Comments on debate.: Why Religion?

Mr. Smalley said, "Anyone who lives without t...

2011-04-30T23:06:43.437-05:00

Mr. Smalley said, "Anyone who lives without the assumption that a god exists, is atheistic. It just makes some people feel better by saying they are 'agnostic' in this strongly-slanted Christian society. I suppose they feel like 'undecided' is better than 'no god exists,' but in reality, it's all the same." But then you said "No" to the questions of

You're right, I do not believe in leprechauns ...

2011-04-30T17:06:52.924-05:00

You're right, I do not believe in leprechauns due to the fact that there is no good reason to do so, the same reason, I assume, you don't believe in god. But comparing belief to god with leprechauns is like comparing apples to oranges.

No, an atheist says "I don't believe a go...

2011-04-25T20:40:14.719-05:00

No, an atheist says "I don't believe a god exists." It's not a knowledge claim. it's a statement of a worldview.

Do you believe in leprechauns? Probably not. But you're not saying "I have all knowledge of the universe" simply by denying your belief in something. You're not claiming to know all, you're proclaiming that you don't hold a

So the atheist does say "no god exists?"...

2011-04-25T18:17:58.196-05:00

So the atheist does say "no god exists?" Atheism IS a knowledge claim?

Twelve, That's an excellent question. In my b...

2011-04-24T19:15:12.597-05:00

Twelve,

That's an excellent question. In my book, "Baptized Atheist," I address that very same point.

When early followers of Jesus first approached the Ancient Greeks who believed in multiple gods, they of course rejected those gods, and claimed that Jesus was the one true 'God.' The Greeks were astonished by this, and since their Greek word '

I have a question. If Atheism "isn't so m...

2011-04-17T21:46:17.218-05:00

I have a question. If Atheism "isn't so much saying 'I know there is no god,' as it is asserting 'no proof of any god has been validated.'" What is an agnostic?

I think that people change what they believe becau...

2011-04-02T14:42:39.052-05:00

I think that people change what they believe because they realize that whatever they had before be it a religion or lack of one isn't sufficient for them. I have had several arguments with people and it is just where your faith lies. Also the reason for that faith. I had little faith in god as a kid but it only got weaker as I got older. For me I realized that what I believed in was not

Shannon, I'm not sure I agree with the way yo...

2011-03-25T15:24:07.382-05:00

Shannon,

I'm not sure I agree with the way you chose to phrase your summary of atheism. It sounds as if you're asserting that we've had some sort of "divine revelation", rather than simply looking at the facts and arriving at a conclusion.

Atheists are not people who "believe there are no gods." Atheists are people who lack a belief in any

So to you theists and atheists difference in belie...

2011-02-28T21:48:35.862-06:00

So to you theists and atheists difference in belief is placed on their differing values. Theists values come from their 'indoctrination' and the group-psychology that they were raised in or converted to. Atheists however, have had a "realisation" that without proof they cannot assert the certainty of a God.

All that I agree with, however I wonder at your standpoint

However, if we, atheists, take a step back and loo...

2011-02-24T01:22:14.549-06:00

However, if we, atheists, take a step back and look at the grand view of things, to christians, atheism is a belief that there are no gods. Their belief is fact (to them.) Contradicting myself, it's the opposite of a belief, as atheism is to theism. Atheism is based on fact.

Shannon, Atheism may be called a viewpoint, a per...

2011-02-21T11:41:14.830-06:00

Shannon,

Atheism may be called a viewpoint, a perspective, or a worldview, but not a belief.

The position can become a confusing one, in stating that "there is no more proof of 'no god' than there is for one existing." But I disagree.

That is akin to me saying "you have no more proof that I don't have an invisible pocket monkey,

Shannon's First Response: Mr Smalley I was v...

2011-02-21T11:35:19.813-06:00

Shannon's First Response:

Mr Smalley

I was very excited to receive your response, sorry for the delay replying, truth be told I was not really expecting a response. I have no problem with having this discussion on your website, my main purpose in my major work is to encourage people to think about their beliefs and putting this on the public stage would actually get that

Shannon, Thank you for contacting me. I would be ...

2011-02-21T11:34:08.952-06:00

Shannon,

Thank you for contacting me. I would be happy to open a dialogue with you on religion. I could talk about it for hours.

Forgive my candor, but I'd like to start by urging you not to refer to atheism as a 'belief.' When we do this, it relegates atheism to a religion, and then we appear as faithful and presumptuous as believers. Atheists do not '