hinduwoman

Magus, just because lots of people believe in God does not make God true. All it proves is that human beings generally think alike.

Magus55

I didn't say it did, only that billions of people conclude there is evidence to God's existence. Others just choose to ignore it or claim that it isn't evidence. Guess the question is, what makes those who don't find the evidence towards God valid, more accurate than those who do find the evidence valid?

Jeremy Pallant

That's not actually correct. Most people are brought up in a tradition of god-belief of some sort, and never think to challenge that tradition.

However you're still basically saying "4 billion people cannot be wrong". I could in like manner say, "eat sheep dung. 10 billion Australian flies cannot be wrong."

the_cave

Well, you could just as well argue that even those have a cost...in wasting network hours, at least--why don't you think Crossing Over believers suffer from "lost potential"?

(and if "lost potential" resulted in the religious music of Tallis, Bach, and Handel, the architectural acheivements of the Gothic, or the poetry of Dante and Milton, bring on the lost potential!)

Vorkosigan

Don't silly, cave. Do you think Handel or Bach had musical talent because he believed in gods? One may as well argue that war is good because it inspires so much great art and poetry. War and religion are both bad (no doubt why they so often travel hand in hand), regardless of what kind of inspiration they both provide to their fervent detractors and admirers.

Vorkosigan

HRG

However, the various kinds of gods are mutually contradictory. Every believer in god X believes at the same time that gods Y, Z etc. do not exist - and vice versa.

Thus adding them together is a rather cheap propaganda trick. I wonder why it is used so often.

Regards,
HRG.

Theli

Lacking evidence. Although religion has made truth into a choice, meaning that every person choose what is true and not true, and all claims are equal. Is this what you believe? That every person may choose what is truth?

diana

Welcome to II, aach.

I need some clarification.

Huh? As this is the premise upon which your argument rests, please expound upon it and support it. It's a bald assertion at this point.

Why?

How do you figure?

In England, people seem to generally be either atheists, agnostics or apatheists, so I suppose your comment is true, as far as you're concerned. However, in America, our theists can be rabid. They can be relatively harmless, but too many of them are trying to interfere with our freedoms based upon their personal beliefs. I do not consider this "harmless."

d

doodad

The fact that several billion people believe it makes it seem pretty reliable to me. You, like other atheists, keep missing the point.
It's the belief that God exists that influences people, so his actual existence is beside the point.
God's existence (in conceptual form) is manifested by the billions of believers who think he does exist. That's good enough for them.

doodad

Tell me more about this lost potential that believers experience.