Theists don't ask questions

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Blastcat
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Theists don't ask questions

Post #1

Post by Blastcat »

Hi

I ask a lot of questions.. and SOMETIMES ( but not always ) get answers.

One of the reasons that I do ask a lot of questions, is that I don't actually learn anything new by proselytizing atheism. I do that a bit, of course, I think it's important that people get to know an atheist and what he thinks about the "big questions" and so on, but I am ALSO here to learn what OTHER people think.

So, the questions.

It just occurred to me that I RARELY get any questions from the theists.
Isn't that odd?

____________

Question for debate:


  • Why is it that theists don't seem very curious as to what outsiders to their beliefs think?

____________


:)

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Post #2

Post by Willum »

Yes, I've noticed this as well, sometimes I simply get curious about the implications of scripture in the light of post Biblical events:

For example - in the Doctrine section I asked the question: Assuming Joan of Arc were a real saint, what implications does this have about God and Christianity.

All I got was a boatload of "she wasn't real."

Apparently if God performs a miracle after Jesus, it disproves his existence, so Joan wasn't real, or something.

In any case the assumption was if she was, what could we learn from it?
Apparently nothing.

But this is just one example where there is information that may or may not be applied to the "God problem," and the answer seems to be; ignore it.

Like the death of God. It is proved conclusively by non-interaction and non-return. The big "G" took on sin and death, and underestimated his opponents.
I will never understand how someone who claims to know the ultimate truth, of God, believes they deserve respect, when they cannot distinguish it from a fairy-tale.

You know, science and logic are hard: Religion and fairy tales might be more your speed.

To continue to argue for the Hebrew invention of God is actually an insult to the very concept of a God. - Divine Insight

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Re: Theists don't ask questions

Post #3

Post by Hector Barbosa »

[Replying to post 1 by Blastcat]

True there tend to be less questions and more answers with theism, and more questions and less answers with atheism.

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Re: Theists don't ask questions

Post #4

Post by Zzyzx »

.
Blastcat wrote: Why is it that theists don't seem very curious as to what outsiders to their beliefs think?
FEAR: When one is heavily emotionally invested in a theology, meaningful discourse with those of opposition views is dangerous because it may cause doubt of the fundamental beliefs upon which their life is conducted.

INSECURITY: Investigating the reasoning behind opposition viewpoints may expose flaws in one's own thinking and one's own position. Notice that when Theists' stories and claims are challenged they typically attempt a defense BUT when that fails they disappear from threads or from the Forum.

SMUGNESS: Religions purport to HAVE all the answers to 'important' questions. Therefore, there is no incentive to learn about alternative ideas (or even competing religions). Many or most Theists display remarkable ignorance of other religions as well as of Non-Theistic (or <shudder> Atheist) positions.

TRAINING / INDOCTRINATION: Many (most?) religions instill distrust, hostility, hatred of competing theistic positions and people. Many teach adherents to NOT associate with Infidels, Heathens, Atheists, Apostates, and anyone who worships competing 'gods'.

PREACHERS: Those whose income and influence is based on having faithful customers dislike having competition. (My minister friends shudder when I refer to their 'flock' as customers, insisting that they are 'parishioners' -- until I ask who pays the bills)


Note: These are my personal observations / opinions / views based on nearly eighty years observing the world, residence in the infamous Bible Belt with a lot of Christian and minister friends, and ten years experience debating these topics.
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ANY of the thousands of "gods" proposed, imagined, worshiped, loved, feared, and/or fought over by humans MAY exist -- awaiting verifiable evidence

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Re: Theists don't ask questions

Post #5

Post by Blastcat »

[Replying to post 3 by Hector Barbosa]
Hector Barbosa wrote:
True there tend to be less questions and more answers with theism, and more questions and less answers with atheism.
Yeah, I agree.

How do you account for that?


:)

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Re: Theists don't ask questions

Post #6

Post by Hector Barbosa »

[Replying to post 5 by Blastcat]

Well it makes total sense both from the theistic and atheistic point of view.

For if a theists truly KNOW something the atheist don't. There is no point in asking questions about something you are sure about.

I mean you would not keep asking is Ketchup, Ketchup you know it is Ketchup so there is no point making that question. And if you argue it should be made to explain it to someone who don't know what Ketchup is...or explain God to an atheist, you can simply be satisfied with that everyone consist of the same, and so has the same opportunity to KNOW there is a God, and so the reason a Atheist do NOT know there is a God is because they don't really WANT to. And you can not argue with a lack of want, and so it can be justified not asking as many questions, since the answers is supposedly known.

