Good news/kindness only (please) thread

[1 CAT FAN]

An entity who created the universe(s) and who existed alone before there was a universe, does not hold casual conversations with the results of the creation over whether they are able to do anything outside the power of the entity.

If you don't believe, then how would you know?

Ah, that clarifies things somewhat. Cat fan equates belief with knowledge. This is not good policy and will only result in misfortune. I might believe the world is flat or I might believe I can fly or I might believe anything. My belief does not make it fact and it does not equate to knowledge other than the fact I know I believe it....circular reasoning.

Yes, we've already proven that there's water beneath the earth.

[neoplacebo]

If you stuck your head in a hole, the water in your head would increase the amount of water down there.

[Vrede too]

If you stuck your head in a hole, the water in your head would increase the amount of water down there.

If you stuck YOUR head in a hole, the water in your head would REALLY increase the amount of water down there.

[1 CAT FAN]

If you stuck your head in a hole, the water in your head would increase the amount of water down there.

I've heard of atheists putting their head up each other's butt, thus increasing the amount of BS.

Wait... I did say I would attempt to be more forgiving.

[neoplacebo]

If you stuck your head in a hole, the water in your head would increase the amount of water down there.

If you stuck YOUR head in a hole, the water in your head would REALLY increase the amount of water down there.

ahem; the only things I've stuck in holes do not include my head.

[Vrede too]

ahem; the only things I've stuck in holes do not include my head.

Do you want to reword that?

[neoplacebo]

ahem; the only things I've stuck in holes do not include my head.

Do you want to reword that?

Ok, the things I have stuck in holes do not include parts of my body from the neck up.

[Vrede too]

Ok, the things I have stuck in holes do not include parts of my body from the neck up.

No tongue when you kiss . . . or whatever?

[neoplacebo]

Ok, the things I have stuck in holes do not include parts of my body from the neck up.

No tongue when you kiss . . . or whatever?

Ok, I've never stuck my skull, including its protective cover, into a hole. That I can recall. You got me.

[Vrede too]

Humanity thanks you for that.

[O Really]

An entity who created the universe(s) and who existed alone before there was a universe, does not hold casual conversations with the results of the creation over whether they are able to do anything outside the power of the entity.

If you don't believe, then how would you know?

What I believe matters naught. Reality is what it is. I just started with the bedrock premise of the definition of an all-powerful entity as expressed in Genesis. No matter what name you call that entity - God (upper or lower case), YHWH, Elohim, or whatever, it's the same entity if you start with "In the beginning, God..." That means that the entity, by any name, existed before the universe(s); that the entity was able to exist in a manner in which nothing else could or ever had existed before. And that entity created - caused the formation of - all universe(s) and everything in them. All the suns, stars, planets, moons, and all the flora and fauna on any of them. There's no way of knowing where that entity "stood" to do the creating, but a cursory look at our solar system (created by the entity) in relation to all the rest (also created) makes it unlikely it was from Earth. So if your accept, as a matter of belief or for sake of discussion, that the first part of Genesis is true, then you have no logical jump from that all powerful, omniscient, omnipotent entity to something a pro wrestler can ask personal favors of.

Anyway, if you didn't like the first question, here's a few more:
Since the beginning of recorded time, how many religions have defined "god."
How many of those claimed to be the "only" true god, or the only "real" god?
Could all those who claimed their definition was the only "real god" be right?
Or could all those who claimed their definition was the only "real god" be wrong?

If you start with the entity described in Genesis, it doesn't make any difference what anybody believes or what rituals they follow or what rules they make up. Because none of it is relevant.

[1 CAT FAN]

An entity who created the universe(s) and who existed alone before there was a universe, does not hold casual conversations with the results of the creation over whether they are able to do anything outside the power of the entity.

If you don't believe, then how would you know?

What I believe matters naught. Reality is what it is. I just started with the bedrock premise of the definition of an all-powerful entity as expressed in Genesis. No matter what name you call that entity - God (upper or lower case), YHWH, Elohim, or whatever, it's the same entity if you start with "In the beginning, God..." That means that the entity, by any name, existed before the universe(s); that the entity was able to exist in a manner in which nothing else could or ever had existed before. And that entity created - caused the formation of - all universe(s) and everything in them. All the suns, stars, planets, moons, and all the flora and fauna on any of them. There's no way of knowing where that entity "stood" to do the creating, but a cursory look at our solar system (created by the entity) in relation to all the rest (also created) makes it unlikely it was from Earth. So if your accept, as a matter of belief or for sake of discussion, that the first part of Genesis is true, then you have no logical jump from that all powerful, omniscient, omnipotent entity to something a pro wrestler can ask personal favors of.

