tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post4530026222588815427..comments2023-10-20T02:08:39.524-07:00Comments on Atheism: Proving The Negative: Garbage In, Garbage OutMatt McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17071078570021986664noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-85762699013789678672007-09-12T22:14:00.000-07:002007-09-12T22:14:00.000-07:00I always thought the leaders in our society had a ...I always thought the leaders in our society had a policy of dumbing down the masses. It really isn't feasible that we could have a society of philosophers. I don't think much would get done. It is in the interest of the movers and shakers to keep the masses ignorant for the sake of stability. No reasonable person could ever accept that the bible is a legitimate source for knowledge. And I really don't think our leaders actually subscribe to such - many of whom have an education level that surpasses most of us. Public policy ought to measure up to our ideals of truth and integrity. Our leaders have failed us by pandering to religion for political gain. I have reservations however about what a society would be like if it were ninety-five percent atheist. What would people do with all the free time? Where would their minds wonder?<BR/><BR/>Here's a must have link for any skeptical reader of the bible.<BR/>http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/Carlohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06426874320519382086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-7336515438066294942007-09-12T12:36:00.000-07:002007-09-12T12:36:00.000-07:00Dean WritesHow can anyone have faith in words tha...Dean Writes<BR/><BR/>How can anyone have faith in words that they think a God provided for humankind? Words are just words without opistemic backing--in the form of truth value--to make the teachings a functioning resourse, or even a position of belief. when man tries to establish what a god is saying, human error will pervail (based on what their motivation is for the purposes they desire).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-60503964086495489212007-09-11T23:36:00.000-07:002007-09-11T23:36:00.000-07:00I am troubled by the mere thought that any reasona...I am troubled by the mere thought that any reasonable person would view indoctrination as an appropriate means of furthering religious belief, or any agenda. But, this is what takes place every day. It seems that there are two conclusions one can draw from this: that these people have no shame when it comes to doing what they believe, or have been taught to believe, is right; or that these people are simply unreasonable. I would like to believe, if only for the sake of being a respectful as possible, that the former is the case. That being said, it seems that people often feel the need to bolster or reaffirm their own faith in the absence of a suitable potential convert. This is where the "Left Behind" books, and others, come into play. It seems to me that instead of entertaining wild fantasies about the brutal yet sinfully satisfying demise of the "heathens," one's search for enlightenment or strengthening of faith would be better served by turning inward and searching for truth. I have always felt that, regardless of what faith you subscribe to, that faith is for you alone. 'To each his own,' I say. Of course, that motto has recently led to my being labeled a "Liberal Hippy." By whom, you ask? My pastor.<BR/><BR/> --Michael EveyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-2379463724644596062007-09-11T12:20:00.000-07:002007-09-11T12:20:00.000-07:00Just as I do not want Bible thumpers to be preachi...Just as I do not want Bible thumpers to be preaching to me, I do not think that I should be preaching to them to give up their beliefs. I do believe that religious beliefs are harmful and dangerous, but I do not believe that people should be forced to accept any idea -- no matter how good or true.<BR/><BR/>F. Fletcher<BR/>Anyhow, I wonder if religion itself does more to make more people atheists than any arguments atheists might make.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-34301040623169836092007-08-25T01:00:00.000-07:002007-08-25T01:00:00.000-07:00Off topic - subject has implications for philosoph...Off topic - subject has implications for philosophy of mind - <BR/><BR/>Sciencedaily.com is such an excellent site - <BR/><BR/>Source: University College London <BR/>Date: August 24, 2007 <BR/><BR/> First Out-of-body Experience Induced In Laboratory Setting.<BR/>Science Daily — <BR/><BR/> A neuroscientist working at UCL (University College London) has devised the first experimental method to induce an out-of-body experience in healthy participants. In a paper published in Science, Dr Henrik Ehrsson, UCL Institute of Neurology, outlines the unique method by which the illusion is created and the implications of its discovery.<BR/><BR/>The study participant sits in a chair wearing a pair of head-mounted video displays. These have two small screens over each eye, which show a live film recorded by two video cameras placed beside each other two metres behind the participant's head. The image from the left video camera is presented on the left-eye display and the image from the right camera on the right-eye display. The participant sees these as one 'stereoscopic' (3D) image, so they see their own back displayed from the perspective of someone sitting behind them. (Credit: Image courtesy of University College LondonJonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02877962468047811190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-31598373573482771532007-08-23T01:23:00.000-07:002007-08-23T01:23:00.000-07:00The interesting and sad thing to me is that the bi...The interesting and sad thing to me is that the bible is one of the easiest books to discredit that's ever been written.<BR/><BR/>God and his followers commit every kind of horrendous act possible.<BR/><BR/>Of course, when any of this stuff is talked about rationally, the immorality and evil of the bible stands out easily.<BR/><BR/>So Matt, as you've stated before, the atheist's job is to make more people awake of this stuff much more actively.<BR/><BR/>For anyone who doesn't know who evil the bible is, heres a site that does a good job of showing it, not that's very hard:<BR/><BR/>http://www.evilbible.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-39324017306874394332007-08-22T19:24:00.000-07:002007-08-22T19:24:00.000-07:00Amen to that.I think a well-known quote of Plato's...Amen to that.<BR/><BR/>I think a well-known quote of Plato's is particularly relevant here:<BR/><BR/>"My good friend, you are a citizen of Athens, a city which is very great and very famous for its wisdom and power -- are you not ashamed of caring so much for the making of money and for fame and prestige, when you neither think nor care about wisdom and truth and the improvement of your soul?" <BR/>- Plato, <I>Apology</I> (F.J. Church translation)<BR/><BR/>But, this quote highlights the failure on the individual's part to educate herself. And, as I think this post rightly points out, there is also a society-wide concern here. And, as such, it should be considered as a large social issue that could benefit from society-wide efforts.<BR/><BR/>(FYI: I think there's supposed to be link in the post to the full story about the reading survey. But it's not there.)Josh Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13511130370992616940noreply@blogger.com