tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post1650352051198119195..comments2023-11-02T06:08:18.683-07:00Comments on Atheist's Wager: Two Young Atheists Test Their FaithEvanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03596383179921442046noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-55034020745903574512007-05-11T09:50:00.000-07:002007-05-11T09:50:00.000-07:00@klejI think your making a fair point. I would sa...@klej<BR/>I think your making a fair point. I would say that everything is random and insignficant in the cosmic sense. I battled off my death bed to make academic honors and what does that mean cosmically? Nothing. God didn't help me do it. There was no lesson, no plan - it just was.Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03596383179921442046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-80034899213005008492007-05-10T20:24:00.000-07:002007-05-10T20:24:00.000-07:00But what I'm saying is that this particular event ...But what I'm saying is that this particular event is so insignificant to the workings of everything that God, if he exists, would not even dwell in the matter.<BR/><BR/>So I guess what I'm trying to say is that because this example has nothing to do with destiny, or the cosmos, or whatever else that it doesn't really make an example out of anything, right?<BR/><BR/>It just seems that this same argument would make a much bigger splash in the theist pond if it was, say, a life and death matter or at least something with seemingly a large amount of importance!<BR/><BR/>I'm not saying that this particular example has no justification just not much!Klej Societyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09230965411060574637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-42684605040825778272007-05-09T20:55:00.000-07:002007-05-09T20:55:00.000-07:00@ klegYou would have to be very confident in yours...@ kleg<BR/><BR/>You would have to be very confident in yourself in order to make a 15-foot jump on a skateboard. I mean, I could see some Christian skater doing that and then saying that he could only do it because God helped him. The point is that Atheistwager was able to do it simply by believing in himself instead of relying on "help" from a deity.anonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16128135340525035011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-88621729565708339092007-05-09T17:04:00.000-07:002007-05-09T17:04:00.000-07:00@klegWe can agree that clearing hell ollie had not...@kleg<BR/>We can agree that clearing hell ollie had nothing to do with God. That's the friggin' point! Azmodeus's failure and my success had nothing to do with destiny. It wasn't a cosmic lesson. He lost his mojo and I found mine. It came down to believing yourself - that's it.Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03596383179921442046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-60644858771788260802007-05-09T16:29:00.000-07:002007-05-09T16:29:00.000-07:00"Go find something else to do. "Uh, sure. I'm not ..."Go find something else to do. "<BR/><BR/>Uh, sure. I'm not quite sure where that came from, but yeah. l8sPaul Reubenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11823853557649784776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-25600416564870928812007-05-09T16:14:00.000-07:002007-05-09T16:14:00.000-07:00Did you ever think that clearing the Hell Ollie ha...Did you ever think that clearing the Hell Ollie has nothing to do with God, because I'm sure that it's so important to the cosmos weather or not one of you cleared a 15 foot gap!<BR/><BR/>Sorry didn't meant that to sound the way it reads,<BR/><BR/>But my point is that sometimes our faith has nothing to do with what we accomplish, sometimes we don't deserve the things we are reaching for and maybe that's why we don't achieve them. <BR/><BR/>Maybe that day at that gap it was destined for you to be better, because it shows people that no matter what anything can happen, and those types of events are the ones that force us to push ourselves beyond our barriers, beyond our comfort zones, they push us to make ourselves better. <BR/><BR/>And they have significance!Klej Societyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09230965411060574637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-75027006057980349202007-05-09T16:03:00.000-07:002007-05-09T16:03:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Klej Societyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09230965411060574637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-18647057629803691352007-05-09T15:03:00.000-07:002007-05-09T15:03:00.000-07:00@WagerYour response had my BF and I in stitches. E...@Wager<BR/><BR/>Your response had my BF and I in stitches. Excellent point.Mollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14840408448581286291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-3711000608788195392007-05-09T11:16:00.000-07:002007-05-09T11:16:00.000-07:00@PaulIf you don't find a point that's not my probl...@Paul<BR/>If you don't find a point that's not my problem. I don't write this blog for you are you that narcisistic? Go find something else to do.Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03596383179921442046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-3884229921030425912007-05-09T08:31:00.000-07:002007-05-09T08:31:00.000-07:00So things are not fine then.I certainly do not deb...So things are not fine then.<BR/><BR/>I certainly do not debate the merits of believing in oneself. I would debate the merits of individuality in the Western sense, but I'm sure you'll tackle that in another post.<BR/><BR/>I've been noodling over this post and wondering what the point is. Honestly, not to be dull-witted, but I still kinda must be missing the main point, as I do not find the stop and think about it moment here.<BR/><BR/>What I have come up with, though, is a thought about a friend of mine from college, who I no longer keep in touch with. We called him "Sh#t House Rat" because we determined that he was crazier than one. He embraced this name. He was born again and incredibly intelligent. (Not necessary mutually exclusive, you know. Einstein's downfall was his faith, too, arguably one of the brightest minds to ver exist). He went to naturopathic medical school in Arizona (I can't remember the name - Southwest, I think). After two years in the program, hye dropped out, went back home to become a preacher in Pittsburgh (or somewhere thereabouts). <BR/><BR/>When we were undergrads in San Diego, we'd often debate the merits of the New Testament adn whether things were real or mythical in the Bible. Often times, I would make him physically ill. How, you ask? Because I would confront his faith head on with things he could not deny, yet clashed with his beliefs. <BR/><BR/>My point here is that obviously, our debates had no impact other than to perhaps strengthen his resolve. The willingly deluded are not easily swayed by the truth (have you been around since 2000? Have you been paying attention?). In fact, when confronted with the truth, they retreat further into their fantasy or lash out (witness abortion clinic bombings, Pat Robertston's rantings). <BR/><BR/>I posit that scoffing only helps you feel superior, which is really contrary to the point of trying to build community. <BR/><BR/>Let's tackle ritual some other time. I would liek to show you that ritual is very important and without it you become less human and more robotic, which if that is your goal, fine, but I'd like to think that you are after a more sentient reality than that.<BR/><BR/>I won't argue for dogma, because the unexamined life is not worth living. And I think superstition is fun. Right Ganesh?Paul Reubenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11823853557649784776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-54323701439668837192007-05-09T01:21:00.000-07:002007-05-09T01:21:00.000-07:00[sarcasm]But you’ll get your payback for scoffing ...[sarcasm]<BR/><BR/>But you’ll get your payback for scoffing at god in the afterlife. Prepare for fire and brimstone, infidel.<BR/><BR/>[/sarcasm]Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00916512943058406592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-3535216653742442772007-05-08T18:07:00.000-07:002007-05-08T18:07:00.000-07:00I scoff at God because plenty of people go around ...I scoff at God because plenty of people go around with their religious bumper sticker philosophy like "No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace." They will claim that without God or salvation everything will be ruined even in this life. I am willing to expose part of my life to those who are on the fence and want to see what life would be like without dogma, superstition, ritual, and irrational thought. Once your mind is freed and you learn to think for and trust in yourself it will amaze you what you can accomplish.Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03596383179921442046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627394959317905553.post-15759785906695482812007-05-08T17:03:00.000-07:002007-05-08T17:03:00.000-07:00"After twenty years of scoffing at God and trustin..."After twenty years of scoffing at God and trusting myself, my life is going just fine."<BR/><BR/>So then why scoff? Especially if he doesn't exist?<BR/><BR/>Would there be a topic to explore if things were just fine?<BR/><BR/>Too many questions?Paul Reubenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11823853557649784776noreply@blogger.com