Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

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Avoice
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Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

Post #1

Post by Avoice »

We KNOW their is no tooth fairy.

Would any one waste their time talking with people who did believe it?
No. For what reason? But atheists do this. Why? They are convinced their is no God. So they say. However if that was true then what are they doing here?

There is no such thing as a person who truly, without a doubt believes there is no God. There is always some doubt. And to find out you have to die.

There are really only one reason for the faithless or Godless to be here.

To accuse people of being wrong knowing they can't prove God exists. And I think atheists iare mad at God for not being able to prove he doesn't exist. I think they refuse to believe in God because they are afraid they would have to prove it and they wouldn't be able to. And the thought of losing an argument or not being able to defend it is too much for them. So they just deny God rather than look foolish. They have big egos. They have to be right. Probably have control issues in relationships

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Re: Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

Post #111

Post by For_The_Kingdom »

Danmark wrote:

That one is SO easy to refute.
A. nuclear bombs themselves are not evil.
B. There are much better examples of evil in the world which Christians claim their god created:

The flood
cancer
rattlesnakes
poison
opium (actually a good thing, but if you wanna call it evil, god did it..
muscular dystrophy
birth defects
the list goes on and on and includes man's nature which is just like god's and includes destroying things he doesn't like.

Your god is an evil god and a liar because 'he' claims to be good.

The only thing that makes sense is, "There is no god."
'He' is an anthropomorphic invention, an actual and logical impossibility.
On naturalism, evil is entirely subjective...and not really worthy of discussion.

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Danmark
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Post #112

Post by Danmark »

Why do people who were once Christians participate in religious discussions?
One reason is because we see the utter foolishness, the lies, the hurt that these false beliefs cause others and we want to save people from those false religious beliefs.

I'm watching "Boy Erased" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7008872/ based on a true story about one of these cruel, misinformed conversion 'pray away the gay' crackpot programs. I see the cruelty that false beliefs can put people through. I'd like to spare others that kind of nonsense. Recently we've had a Muslim on this forum go on and on about why science is 'foolish' when it contradicts 'scripture.' This is sad. The mind gets actually warped by a denial of truth, of reality. One is truly lost when one has been taught to accept a lie.

One might just as easily ask, why do Christians participate in discussions about atheism or anti religious discussion groups? Perhaps they secretly want to be rescued from their false beliefs and embrace reality.

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Re: Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

Post #113

Post by Bust Nak »

For_The_Kingdom wrote: So, when you say something that I shake my head about or laugh out loud about, what should I do?
I have a few suggestions, 1) present a counter-argument, 2) concede or 3) keep your commentraies to yourself.

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Re: Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

Post #114

Post by For_The_Kingdom »

Bust Nak wrote:
For_The_Kingdom wrote: So, when you say something that I shake my head about or laugh out loud about, what should I do?
I have a few suggestions, 1) present a counter-argument, 2) concede or 3) keep your commentraies to yourself.
You of all people should know that #1 is always delivered; service with a smile.

# 2, as needed.

#3...well.

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Re: Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

Post #115

Post by Bust Nak »

For_The_Kingdom wrote: You of all people should know that #1 is always delivered; service with a smile.
I have no idea where you get the nerve from for such claims. Smiles sure, counter-arguments, not so much. While we are here, how about starting that problem of evil thread that I asked for?

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Re: Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

Post #116

Post by For_The_Kingdom »

Bust Nak wrote: I have no idea where you get the nerve from for such claims.

Smiles sure, counter-arguments not so much.
A lion doesn't concern itself with the opinion of sheep.
While we are here, how about starting that problem of evil thread that I asked for?
You kick it off, since you are arguing the affirmative.

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Re: Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

Post #117

Post by Tcg »

For_The_Kingdom wrote:
A lion doesn't concern itself with the opinion of sheep.
A flim fam man doesn't concern itself with the rubes it is cheating.


Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

- American Atheists


Not believing isn't the same as believing not.

- wiploc


I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

- Irvin D. Yalom

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Re: Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

Post #118

Post by Bust Nak »

For_The_Kingdom wrote: A lion doesn't concern itself with the opinion of sheep.
Which is why facts are so important.
You kick it off, since you are arguing the affirmative.
Pretty sure it was you who issued the challenge.

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Re: Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

Post #119

Post by Diagoras »

Bust Nak wrote:
You kick it off, since you are arguing the affirmative.
Pretty sure it was you who issued the challenge.
Yes it was. Post 98 on page 10, in fact. But declined in post 99. Maybe a differently worded question for debate would help?

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Re: Why do atheists participate in religious discussions?

Post #120

Post by bluegreenearth »

For_The_Kingdom wrote:
On naturalism, evil is entirely subjective...and not really worthy of discussion.
On theism, evil is entirely subjective... and not really worthy of discussion:

Evil is entirely subjective even in a theistic model of morality because the distinction between right and wrong behaviors would be "subject" to a god's interpretation. Therefore, moral actions are either subjective to humanity's arbitrary interpretations or subjective to a god's arbitrary declarations.

I can already hear William Lane Craig retorting, "God doesn't arbitrarily decide what behaviors are moral because morality is part of God's nature!" Well, if that's the case, morality would be objective but beyond God's power to control. Otherwise, morality would be subjective if God had the power to control the morality inherent to his nature in such a way that he could arbitrarily define its properties. So, if you are convinced that morality is objective and grounded in God's nature, then you believe in a God with limited power. Unfortunately, though, this depiction of God contradicts your theology.

In any case, what function would objective morality serve in the nature of a monotheistic creator god? Prior to creating humanity (and angels if you believe such things exist), God had only himself to interact with. What objectively immoral action could an indestructible and omnipotent God have done to himself when he was all by his lonesome that was prevented by the objective morality inherent to his nature? Did his objective moral nature discourage God from masturbating or participating in anal sex with himself? Obviously, the concept of a monotheistic creator god with an objectively moral nature is logically incoherent.

It seems the only way an objective morality could exist would be for it to function like a law of physics. For example, the "Law of Gravity" functions the same way on all objects in the universe independent of whether humans exist or not. If humanity were to suddenly disappear from the universe, gravity would still exist because the Law of Gravity is objective. Meanwhile, since morality is inextricably linked to human behavior, it cannot exist without humans. If morality objectively exists in the universe in the same way as gravity, how does it function on non-human objects? Is there a yet to be discovered moral quantum particle that objectively exists, interacts with every object in the universe, but manifests in humanity as an emergent property called human morality? If so, human morality would still be subject to the existence of humans even if it were an emergent property of moral quantum particles that objectively exist.

Good and evil are things we must work together to define for ourselves as a species. God (if he exists) is welcome to offer his recommendations, but only we can decide how we prefer to be treated. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Better yet, do unto others in accordance with how they prefer you do unto them. Not everyone wants to be treated the same way as you would have them treat you. Can I get an Amen!

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