of people who indicate that they believe in god is much larger than the number of people who indicate that they believe in god -and- have had some personal experience with that god, to draw any sort of informed conclusion.

The larger mass of the blindly faithful are equally if not more suspicious than atheists of that small number of afflicted zealots.

Hmmm.  I'm not so sure about that.  What experience led to you to come to that conclusion?

Check out the stats on religiosity and perception, even between the religious.  It's not just the atheists who think that people who swear they chat with god on the daily are nuts, one example being that christian jurors certainly don't seem to feel that "god told me to do it" is a sufficient or plausible defense.
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!
Reply
RE: Benevolent Creator God?
(August 24, 2021 at 4:59 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Check out the stats on religiosity and perception, even between the religious.  It's not just the atheists who think that people who swear they chat with god on the daily are nuts, one example being that  christian jurors certainly don't seem to feel that "god told me to do it" is a sufficient or plausible defense.

I think that last part is a special case, and I'm glad to hear it doesn't work for them.  I keep reading about declining churches and congregations but in my daily life I certainly haven't experienced a reduction in the number of strongly religious people I see and interact with.  I still see people praying at McDonald's with hands held and eyes strained shut.  While that isn't a perfect indicator, I'll wager those squinters are pretty regular god-talkers.  Maybe they're all just moving down south to annoy me.
Why is it so?
~Julius Sumner Miller
Reply
RE: Benevolent Creator God?
It really isn't a special case. The decline in churches goes along with a decline in religiosity but not necessarily people who believe in gods, who talk at gods. The south is where you'll find enclaves rated the highest on religiosity - people who think gods are talking -to them- which annoy everyone, including and especially their less religious but still god bothering friends.
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!
Reply



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