The biggest reason I hate all these arguments is the point of proof and traits of worship. I can't understand how someone can believe in something that they have not had definite proof that it exists. It throws me for a loop. It's like saying that there is a device on Earth right now that can produce invisible gold out of thin air, but the device is invisible and if you believe hard enough, you'll get some of this invisible gold.
I don't believe anything exists until It's proven. Period. If "God" wanted me to praise and worship it, it would prove it's existence to me (and being omnipotent, it will know exactly how without a shadow of a doubt. Not like some passe argument or battle of wits a la Bruce Almighty.) But for the sake of the argument that "God" wants you to believe out of your own free will or be punished in some way, then I call this god a child in which I wouldn't want to follow anyway. So let's change it to say that "God" doesn't care that you worship it... then why waste your precious time here on Earth worshiping that which cares not?
Idolizing a being is an old and antiquated structure of a noble and common (or slave and owner) relationship. Believing that some person/thing can be more privileged than yourself and altering your life in some way. It is akin to self deprecation. You've decided you are worthless, can't think for yourself and accept ignorance ("God did it") over evidence. You've decided that knowing the answers just isn't important or worth waiting for. I might even argue it's egotistical (or arrogant) to think that you know what "God" is or that your idea of what happened is "THE" answer to it all and everyone else is pathetic or ignorant.
You have some good points and I don't want to get into an argument, really (it pains me to post even this after promising I'd quit) so someone else can refute them if they wish. I've highlighted the part I wanted to address. Certainly we believe that God is THE answer to it all (not that I'm not open to other interpretations), but very few people (people I don't like, too) think that believing different is pathetic or ignorant.
I have known some people to make arguments like that. i.e. group X knows group Y (be it Christian, Atheism or other) believe Z (Jesus existed, evolution happened, it was Allah). Therefore group Y are all idiots (because what they believe in conflicts with what X believes in, because it's illogical, and so on).
The above argument, whilst not exactly what you said, is a very,
very stupid one, made by very, very
stupid people that do not in any way represent the majority of any one group. Most Christians do not believe that others believing other things are stupid an ignorant. I believe that all religions are a path to God (and atheism doesn't disqualify you should you do good in life), as do many people. Don't make the mistake of generalizing something like that. We aren't like that, you aren't like that, most of the
sane (makin' IWM happy, doot doo dee doo) world is not like that.
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Topic: Atheists (Read 408459 times)