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How to talk to an atheist (and you must)
Townhall.com ^ | January 24, 2005 | Mike S. Adams

Posted on 01/26/2005 9:46:21 AM PST by 7thson

When I pulled into the parking lot this morning, I saw a car covered with sacrilegious bumper stickers. It seemed obvious to me that the owner was craving attention. I’m sure he was also seeking to elicit anger from people of faith. The anger helps the atheist to justify his atheism. And, all too often, the atheist gets exactly what he is looking for.

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Philosophy; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: atheist; christian; christianity; convertordie; cslewis; god; jesuschrist; mikesadams; religion; wrongforum
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To: Protagoras

> For atheists, there is no logical morality.

Fine. Believe whatever BS you want. Just know that you're wrong.


361 posted on 01/26/2005 1:29:18 PM PST by orionblamblam
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To: Protagoras
" I only made that conclusion based on the inability of those who claim morality without God to show why. I'll put my conclusion on hold while you make your case. Have at it.

Here's your conclusion: "The belief that without God there is right and wrong is illogical."

Are you saying that coming to this conclusion, based on the absence of hearing anything is logical?

362 posted on 01/26/2005 1:30:53 PM PST by spunkets
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To: tortoise
But if you want to get all technical and mathematical, then you also have to acknowledge that asserting the existence of God makes a mathematically poorer hypothesis than not.

How?

363 posted on 01/26/2005 1:34:04 PM PST by frog_jerk_2004
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To: ArGee

> But by tough guys surrounding themselves with tough guys we have a tougher race and create a better future for humanity.

Not necessarily. Tough guys surrounded by tough guys can result in:
1) Tough guys in love... no next generation. ("Mongo not that kind of boy...")
2) Tough guys who dominate their neighbors... who finally put the nerds in charge. Tough guys discover that in modern warfare, nerds win. No more tough guys.
3) Tough guys get bored and kill each other.

> I didn't think you could defend it.

That's because humans have learned that co-operation and empathy are *generally* stronger survival tools than naked greed and aggression.


364 posted on 01/26/2005 1:34:04 PM PST by orionblamblam
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To: Modernman
The Constitution forbids judges from interfering and determining religious matters

Where? Your paraphrase of the issue is noted: at issue here is not "religious matters" in general but a tort of indecent behavior.

What exactly is a "Christian interest" and when have the courts struck them down?

Christian monuments have been removed from public places or their construction blocked by court decree on numerous occasions and Christian celebrations were denied or curtailed by municipalities, and the crackdowns on religious expression were held up by the imbecile courts. I am sure you can think of specific examples.

365 posted on 01/26/2005 1:36:07 PM PST by annalex
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To: Renderofveils
You have hit my faith on the head.

I know. And it's not faith, it's lack thereof.

It doesn't matter in the end.

So, anyone who does anything is OK.

That being said, I'm not going to be around in the end to judge what matters and what doesn't.

In that bizarre world, no one will be, and there will be no reason to judge, and nothing to judge. Nothing will matter.

What matters is what takes place between now and the end. ;) That is the body of my belief.

It's a pity. A meaningless life doing meaningless things to no purpose.

I don't feel that I need to believe that there is a purpose, a meaning, what have you. Simply being is enough.

I know, it would be an empty feeling for me. Hitler wasn't bad, or good, he just was. Democrats win, or Republicans, no difference in the end. Someone kills your kid, Oh well, they had no purpose anyway, and the person who killed them was just doing what they wanted, and it was neutral in the end.

It must be empty where you live. I truly feel sorry for you.

366 posted on 01/26/2005 1:36:59 PM PST by Protagoras (No one is fit to be a master and no one deserves to be a slave. GWB 1-20-05)
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To: itsamelman

> How about the German who hides Jews from the Nazis? Where's the evolutionary benefit in that act? The German is placing his life in tremendous peril. Or is that not a moral act?

In general, helping other humans who are not threatening you is a way to aid your own progeny.

Humanity has evolved and learned that helping out other humans is a generally useful survival trait. It is thus ingrained into most people. Sometimes these survival traits kick in in situation where they might not strictly be real useful... but that doesn't mean they're not morally right.


367 posted on 01/26/2005 1:37:04 PM PST by orionblamblam
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To: Alamo-Girl
Your points are well made, however, there is no need for a believer to substantiate his doctrine with materialistic theory.

There a need for a non-believer to substantiate his non-belief in the absence of priors -- the non-belief is the optimal default position. Compliments of another mathematician, Reverand Thomas Bayes.

Atheists (and agnostics) are asserting the existence of God is a null prior. Non-belief is the optimal/correct default position in this case. You cannot validly assert that the non-belief of an atheist or agnostic is irrational until you establish a non-null prior.

This is THE problem: theists can only convince atheists by establishing a valid prior. This it seems is nigh impossible, and so the default position remains.

