MsChutzpah

Why do the die-hard theists always ass-ume that the atheist is on some kind of "high horse" or is implying that the atheist is claiming that they know it all and have all the answers........when we simply are explaining that we have discovered a great deal MORE information and truths than we were ever exposed to before?




You obviously do not know what the scientific method is.

Yes, I DO have more and more questions, as I go through life; and the more I seek the truths and what the facts/evidence IS , (as opposed to wishful thinking or slapping a 'goddidit' label on it), the more I learn, the stronger I get and the more my atheism is confirmed. And, thus it will always be. I realize that I've only really begun. Life and our world, our planet earth is fascinating and very complex with tons and tons of things to see, explore, question, and learn about.
Yep, only begun. So, this "further and deeper" you speak about......I already know, and I agree. The thing is: I see it as you assuming that I'm on a high horse and know-it-all......correct me if I misunderstood you, please.

Amos

Whatever exists in the universe must exist in our mind or we could have no knowledge thereoff and once we have the full understanding of our own mind we are the centre of the universe!

In other words, the question that leads to further inquiry already has its answer in our mind or the question could not be conceived to exist.

Amos

Please don't blame the ignorance of your prior religion on me because in our religion the mind of God is our aim and is thereby the end of religion.
Of course I do. It is the activity wherein we uncover and expose the value of omniscience one little light at the time and that is what makes it exhillerating and beautiful.No sorry, your "high horse" is not that you know it all. Sorry and I would only say something like that to a self proclaimed Christian who will die for his faith and here I will even agree that he will die 'nonetheless.'

It means that you are determined to succeed on your own and are willing to go the "ends of the earth" to discover all that can be known. Remember that Paul did and Jonah did as both were "running away from religion" and were determined to find the truth . . . until Paul got knocked down from his high ideal (horse) and Jonah got swallowed from his high ideal while asleep in the bottom of ship.

So I was not being critical at all, but was just commenting on your determintation and that it reminded me of Pauls determination to succeed on his own.

Rational BAC

Interesting that this thread is about BAC's (at least somewhat) And that is part of my moniker.

A BAC does not have to be a fundamentalist literalist Christian you know. Certainly not true for me. And not really true for anyone.

All a BAC means is that you have accepted Jesus into your heart and He is your saviour.

I am still and all probably the most liberal and tolerant Christian you ever saw, however---in spite of or more probably because of my being "born again".

I believe the Bible is errant. There is some truth in there, especially in the NT, but you have to look for it.

Kosh

Earlier this year I worked with a guy who claimed to have become an atheist (cost him his marriage) and then realized it was "just silly" and went back to BAC.

However, upon closer inspection during some in depth conversations, it became obvious that he not done a shred of research into the Biblical Criticism, etc, and had fallen prey to simple apologetic strawman arguments from the likes of McDowell and Lee Strobel.

Ie, he was never really a "true atheist".

Rational BAC

I was never a "true" atheist. But I was an agnostic (or, if you will, a weak atheist) for 10 years.

I just did not know and really did not care all that much.

Now I don't want anyone telling me I was never a "true" agnostic. I really was.

Kosh

Everyone knows agnostics can never be sure of anything!

Jeremy_the _Atheist

Amos,

This post clears up a lot. I have never been a catholic, and didn't know enough about Catholic theology.

Also, you said

It sounds like you are an existentialist as well. In light of that, your posts make A LOT more sense to me now.

Amos

That's good Jeremy and I glad to make some sense to you.

Some Catholic churches have a "charismatic" group and these groups will promote the born-again message but they are always (?) on their own, so to speak. Oh yes, the church is very familiar with it, and can't really denounce it but they sure will not promote it because it contradicts their "through Mary to Jesus" method wherein Mary plays the role as evangelist, so to speak. More so even if salvation must come "as a thief in the night" (of which the Christ-mass is a metaphor) it sure can't happen during a rowdy "altar call."

I have an interesting story on this. We once were at a charismatic convention and during the altar call one of my friends went "foreward" for a blessing (much like you see on TV where he touches you and "you go down"). When the priest laid his hand upon her (it was a "she"), it was not her but the priest that went down! (slain in the spirit they call it). He got up later, looked around as if to say: what the heck was that? It was sure funny.