Which Would You Personally Prefer...

[Tassman]

Great, David Hume agrees with me that your belief that God has human passions and a restless appetite for applause is absurd.

Cute, but not what he’s saying. And, if the deity is so indifferent to praise, why bother with it. Wouldn’t you be embarrassed at being praised all the time?

Another one of your strawman idiotic tactics. You argue against God and his qualities, yet when it is pointed out to you that you are wrong, you retreat to, "well he doesn't even exist so there!" like a petulant child.

I argue that God doesn’t exist. It’s no good being the petulant child, stamping his foot and saying with a pout: “Does too!”

No you are the one positing strawman arguments and thinking that by defeating them you have successfully defeated theism. All you have defeated is your own idiotic made-up argument.

No “strawman.” Delusions are beliefs unsupported by facts, like your belief in gods and spirits.

It was a perfect analogy. You keep wanting to destroy our faith by claiming God is a petulant child who demand out worship. Except that is not who God is, nor why we worship him. As long as you keep making up false beliefs to beat up, you will never touch our actual faith, and you make yourself look ridiculous.

No rational argument ever touches irrational beliefs. You still have not provided substantive evidence as to why your beliefs should be regarded as right. All you’ve got is personal testimony about the relationship with your invisible friend and saviour...and that’s no argument at all

[Sparko]

Cute, but not what he’s saying. And, if the deity is so indifferent to praise, why bother with it. Wouldn’t you be embarrassed at being praised all the time?

That is exactly what he said. He was, like you trying to mock Christians with a strawman God, but in effect, he was actually mocking himself and people like you who make up a strawman God that no Christian believes in.

I argue that God doesn’t exist. It’s no good being the petulant child, stamping his foot and saying with a pout: “Does too!”

The why are you acting like a petulant child? You try to argue against what we believe, yet when we point out how wrong you are, you merely go, "well he doesn't exist!"

No “strawman.” Delusions are beliefs unsupported by facts, like your belief in gods and spirits.

It is a strawman when you invent who we think God is, and what we believe and then argue against your own made up version. Which is what you do. Which is why I can completely agree with David Hume that is is absurd to believe in a God that has a restless appetite for praise. Good thing we don't, huh?

No rational argument ever touches irrational beliefs. You still have not provided substantive evidence as to why your beliefs should be regarded as right. All you’ve got is personal testimony about the relationship with your invisible friend and saviour...and that’s no argument at all

Except that is not all we have. You just want to pretend it is. All you have is your own disbelief. That's no argument at all.

[Tassman]

That is exactly what he said. He was, like you trying to mock Christians with a strawman God, but in effect, he was actually mocking himself and people like you who make up a strawman God that no Christian believes in.

Again: “if the deity is indifferent to praise, why bother with it at all”. Can’t the omniscient deity see into your heart? Surely he would be aware of your love and gratitude toward him? Why embarrass him by constantly telling him how wonderful he is as though he were Donald Trump?

The why are you acting like a petulant child? You try to argue against what we believe, yet when we point out how wrong you are, you merely go, "well he doesn't exist!"

Yes, I’m arguing that God doesn’t exist...I am unaware of any substantive evidence supporting the notion he does. You’re arguing that he does exist, so what is your evidence that God exists...other than he makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

It is a strawman when you invent who we think God is, and what we believe and then argue against your own made up version. Which is what you do. Which is why I can completely agree with David Hume that is is absurd to believe in a God that has a restless appetite for praise. Good thing we don't, huh?

There is nothing “made up” about your belief in a god and spirits and demons etc. This is what you believe in isn’t it. AFAIK these are delusional beliefs.

Except that is not all we have. You just want to pretend it is. All you have is your own disbelief. That's no argument at all.

One does not believe in that for which there is no substantive evidence. I know of none, if you have some present it.

[Sparko]

Again: “if the deity is indifferent to praise, why bother with it at all”. Can’t the omniscient deity see into your heart? Surely he would be aware of your love and gratitude toward him? Why embarrass him by constantly telling him how wonderful he is as though he were Donald Trump?

The worship is for us.

So Tassman, if you love someone, do you not tell them so? Or do you think "oh well, they know, why embarrass them by mentioning it? If my wife/partner needs my praise they must be an egotistical monster"?

Yes, I’m arguing that God doesn’t exist...I am unaware of any substantive evidence supporting the notion he does. You’re arguing that he does exist, so what is your evidence that God exists...other than he makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

If God doesn't exist then why do you spend so much time arguing against his properties and attitude? If you want to argue about what God is like, like a big baby who needs praise, then you have to posit he exists to argue that. You can't just run away screaming, 'he doesn't exist' when someone counters your argument.

[Tassman]

The worship is for us.

So Tassman, if you love someone, do you not tell them so? Or do you think "oh well, they know, why embarrass them by mentioning it? If my wife/partner needs my praise they must be an egotistical monster"?

