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Why is atheism untenable? [Spirituality & Religion]

“Gradually, I realized that in the twenty years since I opted for philosophical atheism, a vast, systematic literature had emerged that not only cast deep doubt on, but also, from any reasonable perspective, effectively refuted my atheistic outlook. . . . Today, it seems to me, there is no good reason for an intelligent person to embrace the illusion of atheism or agnosticism, to make the same intellectual mistakes I made.
“As recently as twenty-five years ago, a reasonable person weighing the purely scientific evidence on the issue would likely have come down on the side of skepticism. That is no longer the case. Today the concrete data point strongly in the direction of the God hypothesis. It is the simplest and most obvious solution to the anthropic puzzle.”
(Patrick Glynn)
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Allelse · 36-40, M
Well he got one thing right, it is simple, a simple solution, with no evidence whatsoever, for a simple mind. Anything else would be too complicated for you to understand.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse Atheism is the resort of the unthinking.
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 Why do you follow a god who uses intimidation tactics and threats to garner love and respect?
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse I don't. Do you?
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 The god you follow told everyone to get on Noah's boat or he'd drown them. That's not nice. He drowned little children and babies. Now, the common gibberish at the moment that's preached is "Love and follow god or burn for eternity". That's not nice, that's intimidation. Your God invented the rules, rules he can change at ANY time but doesn't.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse According to who? All you needed to do was get on the boat. All you need to do is accept His Love. Your choice. Isn't it nice that He gave you that choice?
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 What do you mean according to who?

So somebody puts a gun to your head and says "Love me or I'll kill you and your family" and you think that's fair?
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse Actually what He said was if you want to be happy - get in the boat. If you want to be saved and brought to blessed and blissful eternal life - accept Me as your Savior. If you don't want to be happy or enter eternity that is not His fault. It is yours. You reason like a child. You want to eat the cake but then cry when you don't have any cake to eat. Your choices have real consequences.
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 It's intimidation. He makes all the rules and when you don't do what he want he'll drown you, or he'll burn you for eternity or he'll send the bears after you. That's intimidation. He is demanding your love and loyalty, or he'll hurt you.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse Not at all. You were put on this earth to make choices. What shall I have for breakfast, what time shall I go to bed, what shall I study in school, what career shall I pursue, what partner shall I marry, how many children shall I have. One more decision you have to make is what kind of after life do I want? Do I want to go to heaven or do I want to go to hell. The choice is clear enough. I can't see why you would expect to choose hell and get into heaven. Does not make sense. All you have to do is ask Him to save you. Doesn't sound like too great a imposition all things considered.
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 It's still intimidation, however he decided to arrange human life, in your mythology I mean, he made the rules so that the beings he created could do what they want, but then he uses threats and intimidation to get them to behave how he likes. That's mean and dumb. I mean why bother in the first place?
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse Not at all. It is nothing more than a choice. Your failure to make a choice is a choice. There is only ONE WAY to get to heaven. If you choose not to choose or you choose to go the other way don't blame the One who gives you the choice. Blame yourself for not wanting to choose or choosing wrong. My question is always: Just what is it you think you will lose by choosing the Way the Truth and the Life?
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 It is putting a gun to somebody's head and saying "Love me or I'll shoot you" and then claiming afterward "Yeah but I gave him a choice!!".
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse Not at all. It is saying there are two ways to go. You can go the way of hatred or you can go the way of LOVE. If you don't want to choose the way of LOVE then you choose the way of hate. Your choice. Now what is it you think you have to lose?
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 Yes it is. And in the case of Noah it was "Do as I say or I'll drown you and your whole family". Not to mention all those poor animals.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse What did the people in Noah's time have to do? Either they got on the boat or they didn't. Simple choice. Why didn't more people make the right choice? Who knows. Now we are in the time when we must choose between living eternity in loving bliss or suffering in eternal hatred. All you have to do is choose. Why you are choosing to live in eternal hatred I have no idea.
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 Look you can dress it up anyway you like, but it's still "Do as I say or I'll hurt you". It's no different than someone putting a gun to your head and say "Do what I want or I'll shoot you" and then claiming later "Well I gave him a choice!!".
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse So do you want to live in love or hatred? Your choice. Criticizing the One giving you a choice seems kind of stupid. Get in the boat or stay out. Get in and live or stay out and drown. Your choice. Choose whom you will serve this day. As for me and my family I will serve the LORD.
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 So you see nothing wrong with intimidation and threats? You must know it's wrong. If you put a gun to somebody's head and told them to do what you want or else, you know that's wrong right?
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse I used to tell my children sit up for supper or go hungry. Was I intimidating them? All they had to do was sit up and eat the food their loving mother prepared for them. Sitting outside and being petulant about the stark choice seems, to put it mildly, 'a bit childish'.
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 Yep. That's really poor parenting. They didn't ask to be born, you decided that for them, and then you threaten them with starvation for 'not sitting up'.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse What giving them a choice to eat or not is bad parenting?
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 You told them if they didn't sit up they'd go hungry, you were threatening them with starvation, that's messed up.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse No. I was letting them know that everyone else was sitting up to eat. If they wanted to join us they were more than welcome. If they chose to isolate go hungry that was their choice.
Allelse · 36-40, M
@hippyjoe1955 You were threatening them with starvation, do what I say or I'll starve you.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
@Allelse Nope. I was offering them food and fellowship. If they chose hunger and loneliness that was their choice. My choice was to have them sit up and enjoy the meal with their parents and siblings. I wasn't wasn't going to force them to eat.