Maybe many athiests hate god
A friend, an intelligent lapsed Jew who observes the Sabbath for reasons of cultural solidarity, describes himself as a Tooth Fairy Agnostic. He will not call himself an atheist because it is in principle impossible to prove a negative. But "agnostic" on its own might suggest that he thought God's existence or non-existence equally likely. In fact, though strictly agnostic about god, he considers God's existence no more probable than the Tooth Fairy's.Bertrand Russell used a hypothetical teapot in orbit about Mars for the same didactic purpose. You have to be agnostic about the teapot, but that doesn't mean you treat the likelihood of its existence as being on all fours with its non-existence.The list of things about which we strictly have to be agnostic doesn't stop at tooth fairies and celestial teapots. It is infinite. If you want to believe in a particular one of them -- teapots, unicorns, or tooth fairies, Thor or Yahweh -- the onus is on you to say why you believe in it. The onus is not on the rest of us to say why we do not. We who are atheists are also a-fairyists, a-teapotists, and a-unicornists, but we don't have to bother saying so.
So, yes. Based on the (lack of evidence) I find the existence of Yahweh to be about as likely as that of the tooth fairy. And I don't hate the tooth fairy.
A friend, an intelligent lapsed Jew who observes the Sabbath for reasons of cultural solidarity, describes himself as a Tooth Fairy Agnostic. He will not call himself an atheist because it is in principle impossible to prove a negative.
The list of things about which we strictly have to be agnostic doesn't stop at tooth fairies and celestial teapots. It is infinite. If you want to believe in a particular one of them -- teapots, unicorns, or tooth fairies, Thor or Yahweh -- the onus is on you to say why you believe in it. The onus is not on the rest of us to say why we do not. We who are atheists are also a-fairyists, a-teapotists, and a-unicornists, but we don't have to bother saying so.
I can respect an honest athiest. I have no respect for those athiests who seem intent upon forcing athiesm on everybody (i.e. the ones who say no crosses in public places, no "under God" in the pledge of allegience, no quietly distributing pro-life literature near abortion clinics).
Yes, Focalor, I can agree with you that there are some obnoxious Christians who will try to force God on you. They are the minority, and I have no respect for them either. And those "Christians" who shoot abortion doctors...deserve to be fried in the electric chair like any other murderers. They are not Christians, so do not judge all Christians based on the views of a radical few.
QuoteDo you hate Zeus?If not, why not?I do not hate Zeus, Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, or any other of the Greco-Roman gods. They, however, were man's attempt to place his ideas on his gods. Notice their behaviors: they lust (Zeus), feel jealousy (Hera), and control people (Eros). In every way, they are just grigantic men without any control. The God of the Bible is different. He is wholly good, not swayed by human passions. And no, I do not hate Zeus. Why should I hate that which does not exist?
Do you hate Zeus?If not, why not?
By the way, there is evidence for God. How about the total lack of transitional fossils?
Why are there so many "missing links"? And why is there so much helium in zirconium crystals? It would all have leaked out over billions of years. And what about the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics? It states: "The entropy of the universe must always decrease or stay the same. It can never increase." This precludes order from arriving from chaos, as that would violate the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. DNA mutations increase entropy, not decrease it.
I do not hate Zeus, Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, or any other of the Greco-Roman gods. They, however, were man's attempt to place his ideas on his gods. Notice their behaviors: they lust (Zeus), feel jealousy (Hera), and control people (Eros). In every way, they are just grigantic men without any control. The God of the Bible is different. He is wholly good, not swayed by human passions.
Why are there so many "missing links"?
And why is there so much helium in zirconium crystals? It would all have leaked out over billions of years.
And what about the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics? It states: "The entropy of the universe must always decrease or stay the same. It can never increase." This precludes order from arriving from chaos, as that would violate the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. DNA mutations increase entropy, not decrease it.
Might I enquire as to whether you may have been home schooled?
BTW, Quadz, why do you think I am trolling you?
The helium in zirconium crystals is actually the result of alpha decay from radioactive particles. [...]I simply believe the earth to be ~6000 years old, as most science indicates.
What does it matter if I am homeschooled or not (I went to a Christian high school)? If I were, would it change the validity of my arguments?
I simply believe the earth to be ~6000 years old, as most science indicates.
Please offer sound scientific reasons as to why the earth is old.
As to calling God an SOB: this attempt to raise my dander doesn't need a reply. Please refrain from mindless name-calling.
QuoteEntropy increases in a closed system until equilibrium is reached.Quadz, all scientists (young-earth & old-earth) realize that entropy can never decrease in a closed universe. It increases without bound in a closed universe environment.
Entropy increases in a closed system until equilibrium is reached.
jealous: The jealousy that Richard Dawkins is talking about is not like what we call jealousy. God calls himself "jealous" because we need human terms to describe God's attributes
control-freak: I don't understand where that comes from....
ethnic cleanser: Wouldn't you put to death infanticidal murderers? (The Canaanites were well known for putting their babies onto burning altars.)
a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent, bully: Racist: NOT! God welcomes all races to believe in Him.
Infanticidal: NOT! God orders infant-murderers to be put to death.
Genocidal: God was executing punishment on the wicked.
Pestilential: This word is unwarranted and useless.
Megalomaniacal: If this were true, why doesn't God come down and stomp out all the sinners?
Bully: I would appreciate it if someone points to a Bible passage where God bullies somebody.
jealous: The jealousy that Richard Dawkins is talking about is not like what we call jealousy. God calls himself "jealous" because we need human terms to describe God's attributescontrol-freak: I don't understand where that comes from....ethnic cleanser: Wouldn't you put to death infanticidal murderers? (The Canaanites were well known for putting their babies onto burning altars.)a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent, bully: Racist: NOT! God welcomes all races to believe in Him. Infanticidal: NOT! God orders infant-murderers to be put to death. Genocidal: God was executing punishment on the wicked. Pestilential: This word is unwarranted and useless. Megalomaniacal: If this were true, why doesn't God come down and stomp out all the sinners? Bully: I would appreciate it if someone points to a Bible passage where God bullies somebody.
Racist: NOT! God welcomes all races to believe in Him.