Of course it’s for you, it’s all for you, as are bible-studies and revival meetings and missions. These are the means to reinforce and validate your own beliefs and recruit new converts...which in turn reinforce your own beliefs. It takes a lot of effort to keep ridiculous beliefs afloat.

If God doesn't exist then why do you spend so much time arguing against his properties and attitude? If you want to argue about what God is like, like a big baby who needs praise, then you have to posit he exists to argue that. You can't just run away screaming, 'he doesn't exist' when someone counters your argument.

Again, you’re the one arguing that God exists, so what is your evidence that God exists...other than he makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

[Sparko]

Of course it’s for you, it’s all for you, as are bible-studies and revival meetings and missions. These are the means to reinforce and validate your own beliefs and recruit new converts...which in turn reinforce your own beliefs. It takes a lot of effort to keep ridiculous beliefs afloat.

And here you go again, just arguing against a strawman. You will never get anywhere doing that. Much like I don't think I would convince you to stop being an atheist by telling you that atheists all have low testosterone and eat babies.

Again, you’re the one arguing that God exists, so what is your evidence that God exists...other than he makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

He saved me. And the universe. And historical evidence. And eye witness testimony. And fulfilled prophesy.

[Tassman]

And here you go again, just arguing against a strawman. You will never get anywhere doing that. Much like I don't think I would convince you to stop being an atheist by telling you that atheists all have low testosterone and eat babies.

No strawman! You believe in an invisible triune deity, spirits and demons do you not?

He saved me. And the universe.

So you believe. I don't.

And historical evidence. And eye witness testimony.

But even you know full well that the notion of eyewitness accounts supporting the folklore of the gospels is widely disputed. At best you have third-hand hearsay as recounted by Papias and, more likely than not, highly embellished.

And fulfilled prophesy.

There are pages and pages of disagreement about "fulfilled prophesy"...even on this site.

[Sparko]

No strawman! You believe in an invisible triune deity, spirits and demons do you not?

That is not what you were just arguing, dipwad. This is like me saying "You atheists are evil because you eat babies!" and you say "That is a strawman argument" and I say "No Strawman! You don't believe in God do you?"




At this point Tassy, you are just wasting my time. You can't help burning straw because you don't have any actual arguments against religion. Even when I point out your strawmen, you just deny it and in the same post burn more straw!

[Tassman]

That is not what you were just arguing, dipwad. This is like me saying "You atheists are evil because you eat babies!" and you say "That is a strawman argument" and I say "No Strawman! You don't believe in God do you?"

False analogy! Atheists do NOT eat babies, whereas Christians DO believe in the absurdity of a invisible triune deity, spirits and demons.

[Sparko]

False analogy! Atheists do NOT eat babies, whereas Christians DO believe in the absurdity of a invisible triune deity, spirits and demons.

If you were any stupider, you would die from forgetting to breath. We were arguing why we praise God and worship him, and your idiotic strawman arguments. When I pointed out your strawmen you came back with "well you believe in demons and stuff!" - a complete non-sequitur, you baby-eating moron.

[JimL]

If you were any stupider, you would die from forgetting to breath. We were arguing why we praise God and worship him, and your idiotic strawman arguments. When I pointed out your strawmen you came back with "well you believe in demons and stuff!" - a complete non-sequitur, you baby-eating moron.

We already know why you praise and worship god, Sparko. Love of self and an inability to face the facts of reality. We die, there is no eternal life reward for being good, and if there were a god, and no reward of eternal life for being good, you wouldn't be worshipping god. In other words, self interests.

[Sparko]

We already know why you praise and worship god, Sparko. Love of self and an inability to face the facts of reality. We die, there is no eternal life reward for being good, and if there were a god, and no reward of eternal life for being good, you wouldn't be worshipping god. In other words, self interests.

You are worse than tassy with your strawmen. If you can't even get your insults correct how do you expect them to have any effect? We don't think there is any reward "for being good" or that anyone is "good" - that's the whole point of Christianity: None of us are good. That is why we need Jesus.

[JimL]

You are worse than tassy with your strawmen. If you can't even get your insults correct how do you expect them to have any effect? We don't think there is any reward "for being good" or that anyone is "good" - that's the whole point of Christianity: None of us are good. That is why we need Jesus.

You believe you will go to heaven and live forever if you believe in Jesus and strive to do right in his eyes, aka being good. You can change the wording if you want, but the point always remains the same, believe, be good, and as a result, get your reward of eternal life.

[Sparko]

You believe you will go to heaven and live forever if you believe in Jesus and strive to do right in his eyes, aka being good. You can change the wording if you want, but the point always remains the same, believe, be good, and as a result, get your reward of eternal life.

no Jimmy. Not even close.

[JimL]

no Jimmy. Not even close.

Oh yeah, it's spot on. It's all about the carrot and the stick, the reward and the punishment, self interests, without the which there would be no worship.