Christianity is false and immoral. (Hitchens)

[quote name='unluckynumber11']Yes someone who is atheist is one that believes there is no God or gods. but if there is no God or gods, then the universe has no purpose, there are no objective moral values, there is no real purpose for anyone, nothing matters. Why should it? The universe will implode on itself eventually, making everything done utterly pointless. There would be no difference in what happens today in light of tomorrow because in the end it'll end up the same. I'm not sure you understand the implications atheism holds.
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Christian morals are honestly set too low and steeped in the ideas of revenge. It is false to believe that morality was given to Christians by a creator, whoever she might be.

Why should the universe imploding and getting rid of itself take away my purpose in life? I really want to know. I mean your reducing your loved one to nothing by saying the only thing that gives you a purpose is God, which honestly is a scary thought.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']Unless you do not have the capacity to comprehend the logic of your creator.[/QUOTE]

Sounds a little like an agnostic, not a theist. Isn't this just saying I believe in a creator but I don't have the capacity to understand them?
 
It is scary, because it basically means that were we able to prove a god didn't exist, everyone who feels that way would suddenly lose purpose in their lives.

See, purpose is personal thing, nobody can tell anyone else what their purpose in life is, we all have to define that ourselves. That is unless you're a bible thumper and feel you know what everyone's purpose is.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Sounds a little like an agnostic, not a theist. Isn't this just saying I believe in a creator but I don't have the capacity to understand them?[/QUOTE]
And it doesn't matter because it's still illogical. Where is the logic in creating something not able to understand your logic? Why create humans and make them incapable of understanding your reasoning?
 
[quote name='cindersphere']I go to a chowder festival and this thread explodes.[/QUOTE]

Mmm. Chowder. But do you really need to have a festival? I mean, isn't it pretty much understood that the only chowder worth a damn, is clam chowder? I have faith in the imperfection of all other chowders, when compared to perfection that is clam chowder.

(My apologies for not capitalizing "Clam Chowder". It wasn't mean as a slight, or sign of disrespect)
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Sounds a little like an agnostic, not a theist. Isn't this just saying I believe in a creator but I don't have the capacity to understand them?[/QUOTE]

That is more deist, I always thought agnostics always believe questions like a creator can never be known at all, whether there is a god or isn't. He sounds like his point is coming from a compartmentalized form of deism. Although I can never know what he really believes.

[quote name='berzirk']Mmm. Chowder. But do you really need to have a festival? I mean, isn't it pretty much understood that the only chowder worth a damn, is clam chowder? I have faith in the imperfection of all other chowders, when compared to perfection that is clam chowder.

(My apologies for not capitalizing "Clam Chowder". It wasn't mean as a slight, or sign of disrespect)[/QUOTE]

This had me rolling in laughter. Hell yeah it was a clam chowda festival, tried like 15 different clam chowdas on Saturday. The best one though was made with like a pound of bacon and had a garlic taste to it.
 
[quote name='Clak']And it doesn't matter because it's still illogical. Where is the logic in creating something not able to understand your logic? Why create humans and make them incapable of understanding your reasoning?[/QUOTE]

Talk about egotistical. Why should a "creator" be bound by the way your mind works, and your thought process, and your so called "logic".
 
[quote name='Capitalizt']lucky, I don't have the time to respond to all of your stuff..but I will address one of your bad assumptions. Let me ask you something. Can you name any commodity on earth that becomes LESS valuable as it's rarity increases? We tend to see the opposite in all cases. The fact that human life is rare, finite, and fleeting is precisely what gives it value. It becomes MORE valuable to us precisely because it will not last forever. If this were just some type of "rehearsal" in preparation for the main event (infinity), our existence here becomes infinitely devalued. On the other hand if this really is the one shot we get, every day spent living becomes priceless. Every good action that benefits humanity becomes much more praiseworthy, and every wicked action becomes much more intolerable. In the long run, we all die..this is true. One of the virtues of atheism is that we prefer to live in truth and accept the implications of living in a natural universe..even when they aren't particularly welcome. In other words...We may not like the idea that we will cease to exist one day, but given the fact that all evidence gathered to date indicates a physical brain is necessary for consciousness, we are willing to accept that when the brain dies, our consciousness ceases to be. If any evidence of spirits or "souls" is made available, we will reexamine that conclusion. Until then, the persistent belief in such things becomes no more than wishful thinking.

