Is it hypocritical to not believe in God...

So, how is not believing in a fictional character like Santa Claus different from not believing in a fictional character like god?

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
So, all you can do is insult me. You are not even able to consider my point.

As to the Santa question, i guess it depends on how seriously you take your beliefs.

Originally posted by riv6672
Wow, for someone who routinely posts as much inflammatory (though mostly entertaining) crap as you do, you should have a thicker skin. I was j/k.

As to the Santa question, i guess it depends on how seriously you take your beliefs.

Far enough. I don't usually insult people, just their ideas.

I assume you are an atheist, is that correct? How seriously do you take other people's belief in gods?

I'd submit insulting a person's ideas is just a school yard "i'm not touching you" version of insulting that person.

And no, not an atheist. Asatru actually.
As to other people's beliefs, i believe all gods are real, i believe in souls, ghosts, angels demons, aliens, basically i dont disbelieve anything, in that i dont KNOW everything. Seems presumptuous of me to dismiss things just because i feel i'm too smart to take it as real.

^Wait, what?

Your position is that all claims are true and valid until proven false?

Originally posted by riv6672
I'd submit insulting a person's ideas is just a school yard "i'm not touching you" version of insulting that person.

No. It's the rules of the forum. No personal attacks.

Originally posted by riv6672
And no, not an atheist. Asatru actually.

Really? I knew someone who would invoke Thor from time to time, but I don't think he was serious.

Originally posted by riv6672
As to other people's beliefs, i believe all gods are real, i believe in souls, ghosts, angels demons, aliens, basically i dont disbelieve anything, in that i dont KNOW everything. Seems presumptuous of me to dismiss things just because i feel i'm too smart to take it as real.

Then "In God we trust" should be no problem for you.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
No. It's the rules of the forum. No personal attacks.
like i said, "i'm not touching you" 😛

Then "In God we trust" should be no problem for you.
see, you ARENT reading my posts/this thread very thoroughly. I never said it was.

Originally posted by MF DELPH
^Wait, what?

Your position is that all claims are true and valid until proven false?

riv6672, I read a lot, but I don't know if I read it all. Also, I don't always know who you are. I do get people confused from time to time. I'm usually doing five things at the same time.

No need to explain.

Originally posted by riv6672
No need to explain.

So, to get back on topic: Why did you make this thread? What was the point?

Could have SWORN i explained that a couple pages ago...😉

j/k

To start a conversation or two.

Originally posted by riv6672
More like, they arent false because we say they cant be proven.

Hmm...

So, for example, your position on, say, a claim that human's have the ability of teleportation by mental control in our current world, is akin to "I've never seen it, but it likely is true despite no evidence to support it" versus "I've never seen it, but it likely isn't true due to no evidence to support it"?

You'd accept an affirmative claim of the existence of contemporary Jumpers (a la the Hayden Christensen film) at face value?

Originally posted by riv6672
More like, they arent false because we say they cant be proven.

Then unicorns only dance in the spring time. Can't disprove it.

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to be insulting or facetious, just trying to clarify your position Riv.

Originally posted by MF DELPH
Just to be clear, I'm not trying to be insulting or facetious, just trying to clarify your position Riv.

😬

How different would your post look if you were?

Reading through these threads, I've begun wondering what kind of conversation we'd be having if the populace of these forums reflected more of mainstream society.

On the other hand, bias might simply be slanted in the other direction in that case.

Which would not necessarily be a good thing ...

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Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists

A new study finds that atheists are among society's most distrusted group, comparable even to rapists in certain circumstances.
Sponsored Links

Psychologists at the University of British Columbia and the University of Oregon say that their study demonstrates that anti-atheist prejudice stems from moral distrust, not dislike, of nonbelievers.

"It's pretty remarkable," said Azim Shariff, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon and a co-author of the study, which appears in the current issue of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

The study, conducted among 350 Americans adults and 420 Canadian college students, asked participants to decide if a fictional driver damaged a parked car and left the scene, then found a wallet and took the money, was the driver more likely to be a teacher, an atheist teacher, or a rapist teacher?

The participants, who were from religious and nonreligious backgrounds, most often chose the atheist teacher.

The study is part of an attempt to understand what needs religion fulfills in people. Among the conclusions is a sense of trust in others.

"People find atheists very suspect," Shariff said. "They don't fear God so we should distrust them; they do not have the same moral obligations of others. This is a common refrain against atheists. People fear them as a group."

Shariff, who studies atheism and religion, said the findings provide a clue to combating anti-atheism prejudice.

"If you manage to offer credible counteroffers of these stereotypes, this can do a lot to undermine people's existing prejudice," he said. "If you realize there are all these atheists you've been interacting with all your life and they haven't raped your children that is going to do a lot do dispel these stereotypes."
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http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-12-10/religion-atheism/51777612/1

Originally posted by MF DELPH
Just to be clear, I'm not trying to be insulting or facetious, just trying to clarify your position Riv.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Then unicorns only dance in the spring time. Can't disprove it.

Lord knows there's enough proof of that from thread to thread. 😆

LOL@ "people fear atheists". True believers of the almighty God fear no one besides God Himself. He is the only one who has the power to destroy not only your body but your soul as well. Also, of course atheists don't fear God because the poor lost souls don't even believe in Him but that's not going to save them from being judged by Him.

Originally posted by bluewaterrider

Reading through these threads, I've begun wondering what kind of conversation we'd be having if the populace of these forums reflected more of mainstream society.

Originally posted by bluewaterrider
😬

How different would your post look if you were?

Connotation can't be conveyed over the internet so I wanted him to be sure that the hypothetical scenario I presented regarding human teleportation wasn't said in a manner where I was trying to insult him or insinuate anything.

How is clarifying your position to ensure that the person you are speaking to knows your intentions are genuine inquiry a negative thing?