Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Kosh · 02-24-2002, 04:41 PM

So I was driving down the road today, and the
preacher man came on the radio....

Yeah, I know, sounds like that Rolling Stones
song, "Faraway Eyes", hence the title of the
thread.

Anyway, couldn't get any other stations between
cities, so I let it ride....

The preacher started out with the usual overkill
of analogies about how God is omniscient,
omnipotent, etc. YOu know, the ones that go on so
long after he's made his point, that you have to
wonder if he's just not trying to fill up the hour.

After that, he pointed out that God is a hard
concept to swallow (kudos to him for that!). He
admitted that they were fantastic claims. That we
couldn't understand God.

But then....

He started in on the simplicity of human cell
diagrams just a hundred years ago. And how through
time, we've gained better understandings of it
and how much more complex it is. That we still
don't understand it completely. But.... that
doesn't keep us from believing in it.

And then this "The difference between atheists
and believers is that atheists stop short of
believing in something they can't comprehend, while believers move beyond believing to faith".

I was laughing pretty hard. Of course it's a bunk
analogy. In the cell (or anything thing you care
to put in there regarding scientific research),
we have PHYSICAL PROOF of it, and belief in it
based not complete understanding, but in PROOF
of it's existence.

And I could see in my mind the congregation sitting there lapping it all up

"Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord!"

Captain Pedantic · 02-25-2002, 08:44 AM

As far as I can tell, that's a very short step away from "atheists are mad at God". Isn't he saying a bit that atheists are too stupid to understand God? It sure sounded like that thought was at the back of his pious mind.

Undercurrent · 02-25-2002, 10:20 AM

...and if you don't understand Enron's business model, it's not because it doesn't make sense, you're just too stupid to "get" it. Eventually you'll understand, if you just have faith.

[Wall St. Investors] Well, I don't want to look stupid, here's several million dollars.

If only religions had the same market forces enforcing accountability as corporations do.

m.

02-24-2002, 04:41 PM	#1
Kosh Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Orions Belt Posts: 3,911	Thank you Jesus, Thank you lord! So I was driving down the road today, and the preacher man came on the radio.... Yeah, I know, sounds like that Rolling Stones song, "Faraway Eyes", hence the title of the thread. Anyway, couldn't get any other stations between cities, so I let it ride.... The preacher started out with the usual overkill of analogies about how God is omniscient, omnipotent, etc. YOu know, the ones that go on so long after he's made his point, that you have to wonder if he's just not trying to fill up the hour. After that, he pointed out that God is a hard concept to swallow (kudos to him for that!). He admitted that they were fantastic claims. That we couldn't understand God. But then.... He started in on the simplicity of human cell diagrams just a hundred years ago. And how through time, we've gained better understandings of it and how much more complex it is. That we still don't understand it completely. But.... that doesn't keep us from believing in it. And then this "The difference between atheists and believers is that atheists stop short of believing in something they can't comprehend, while believers move beyond believing to faith". I was laughing pretty hard. Of course it's a bunk analogy. In the cell (or anything thing you care to put in there regarding scientific research), we have PHYSICAL PROOF of it, and belief in it based not complete understanding, but in PROOF of it's existence. And I could see in my mind the congregation sitting there lapping it all up "Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord!"

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02-25-2002, 08:44 AM	#2
Captain Pedantic Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: UK. Posts: 588	As far as I can tell, that's a very short step away from "atheists are mad at God". Isn't he saying a bit that atheists are too stupid to understand God? It sure sounded like that thought was at the back of his pious mind.

02-25-2002, 10:20 AM	#3
Undercurrent Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 2,362	...and if you don't understand Enron's business model, it's not because it doesn't make sense, you're just too stupid to "get" it. Eventually you'll understand, if you just have faith. [Wall St. Investors] Well, I don't want to look stupid, here's several million dollars. If only religions had the same market forces enforcing accountability as corporations do. m.

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