The great thing about this debate is that we will all find out the truth one day, it will be too late for some. So I wish both sides good luck!:thumb: One more thing, Red's post was confusing! I thought he was for big government and socialization of America?
I am a Christian, but I can understand how someone can be an athiest. I can see how someone might have trouble accepting the idea of some spiritual supreme being when there is not a shread of any real proof to support such a thesis. Faith is antithetical to proof, and for that reason there will always be some element of doubt attached to it. This is why in the very act of believing we will always have one foot resting on solid ground, and one foot stretched out into darkness. But it is the willingness to take that step into darkness that, I believe, gives faith its salvific power.
Some religions may have a strong element of ignorance, but most are pretty intelligent in their articulation of what they believe.
Atheism is the defintion of a delusional egomaniac. How could anyone think with absolute certainty that they know the origins and the workings of the universe with absolute certainty. Socrates admitted that he knew nothing. A supreme being (God) has been mentioned since the beginning of man. The flying spagetti monster only recently. In fact, spagetti is a relatively new creation by man. Submitting a theory that the universe was just as likely to have been created by a spagetti monster as being created by a noble supreme being is absurd. "Man is a heroic being," Ayn Rand. I'll finish it, "created by a divine, noble supreme being."
Let me play the role of devil's advocate here (no pun intended). Simply because someone is an athiest does not mean he is delusional, since by definition a delusion is seeing something that is not there. Actually, an athiest can easily claim believers are delusional. Nor does being an athiest mean he is an egomaniac. He is simply someone who puts too much emphasis on only those things that are apparent to the five senses. It is impossible to say when mankind first conceived of a supreme being since there is no record of that event. But like all things, it probably evolved from a general mysticism. However, the belief in some sort of supreme being is probably pre-historic. But that is not an argument for God's existence since belief in magic is also pre-historic, and in fact almost certainly pre-dates religion. In fact, it is entirely possible that religion has its roots in man's belief in magic. My point here is that no one can "prove" God exists (with all due respects to St. Thomas Aquinas) any more than any one can "prove" He does not exist. It all rests on faith or lack thereof.
You are not alone, Sourdough. There are two kinds of poster on this thread--those that get it and those that don't. :wink: Sarchasm -- the gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
I think you got your "isms" crossed here. Atheists don't pretend to know the origins and workings of the universe with absolute certainty. Where did you come up with that idea? Atheists trust in science for explanations, rather than superstition. The only people I know that believe with absolute certainty how the universe was created are Christians.
Mine too. Our older dog had puppy's and the plan was give them away. To keep us from getting too attached, we weren't allowed to name. We ended up getting rid of one really quick but we had another that we just called puppy for the time being. Well after a month or so went by and we couldn't find a home we ended up keeping her but by then the name had stuck.
Thinking Christians also trust in science. They accept evolution and the creation of the universe, as well as its inner workings, as it is explained by science. They differ from athiests only in that they see an intelligence behind it all.