For the Atheists, they know the answer is NOT known and so they need the questions to find the answer they are looking for. Therefore Atheists will have less answers than Theists, but would need far more questions.

It makes logical sense from both perspectives, and I think both atheist, theist and agnostic can agree on that.

The only question which really remains in this is....do theists really know something atheists don't? If so then the theist argument wins. If not then the atheist argument wins.

It all really comes down to the existence of the spiritual or not.

If the spiritual exist, then the theistic argument is stronger since there is evidence of life beyond the material and physical, and potential answers to truth found there too, as the Holy Spirit should be a teacher of truths which is beyond the logical.

If the spiritual exist, then the theists DO know something the atheists do not because they do not have the same spiritual sensitivity.

If the spiritual do not exist, then its obvious that the theists do NOT know more, in fact they may know less.

It should also be noted though, that many theists may claim to believe in a spiritual without really having enough belief to convince them self of it, just like many atheists may believe there is no purpose, but constantly act as if there is.

From my perspective as someone who is not convinced by either argument, both arguments seems dishonest to me.

I think there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the spiritual DO in fact exist, so to dismiss that I think is foolish. At the same time for any one to claim any truth, intellectual or moral superiority without a current spiritual contact is arrogant and dishonest. It's pretty tough to feel wet if you are not wet, or to defend knowledge of something you have not actually experienced.

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Post #7

Post by theophile »

Well this board is labelled "Christianity and Apologetics."

So the board itself is about Christianity and its defense...

It is not a forum to launch offense on atheism. So either the name of the board should change, or a whole new board is required: "Atheism and Apologetics" perhaps?

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Post #8

Post by Willum »

[Replying to theophile]

And that's the kind of answer we can usually get...
I will never understand how someone who claims to know the ultimate truth, of God, believes they deserve respect, when they cannot distinguish it from a fairy-tale.

You know, science and logic are hard: Religion and fairy tales might be more your speed.

To continue to argue for the Hebrew invention of God is actually an insult to the very concept of a God. - Divine Insight

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Re: Theists don't ask questions

Post #9

Post by Youkilledkenny »

[Replying to post 1 by Blastcat]

I don't think it abnormal. Believers tend to rely on their feelings more than their thoughts, from my experience (though every rule has an exception or two). Belief itself requires only two things: the thing to believe IN and a person to believe IN said thing. Once those two things are acquired, no logic or common sense or thinking is necessary.
Believers also rely on faith - many times to the detriment of common sense, logic or even themselves.

So they don't tend to FEEL the need to ask questions. And sometimes, when a question does present itself, it's ignored or answered with a religious or belief based bent.

You have all that, there's no need to ask legitimate questions.

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Re: Theists don't ask questions

Post #10

Post by Blastcat »

[Replying to post 6 by Hector Barbosa]


[center]
Please try again.
[/center]
Hector Barbosa wrote:
Well it makes total sense both from the theistic and atheistic point of view.

For if a theists truly KNOW something the atheist don't. There is no point in asking questions about something you are sure about.
Yeah, that's a pretty darn big IF.
It's the whole question, isn't it?

Are religious propositions true or not?

If theists think they are sure the propositions are true, they don't ask if the propositions are true.

Got it.

Hector Barbosa wrote:
I mean you would not keep asking is Ketchup, Ketchup you know it is Ketchup so there is no point making that question.
Right. Once we are convinced, we don't feel the need to ask any longer.
Close the door, and it's shut.
Hector Barbosa wrote:
And if you argue it should be made to explain it to someone who don't know what Ketchup is...or explain God to an atheist, you can simply be satisfied with that everyone consist of the same, and so has the same opportunity to KNOW there is a God, and so the reason a Atheist do NOT know there is a God is because they don't really WANT to.
That's a very complicated sentence.
I'm sorry but I don't understand it.

Hector Barbosa wrote:
And you can not argue with a lack of want, and so it can be justified not asking as many questions, since the answers is supposedly known.
Again, sorry, it's my failing but I don't understand what that means.

Hector Barbosa wrote:
For the Atheists, they know the answer is NOT known and so they need the questions to find the answer they are looking for. Therefore Atheists will have less answers than Theists, but would need far more questions.
I know what I know... Again, I'm a bit lost as to your point.

I need the questions to find the answer?
I'm afraid that I will have to stop suddenly.

Perhaps you will be able to express yourself better. I can't even ask you probing questions. I just can't fathom what you mean.


L(

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