Posted on 05/01/2011 7:24:18 AM PDT by Ethan Clive Osgoode
We don't entirely know Peter but this is very definetly an attack on both the BCSE and the NCSE by the "New Atheists" including Richard Dawkins. It's very personal and nasty as well. Basically they want the NCSE and the BCSE to back "New Atheism" and many of the people signing the letter are very hostile to us including and working with people who are religious. I've also been in private email correspondence with Dawkins about him libelling me on WEIT. I have ended up with no respect for Richard Dawkins whatsoever... Whatever you do, Peter, don't try and "debate" on WEIT about the issue. It's a kangaroo court baying for blood. One of the most frightening things I've seen in a long time. I lost the best part of a night's sleep over it such was the utter viciousness and self-righteousness. One of the nastyest of the lot turns out to be Richard Dawkins. Did himself no favours by walking into the snake pit there and made a life long enemy of me as well.
If the atheists (no matter how obnoxious) are correct in their beliefs, we just rot in the ground when we die, no problem. If Christians are right, I wouldn’t want to have been an atheist in life after I die.
Do you want to be a Christian if the Muslims are right?
Ah, yes, LeGrande, the atheist. Waves of nothing brought him here.
Yeah. I believe I have the truth on my side and that the jawas worship a demon.
And if Muslims are right, you wouldn't want to have been a Christian in life after you die...right?
(Thus illustrating the weakness of Pascal's Wager)
Perhaps the best thing move might be for everyone on both sides to take Thomas Jefferson's advice to heart:
But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. - Notes on Virginia, 1782
While it's certainly fun to debate these issues, to invest a meaningful amount of time and effort trying to convince someone to change their mind regarding the existence (or non-existence) of God(s) strikes me as just silly. We certainly have far more substantive issues to deal with (the impending economic collapse comes to mind).
“And if Muslims are right, you wouldn’t want to have been a Christian in life after you die...right?”
Ping to post 5.
Would it be better for you if you had been an atheist?
(in which you said)
Yeah. I believe I have the truth on my side and that the jawas worship a demon.
If the Muslims are right, Allah isn't a demon...he's God. As such, wouldn't he be the one who defines truth?
I see that you are learning.
Christianity is far superior and logical and reasoned than “islam”. It also includes Free Will, which islam does not allow. If there is no “Free Will”, then life choices become meaningless and there could be no polemic of good and evil. Good and evil become a dictate by man and just a means for control over others, since it is not derived from Revelation and Natural Law, it will be unjust and political. Only Christianity teaches dignity and worth for every single person which is the bases for just societies. Otherwise you will always get tyranny over others.
The Muslims are not right.
From what I understand of Muslim theology I would be damned along with all the other infidels such as Christians, Buddhists, etc.
Needless to say, I don't lose any sleep over this :-)
LeGrand, do you still believe that the Sun is actually 2.1 degrees away from where you apparently see it in the sky, or were you cured of that delusion?
Don't they worship the same God that Abraham worshiped? Don't Christians worship the same God Abraham worshiped?
It seems to me that both the Muslims and Christians should be Jews if they really wanted to worship the God Abraham worshiped.
It is a pity that you worship the wrong God, isn't it?
So far we have 2 atheists arguing for Islam. They sure know how to pick sides.
In the perfect world (for Muslims) the atheists will lose their heads right along with the rest of us.
I agree, but that wasn't the question. Your first post in this thread said, "If Christians are right, I wouldn’t want to have been an atheist in life after I die."
Why isn't it fair to posit the same thing regarding Muslims? Suppose for the sake of argument that Muslims are right. What now?
What an odd thing to assert. When have I argued for Islam? When another poster said "Islam is not right" my reply was "I agree".
No, You are absolutely right Ethan. Everything in the Heavens is exactly where you see it. You can rest assured that when you wake up tomorrow the Sun will rise in the East and circle the Earth. You can see it can't you?
Let's not let anything like physics interfere with your tidy little mental map.
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