brianp@shark.UUCP (Brian Peterson) (07/21/84)
A couple of questions on the nature of religious debates.
I wonder if it is possible for religious people to drop their gods
for a while, and talk as if there were no such thing?
(The Easter Bunny is great, and he is wise. Those who haven't seen
the light are just deluding themselves. When they go to the big
dyebowl in the sky, all their eggs will be rotten. Even if they
try to say He doesn't exist. They are lying, and evil. How can
you possibly believe that I can suspend belief in what is so
obviously true and good? It is just their folly.)
I have seen articles in the religion/atheism debate where the assumption
that a particular god exists is so obvious, it smells bad. I think that
it is hard to put up a convincing argument to someone on the other side,
if you stay on your own side, refusing to see the other side. If you
don't see where the other guys point of view is, how can you direct him to
your side, and therefore why even speak to those with other views?
(is that English? it's past my bedtime)
Also, why is it that people get horribly emotional when others speak of
the world as if it were radically different, and as if they actually
believe what they are saying. (i.e. "I believe that God meant for....."
sticks me like a pin, but "I believe in God" doesn't)
People giving you their beliefs, it's sort of like this:
Suppose an organic gardener empties a dumptruck load of digested hay on
your front porch, and with all sincerity, tells you that it will make
your garden grow? Suppose you live in an apartment?
Brian Peterson {ucbvax, ihnp4, } !tektronix!shark!brianp
p.s. see articles in net.abortion