On the issue of "purpose".. I've never really understood this slavish mentality from theists..the idea that without a divine big brother guiding your life and imposing a purpose on you from above, everything you experience becomes meaningless. This makes no sense. The fact that purpose is not imposed on us does not mean we can't create our own purpose here and now. If you discovered tomorrow morning that Jesus never existed, would you suddenly not care if your close friends and family members were murdered? Would you suddenly lose interest in learning new things and in the recreational activities you enjoy? Would your loved ones become less important to you if you discovered that you wouldn't be with them forever?? If you honestly think about this for a moment, I think you will come to the opposite conclusion. As I said earlier, the fact that life doesn't last forever is precisely why you should treasure it. The fact that you've only got one shot to live, learn, and love means you better make the most of it now. You don't need a cosmic daddy to impose meaning on you. Carl Sagan said if you want your life to have meaning "do something meaningful".

P.S. As to your other points, I will simply direct you to the sites below. Every argument for god/gods has been thoroughly refuted (including your attempt at WLC's Kalam argument)...and there are several good arguments against the existence of such beings. Here ya go:

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I thought you were done? Anyway...
So for you first part you are essentially saying that we give ourselves value? That would be a subjective thought, some people think that other people have no value at all. You can't say they're wrong because right and wrong become a subjective thing like anything else that could be considered "moral". It also leads to a thing called speciesism. Why think that we are more valuable then say a California condor since they are almost extinct, and therefore there are more of us then them? Wouldn't that make them more valuable the us?
Because of sentience? Sentience is just a tool for survival, no different then a fin on a fish.

We make our own purpose? That sounds like superficial illusory to me. Sure you can say "My purpose in life is to become a doctor" but as I have said, in the end that means nothing because there will be nothing, there's no real point in doing it. You could say it is to help people, but why should one help someone? What obligation do they have to do so? It is neither good nor bad because that would be subjective in thought.
I love my friends and family endlessly now, and will love them even more when I see them again. I save every precious moment I can with friends and family today, and when they are gone I will be very sad, but even then I can rejoice, for I will see them again. But if they were here just for their life and then I would never see them again, sure I would love them endlessly, but once they're gone that's it, no seeing them again, and so I would be equally sad as I was happy before. I don't have to be, because I know that I will see them again after they die, so I can be happy even after they are gone. God doesn't impose meaning on me, He gives meaning to me and everything done. I have seen things that go beyond the realm of chance as proof before my eyes that there is a God, such things that effect my life and will forever. To do something "meaningful" when in the end it won't matter as I have said is just an illusion.
I looked through those websites and found it not to be up to the hype. For one the Moral argument still stands, without God there would be no objective moral values. Also the historicity of Jesus is still in play as well.
 
[quote name='unluckynumber11']I thought you were done? Anyway...
So for you first part you are essentially saying that we give ourselves value? That would be a subjective thought, some people think that other people have no value at all. You can't say they're wrong because right and wrong become a subjective thing like anything else that could be considered "moral". It also leads to a thing called speciesism. Why think that we are more valuable then say a California condor since they are almost extinct, and therefore there are more of us then them? Wouldn't that make them more valuable the us?
Because of sentience? Sentience is just a tool for survival, no different then a fin on a fish.

