Topic: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

[charlie]

> I believe that's actually what most atheists believe.

Why?

Because most atheists I've talked to or conversed with online have held that belief. You do, too, so why are you questioning it?

[charlie]

I think your definitions are wrong, RoD.

Atheist means that the person doesn't believe there is a higher power. That doesn't mean 100%, it just means that is what they believe. You're still a Christian if you're 99% sure that the Christian God exists, right?

No, your not. You either believe something or you dont. Your views allow someone to never have to choose, THAT is a cop out.

So somebody who is 99% sure in their belief in Christianity is not a Christian?

For anybody to be 100% of anything is, in my opinion, pretty stupid.

[Govtcheez]

my beliefs are an exclusive club and you can only be in my club if you believe what I say!

[charlie]

Atheist means that the person doesn't believe there is a higher power. That doesn't mean 100%, it just means that is what they believe. You're still a Christian if you're 99% sure that the Christian God exists, right?

I don't think that's all that accurate.  You have to be 100% certain that there is a God and that he had a son (who was fully God and fully human) and that this son was killed as a sacrifice for your sins and then rose from the dead soon after.  If you only believe that 99% then you are just someone who attends a Christian church but you are not a Christian.

I would think that if you deny there is a God but then sorta 1% think there might be, you're not a very good atheist.  You gotta stick with your convictions

See... people who are 100% sure that they are right are not very smart people. That's pretty arrogant to think that you are the only one that could possibly be right.

[Govtcheez]

> I believe that's actually what most atheists believe.

Why?

Because most atheists I've talked to or conversed with online have held that belief. You do, too, so why are you questioning it?

I misread what you said.  I thought you meant "holding out" as in they secretly want there to be a god or something.  I guess I fit that by your definition, but I'm not holding out for a god any more than I am holding out for anything else I don't believe in.  I guess if God came down and said "Hey Jeremy, I'm God, here's proof beyond any doubt" I'd have to accept it, but it's such an infinitely small chance that I don't know why it's worth discussing.

[charlie]

> I believe that's actually what most atheists believe.

Why?

Because most atheists I've talked to or conversed with online have held that belief. You do, too, so why are you questioning it?

I misread what you said.  I thought you meant "holding out" as in they secretly want there to be a god or something.  I guess I fit that by your definition, but I'm not holding out for a god any more than I am holding out for anything else I don't believe in.  I guess if God came down and said "Hey Jeremy, I'm God, here's proof beyond any doubt" I'd have to accept it, but it's such an infinitely small chance that I don't know why it's worth discussing.

I would have put 99.9999% but I didn't want to come off as arrogant and implying that atheists were more sure of themselves than others. But it seems that you do get my point now. By 99% I just mean that the person believes that there is always a chance that they are wrong even if they think that chance is extremely tiny. Otherwise, they are pretty darn convinced in their beliefs.

[Govtcheez]

I'm pretty convinced and I can't think of anything that God would have to do to make it apparent to me that he was actually god and not that I was losing my mind, but yeah I guess I'm not that convinced.

I don't really get how that's useful in a discussion as anything more than a thought experiment, though.

[Steve]

Christians are almost always the ones to force their beliefs on others, so if they cant be 100% they should stfu.

[Mike]

Atheist means that the person doesn't believe there is a higher power. That doesn't mean 100%, it just means that is what they believe. You're still a Christian if you're 99% sure that the Christian God exists, right?

I don't think that's all that accurate.  You have to be 100% certain that there is a God and that he had a son (who was fully God and fully human) and that this son was killed as a sacrifice for your sins and then rose from the dead soon after.  If you only believe that 99% then you are just someone who attends a Christian church but you are not a Christian.

I would think that if you deny there is a God but then sorta 1% think there might be, you're not a very good atheist.  You gotta stick with your convictions

People who don't leave room for doubt and don't question their own beliefs are blind morons.

Beliefs in things that are that big and complicated are far too specific and individual to put everything into neat little containers.

Quoted for truth.

I'm pretty convinced and I can't think of anything that God would have to do to make it apparent to me that he was actually god and not that I was losing my mind, but yeah I guess I'm not that convinced.

I don't really get how that's useful in a discussion as anything more than a thought experiment, though.

Well Einstein came up with lots of cool ideas from nothing more then thought experiments.  Of course I doubt if any of us are at his level of insanity.

[Govtcheez]

I'm pretty convinced and I can't think of anything that God would have to do to make it apparent to me that he was actually god and not that I was losing my mind, but yeah I guess I'm not that convinced.

I don't really get how that's useful in a discussion as anything more than a thought experiment, though.

Well Einstein came up with lots of cool ideas from nothing more then thought experiments.  Of course I doubt if any of us are at his level of insanity.

....

[Mike]

Christians are almost always the ones to force their beliefs on others, so if they cant be 100% they should stfu.

Um every organized religion has their share of "may beliefs are right" nut jobs.  We just happen to live in a country when Christians have the biggest cut.  So statistically we have more religious jack asses aligning with Christianity.

[Govtcheez]

Christians are almost always the ones to force their beliefs on others, so if they cant be 100% they should stfu.

Um every organized religion has their share of "may beliefs are right" nut jobs.  We just happen to live in a country when Christians have the biggest cut.  So statistically we have more religious jack asses aligning with Christianity.

p. much

[Mike]

I have a belief that all mathematicians are insane.  If I ever get off my ass I might try to do research on it and make it into a theory

[Govtcheez]

I didn't mean that, he pretty obviously wasn't "normal" (oh look it's the ethic symbol) but holy crap that's outside of the scope of the discussion

[Mike]

True, but since when have we ever colored inside the lines?