Jonathan Drake:
really?
Eden
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.
what exactly is "belief"?.
is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Jonathan Drake:
really?
Eden
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.
what exactly is "belief"?.
is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Spanx punishes wrongdoers with death; since all humans are inherently wrongdoers, they all die. Death is seen as evidence that Spanx Almighty exists. However, Spanx wishes to extend salvation to all those who believe in him. Those will be morphed into the spiritual realm to live with Spanx. Some who passed into that higher life ocasionally contact faithful worshippers of Spanx to reassure them of their future reward. The impact of these visits is such, that Spanx's followers are willing to die for their belief even when authorities persecute them.
in the holy book of Spanx there are stories that indicate that maybe he's not all-powerful. For example, Spanx couldn't stop a comet from hitting earth and wipe out the giant lizzards that used to roam the earth once. Incidentally, science discovered fossiles of these giant lizzards, which confirms the authenticity of the holy book of Spanx.
some question how come an Almighty Spanx isn't all-powerful. It's a mystery. His followers conclude that Spanx uses his power only whan it suits his purpose.
Eden
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.
what exactly is "belief"?.
is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
The only "evidence" about Spanx The Almighty is in his Holy Book; his followers point to the creation as evidence. Some claim they get direct messages from Spanx, they claim to be his prophets.
Eden
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.
what exactly is "belief"?.
is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Viviane, I really don't understand what you're trying to do here. Are you trying to debunk any god I may throw at you? Don't even go there, I will agree with you. What's your point?
Eden
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.
what exactly is "belief"?.
is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
If you posit that every god is a human invention, you may just as well go with this one I just invented.
Eden
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.
what exactly is "belief"?.
is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
OK. Now define it.
So, Spanx, the Almighty created the universe, originated life, good and evil. He set evolution in motion and observed life develop, undisturbed. When one life form on earth came to be that had enough intelligence that Spanx felt he could interact with these creatures, he gave them several revelations in form of apparitions, and gave them a moral code of conduct to follow. This moral code was transmitted in the form of oral traditions and metaphorical stories that at a certain point were reduced to writing form and became a revered "holy book". Spanx the Almighty exists in the spiritual realm, we don't know what substance he's made of, but he remains invisible to the human eye. He is powerful and wise beyond human comprehension, and wants humans to live a good life and upon their physical death, he wants humans to join him in the spiritual realm to become part of his spiritual family, for eternity. That's the basic purpose of human life.
The end.
So, now what?
Eden
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.
what exactly is "belief"?.
is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Ah, the appeal to authority. The last gasp of a failed argument
Not so, I didn't name any authority. Just curious to know as to why your opinion is more credible than that of Mr. Cline. Because you say so? Because you speak in the name of the atheist community? Because if two atheists can't agree on the definition, then confusion starts for a newcomer.
Since you can't seem to grasp the nuances of the terms and how it's applied,
It is you now who pretend to know what I think and what I do and don't understand. I can understand all the nuances, but I'm trying to figure out why your definition is the 'agreed upon definition' and Mr. Cline's definition isn't.
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.
what exactly is "belief"?.
is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Jonathan Drake and Viviane,
For the sake of argument, let's assume a monotheistic god akin to the Christian god, minus the whole god-became-man part. Let's call it Spanx, the Almighty. I wonder where do you want to take the discussion from there.
Eden
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.
what exactly is "belief"?.
is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Sorry ... is there an official certification program for quality atheist websites? Please enlighten me. Because if one demands 'agreed upon definitions', then it would be expected that a website that offers research tools for someone who's interested in learning about atheism, presents an article written by someone who claims to be an expert in agnosticism and atheism [Mr. Austin Cline], and then gives definitions that are incorrect? Seems to me that there's confusion in the atheist side of the fence. Why then should your authority be more credible than that of Mr. Cline? Just curious about credentials.
Eden
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.
what exactly is "belief"?.
is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Viviane: As usual, you demonstrate you understand neither.
It was you who so insisted that we stick to 'agreed upon definitions'. That definition comes from an official page on atheism. What more can I say?
Eden