Ain't reciprocity grand? Were you confused by what I meant? I agree that we're probably not an experiment in a petri dish, although it's tantalising to imagine some group of aliens monitoring us and sometimes perhaps kidnapping us, all as a part of some elaborate study. Of course, to believe in it and insist that it's true without sufficient evidence would make a person a laughing stock. It is no more reasonable to assert that the god of the bible exists and that the bible's described miraculous events are real, of course, but people are raised to believe in them anyway, even to respect such unfounded beliefs. Religion creates a woeful double standard when it comes to reason and scepticism, don't you agree?
No I don't agree. I think that The Creator is the only reasonable explanation to explain my existence as well as the existence of the physical universe. I also think it unreasonable to assume a massive conspiracy that would be necessary for the Gospels to be fictional, or the long list of Saints that have been canonized.
What massive conspiracy do you think would be needed? It's not a conspiracy if people back in the day were honestly mistaken, same as modern clergy and followers seem to be. It comes down to the religious texts and those who wrote them, then, doesn't it? Was it a conspiracy on their part to write a fictitious account? Well, if they were out to tell people something they knew wasn't true, then yes, I suppose it would have been. However, I'm not sure it happened quite that way. As far as I know, the people who started the cult around John Frum in the South Pacific during WWII were also sincere in their beliefs. http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/cargocult.htm Of course, we do also have religions that are created by charismatic charlatans, as has been the case with Islam, Mormonism and Scientology, and undoubtedly many others through the ages. In each case, it was a rather small conspiracy that rapidly grew into something large. Apparently all it takes is one good charlatan and a lot of gullible and/or power-hungry people, and we all know those are never in short supply.
Didn't you mention false dichotomies earlier? Are you saying that there are two options? First - there is a god, and second - you're in a petri dish? You're making less and less sense. Could you explain why you are certain that atheists hate god?
Incorrect. We whine about people who believe in god and then do ridiculous, stupid things that potentially affect millions of people. If you kept your weird fetish to yourselves you wouldn't hear a peep from us.
Teaching creationism in schools. Teaching that condoms spread aids. Doesn't matter - you will never get it. I'm out of here. Too many crazies. Bye everyone.
