Posts by seattleniceguy

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Another statistics

by Shazard in

is here in this site or somewhere else shown some graphs how ex-jw divide into atheists (strange religion) and believers?

I disagree with you on two counts. First, there is no scientific evidence of God. The God-hypothesis is totally untestable, as is the unicorn hypothesis. As you probably know, scientifically testable hypotheses must be falsifiable. There is no conceivable experiment that could falsify the hypothesis. Therefore, it cannot be said to be scientific in any sense. This is similar to the unicorn hypothesis, because if I believe in unicorns, there is no conceivable evidence that could disprove them to me. If you pointed out that no unicorns had ever been found, I could simply respond that you hadn't looked hard enough. If you pointed out that no one had ever even seen their footprints or skeletons, I could simply say that they are very good at hiding, etc, etc. That's the great thing about a non-falsifiable hypothesis. It is impossible to disprove. But it certainly is not scientific.

Secondly, with regard to your assertion that many great scientific minds profess belief in God, I would refer you to this study of the positions held by scientists in the National Academy of Sciences:
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v394/n6691/full/394313b0_fs.html&content_filetype=pdf

As you can see, the vast majority (93%) of professional scientists are either agnostic or non-theistic. Only 7% profess belief in a personal creator.

Of course, the issue is not settled by majority rule. But if you try to support your belief by invoking the views of scientists, you should be aware that the vast majority of recognized scientists do not, in fact, agree with you.

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Another statistics

by Shazard in

is here in this site or somewhere else shown some graphs how ex-jw divide into atheists (strange religion) and believers?

seattleniceguy

yaddayadda,

Everyone believes in something higher than ourselves, even Seattleniceguy. Atheism is the highest form of bravado.

If this is your comment, that I don't think you have taken the time to understand my position. Is your lack of belief in unicorns a form of bravado? Or do you simply not believe because you find the idea slightly preposterous? Bravado has nothing to do with it. I would certainly like to believe in benevolent beings more powerful than us, but honesty prevents me from arbitrarily believing in things that suit my fancy, without actually having facts to support the belief.

Shazard,

atheism is just believing that something does not exist... it is faith too... just a bit strange faith, formulated actually in negative form, but faith... as can't be prooved too.

You're confusing lack of belief in something that someone else has postulated, with positive belief in something. If you tell me you have an invisible friend and I say I don't believe you, is that faith? If so, then it means that you have an infinite number of "strange faiths." After all, you probably don't believe in leprauchans, unicorns, gnomes, etc, etc. What do you base your negative faith on? You can't prove that gnomes don't exist! Another manifestation of yaddayadda's "bravado," perhaps.

The point is that non-theism does not need to be proved, just as non-gnomism does not need to be proved. I'm not the one claiming that gnomes exist. If you claim they exist, you're the one with faith. Not believing in gnomes is the default position, since no one has ever produced evidence that they exist. Similarly, not believing in God is the default position. If you claim you have an invisible friend in the sky, it's up to you to prove it, and my lack of belief simply means you haven't proven it to me.

Once you can understand how your lack of belief in gnomes is the same as my lack of belief in gods, you will understand my position.

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20

Another statistics

by Shazard in

is here in this site or somewhere else shown some graphs how ex-jw divide into atheists (strange religion) and believers?

seattleniceguy

those who still didn't recognized Creator of the reality in him! [...] Sorry did not wanted to insult anybody.

LOL. Are you still vainly clinging to your imaginary friend? No offense, of course. :-) [ Humor-impaired people should ignore this sentence. ]

Atheists is other picture... I sayed... very strange religion, they find their identity in refuting something they do not believe exists. Plain logical error.

Atheists don't find identity in not believing in God. Imagine you lived in a town where almost everyone believed in unicorns. There were even organizations like the Church of Her Hoofedness and the Evangelical Unicornians. If you didn't believe in unicorns, you might be called an "anti-unicornian" or somesuch, but the title wouldn't be your source of self-identity or your worldview. It would just reflect a key way in which your worldview was different from the people around you.

Similarly, I don't believe in gods, but this non-belief does not form the basis for my identity or worldview. By identifying me an atheist, you learn exactly one thing about my outlook: that I don't believe in gods, just as you probably don't believe in unicorns. My worldview is based on positive beliefs, which are unique to me.

Peace,
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69

Gaps in Fossil Record Disprove Evolution? What about Gaps in Creationism?

by Reluctant Buddha in

missing links disprove a theory???.

what about this one, creationists!!!.

real t-rex .

seattleniceguy

LOL...thanks for your help, guys. :-) I didn't expect to have not one but two people totally misunderstand the purpose of my post!

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hello from a newby!!

by newcreation in

jw
friends

i have been following the board from a distance for a while, and have finally decided to come aboard ig y'all will have me... .

i was a third generation jw, did the elder thing, rasied two sons in the troof......both are out now, and we've never been closer.. .

is it me, or does it look weirder and weirder the longer you've been away??.

seattleniceguy

is it me, or does it look weirder and weirder the longer you've been away??

As time goes by, you will come to understand as never before the meaning of the phase "WTF?"

Welcome aboard.

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Gaps in Fossil Record Disprove Evolution? What about Gaps in Creationism?

by Reluctant Buddha in

missing links disprove a theory???.

what about this one, creationists!!!.

real t-rex .

seattleniceguy

seethesky,

Here are a few photos of gorilla teeth:

Notice their nice big molars, just perfect for crunching vegetation! T-Rex would have had a hard time with a dinner salad, but gorillas have it under control.

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6

Skeptical Misunderstandings of the Nature of God

by Shining One in

common skeptical misunderstandings refuted .

james patrick holding .

when it comes to criticizing the concept of the trinity, skeptics are quite fond of quoting someone like jefferson, paine, or ingersoll who bellowed incoherently about how three could not equal one, and vice versa.

seattleniceguy

I don't think many modern skeptics take issue with the Trinity particularly. I mean, if you believe in Biblical fairy tales in the first place, the Trinity shouldn't be too hard to swallow.

Any skeptic worth his salt would take issue with much larger problems, such as the impossibility of a global flood having occurred 4300 years ago, etc.

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