Re: "Happy" birthday

On Oct 14, 12:09 am, Hatunen <hatu...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 02:26:19 -0400, DanS.





<dslaughREM...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Roland Hutchinson added the following to the totality of all human
wisdom on 10/13/2010 in writing
On Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:32:16 -0400, DanS. wrote:

Skitt added the following to the totality of all human wisdom on
10/12/2010 in writing
"DanS." wrote:
Skitt added:

DanS wrote that he considers himself to be a "Bible Thumper".  The
way I look at it, that moniker puts him outside the mainstream of
religions, as there would be no need to create a special name for his
type of religion if it were "mainstream".  I agree that defining
"mainstream" (of prevailing current or direction of activity or
influence) without specifying some limits is impossible.  The neck of
the woods being considered is of great importance.  DanS claims his
views are "really quite mainstream around here" without saying where
"right here" is.  It certainly is not where I am.  Then again, being
an atheist, I'm would not be part of the mainstream anywhere in the
USA, I suppose.

Bible Thumper is what I've heard our kind called by any number of
non-believers who are too lazy to crack a King James.  I was assuaging
the innevitable person who would like to stereotype Fundimentalists
and Evangelicals.  It's hardly a special name, and I take great pride
in my ability to read, comprehend, and indeed, understand the living
nature of the Word of God.  If the USA isn't narrow enough for you, my
e-mail address is at the top fo the page as far as "around here" goes.

Your e-mail address is a Yahoo one and is world-wide.  Certainly, you
are not trying to say that your beliefs are in the "mainstream" of the
beliefs of all mankind, are ypu?

In that there are ~1.2 Billion (plus) professing Christians in the
world, and they all consider the Bible holy, and that is from when my
beliefs come, yes.  It's quite simple.

You're only scared because you're only familiar with the unfamiliarity
of the "mainstream" atheist (which btw, is as much a "faith" as any).

Why should I be scared?  You are not planning to start a crusade, are
you? As for what I think, it does not involve any faith.  It involves a
disbelief in what is propagated by the so called faithful, that's all
--  pretty much the same as disbelieving Santa Claus and the Tooth
Fairy.

So you're sure, right?  Atheism is an afirmed "faith" by any
understanding.

Assertion isn't proof.

Atheism is just what the word says: the absence of theism.  

Now, theism can be adopted without a leap of faith on the basis of
philosophical arguments and/or observation of the world (look up "natural
theology" and go read the Summa Contra Gentiles or Moses Mendelssohn's
"Morgenstunden" or something of that sort).  Perhaps those arguments are
wrong or mistaken, but they have convinced an awful lot of people over
the centuries.  Similarly, atheism can be adopted on the basis of
arguments of the same class.  Again, the arguments might be strong or
weak or controversial or disputed, but no involvement of faith is
required for those who are persuaded by them. In either case, the
persuasion is by entirely rational means.

ObUsage: do you have a word other than "atheist" for someone who just
doesn't believe in ?od without elevating their unbelief to a
philosophical stance?  Just someone who never formed a belief in God,
probably because no one ever told them to.

ObNoxious: do you hold that it takes faith to not believe in the Flying
Spaghetti Monster?

Here's the Christian definition: Hebrews 11:1

1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do
not see.

As opposed to your belief in a lack of faries, unicorns, and spaghetti
monsters, (which I'm sure you're offering for the absurd nature
(welcome to AUE Franz Kafka)) I don't think you place any hope in their
being or not being.  You just want to show that you place God on the
same plane as you place them - the absurd.

Yep. And I've seen photographs of fairies.

However, with the Christian definition of faith, above, you have to
hope "for" something.  Your hope, as an Athiest, is that that there is
no God.  For if He exists, you're surely doomed.  If he doesn't, you
die into oblivion.

Pascal's Wager.

Unfortunately, you now have the prospect of showing why the
Christian religion is THE right religion rather than any of the
other religions. For instance, why should it be the
Christian/Jewish/Islamic god I don't believe in rather than, say,
the precepts of Budhhism?

Most people apply the chauvinist, or anthropic, argument that the gods
of their fathers must have been the 'real' ones.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: "Happy" birthday
    ... type of religion if it were "mainstream". ... theism can be adopted without a leap of faith on the basis of philosophical arguments and/or observation of the world. ... Just someone who never formed a belief in God, probably because no one ever told them to. ... Christian religion is THE right religion rather than any of the ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Kevin Myers and Darwin
    ... on par with mainstrean religion you are claiming they should have equal ... So given you believe the mainstream is no more worthy of saying what is ... But stick with Christianity for the moment since that is where I mentioned ... believe in God should not act like that!"? ...
    (soc.culture.irish)
  • Re: "Happy" birthday
    ... type of religion if it were "mainstream". ... nature of the Word of God. ... it does not involve any faith. ... Christian religion is THE right religion rather than any of the ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: "Happy" birthday
    ... type of religion if it were "mainstream". ... it does not involve any faith. ... Just someone who never formed a belief in God, ... Christian religion is THE right religion rather than any of the ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: "Happy" birthday
    ... his type of religion if it were "mainstream". ... if someone told me that their religion ... mainstream churches. ... The accepted term for "non-Bible thumping Protestants" is mainline ...
    (alt.usage.english)