How Much of a Theist or Atheist are You?

[Mac1958]

One may say that 'God' made the Universe, but the idea that 'God' is an old male human with magical powers is no more than a fairytale.

Yeah, I have a pretty hard time buying into the notion that He is/would be as advertised, but I do hold out the possibility that some creator may exist.
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[yiostheoy]

I don't understand how a person can claim to "know", one way or the other.

Well if an angel or a God appeared to you then you would know.

That way is guaranteed.

That's sort of what Moses and Akmed claimed. Then their followers did a huge amount of conquest in their wake.

Same with Peter, James, John, Paul and Constantine.

 

[Weatherman2020]

An agnostic is someone to lazy to make up their mind in the most important issue in their lives.

Or someone who realises, unlike certain engineers, that absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.

Whatever. Being happy to sit on the fence in the most important issue of their live is lazy, foolish, and plain stupid. I know, I was there. Then it dawned on me this was the most important issue and I better start doing my homework to get an answer.

 

[yiostheoy]

Neither theist nor atheist, since neither theory is provable.

This is a bit like asking "how much of a Democrat or Republican are you" as if two binary choices covered everything. It doesn't.

I'm nonpartisan/unaffiliated.

 

[yiostheoy]

One may say that 'God' made the Universe, but the idea that 'God' is an old male human with magical powers is no more than a fairytale.

Yeah, I have a pretty hard time buying into the notion that He is/would be as advertised, but I do hold out the possibility that some creator may exist.
.

This is Deist not Theist, Atheist, nor Agnostic.

 

[Mac1958]

One may say that 'God' made the Universe, but the idea that 'God' is an old male human with magical powers is no more than a fairytale.

Yeah, I have a pretty hard time buying into the notion that He is/would be as advertised, but I do hold out the possibility that some creator may exist.
.

This is Deist not Theist, Atheist, nor Agnostic.

Yes, but I only hold out the possibility.

I'm not sure of THAT, either.


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[yiostheoy]

One may say that 'God' made the Universe, but the idea that 'God' is an old male human with magical powers is no more than a fairytale.

Yeah, I have a pretty hard time buying into the notion that He is/would be as advertised, but I do hold out the possibility that some creator may exist.
.

This is Deist not Theist, Atheist, nor Agnostic.

Yes, but I only hold out the possibility.

I'm not sure of THAT, either.


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You should check out Aquinas' 5 proofs of God -- it will help from a Philosophy perspective:

Five Ways (Aquinas) - Wikipedia

 

[RodISHI]

I meant claiming to know for sure, one way or the other. Religiosity or atheism.
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I have been a believer since my early childhood. Its not a religion it is a faith. Over time it is the spirit that builds on that faith. For some of us we have seen that spirit in action, some have actually seen God's angels and others have seen miracles or experienced them. As a child I lay my self down in a river in the middle of the night hoping to float away. I did not recount that experience or inspect it through until I was adult and my own children were adults as it held to many painful aspects in it.

It is up to each to seek the truth of it all and that happens in time.

 

[Mac1958]

I meant claiming to know for sure, one way or the other. Religiosity or atheism..

I have been a believer since my early childhood. Its not a religion it is a faith. Over time it is the spirit that builds on that faith. For some of us we have seen that spirit in action, some have actually seen God's angels and others have seen miracles or experienced them. As a child I lay my self down in a river in the middle of the night hoping to float away. I did not recount that experience or inspect it through until I was adult and my own children were adults as it held to many painful aspects in it. It is up to each to seek the truth of it all and that happens in time.

My guess is that it is easier to initially develop and maintain that faith when you're young than when you're older. Would that be a fair theory?
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[yiostheoy]

Atheists normally (1) are born with a silver spoon in their mouths and never received any instruction in religion or (2) are embittered by some tragedy and blame God for it.

 

[yiostheoy]

Theists have normally been brainwashed from their early childhood.

 

[yiostheoy]

Agnostics have normally fallen in love with rationality and science without learning the limits of rationality and science and have therefore made Science their Religion.

 

[mamooth]

Or someone who realises, unlike certain engineers, that absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.

That's incorrect. Absence of evidence _is_ evidence of absence, provided you have enough incidents of absence of evidence.

That's mathematically provable, in a "as N -> infinity, P -> 1" kind of way.

 

[yiostheoy]

Most true philosophers are Deists because it is very hard to deny the rationality of Aquinas.

Five Ways (Aquinas) - Wikipedia

 

[yiostheoy]

Or someone who realises, unlike certain engineers, that absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.

That's incorrect. Absence of evidence _is_ evidence of absence, provided you have enough incidents of absence of evidence.

That's mathematically provable, in a "as N -> infinity, P -> 1" kind of way.

Funny.

Arguing from ignorance either way is a fallacy.

And anything otherwise is sophistry.

List of fallacies - Wikipedia

 

[aris2chat]

skeptical deists, don't really care either way

 

[yiostheoy]

If you are arguing against the fallacies and trying to make them logical then you are a sophist using sophistry.

The modern simply word for that is liar.

List of fallacies - Wikipedia

 

[yiostheoy]

skeptical deists, don't really care either way

Skepticism is an entire separate class of Philosophies.

 

[mamooth]

Arguing from ignorance either way is a fallacy.

Strawman fallacy on your part.

And anything otherwise is sophistry.

Are you agnostic concerning Santa Claus?

Why not?

Answer that, and you know why I'm not agnostic concerning deities.

 

[RodISHI]

I meant claiming to know for sure, one way or the other. Religiosity or atheism..

I have been a believer since my early childhood. Its not a religion it is a faith. Over time it is the spirit that builds on that faith. For some of us we have seen that spirit in action, some have actually seen God's angels and others have seen miracles or experienced them. As a child I lay my self down in a river in the middle of the night hoping to float away. I did not recount that experience or inspect it through until I was adult and my own children were adults as it held to many painful aspects in it. It is up to each to seek the truth of it all and that happens in time.

My guess is that it is easier to initially develop and maintain that faith when you're young than when you're older. Would that be a fair theory?
.

Believe me it wasn't easy to maintain even as a child. Through beatings and abuse it was all a learning experience. It is tough to hold onto that faith through those times especially for a child. It was though by the grace of God that many things happened in my life where I should have probably been gone from this earth yet I was saved. We all have purpose. We do not all find it at the same time.