I'm not convinced - why are you?

Author: SkepticalOne

Posts

Total: 165
SkepticalOne
SkepticalOne's avatar
Debates: 9
Posts: 1,720
3
3
7
SkepticalOne's avatar
SkepticalOne
3
3
7
I do not believe in Santa Claus, Sasquatch, fairies, gnomes, elves, dragons, unicorns, god(s) because I have seen nothing sufficient to convince me of the existence of such things.

I realize some may object to god(s) being lumped in with these other mythical beings, but no offense is meant. From my perspective, the evidence, or more precisely - lack of evidence, for each of these things is comparable. 

That being said, I would like to know why any one of the claimed beings should be accepted as real and not the others. 

janesix
janesix's avatar
Debates: 12
Posts: 2,049
3
3
3
janesix's avatar
janesix
3
3
3
-->
@SkepticalOne
I think it is a matter of personal experience. No God claims SHOULD be accepted as real, without personal experience, or without convincing evidence for each individual. 

Sometimes people just believe in God due to growing up with it, and being indoctrinated. I think this is true in a good portion of cases, and I think geography proves this (because most people are members of the predominant religion of where they grew up). 
EtrnlVw
EtrnlVw's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 2,869
3
3
5
EtrnlVw's avatar
EtrnlVw
3
3
5
-->
@SkepticalOne
If you wish to compare Creation or spirituality to an absurdity that is your choice and opinion but you lose out in the end. However it's only a perception, there is nothing absurd about accepting God as Creator of our world it is perfectly rational, unlike believing in "fairies and gnomes" people have reasons and experience for their beliefs or should, as for me I can expand on anything I say or write with more than my own opinion. All aspects about God and the soul and the higher conscious realities can be articulated, explained through commonsense/logic and verified/shown to exist through correlating evidences and sources so there is no good comparison other than your own perspective that Theism is silly and absurd and compared to what worldview is it silly anyways!?
There is absolutely no realistic reason to compare Creation with little silly creatures and absurdities, everything about the study of God is well documented and well articulated. Theism has philosophical strength, its theories counted and weighed for generations......contains a vast amount of evidences and correlating sources to verify....has unmatched numbers of testimonial evidence than any other topic. It is as strong a belief as any other....what is so special about atheism that you think it is such a superior belief? there isn't a "lack" of evidence, there's a lack of one aspect of evidence and that is due to the nature of God and spirituality but the evidences that correlate with its nature are overwhelming to be modest. 

So yes, it is very unfortunate you lump Creation in with stupid, immature absurdities when there is no need or justification for it. 
Mopac
Mopac's avatar
Debates: 4
Posts: 8,050
3
4
7
Mopac's avatar
Mopac
3
4
7
-->
@SkepticalOne
The Ultimate Reality is not a created thing.

The Ultimate Reality is God.

If you don't believe that the realest most true existiest reality exists... you don't really believe anything exists, that there is any truth, or that there is reality at all. The fact that you are having an experience at all disproves this handidly.

So the answer is you don't believe in God because you don't know what God is. I believe in God because I know what God is.

But maybe you aren't talking about God. If you are talking about gods, they are created things too.


janesix
janesix's avatar
Debates: 12
Posts: 2,049
3
3
3
janesix's avatar
janesix
3
3
3
-->
@Mopac
How do you know what God is?
Mopac
Mopac's avatar
Debates: 4
Posts: 8,050
3
4
7
Mopac's avatar
Mopac
3
4
7
-->
@janesix
Because I know what a tree is. I know what a rock is. I know what a book is. 

That is simply what God is. The Ultimate Reality. That is what the concept means. Can you think of anything greater and more true?

disgusted
disgusted's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 4,959
2
3
3
disgusted's avatar
disgusted
2
3
3
-->
@EtrnlVw
You claim to fly around and visit "god world", enough said.
disgusted
disgusted's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 4,959
2
3
3
disgusted's avatar
disgusted
2
3
3
-->
@Mopac
All Gods are the ultimate reality, so there are millions of ultimate realities. Hoorah.
Mopac
Mopac's avatar
Debates: 4
Posts: 8,050
3
4
7
Mopac's avatar
Mopac
3
4
7
-->
@disgusted
There is only one God. The Ultimate Reality is by definition one. Ultimate means there is one. There cannot be two.

