Atheist

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Extensively, huh? Then you’re already aware of the evidence in favor of God and simply in denial. I’ve done the whole cover-to-cover thing a few times and STUDIED it. In my experience, reading and understanding scripture compels the scholar to believe it. To reject it means you either you never understood it, or you understood it perfectly well and you’re merely trying to wish it away.

You THINK you know two people who were there. How do you know they’re telling you the truth? Did these same two people also tell you things about the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny, and the Great Pumpkin? Or aren’t you only just taking everything on faith?

The problem with circular reasoning is all human reasoning ultimately IS circular. The human mind is not perfectly rational. You can’t claim to know anything unless it’s revealed to you “outside the circle.” Certain things in life, like the scientific method, or mathematical concepts, or the laws of logic, are self-evident. They are axioms, basically. They prove nothing except that they are axioms. Their power lies not in our ability to rationally discover them, since we’re incapable of doing that, but rather the extent to which axioms are actually TRUE. Yes, I’m being ironic—they are either true or they are not axioms (how do you know?). Things like scientific method and, say, math operations and logic are all transcendental.

We are never required to prove those things, partly because it’s impossible. The scientific method cannot be proven outside of itself. You have to have evidence, right? Logic? The senses? But all of those things are part of the Method. You can’t assume what you’re trying to prove. Ok, so you find a different way. But now the problem is that it’s not evidence-based, not inferred through the senses, illogical, and certainly not scientifically acceptable. If the Method is inherently irrational, why use it at all?

The REASON we can be confident in the Method has to come from outside the mind. It has to be revealed by the Creator.

Likewise, God is transcendent. You can’t “just assume” God and think you’re drawing a rational conclusion. It’s not about wishful thinking, the reason you can’t, I mean, and I do think the decision to accept Jesus for probably MOST people is entirely emotional. I just mean that the mind cannot reach ANY non-circular conclusion. You can only accept/reject God IF He reveals Himself to you—which He does, so you have no excuse. Ultimately, accepting knowledge from God is the only way any logical conclusion can possibly be made since only an omniscient being can be capable of purely rational thought and possessing the whole of knowledge.

Since everything you claim to know has to be taken on faith anyway, why not take the next logical step by reconciling with God?

[/quote]I don't know about you, but I was 'created' via sexual reproduction when my parents bumped uglies. No supernatural involvement was required. If you're going to insist your god was involved, you'll need to support that claim.

Why I assume I have never sought?

It seems like you're both relying on significant assumptions about me and God to make your case, but since the underlying assumptions are incorrect your conclusions are also incorrect.[/quote]


There would need to be a first set of 'uglies' to bump for your theory to be true. I believe in evolution, but I believe the ability to evolve was embedded in our DNA codes. Once the first set of 'uglies' were here, all resulting uglies have the ability to evolve as more and more uglies show up and migrate outwards and away from the original location. That would be a necessity for our species to survive.

With regard to my 'seeking' comment, I kept it confined to myself.

I'm not sure that the Devil actually looks like this in the pic, TBH.

The three-pointed spear he's wielding? That's the trident, the signature weapon of the Greek God Poseidon.

His legs that are quite hairy, and have hooves for feet? Also having a goatee and horns on head? That was the design of a satyr from Greek Myths.

The bat-like wings that he has? I'm not sure what is that from.

I'm pretty sure that the Devil would look like an darkly-handsome angel who, well, fell to the "dark side", since he IS a 'fallen angel'.

We've been over this. One can't reconcile with what doesn't exist.

Exactly. And since God exists, you can.

You know just because you cannot prove something exists (yet) doesn't mean it does not exist.

Any true scientist knows that.

You're definitely better at make-believe than I am.

Mate. <stern look>
I am intimately acquainted with Beelzebub.
I drew this pic of him at a summit discussing whether or not humanity should be allowed to continue its heinous ways.
I know him very well.
We are on a first-name basis.

And yes, he is a "he", not a female, shemale or transgender and he is definitely not politically correct.


BTW, Consensus was that humanity/huwomanity should be allowed to destroy itself, for the good of the universe.
I.E. Continue as it were.
Dirty filthy hoomans.

The proof is in the pudding,
And yes, pudding exists.

Matie,
God gave us the neocortex,
And with it, the ability to reason.
Using this gift, a rational person has the ability to reason that in all probability, god does not exist.
In essence, he/she snookered himself/herself into non-existence.
I.E. He/she engaged in existential suicide.
Silly duffer.



God does exist,
In your mind.

"God did not make man,
Man made god in his own image."

Not exactly my point, but this is true, too. Carl Sagan was an atheist, but he was a staunch believer that given the age of the universe and its vastness that probability highly favored extraterrestrial life. He was frequently made fun of, but his response was always “absence of evidence is not evidence of absense.”

He makes an excellent point, but I don’t think theism or atheism are ever really about evidence.

Joking aside, how do you know that with certainty?

Correct. Outside of revelation, which is to be treated with skepticism, it's a choice made from a position of no knowledge. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.

there’s no need to explain my religion to me, especially if you haven’t done any research about it. judaism isn’t dogmatic like christianity is.

I was just asking a question.....

I believe in nothing

Not even Atheism.

I am a Jew. I am a secular Jew. I know that practicing Jews worship Yahweh. Most are not “dogmatic,” like you say. They are mellow in their faith.

My stepmother is also Jewish. My father wasn’t, though. She goes to a very “Reformed” temple. She believes in God, but doesn’t mind it that I don’t.

There is a strong emphasis on “Baruch Atah Adonai, Ellaheinu Mella Cholom” within the Shabbat Service. That phrase is used in many prayers. It has to do with extolling God.