We make our own purpose? That sounds like superficial illusory to me. Sure you can say "My purpose in life is to become a doctor" but as I have said, in the end that means nothing because there will be nothing, there's no real point in doing it. You could say it is to help people, but why should one help someone? What obligation do they have to do so? It is neither good nor bad because that would be subjective in thought.
I love my friends and family endlessly now, and will love them even more when I see them again. I save every precious moment I can with friends and family today, and when they are gone I will be very sad, but even then I can rejoice, for I will see them again. But if they were here just for their life and then I would never see them again, sure I would love them endlessly, but once they're gone that's it, no seeing them again, and so I would be equally sad as I was happy before. I don't have to be, because I know that I will see them again after they die, so I can be happy even after they are gone. God doesn't impose meaning on me, He gives meaning to me and everything done. I have seen things that go beyond the realm of chance as proof before my eyes that there is a God, such things that effect my life and will forever. To do something "meaningful" when in the end it won't matter as I have said is just an illusion.
I looked through those websites and found it not to be up to the hype. For one the Moral argument still stands, without God there would be no objective moral values. Also the historicity of Jesus is still in play as well.[/QUOTE]

Your reasoning on death makes no sense to me at all, and your understanding of atheism is limited to say the least.

This is the difference of why I could never be a theist, a fair number of you believe that purpose can only come from external forces. What you do with your life is a question of fulfilling that external force that pushes you along a certain path. I don't believe this reasoning and think that morals, valuations, and purposes are made solely by the individual. I can understand the need to believe a god is necessary, but I have always personally seen this as a way to will reality away. You are adopting a belief out of a fear of nihilism and painting atheism as a highway to that place, even though it is just not true. The removal of the exterior force does not take purpose or humanity with it, no matter how hard you believe that.

But in its essence, your point has little to do with the existence of god. Your feelings on the subject and disappearance of biblical dogma are pointless in the debate of gods existence. I can't say Al Pacino made a plan for me just because I like him as an actor and can't imagine Hollywood without his presence. This will be my last post unless you bring up anything new.

Praise be to Pacino.
 
[quote name='unluckynumber11']I thought you were done? Anyway...
So for you first part you are essentially saying that we give ourselves value? That would be a subjective thought, some people think that other people have no value at all. [/QUOTE]

Correct. All thoughts are subjective (including god's by the way). Scary huh? Thankfully most people tend to be kind towards others, and we as a society have decided to lock up the sociopaths and psychopaths who don't value human life.
We make our own purpose? That sounds like superficial illusory to me.
Sorry to hear that bro. And I'm sorry that you seem to have the mentality of a slave...thinking that you can only get real purpose from "the boss". That type of purpose does indeed seem superficial to me, and much less meaningful than a purpose you discover and/or create for yourself.

Sure you can say "My purpose in life is to become a doctor" but as I have said, in the end that means nothing because there will be nothing, there's no real point in doing it.
There is a point in doing it here and now. We are here now after all. Humans tend to find health and happiness enjoyable, and can assume others feel the same way. Therefore helping others achieve health and happiness can be a meaningful task for someone in medicine to dedicate their life to. This isn't rocket science buddy. You are trying to create a problem where none exists.

You could say it is to help people, but why should one help someone? What obligation do they have to do so?
There is no external obligation..This is true (booga booga booga!) Not having an obligation from "big brother" is what makes it all the more laudable when people choose to help others voluntarily, don't ya think? This is why people admire police, firefighters, and members of the military. They don't need to enter dangerous professions and risk their lives to defend strangers, but they do so out of a sense of conscience. This is exactly what makes their actions meaningful. If they did these because they were commanded to by someone who would punish them if they failed to obey, the virtue in the act disappears.
I don't have to be, because I know that I will see them again after they die, so I can be happy even after they are gone.
I don't think you "know" anything of the sort. You wish it to be true..and it is perfectly understandable...however wishing doesn't make it so. Embracing reality and accepting that we've only got one shot at life does not lead to nihilism. On the contrary, it is the strongest LIFE AFFIRMING stance possible.
I have seen things that go beyond the realm of chance as proof before my eyes that there is a God, such things that effect my life and will forever.
Orly? Every time someone has said this to me and we drill down into specifics, it usually ends up being something that is painfully mundane that can easily be explained without resorting to magic. I'd be interested to hear how god "proved" himself to you beyond the shadow of a doubt.
 
this guy is what I like to call an academic christian. He sounds intelligent, tries to use logic to prove the existence of god (as if you ever could), seems to have a good vocabulary, but at the core of his argument is still "it's god". You can try to put a intelligent facade on an argument, but eventually we're going to see it's just rotting and falling apart behind the facade.
 
