New theistic chew toys wanted!

[The Grand Nudger]

Perhaps that has something to do with my being an atheist, eh? I do think that our constructed gods are silly.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Chew toy delivered.

[The Grand Nudger]

Right? I do think there's a great convo to have here, though. I really would love to get to the bottom of why anyone would think that transcendental values were somehow necessarily premised on gods.

[Ahriman]

Perhaps that has something to do with my being an atheist, eh?  I do think that our constructed gods are silly.

I won't bullshit you, atheism makes much more sense than theism. But if I find more beneficial value in theism than atheism, which I do, then it doesn't really matter which one makes more sense.

[arewethereyet]

Gee, that's really impressive.

If only everyone would just quote other people.

Fuxake what a pompous remark.

You are right that does sound elitist. I have nothing against more light-hearted threads where people make pithy comments, discuss topical issues, and/or build a sense of community.

I was expressing a preference for discussions where the participants share the common nomenclature of the Western philosophy. I simply get more out of being reminded of an objection by Hume, for example, and forced to reckon with it than I get from clever irreverences. IMHO, there are more than enough atheist members noting the problems with fundamentalist doctrines in the section devoted to religion and too few pondering the ramifications of the death of god in the philosophy section.

That said, the religious trolls tend to keep the atheist trolls occupied and out of my hair, which is just fine with me.

There are forum topics for those who fancy themselves as having deep thoughts that aren't for the general membership.

Maybe start a thread on a topic that interests you and mark it [serious], then maybe you will only get the kind of give and take that's acceptable to you.

[The Grand Nudger]

I'm not really concerned with which one seems to make more sense, though. Saves you a whole lot of time arguing either way, amiright? I expect people to act on the things they believe to be valuable without any requirement that those things must sensibly or truly be so.

If a man believed that a soda tab he found in the trash had the power to cure cancer, he'd probably act accordingly.

I have been asking, though, about the sensibility of such a person believing that no one else could believe in the magical power to cure cancer, unless they -also- believed it proceeded from a belief in soda tabs.

[Ahriman]

I'm not really concerned with which one seems to make more sense, though.  Saves you a whole lot of time arguing either way, amiright?  I expect people to act on the things they believe to be valuable without any requirement that those things must sensibly or truly be so.  

If a man believed that a soda tab he found in the trash had the power to cure cancer, he'd probably act accordingly.  

I have been asking, though, about the sensibility of such a person believing that no one else could believe in the magical power to cure cancer, unless they -also- believed it proceeded from a belief in soda tabs.

I don't see anything magical about atheism. The way I see it, atheism is a dead ideal, incapable of providing value to anyone, not even its adherents.

[The Grand Nudger]

You might not understand atheism very well - but, what you as a god botherer feel about atheism probably doesn't reflect how atheist's do.

You are, again I think..just arguing that atheists are wrong, or that people who see no value in gods are wrong - not that they can't see value, and the same values, without gods, or in fact see no value in gods.... right? Still, I agree with you here somewhat. Atheism isn't a value statement or ideology. Just the answer to the question of whether or not we believe in gods. It doesn't do what religion does. Religions of god, or religions of nature.

[The Architect Of Fate]

I don't see anything magical about atheism. The way I see it, atheism is a dead ideal, incapable of providing value to anyone, not even its adherents.

There are no Atheist adherents

[Ahriman]

You might not understand atheism very well - but, what you as a god botherer feel about atheism probably doesn't reflect how atheist's do.  

You are, again I think..just arguing that atheists are wrong, or that people who see no value in gods are wrong - not that they can't see value, and the same values, without gods, right?

Correct.