Bible & Critical Thinking

[Road Warrior]

Oh, the ones who grew up in a church,
went teenage on us, and decided they
are atheists.

Later, when the regress to type, they will some
of them be preachers who will make the most
of their little pranks and indiscretions.

"Yes, I, I who stand before you now (flapping a
softcover bible) I know sin, the Devil's dark ways
and the power of the LORD to redeem!!

For Lo, I was the greatest of sinners, in the
thrall of the Great Deceiver, yes, I was an
atheist, a lover of sin and all that is vile!

But in his infinite Mercy, the LORD reached
down into the very pit of hell where I reveled
in my lust, and I, disgusting creature that I
was, filthy with every sin and vice, I took
His hand, and he uplifted me!" (etc)

Some certainly do. Some become obnoxious Bible-thumpers walking around with a Bible and saying “Jesus is Lord” with their index finger in the air.

 

[InChrist]

Is that why you have so little success with
understanding that stories like the 6 day poof
and flood are just stories of things that did not
happen?

Sarcasm is often hostility disguised as humor. It can be intended to mock or hurt and is often bitter and caustic. I've noticed you often make sarcastic remarks and makes me think you may not be as secure in your views concerning the accounts in the Bible, which are presented as actual historical events and which I have no problem believing an all powerful God is capable of accomplishing.

 

[Road Warrior]

..... I have no problem believing an all powerful God is capable of accomplishing.

While that premise would be true, why do you have trouble believing an all powerful God couldn’t create the Big Bang and know what would happen 14 Billion years later? Why would God give mankind free agency then trick us with dinosaur bones and deliberately break the very rules of the Universe God had created in the first place?

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

While that premise would be true, why do you have trouble believing an all powerful God couldn’t create the Big Ban and know what would happen 14 Billion years later? Why would God give mankind free agency then trick us with dinosaur bones and deliberately break the very rules of the Universe God had created in the first place?

In before the edit.

 

[Audie]

Sarcasm is often hostility disguised as humor. It can be intended to mock or hurt and is often bitter and caustic. I've noticed you often make sarcastic remarks and makes me think you may not be as secure in your views concerning the accounts in the Bible, which are presented as actual historical events and which I have no problem believing an all powerful God is capable of accomplishing.

There is no hostility toward you, though I understand
Christians are taught to expect "mockers" and so forth
and believe they find them even when they are not there.

That is what believers do, they just believe things.

I believe you are unwilling to go int o what kind of
thinking is required to believe in things like the 6 day
poof and the flood, that being why you turned it back on
me as a bitter, caustic and insecure person.

I causticize those who have it coming. "Bitter"
and "insecure"?

You are just making things up, for lack of
something real to say.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

There is no hostility toward you, though I understand
Christians are taught to expect "mockers" and so forth
and believe they find them even when they are not there.

That is what believers do, they just believe things.

I believe you are unwilling to go int o what kind of
thinking is required to believe in things like the 6 day
poof and the flood, that being why you turned it back on
me as a bitter, caustic and insecure person.

I causticize those who have it coming. "Bitter"
and "insecure"?

You are just making things up, for lack of
something real to say.

Perception is a complicated thing, but I think you're nice. Sometimes I myself respond in sarcasm when I don't think a serious post will do the proper good.

 

[Audie]

While that premise would be true, why do you have trouble believing an all powerful God couldn’t create the Big Ban and know what would happen 14 Billion years later? Why would God give mankind free agency then trick us with dinosaur bones and deliberately break the very rules of the Universe God had created in the first place?

A noteworthy aspect of believing the almighty could do such
things is what a facile, simple minded, really, thing that
is to say and do. SURE, if there is a almighty, it can do as
it likes. No dispute there.

What takes ignorance x intellectual dishonesty is to believe
that there was, say, such a flood-even though there is absolutely
no evidence that it happened! To proclaim the god they claim
to respect and worship performed some hideous crime!

And what is more, to be proudly virtue-signaling by saying so!


Keep in mind that the greatest talent of believers
is to believe things.

"Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things." "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

(all the above should be understood as bitter insecure sarcasm
from someone who is rebelling against god coz she wants t o
be her own god and revel in sin)

 

[Road Warrior]

Perception is a complicated thing, but I think you're nice. Sometimes I myself respond in sarcasm when I don't think a serious post will do the proper good.

When it comes to fundies on all sides, there’s little chance of convincing them of anything. The only reason to post, IMO, is to voice disagreement for those who are undecided or not convinced either way.

I’m guilty of sarcasm and ridicule myself, but try to keep it to a minimum since, while it feels good, it’s done to inflict pain...even if that pain is minor.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

When it comes to fundies on all sides, there’s little chance of convincing them of anything. The only reason to post, IMO, is to voice disagreement for those who are undecided or not convinced either way.

I’m guilty of sarcasm and ridicule myself, but try to keep it to a minimum since, while it feels good, it’s done to inflict pain...even if that pain is minor.

At some point, I feel you just have to appeal to the crowd, present your debate-points or clever rhetoric for them more than the other side.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Hmmmm... I think atheism doesn't allow critical thinking.

But whatever you are doing with this "animal language" thing, it certainly is not "critical thinking" in the context of the discussion's of Balaam's a$$

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Hmmmm... I think atheism doesn't allow critical thinking.

But whatever you are doing with this "animal language" thing, it certainly is not "critical thinking" in the context of the discussion's of Balaam's a$$

 

[Road Warrior]

At some point, I feel you just have to appeal to the crowd, present your debate-points or clever rhetoric for them more than the other side.

Which is exactly the reason to post, but sarcasm is just a slightly more polite way of saying “F U!” It does nothing to persuade those are leaning in the opposite direction but are also not completely convinced. In fact, it could have the opposite effect.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Which is exactly the reason to post, but sarcasm is just a slightly more polite way of saying “F U!” It does nothing to persuade those are leaning in the opposite direction but are also not completely convinced. In fact, it could have the opposite effect.

On the other hand, I've met people in real life and elsewhere that don't have a fine appreciation of sarcasm. They often spend their time sharing TV dinners with their cats.

...

I went there.

 

[Road Warrior]

On the other hand, I've met people in real life and elsewhere that don't have a fine appreciation of sarcasm. They often spend their time sharing TV dinners with their cats.

...

I went there.

Sarcasm is fine but it does have it’s limits. It’s one thing to make sarcastic remarks about the US government, but another to use it against a group of atheists or theists. What is to be gained other than to make a few laugh on one side and tick off everyone leaning the other way?

 

[dianaiad]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's the question. Thanks for admitting a person who is a creationist isn't using Critical Thinking.

Your implication is that the creationist isn't using critical thinking about a; the factual nature of the creation stories, b; the moral/lesson of the story as told, c; about anything at all.

Please be more precise.

 

[dybmh]

"Fundamentalist atheist" is just garbage, like the claim
that atheism is a religion. Going from an invented term
for non existent people to saying that they are as dishonest
as xiam fundies is absurd.


You did not, btw, identify a flavour of fundy who
can be both well informed and intellectually honest.

Ok. My opinion on the matter is not important. Hope you're having a nice day

 

[dybmh]

Self critical? Do you think they examine their own beliefs and their motivations for holding those beliefs?

That's interesting. Probably not.

 

[dybmh]

Sarcasm... What is to be gained other than to make a few laugh on one side and tick off everyone leaning the other way?

Ratings

 

[dianaiad]

Alright. My challenge to you is to carefully study the definition of Critical Thinking, as I do the same.

Having looked up the definition of 'critical thinking,' by several experts, such as Edward Glaser, I have come to the conclusion that 'critical thinking' is defined by the observer of whoever is doing the thinking, and is defined best as:

"S/he who agrees with me is thinking critically, and s/he who disagrees with me is a lock-step fundamentalist zombie idiot who has no clue what thinking critically means...which is, of course, agreeing with me."

 

[Dan From Smithville]

It is really just a vacuous quip.

Maybe a dogmatic, vacuous quip.