RootsBooster   24 #337 Posted September 29, 2015 That makes almost everybody a believer as anybody with the slightest thought that there might just be some kind of god is now classified as a believer. That's not useful.  That's not belief though, not even in the slightest. That's just open-mindedness. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
John Hope   10 #338 Posted September 29, 2015 Why is it that God can only talk to one guy and he usually got his message while sat alone in the mountains or some remote place.  Why can't God talk to everyone, send his message to everyone at the same time? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
unbeliever   10 #339 Posted September 29, 2015 Why is it that God can only talk to one guy and he usually got his message while sat alone in the mountains or some remote place. Why can't God talk to everyone, send his message to everyone at the same time?  Well quite. I think if there were a god running the show, it would make itself clear. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
spider1   11 #340 Posted September 29, 2015 Atheism is not a lack of belief, it's disbelief. It's a positive position held that deities do not exist, and answer to the question "do deities exist?" in the negative. Otherwise you might as well describe my dog as atheist since he isn't capable of understanding the question and thus doesn't have belief.  Cyclone you never had a dog no chance youre not the type :hihi: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Phanerothyme   12 #341 Posted September 29, 2015 Why is it that God can only talk to one guy and he usually got his message while sat alone in the mountains or some remote place. Why can't God talk to everyone, send his message to everyone at the same time?  Maybe God does speak to everyone, all the time, we just tuned him out about 3000 years ago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
unbeliever   10 #342 Posted September 29, 2015 Maybe God does speak to everyone, all the time, we just tuned him out about 3000 years ago.  Because hearing from the most powerful thing imaginable telling us meaning of life stuff is the kind of message we could miss. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Phanerothyme   12 #343 Posted September 29, 2015 Because hearing from the most powerful thing imaginable telling us meaning of life stuff is the kind of message we could miss.  Well some people obviously manage it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
BarryRiley   10 #344 Posted September 30, 2015 Because hearing from the most powerful thing imaginable telling us meaning of life stuff is the kind of message we could miss.  You do realise you're attempting to argue with people who have completely suspended logic? I'd quit now and get back to whatever it is you usually do.  ---------- Post added 30-09-2015 at 06:50 ----------  Well some people obviously manage it.  Case in point. We can't hear God therefore he must exist Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
unbeliever   10 #345 Posted September 30, 2015  Case in point. We can't hear God therefore he must exist  Reminds me of Douglas Adam's babel fish. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
leviathan13 Â Â 350 #346 Posted September 30, 2015 Â If not having a belief in something is the same as believing that something is not, answer me this... do you believe that my dog is sat next to me right now? Â Â Whether your dog is sat next to you or not is irrelevant - the first question should be do I believe you have a dog in the first place? Â The problem with this question is that we know dogs exist, so there is at least a 50/50 chance that you either have a dog or you don't. Now, I've never seen 'your' dog, so as a way for you to try and prove you have a dog you could write a description, paint me a picture or even take a photo and e-mail it to me... but none of that is actual proof as you could have made it up or nicked a photo from the internet. However, we know dogs exist, so my 'belief' system of your dog isn't based on whether it exists or not, just whether you have one or not. Â This is different to atheism which is simply a lack of 'belief' in a deity/religion - the lack of belief that something which hasn't been proven does exist. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Cyclone   10 #347 Posted September 30, 2015 It's not a belief that it hasn't been proven though, it's a belief that deities don't exist. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
RootsBooster   24 #348 Posted September 30, 2015 (edited) Whether your dog is sat next to you or not is irrelevant - the first question should be do I believe you have a dog in the first place? The problem with this question is that we know dogs exist, so there is at least a 50/50 chance that you either have a dog or you don't. Now, I've never seen 'your' dog, so as a way for you to try and prove you have a dog you could write a description, paint me a picture or even take a photo and e-mail it to me... but none of that is actual proof as you could have made it up or nicked a photo from the internet. However, we know dogs exist, so my 'belief' system of your dog isn't based on whether it exists or not, just whether you have one or not.  This is different to atheism which is simply a lack of 'belief' in a deity/religion - the lack of belief that something which hasn't been proven does exist. No, really... the question is "do you believe that my dog is sat next to me?"  It doesn't matter which belief the question is about, if the question starts with "do you believe..." then the answer will be yes or no. This is because a belief is a conviction, something you've accepted to be true. If you haven't been convinced or accepted it, then you don't have that belief.  BUT... If the answer is no, all that means is that you haven't been convinced/accepted it. It doesn't mean that you have to believe the opposite (ie, that my dog is NOT sat next to me).  ---------- Post added 30-09-2015 at 09:23 ----------  Different questions about the same thing-  -1. Do you believe that my dog is sat next to me? The question is about a belief, this specific belief has a binary state. Either present or absent (the belief, not the dog).  -2. Do you believe that my dog is not sat next to me? The question is about a belief, this specific belief has a binary state. Either present or absent. This belief happens to be an opposing belief to the last one.  -3. Do you believe that my dog is sat next to me or do you believe that it is not sat next to me? The question is about two opposing beliefs and presents two options (false dichotomy) but can be answered in several ways.  -4. Where do you believe my dog is? The question is not about any specific belief and can be answered in many ways.   No.1 is asking if a specific belief is present. If the answer is 'no' then question No.2 can be asked. If question No.1 is answered 'no' it doesn't mean that the answer to question No.2 will automatically be 'yes'. Edited September 30, 2015 by RootsBooster Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...