You could say there are millions of realities. That would make more sense.

disgusted
disgusted's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 4,959
2
3
3
disgusted's avatar
disgusted
2
3
3
-->
@Mopac
Nah I'm just using your argument, if I use a capital G for God when I discuss all Gods then according to you they are all ultimate realities after all the criteria for calling your god the ultimate reality is that you use a capital G.
janesix
janesix's avatar
Debates: 12
Posts: 2,049
3
3
3
janesix's avatar
janesix
3
3
3
-->
@Mopac
That is a circular argument.
eash
eash's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 88
0
0
1
eash's avatar
eash
0
0
1
-->
@Mopac
Can you think of anything greater and more true?

yes

YHVH IS the beginning before everything else
Mopac
Mopac's avatar
Debates: 4
Posts: 8,050
3
4
7
Mopac's avatar
Mopac
3
4
7
-->
@janesix
That isn't an argument, it's an assertion of definition and identity.

The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is God.


And here is another assertion. If you take God as being anything other than this, you are not talking about the God I believe. You are also not talking about The God that theology accepts. You are talking about something else.

So you can argue about the meanings of words all you like, but you would be the one who is in error, not me.

I know what Supreme Being means. I know what Ultimate Reality means. I know what The Truth means.


It means saying God doesn't exist is not a valid position. You are automatically wrong, and so is any argument, no matter how clever, that either builds off of or attempts to prove this ridiculous and patently false position.


And by the way, it is self defeating. You can't say that it is true that there is no truth. That is what you are quite literally doing if you say, "There is no God".

So believe me when I say this isn't something worth debating, because there is no argument against God. But if you don't understand what I'm telling you, go ahead and argue with futility. If you'd rather arbitrarily strive over the meanings of words, go ahead, but you are wrong. The only argument against God is to make God a god. An idol. A straw man. If you understood the concept, you'd see this very clearly.


And I would much rather see you confess The Truth than make a fool of yourself.



Mopac
Mopac's avatar
Debates: 4
Posts: 8,050
3
4
7
Mopac's avatar
Mopac
3
4
7
-->
@disgusted
The Ultimate Reality is God.

Not

Whatever you arbitrarily call The Ultimate Reality is The Ultimate Reality which is God.



And your argument is stupid, because my argument is not a language trick. 


Mopac
Mopac's avatar
Debates: 4
Posts: 8,050
3
4
7
Mopac's avatar
Mopac
3
4
7
-->
@eash
The Ultimate Reality is the same God. Don't believe me, ask a rabbi.



disgusted
disgusted's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 4,959
2
3
3
disgusted's avatar
disgusted
2
3
3
-->
@Mopac
Zeus is God and therefore your ultimate reality, as is Quetzalcoatl.
To make any god the ultimate reality just use a capital G is your argument.
disgusted
disgusted's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 4,959
2
3
3
disgusted's avatar
disgusted
2
3
3
-->
@Mopac

And here is another assertion. If you take God as being anything other than this, you are not talking about the God I believe.
Show the dictionary definition that states the god you believe in is the only God.
The dictionary claims that any God spelled with a capital G is the ultimate reality and since any god can be spelled with a capital G it is not referring to your god.
Mopac
Mopac's avatar
Debates: 4
Posts: 8,050
3
4
7
Mopac's avatar
Mopac
3
4
7
-->
@disgusted
Calling something The Ultimate Realoty doesn't make something The Ultimate Reality.

And that isn't my argument.


Calling something God doesn't make something God.

Your argument is really stupid.

disgusted
disgusted's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 4,959
2
3
3
disgusted's avatar
disgusted
2
3
3
-->
@Mopac
You claim it does, so it's your argument that is stupid because I'm using your argument against you.

