Quote:
Originally posted by Turbo_pro
You call my belief ridiculous when in fact you have no idea what my beliefs are, now that's ridiculous......
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OK, Turbo. That’s quite a tirade. I do owe you two apologies. I used the concepts of belief and religion interchangeably, and that was poor- semantics are important in this discussion. Second, to the extent that I have misrepresented your beliefs, if indeed i have. So-
“Next you lie to make a point. Isn't that the sign of a truly desperate combatant? You don't believe in fairies and you claim you do to make a point.”
Lie Turbo? A bit harsh, perhaps? My belief in fairies is for sake of the discussion- sorry you were mislead by that. Beleiving fairies would be as silly as beleiving in an Invisible Friend in the Sky or unicorns. I accept I cannot disprove god exists. But you cannot disprove fairies exist. There is equal evidence for both. That is, exactly none.
“To remove God from the public realm is an attack on the very fabric of our culture.”
Perhaps. But I would argue that The God Delusion is a greater danger to your freedoms. I don’t know the history of your constitution (although I admire it very much) so I don’t know how the reference to a “Creator” got there. I would suspect it was simply the mores of the day. That’s a problem the citizens of the USA need to grapple with.
Now, I should have said “Believers” (rather than “you” ) will never be disappointed about not getting eternal life in heaven.” But, given you question my integrity, perhaps you will clarify- do you belief in an afterlife, Turbo, that you will go to Heaven? Given what you said about my integrity, I think it only fair that you answer that question.
I’m not sure what point you make in your last para. That lots of people believe in god? Yep.all sorts of gods. Lots don’t, too. And at least a couple of civilised societies in recent times (Ireland, Bosnia) have endured bloody civil wars in the name of their gods and their beliefs. And another is happening right now in Iraq. Thats before we start on history. I'm of the view that moderate "belief" allows extremist "belief" to flourish. Ive just come back form Thailand. Even the peaceful Bhuddists are at it in the south of Thailand, slaughtering Moslems. About 2000 so far, in the ethnically Islamic southern provinces. In the name of their god.
“One last question. If you eliminate religion, what do you propose to replace it with?”
Humanism, Turbo. The good bits in the bible are pretty universal. God bothers have no monopoly on morality, they just thnk they do. In fact, it may be the opposite. The “morals” practiced in gods word are simply appalling, and I would wager that most people who hold up, say, the Bible as our moral guide have never actually read it in all its blood thirsty, cruel, racist, homophobic, mysoginist, contradictory, nonsensical spleadour.