I don't mind the point for point thing at all =)
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Actually, I did note that you mentioned the delivery. However, that doesn't mean you should take it as being a more unassailable position.
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Who said it was unassailable? I said I found it, overall, profound. There is also the attendant implication that I never have heard anything more profound about religion. Might be one of the reasons I don't believe.
[quote]As for the fuzzy thing, well if you choose to give someone an out in a conversation by saying "hey, it's fuzzy, so what", that's your thing. However, if someone is talking to me about why I should believe something I don't they better have a damn sight better argument than that. [/qoute]
Again, reread the post. We'd come to an impass. He admitted that he'd never sway me. He made the final comment as a closing remark. Trust me, when I said that I was an atheist prick, I meant it. I gave no quarter on fuzzy thought. His closing statement was an emotional answer, not a logic based answer. This obviates the fuzzy thought comment and took my thoughts on relgion in another direction. I realized that perhaps I was simply incapable of being religious because I had no such feelings, and that looking at the subject in such a coldly logical fashion was rather innaccurate.
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Yeah, I think that's what I said.
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not really, but we agree, so I don't think we need to pick nits.
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Actually, you'll note that nowhere did I imply that you believed one thing or another. I was just interested in you being so affected by such a minor argument. And please don't get pedantic about what I did or did not comprehend. It's an argument ad hominem and rather insulting.
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Actually, your "waiting to be swayed" comment did imply some form of swaying, and thus belief, on my part. Perhaps it was an unintended take on those words. As to the ad hominem, I would say that it is a tad snide, but not insulting. If it makes you feel better, I found your tone eminently insulting, just didn't fell the need to cry ad hominem, and let slips the dogs of whinge.
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Well, okay. First of all, I have never crusaded for anything in my life. I've argued for and against things. I've tried to effect changes in my city, my state, and my country. I've drunkenly screamed about how much I like certain bands or movies. But crusaded? I think you're mistaking me for somebody else.
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Perhaps. I did so somewhat purposefully, as I wanted to see how the shoe fit on the other foot. It seems the province of atheists to tar all believers with the same brush, so I figured some tit for tat is good for atheists as well. It was fairly low of me, but I do dislike hypocrisy, and you were admittedly nothing more than a convenient target.
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Whether you're an atheist or not makes not one iota of difference to me. It's your life. However, I do rather take issue with you calling atheism a 'bellief system' since there's no church of atheism, central tenets of atheism or heretic atheists.
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Take issue all you want. It is a belief system. Heck, the dictionary of philosophy that I have describes it as "atheism: Belief that god does not exist". The very definition is one of belief. After all, a negative belief is still a belief, and you can no prove the non-existence of God than a religious person can his existence.
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I've never wasted any time being "negative." Your assumption that I don't like people who believe differently than I do is kind of amazing. I think you're projecting other people you know onto me. Many, many of my friends have different beliefs than me. I strongly support their right to do so. I love them in spite of, and sometimes because of, our disagreements.
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Good on ya. As I said earlier, you were a convenient target for some quid pro quo.
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People who believe in god do not "offend" me. As for what business it is of mine, none really. But if you'll note the begining of this thread, this question was adressed to atheists.
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Glad to hear that my generalization was incorrect. Something tells me other generalizations and assumption were similar.
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So, if you get an atheist, in this case me, responding to something you posted, don't assume I'm hunting down people who believe differently than me to single out for ridicule. I'm just arguing ideas in the open marketplace. Don't take it so personally.
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Well, actually, I did not take it so personally, nor should you. I ended my post with a generalization about atheists, then asked what principle guided you. I'm not sure where you got this "ridicule" idea from as I neither said nor implied it. I said atheists spend time and energy being negative towards folks that are religious. Let's examine this statement.
Atheism, by tenet, believes that no God exists. This is inherently a negative point. Atheists frequently make comments such as (to quote another poster) "Religious nuts" which are a bit off from positive. The "fuzzy thinking" comment is not complimentary, is it? These are all examples of being negative towards someone that does not believe as you do. As such, my statement that atheists tend to spend time and energy being negative towards those who believe is fairly accurate.
Now, before this goes any further, I hold no rancor towards you, or any other atheist. I just dislike hypocrisy and double standards. Not necessarily accusing you of such, but more of accusing the general rank and file of those who rail against religion as if it were a personal crusade.