[quote name='Clak']this guy is what I like to call an academic christian. He sounds intelligent, tries to use logic to prove the existence of god (as if you ever could), seems to have a good vocabulary, but at the core of his argument is still "it's god". You can try to put a intelligent facade on an argument, but eventually we're going to see it's just rotting and falling apart behind the facade.[/QUOTE]

You're giving him far too much credit. There's no evidence of *any* critical thinking or intelligence behind anything he's said thus far. Morality, values, and purpose don't exist without God? Give me a fucking break.
 
[quote name='Clak']this guy is what I like to call an academic christian. He sounds intelligent, tries to use logic to prove the existence of god (as if you ever could), seems to have a good vocabulary, but at the core of his argument is still "it's god". You can try to put a intelligent facade on an argument, but eventually we're going to see it's just rotting and falling apart behind the facade.[/QUOTE]

I think one can make a semantic case suggesting the possibility of an overall God, and it may change perceptions of reality, but it would be way different then the angry guy in the OT or chill dude in the NT.

Even using the internal logic of Christian mythology, I think the Christian bible describes a god, but not necessary the god.
 
So unlucky, it seems that you don't think God is omnipotent. Is he/she omnipotent in your view? (It is a yes or no question.)

Because if he is omnipotent, he could do ANYTHING he wanted. ANYTHING. Including creating a world without pain, suffering, rape, etc....

As to Xtianity spreading in poor countries, it's because missionaries go there and give them food and try to spread it like wildfire, not because they're just realizing that jesus is their savior. People don't come to that conclusion on their own, they're told it, either from their parents, missionaries, or you and your ilk.

If he isn't omnipotent in your view, then what a pussy.
 
Soo...why do those who doubt, or disbelieve in the existence of God need to argue with those who do, if neither party is negatively impacting the other? I mean, I get this is the CAG vs. forums, and through a couple of threads my beliefs are well known, but if you think it's illogical to believe in religion, and after making your case the religious guy still holds to his beliefs, to continue belaboring the point seems just as offensive as the in-your-face missionaries and door knockers that I think all of us dislike.

To call this "unlucky" fella names beause he strongly believes in something you strongly don't, doesn't seem that rad to me. What am I missing?
 
We treat him like anyone else, he came in the thread to argue, we didn't go out and seek him to come here. Why should he get a free pass if atheists don't?
 
[quote name='berzirk']To call this "unlucky" fella names beause he strongly believes in something you strongly don't, doesn't seem that rad to me. What am I missing?[/QUOTE]

Isn't that the entire vs. forum? I don't follow it that closely, but has anyone ever changed anyone else's mind here? It's just an internet dick measuring forum. It's just easier to measure in this thread.
 
[quote name='docvinh']We treat him like anyone else, he came in the thread to argue, we didn't go out and seek him to come here. Why should he get a free pass if atheists don't?[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Isn't that the entire vs. forum? I don't follow it that closely, but has anyone ever changed anyone else's mind here? It's just an internet dick measuring forum. It's just easier to measure in this thread.[/QUOTE]

Alright, fair enough. Although I'm not sure I've ever seen a thread on CAG that was titled something equally as provocative as this one, against atheists. It just seems like sharks smelled blood in the water with this guy. It's one thing to debate a couple people at once, but this guy has had to defend himself from about 15 different people. Just seemed kind of one-sided and unecessary to keep going at it at this point. As you were gentlemen! (withdrawing dick from above mentioned measuring contest)
 
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