Jeremiahcp
Well-Known Jerk
Why should atheists be receptive to the possibility of gods?
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Atheists and gods
- Thread starter Jeremiahcp
- Start date
We probably should not. At least not before a clear understanding of what those gods would be is presented.
Until then, it is essentially giving a name to a placeholder that may well fit no place whatsoever.
Politesse
Amor Vincit Omnia
Because an atheist, having freed themselves from one cage of prejudice and unearned authority, should have learned to be cautious about judging before knowing.
Altfish
Veteran Member
We are open and receptive to new evidence and don't totally discard any possibility however unlikely.
Awe you ignostic, you.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Possibility means that a basis exists to support something.
There is no such basis on which possibilities can be made.
So no. Athiests cannot be receptive.
Jeremiahcp
Well-Known Jerk
To clarify:
I am not asking if they are; I am asking why should they be.
I am not asking if they are; I am asking why should they be.
It seems to me logic imposes a burden to admit the possibility of deity in much the same manner as it imposes a burden to admit the possibility that there is an undetectable elf farting invisible rainbows beneath my window at the moment. But whether one is "receptive" to such notions is another matter. There is certainly no logical burden to consider such notions probable merely because they are possible.
I do not know why you should except for personal reasons and to understand other people. It is a bit like understanding why Chinese people use chopsticks.
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
For the same reason theists should be receptive to the possibility of no gods.
Generally they should not.
Perhaps if they witnessed a miracle in person, or if there is a family / spouse situation that spurs him towards such a place... but even that sounds very unlikely if not unhealthy.
Jeremiahcp
Well-Known Jerk
I agree that there is also a difference between probability and possibility, that should be considered. I think there is a difference between logic and reason that should also be considered. Simply because something is logical does not mean it rational.
I don't want to dig in my books to find the exact quote, but I think it was Plato who wrote that when you admit the possibility of everything, you admit the possibility of its opposite (paraphrased).
Cephus
Relentlessly Rational
Which they're not. They are emotionally invested in gods existing, hence they cannot be rationally invested in the truth, regardless of what that truth might happen to be.
Oh for heaven's sake.
I'm a Christian but still open that there are no God(s).
It's been a long time since the Jesus saga and still no "end of this
system of things".
We're still merrily moping along mucking things up quite nicely
I was raised by a rather ignorant and not too bright mother who
became a J.W. and always scared the &hit out of sis and I with
"Jehovah's Revenge" for anything from getting bad grades to not
eating ANYTHING she cooked.
Not only could she NOT cook she left partially cooked food on the cold
stove for days then tried to get us to eat it.
We did eat it 'till we learned it was a really, really, bad idea.
Got sick don'cha'know.
Good thing dad could cook or we'd have surely died.
When I got older, about 12, I began to realize she was about five
fries shy of a Happy Meal.
Her brothers were also J.W.'s and really nice people 'cept they put
mother up to stealing things for them.
WHAT?
Yeah.
She worked where garage door openers were made. The tracks,
motors, gears, what not.
Her brothers put her up to STEALING the things for them.
Not something one could sneak out in a lunch box either.
Soooooooooooooooo, the employees had a theft network where
the units could be tossed over the fence into the weeds at night and
recovered under darkness.
In that way her J.W. brothers got FREE garage door openers.
Neat what?
Confusing as hell to a 12 year old boy scared to death to say a cuss
word for fear Jehovah would surely get me.
Ah, well, even J.W.'s are merely human what?
I have no resentments against 'em.
YES I DO!
They gave me such a ration of excrement over becoming a police
officer that it took years to get past GUILT feelings.
Now I had I been a drunken thief it would have been just fine?????
I'm a Christian but still open that there are no God(s).
It's been a long time since the Jesus saga and still no "end of this
system of things".
We're still merrily moping along mucking things up quite nicely
I was raised by a rather ignorant and not too bright mother who
became a J.W. and always scared the &hit out of sis and I with
"Jehovah's Revenge" for anything from getting bad grades to not
eating ANYTHING she cooked.
Not only could she NOT cook she left partially cooked food on the cold
stove for days then tried to get us to eat it.
We did eat it 'till we learned it was a really, really, bad idea.
Got sick don'cha'know.
Good thing dad could cook or we'd have surely died.
When I got older, about 12, I began to realize she was about five
fries shy of a Happy Meal.
Her brothers were also J.W.'s and really nice people 'cept they put
mother up to stealing things for them.
WHAT?
Yeah.
She worked where garage door openers were made. The tracks,
motors, gears, what not.
Her brothers put her up to STEALING the things for them.
Not something one could sneak out in a lunch box either.
Soooooooooooooooo, the employees had a theft network where
the units could be tossed over the fence into the weeds at night and
recovered under darkness.
In that way her J.W. brothers got FREE garage door openers.
Neat what?
Confusing as hell to a 12 year old boy scared to death to say a cuss
word for fear Jehovah would surely get me.
Ah, well, even J.W.'s are merely human what?
I have no resentments against 'em.
YES I DO!
They gave me such a ration of excrement over becoming a police
officer that it took years to get past GUILT feelings.
Now I had I been a drunken thief it would have been just fine?????
jonathan180iq
Well-Known Member
So as to allow for the possibility of future conversation with theists...
In my experience, people don't listen when you tell them something directly, or "coldly". We have to at least maintain a cognitive acceptance of a thing's possibility in order for others to listen to our opinions on the matter... This is why I also hold a receptive position to the idea of Chemtrails, Bigfoot, and Ancient Aliens. If I straight up tell you that your beliefs are bonkers, it'll be harder to convert you to Atheism
If you're interested in truth then you must always be open to such changes. Just like as a theist I not only have been an atheist before, but I'm certainly open to being shown that my reasons for believing our incorrect.
Cephus
Relentlessly Rational
Except when I showed you that your beliefs were incorrect, you put me on ignore. Go figure.