[aruanan]

Some people really, REALLY don’t want the Shroud to be genuine.

My 17-year-old's Spanish teacher told the class he didn't believe in God. I said that it was an intellectually weak position because it presumed an exhaustive knowledge of all reality (in other words a God-like knowledge) to be able to conclusively rule out the existence of God. A more realistic position would be to claim that he wasn't convinced of the existence of God, but that such a position was undesirable by atheists because they don't want to entertain even the possibility that God exists. That would put them into a position of having to answer to claims by a being superior to their own and that is intolerable. He asked where do they think everything came from. I said from the Big Bang, attributing to it the source of all being, as though to God, but in a safe, materialistic, non-judgmental form.

[antiRepublicrat]

My 17-year-old's Spanish teacher told the class he didn't believe in God. ... A more realistic position would be to claim that he wasn't convinced of the existence of God,

The two statements have the same meaning. He doesn't believe because he's not convinced.

but that such a position was undesirable by atheists because they don't want to entertain even the possibility that God exists

Is it undesirable for you to entertain even the possibility that Zeus exists? How much does the possible existence of Zeus threaten or worry you? Probably not at all, right? Now you may understand.

[Quix]

LOVE IT. EXCELLENT POINTS.

And his responses were?