Subject:
|
Re: WMD, again...
|
Newsgroups:
|
lugnet.off-topic.debate
|
Date:
|
Mon, 21 Apr 2003 21:39:31 GMT
|
Viewed:
|
343 times
|
| |
|
|
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, John Neal writes:
> > Hey, I've said all along that if God appeared to me and made a convincing
> > case, I'd believe that He exists.
>
> "convincing case" Do I detect a caveat?
Not an intentional one. I just meant that any powerful being, like Bill
Gates or Ashley Judd, could appear before me and make claims of divinity.
But I'd need to see/experience convincing evidence (even if it's accessible
only to me) before I could believe in the divinity of the petitioner.
> > [1] Especially if He wiped away my student loans with a wave of His divine Hand.
>
> lol An example of a "convincing case"? So what if after having read this, I,
> being a Christian man of substantial means (though sadly I am not; this is a
> hypothetical), sent you a check for an amount greater than your student loans
> because I believed God wanted it, would you then believe in the existence of
> God? (the presumption being, as I believe, that God acts through His followers).
In that case I'd probably be more kindly disposed to at least one
Christian (thereafter referred to as my benefactor)!
> Aside from that and since we are on the subject of God, I have a question for
> you if you care to answer-- What is the difference in reasoning between an
> Atheist and a Deist? I am not able to come up with anything.
I haven't done too much research on Deism, but my general sense is that
Deists acknowledge (or believe in) a Creator/deific entity who hasn't really
involved him/her/itself since the time of creation. Sort of like winding a
clock and letting it run. This is compatible with certain theories of
Intelligent Design, but not really with Christianity, for example.
Atheists, in contrast, generally don't worship or believe in any
god/creator/deity. There's a whole rainbow of different kinds of atheism
ranging from strict materialists to solipsists to postmodern "It's all a
matter of perspective"-types. The difference is that, for atheists, there's
no belief in or worship of the god figure, even if such a figure is accepted
to exist.
Deism is, in daily life, very similar to atheism and can actually be a
sort of bulwark for someone not comfortable with full-blown atheism (ie, "I
want to believe in *something*") Many of the founding fathers were Deists,
by the way.
Does that provide a suitable answer?
Dave!
|
|
Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: WMD, again...
|
| (...) A-ha! If *I* did send a windfall your way, no way would I take credit-- I'd sign the card "from God, to Dave!" :-) (...) Whoa, you lost me. Are you saying that it is possible for an Atheist to accept the existence of a God? (...) Thank you. I (...) (22 years ago, 21-Apr-03, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
|
Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: WMD, again...
|
| (...) <snipped stuff with which I am not necessarily in disagreement> (...) "convincing case" Do I detect a caveat? (...) lol An example of a "convincing case"? So what if after having read this, I, being a Christian man of substantial means (though (...) (22 years ago, 21-Apr-03, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
|
35 Messages in This Thread:
 
 
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
This Message and its Replies on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
