Why don't you believe in God?

[Anonymous]

No playboy bunnies have appeared. Crap. Keep fearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I don't get is how the poster isn't even troubled by the idea that fear may be causing his belief in God. He's not even rejecting it.

I fear, therefore God Is. Great.

I fear life without playboy bunnies and ninety foot yachts. Let's see how it works out.

Still no bunnies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


Man can have morals of his own choosing, but those morals have no meaning beyond preference, opinion, feeling.

Untrue. They can be self-preserving.

But man can also choose to be selfless.

[Anonymous]

It's not really the morals of one that shape our societal morals, it's the agreement of many that push it into a moral standard or expectation.

[Anonymous]

The "wishful thinking" argument can be used to justify atheism, too:

Believers cannot bear the thought of living without perfect Justice, so they believe in God.

This is literally the stated position of at least one PP.

Unbelievers cannot bear the thought of living with an absolute Authority, so they do not believe in God.

No rationalist has made such a claim, and you haven't shown that it follows from any claim they have made. Is this just more wishful thinking?




This exchange reminded me of one of my favorite commercials. Just think of Troy Polamalu as God:

http://youtu.be/p-IVSmVmCvA

Like this:

Atheist: God, why don't you tell me you exist?

God: You owe your existence to me, and there's more to you than just your material self. I made you for so much more than that.

Atheist: That's not what I was asking.

God: Isn't it?

Atheist: No.

God: Isn't it?

Atheist: Yes.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Shakespeare expressed so many truths of human existence in his magnificent plays. I played Lady Macbeth in 8th grade, and one of Macbeth's speeches at the end of the play perfectly captures the materialist's last stand:

MACBETH
Wherefore was that cry?
SEYTON
The queen, my lord, is dead.
MACBETH
She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The "wishful thinking" argument can be used to justify atheism, too:

Believers cannot bear the thought of living without perfect Justice, so they believe in God.

This is literally the stated position of at least one PP.

Unbelievers cannot bear the thought of living with an absolute Authority, so they do not believe in God.

No rationalist has made such a claim, and you haven't shown that it follows from any claim they have made. Is this just more wishful thinking?

This exchange reminded me of one of my favorite commercials. Just think of Troy Polamalu as God:

http://youtu.be/p-IVSmVmCvA

Like this:

Atheist: God, why don't you tell me you exist?

God: You owe your existence to me, and there's more to you than just your material self. I made you for so much more than that.

Atheist: That's not what I was asking.

God: Isn't it?

Atheist: No.

God: Isn't it?

Atheist: Yes.



Wow, your arguments are so much more effective when you crib the dialogue from a shampoo commercial. Somehow I have this feeling inside, like I...... ought to shower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Shakespeare expressed so many truths of human existence in his magnificent plays. I played Lady Macbeth in 8th grade, and one of Macbeth's speeches at the end of the play perfectly captures the materialist's last stand:

MACBETH
Wherefore was that cry?
SEYTON
The queen, my lord, is dead.
MACBETH
She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

This may surprise you, but many so-called materialists live and die happy. Death does not take that away.

[Anonymous]

I should be clear before the bozos start posting that I meant "the prospect of death does not take that away".

[Anonymous]

The Circle of Life song from The Lion King comes to my mind after reading the Shakespeare bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The "wishful thinking" argument can be used to justify atheism, too:

Believers cannot bear the thought of living without perfect Justice, so they believe in God.

This is literally the stated position of at least one PP.

Unbelievers cannot bear the thought of living with an absolute Authority, so they do not believe in God.

No rationalist has made such a claim, and you haven't shown that it follows from any claim they have made. Is this just more wishful thinking?

This exchange reminded me of one of my favorite commercials. Just think of Troy Polamalu as God:

http://youtu.be/p-IVSmVmCvA

Like this:

Atheist: God, why don't you tell me you exist?

God: You owe your existence to me, and there's more to you than just your material self. I made you for so much more than that.

Atheist: That's not what I was asking.

God: Isn't it?

Atheist: No.

God: Isn't it?

Atheist: Yes.



Wow, your arguments are so much more effective when you crib the dialogue from a shampoo commercial. Somehow I have this feeling inside, like I...... ought to shower.


Jeez, tough crowd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Circle of Life song from The Lion King comes to my mind after reading the Shakespeare bit.

Are you man or beast?

[Anonymous]

Is someone equating non belief in gods with being a materialist? What exactly do they mean by that and how are theists any less materialistic? If anything I've known theists who are more materialistic then I am...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Circle of Life song from The Lion King comes to my mind after reading the Shakespeare bit.

Are you man or beast?

I'm a talking lion.

What kind of question is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Circle of Life song from The Lion King comes to my mind after reading the Shakespeare bit.

Are you man or beast?

I'm a talking lion.

What kind of question is that?

Just in case you were making a serious observation, and not just being silly:

You equated Macbeth's exquisite disgust towards and acceptance of the materialist reality of human existence with the "circle of life" we observe in the natural world. I actually found that rather insightful.

Because if the materialist worldview is right, we are, actually, a beast. A talking one, as you said. But there is nothing to us that transcends our physical body. Materially, we do not differ from our brother mammals. We might happen to edge them out along the evolutionary chain, but our lives our snuffed out as utterly as theirs when all is said and done.

(My oldest daughter loved that you chose a talking lion...she loves The Chronicles of Narnia. Great stories. You should read them to your kids sometime.)