The Meaning of Life

Breadman wrote:

Er.......you did.

I said I wanted less of the religious hate. I don't want you to tolerate it, I want you to embrace it. I want you in church on Sunday morning.

The burden of proof lies with those making the claims.

until a single shred of evidence is put forward I'll remain 99.9% certain there is no "afterlife" 

You can't rule out anything for absolutely certain, no free thinking person would but it's a bit of a silly retort as you could postulate absolutely anything without evidence, most of which you'd be ridiculed for doing so, and it stops any serious discussion stone dead (which is why the religious do it) only one side of the debate continues to search for answers, while the other walls off their mind in certainty.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:The burden of proof lies with those making the claims.

until a single shred of evidence is put forward I'll remain 99.9% certain there is no "afterlife" 

You can't rule out anything for absolutely certain, no free thinking person would but it's a bit of a silly retort as you could postulate absolutely anything without evidence, most of which you'd be ridiculed for doing so, and it stops any serious discussion stone dead (which is why the religious do it) only one side of the debate continues to search for answers, while the other walls off their mind in certainty.

Aliens, Bigfoot, ghosts and all the other things that people are 99.9% sure don't exist have very little documentation other than a few crackpot sightings. People have been writing about God, Jesus and Christianity since the dawn of time, could so many people really be in on one lie?

you answered your own question, as being a "christian" you obviously believe the other thousands of God's and deities to be false profits and fantasy stories. 

so that would answer your question I should think.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:you answered your own question, as being a "christian" you obviously believe the other thousands of God's and deities to be false profits and fantasy stories. 

Of course they are. But they don't have Bibles.

No none of the other religions have sacred books, you've got me there.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:No none of the other religions have sacred books, you've got me there.

So you now accept Christianity?

I do.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I do.

Thank you, spread the word.

I've just given someone 40 lashes because they didn't accept Jesus into his heart.

Off to a rocky start, couple of police cars have pulled up outside the guest house I'm staying in.

Warrabout atheists?

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I've just given someone 40 lashes because they didn't accept Jesus into his heart.

Off to a rocky start, couple of police cars have pulled up outside the guest house I'm staying in.

Don't worry, you'll be rewarded in heaven.

Natasha Whittam wrote:
I said I wanted less of the religious hate. I don't want you to tolerate it, I want you to embrace it. I want you in church on Sunday morning.

I think you should change your avatar to a picture of Piper Laurie in Carrie.

Breadman wrote:Ok, I'll play along for a bit. (Again.)

It's a popular misconception that atheists (like me) don't believe in god.

We are quite open to the notion that he/she/it may exist and we don't say for definite that he/she/it doesn't but we'd like a bit of proof, that's all.

And until anybody comes up with concrete, irrefutable, absolute for definite proof, we'll reserve the right to question the idea.

And that makes us more open minded than the religious lot who aren't prepared to concede that we may be right.

And before anybody (Nat) posts the usual response about it being in the Bible so it must be true, that's not proof.

For the record atheists disbelieve in the existence of a God.  

What you go on to describe in your post is that of agnosticism - someone who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God.

Here endeth the lesson.

I'm right and you're all wrong said the Transgender religious Chorley supporting UKIP campaigning business person.

Copper Dragon wrote:I'm right and you're all wrong said the Transgender religious Chorley supporting UKIP campaigning business person.

Maybe now you will appreciate the cross she beareth.

Now when I talked to god I knew he understand
He said stick by me and I'll be your guiding hand
But don't ask me what I think of you
Because I might not give the answer that you want me to

Jesus said that.

Well someone who looked stereotypically like him anyway.

Sluffy,

We could get into a big discussion here about agnosticism and atheism and the subtle differences between the two doctrines and how the definitions have changed over the years since Thomas Huxley first coined the phrase "agnosticism" in 1869 but for the sake of brevity, I'll just say this:

I personally don't believe in god. Much in the same way I don't believe in Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny, nice Tories, Whittam actually having a fanny (burnt or otherwise), Eddie Davies and the Loch Ness Monster.

However, I would never say for definite that they could never exist because....you never know.

The traditional positions of Atheists and Agnostics have been folded together to give us a new, modern brand of Atheism as espoused by the likes of Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris et al.

Atheism, unlike The Church, is capable of constantly adapting its thinking and evolving.

And how Darwinian is that....?

Copper Dragon wrote:

Now when I talked to god I knew he understand
He said stick by me and I'll be your guiding hand
But don't ask me what I think of you
Because I might not give the answer that you want me to

Jesus said that.

Well someone who looked stereotypically like him anyway.

Earlier today I posted a link to a YouTube clip on the music thread of someone covering Need Your Love So Bad.

How spooky is that?

It must be the hand of God guiding us!!!!!

Fuck it, I'm a believer now.

All hail Jeeeezus!

Darwin?

Is he the fella who made big tortoises on the Galapagos Islands?