368 posted on 01/26/2005 1:38:04 PM PST by tortoise (All these moments lost in time, like tears in the rain.)
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To: Protagoras
In other words, you are embarassed to say it ... was entirely off topic.

No and not at all. Of course, you did mention that, "Jumping to incorrect conclusions is commonplace on this forum."

369 posted on 01/26/2005 1:38:28 PM PST by newgeezer (When encryption is outlawed, rwei qtjske ud alsx zkjwejruc.)
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To: ArGee

> The best way to ensure survival is to be the toughest and surround yourself with the toughest.

Not exactly. I'll take a weenie who's good with a shotgun than a Mr. T wannabe most days.


370 posted on 01/26/2005 1:38:33 PM PST by orionblamblam
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To: orionblamblam
Just know that you're wrong.

That won't happen. And what would it matter to you anyway? Wrong? Right? No such thing. If someone killed your kid, it wouldn't matter in the end to you. It's just a neutral act.

Abortion is OK, genocide, euthanasia are neutral. Whores and saints all the same. Bank robbers are the same as charity workers in the end.

And this discussion never happened and it doesn't matter who's right or wrong, because there is no such thing.

371 posted on 01/26/2005 1:41:46 PM PST by Protagoras (No one is fit to be a master and no one deserves to be a slave. GWB 1-20-05)
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To: frog_jerk_2004
How?

Occam's Razor, the formal version.

372 posted on 01/26/2005 1:44:04 PM PST by tortoise (All these moments lost in time, like tears in the rain.)
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To: spunkets
Are you saying that coming to this conclusion, based on the absence of hearing anything is logical?

Perfectly logical. No one can tell me why it matters what they do if there is no God, therefore I must conclude that my conclusion was correct.

But I have already told you, I'll keep an open mind. I withdraw if you can explain why it is. I notice you didn't answer, but instead changed the subject back to my conclusion. Make your case,,,,if you can.

373 posted on 01/26/2005 1:45:42 PM PST by Protagoras (No one is fit to be a master and no one deserves to be a slave. GWB 1-20-05)
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To: orionblamblam
Not necessarily. Tough guys surrounded by tough guys can result in: [list snipped]

Can? Can? You can do better than that. Perhaps they can result in spontaneous combustion also, but they are not most likely to.

That's because humans have learned that co-operation and empathy are *generally* stronger survival tools than naked greed and aggression.

Yeah, as long as that empathy and co-operation is backed up by an army or police force with big guns. You crack me up. Girlie-man societies like the one we live in now are a drop in the historical bucket. This one won't last and we'll be back to the natural order of things.

Don't take what I said too far. Requiring men to defend their property, ability to procreate, and their lives has historically been the best way to ensure a strong species. However, this doesn't mean wonton raping, pillaging, and murdering. That takes a lot of energy anyway. It does mean that you take what you want when you want it. Gluttony toward any apetite is a distraction.

But if a tough guy wants your girl, I hope you have more than just talk about "co-operation and empathy being *generally* stronger survival tools" to defend her with.

Shalom.

374 posted on 01/26/2005 1:46:23 PM PST by ArGee (After 517, the abolition of man is complete)
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To: newgeezer
No and not at all.

Ok, so if you aren't embarrassed, tell me what your point was.

375 posted on 01/26/2005 1:47:03 PM PST by Protagoras (No one is fit to be a master and no one deserves to be a slave. GWB 1-20-05)
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To: orionblamblam
Not exactly. I'll take a weenie who's good with a shotgun than a Mr. T wannabe most days.

Except that Mr. T handled an AK-47.

Anyone who would use a shotgun to defend himself is, by definition, not a weenie.

Thanks for making my point, though. I appreciate the support.

Shalom.

376 posted on 01/26/2005 1:47:26 PM PST by ArGee (After 517, the abolition of man is complete)
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To: tortoise

Do you have a link?


377 posted on 01/26/2005 1:47:57 PM PST by frog_jerk_2004
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To: MineralMan

I would like to ask you a question: Are you afraid to die?
And when you die where do you think you are going?

And what purpose do you think you have in being part of the earth.

I am not being sarcastic, I just cannot understand atheism because in my view of atheism there would be no reason to be alive or to even be born. What is the purpose?


378 posted on 01/26/2005 1:51:40 PM PST by missyme (imho)
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To: Protagoras

> If someone killed your kid, it wouldn't matter in the end to you.

This is how I know you are not only wrong, but seriously messed up in the head.


379 posted on 01/26/2005 1:52:30 PM PST by orionblamblam
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To: Protagoras
No one can tell me why it matters what they do if there is no God.

It only matters if one decides that it matters.

Now tell me, how does it matter if there is a God?
380 posted on 01/26/2005 1:52:41 PM PST by BikerNYC
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