13 Questions

[Angrboda]

For what it's worth, there does appear to be life after God, it's just very short.

From the comments section of an article about Why Some Atheists Are Offended By Prayer (specifically those for Christopher Hitchens):

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Anton Kozlik - · 40 weeks ago
Hi Gang,

"When I was living in Thunder Bay, my name was regularly found on the "prayer lists" of some local churches. I continually have Christians tell me they are praying for my recovery from cancer. I have to agree that prayer is a great way of doing absolutely nothing to make me feel better as they pass that responsibility on to their mythical god creature. In my new town of Elliot Lake, I am not befriending the Christian community. Incidentally, I cherish the notes, phone calls and invitations for a coffee that I get from other Atheists. They are more important to me than making any "prayer list" . . . and I experience the genuine "love" that Christian's say they are all about but do not seem to have mastered. I guess they are leaving that lesson for the time when they go to their "heaven". I certainly don't feel as if I am alone which is more than I can say for many of the cancer fighting Christians I know. One of my best friends, a devout Christian, died last month of cancer, and, for the last two months of his life he wished he hadn't spent his life as a Christian. He converted to Atheism in his last days. I felt sorry for his sadness in realizing he had wasted his life as a "Christian" writer."

[Anymouse]

Remember, I am a Reformed Christian, so my views on the reasons why people do and do not believe are going to be way different than yours and we will most likely miss one another.

However, I do not agree with your premise that babies are "atheists" just because they lack a belief in God. The dog turd I saw "sun bathing" on the sidewalk on my way to work this morning also lacks a belief in God, is it an atheist? This is why I think that atheism is more accurately defined by several encyclopedias of philosophy as a positive belief in the non-existence of God or gods.

I am afraid your agreement is not required in this. An atheist is one who does not believe. "Why" is not part of the definition.

A Christian is either inculcated in that religion as a child, or adopts it later themselves. So too a Muslim, a Hindu, a Wiccan. Before that, a baby does not believe; that is the definition of atheism. Age is not a requirement. Agnostics are also atheists by definition: they do not believe, either.

Babies are atheists until inculcated with religion. If the baby is born in the USA, it will likely become a Christian through rote learning. If the same baby were born in Yemen, that would not be the case.

Christianity (or any other religion) is not inherent in a baby's makeup.

[Violet]

We do not have the authority to accuse someone of having committed the unpardonable sin. To do so would be to condemn the person as forever lost, without hope of redemption. Christians do not have the knowledge or authority to make such pronouncements. Only God and the person knows who has committed the unpardonable sin. Remorse is a sign of conviction. Sufficient remorse would indicate presence of the Holy Spirit.

Larry wasn't the only one who knew 'the person' who has committed the unpardonable sin. I know too

... Only one thing could kill Larry, and that one thing is the same one thing that can kill me. There's a reason I know that, y'know

And no, I don't feel remorse. Infact, I wish I had done it sooner.

[downbeatplumb]

You are contradicting yourself though, you say that nobody would come up with the concept of Yahweh independently, but then you say that the Israelites came up with Him independently and forced Him on other people they conquered.
I would argue that a monotheistic God is a very logical conclusion just by examining Creation itself. I think people could come up with a single, eternal, all powerful, all knowing God on their own which is exactly what scripture says (Romans 1).
I am sorry but atheism is not a consistent position at all, atheists contradict their positions all the time (i.e. Dawkins).

Right I did not say that no one could come up with the idea of jahweh, I was saying that people would not come up with THE SAME IDEA TWICE, I actually explained this in what i thought was simple language, but obviously not simple enough.

I'm thinking of something now.

Now you think of something.

Bet its not exactly the same thing.

Religions are like that.

There are lots of them and they are all different.

If they were all based on a universal truth then they would be the same.

Do you get it now, do you, do you get it now, do you..........

[Statler Waldorf]

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You are contradicting yourself though, you say that nobody would come up with the concept of Yahweh independently, but then you say that the Israelites came up with Him independently and forced Him on other people they conquered.
I would argue that a monotheistic God is a very logical conclusion just by examining Creation itself. I think people could come up with a single, eternal, all powerful, all knowing God on their own which is exactly what scripture says (Romans 1).
I am sorry but atheism is not a consistent position at all, atheists contradict their positions all the time (i.e. Dawkins).

Right I did not say that no one could come up with the idea of jahweh, I was saying that people would not come up with THE SAME IDEA TWICE, I actually explained this in what i thought was simple language, but obviously not simple enough.

I'm thinking of something now.

Now you think of something.

Bet its not exactly the same thing.

Religions are like that.

There are lots of them and they are all different.

If they were all based on a universal truth then they would be the same.

Do you get it now, do you, do you get it now, do you..........

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Sure I get what you are saying; I just think it is inaccurate. Many Native American tribes had a concept of the Creator that was very very similar to the God of the Bible. So not only do I not think it is an accurate statement that no two groups would come up with the same concept of God, but I don't really get the point of your argument. I would expect the Israelites to have the most accurate understanding of God because they were His chosen people and had direct revelation from Him. If scripture said that God had directly revealed Himself to all the groups on Earth and then we had later found contradicting concepts of Him we may have a problem, but it is quite clear He only did that for one group, His people.