Anyway, if you didn't like the first question, here's a few more:
Since the beginning of recorded time, how many religions have defined "god."
How many of those claimed to be the "only" true god, or the only "real" god?
Could all those who claimed their definition was the only "real god" be right?
Or could all those who claimed their definition was the only "real god" be wrong?

If you start with the entity described in Genesis, it doesn't make any difference what anybody believes or what rituals they follow or what rules they make up. Because none of it is relevant.

Is that what atheists do, make rules up that are not relevant?

[neoplacebo]

I don't recall O Really saying he's an atheist and I don't see any rules being established or promulgated in his post above, just comments on logic and reason which flew so far over your head you didn't notice. Actually, my Talking Heads lyrics are apropos in response.....you may ask yourself am I right? am I wrong? you may say to yourself my god, what have I done? same as it ever was.

Have you ever taken LSD or even just a mild psychoactive drug? I would recommend you do so if you haven't. It will give you a different perspective on a whole bunch of things. The Yaqui Indians used peyote as a religious sacrament; there's a pretty realistic scene concerning this in the movie Young Guns.

[O Really]

Is that what atheists do, make rules up that are not relevant?

Atheists, Deists, or members of the Church of Body Modification - no human-made rule has any relevance with regard to an entity that created the universe(s).

I guess you'll pass on the other questions too, eh?

[Vrede too]

A deist sneering at made up rules (even though they weren't "rules", just logic) - that's rich.

On behalf of the criminals of Arizona, I wish to express appreciation for the low standards necessary to become a rural "Law [sic] Enforcement [sic] Officer [sic]".

[1 CAT FAN]

Another Christian raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"

The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another Christian in the vanguard! Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."

The Christian looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are making, sir. Now I've got a question for you. Is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"Is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No, sir, there isn't."

The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes very cold.

The second Christian continues. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than 458 - You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. Because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just..," [Silence fills the room] "...the absence of it." [More silence. A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.] "Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"

"That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...?"

"So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes..."

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, Darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it. Can you...give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"

Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him. This will indeed be a good semester. "Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."

The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...? How dare you...!"

"Sir, may I explain what I mean?" The class is all ears.

"Explain...oh explain..." The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.

"You are working on the premise of duality," the Christian explains. "That for example there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it."

The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbor who has been reading it. "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"

"Of course there is, now look..."

"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality. Is there such thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?" The Christian pauses. "Isn't evil the absence of good?" [The teacher is temporarily speechless.] The Christian continues. "If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil. What is that work, God is accomplishing? The Bible tells us it is to see if each one of us will, of our own free will, choose good over evil."

The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't view this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not observable."

"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going," the Christian replies. "Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?" [The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.] "Professor. Since no-one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an ongoing endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?"

"I'll overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.

"So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"

"I believe in what is-that's science!"

"Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face splits into a grin. "Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is a premise which is flawed..."

"SCIENCE IS FLAWED?" the professor splutters. The class is in uproar.

The Christian remains standing until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?" [The professor wisely keeps silent.] The Christian looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out in laughter.The Christian points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain...felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain?" No one appears to have done so. The Christian shakes his head sadly. "It appears no-one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever. Well, according to the rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science, I DECLARE that the professor has no brain."


The class is in chaos. The Christian sits... Because that is what a chair is for.

[neoplacebo]

Football is the absence of basketball. Pearl has this tattooed on his chest.

[O Really]

Summary: Wise-guy student plays semantic games with hapless professor.

[Vrede too]

Physics A-
Creative Writing B
Natural Sciences D
Logic F

Student required to repeat 8th grade.
Then, 1 FAT CAN is expelled for plagiarism.

[1 CAT FAN]

Glad to know the atheist professor vs the Christian student was an enjoyable read.

http://www.patrish.com/atheist.html

Happy Easter!