"1 capitalized : the supreme or ultimate reality"

Your argument is that if someone spells their god with a capital G then that God is the supreme or ultimate reality"
That is your argument in total.
Mopac
Mopac's avatar
Debates: 4
Posts: 8,050
3
4
7
Mopac's avatar
Mopac
3
4
7
-->
@disgusted
I've told you several times, even in other topics that this isn't my argument. This is how you are interpreting my argument. 
And if you are going to ignore what I say and play the part of the mocker, I will simply leave you to make your mindless inanities without my comment on them.
eash
eash's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 88
0
0
1
eash's avatar
eash
0
0
1
-->
@Mopac
the Ultimate Reality is the same God. Don't believe me, ask a rabbi.


what is a rabbi?
by the way, i am a male and a descendant from Levi.



disgusted
disgusted's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 4,959
2
3
3
disgusted's avatar
disgusted
2
3
3
-->
@Mopac
This is your claim

"1 capitalized : the supreme or ultimate reality"
Therefore any God spelled with a capital G is the ultimate reality. Good for you.
You have no other criterion for your belief that the thing you call God is the  supreme or ultimate reality
As long as a God is spelled with a capital G it is the ultimate reality.
janesix
janesix's avatar
Debates: 12
Posts: 2,049
3
3
3
janesix's avatar
janesix
3
3
3
-->
@Mopac
The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is God.

still not sure what you mean by that
Goldtop
Goldtop's avatar
Debates: 0
Posts: 1,706
2
1
2
Goldtop's avatar
Goldtop
2
1
2
EtrnlVw claims:

So yes, it is very unfortunate you lump Creation in with stupid, immature absurdities when there is no need or justification for it. 
This is the usual retort we'll here from theists who can never support their irrational beliefs, especially beliefs that include traveling to God worlds where Overlords and Spiritual beings who they have claimed to talk with reside.
SkepticalOne
SkepticalOne's avatar
Debates: 9
Posts: 1,720
3
3
7
SkepticalOne's avatar
SkepticalOne
3
3
7
-->
@EtrnlVw
You claim to have logical reasons and evidences for accepting god and not the other mythical creatures, but you didn't share them.  
SkepticalOne
SkepticalOne's avatar
Debates: 9
Posts: 1,720
3
3
7
SkepticalOne's avatar
SkepticalOne
3
3
7
-->
@janesix
I think it is a matter of personal experience. No God claims SHOULD be accepted as real, without personal experience, or without convincing evidence for each individual. 
Ok, so reasons exclusive to the individual? (ie. there is no objective evidence for god?)


Sometimes people just believe in God due to growing up with it, and being indoctrinated. I think this is true in a good portion of cases, and I think geography proves this (because most people are members of the predominant religion of where they grew up). 
Do you think subjective experiences of god can be influenced by upbringing, indoctrination, or culture? 
janesix
janesix's avatar
Debates: 12
Posts: 2,049
3
3
3
janesix's avatar
janesix
3
3
3
-->
@SkepticalOne
I think there is convincing evidence of a creator. But it only seems to be convincing for me,and not many others. 

Do you think subjective experiences of god can be influenced by upbringing, indoctrination, or culture?
sure.
janesix
janesix's avatar
Debates: 12
Posts: 2,049
3
3
3
janesix's avatar
janesix
3
3
3
-->
@SkepticalOne
I think there is NO objective evidence for God, I wanted to make that clear. I think there is objective evidence for a created solar system, but that doesn't mean necessarily that God created it.
Mopac
Mopac's avatar
Debates: 4
Posts: 8,050
3
4
7
Mopac's avatar
Mopac
3
4
7
-->
@janesix
Reality as it really truly is in its totality and completeness.
As opposed to

Reality as it looks, seems to be, or can be known to be.

The Ultimate reality.

janesix
janesix's avatar
Debates: 12
Posts: 2,049
3
3
3
janesix's avatar
janesix
3
3
3
-->
@Mopac
And you can tell the difference, how?