Originally posted by josephw
You just keep saying what you think without really understanding why you think it.

This is word salad.

Originally posted by josephw
Your contentions are merely the bogus arrangement of words without reason.

Another example of deflection from you.

Originally posted by FMF
Nonsense. Nobody actually knows how life originated, for instance. You claim you do. And I admit I don't. If you did know, you would be able to explain it to everybody, including me, and then everybody would know. But all you have is your faith. And good for you. But the fact remains, mankind does not know how it originated, and while religions have offered various narratives and conjectures, we just don't know for sure.

"Nobody actually knows how life originated,.."

First you make the definitive statement that "nobody actually know how life originated", and then follow it up with "I admit I don't". Can't you see how illogical that is? To state you know something, i.e. "nobody knows how life originated", and then say you don't is self contradictory.

To admit you don't know how life originated is an admission of ignorance which cannot be countered by lumping everyone else in the same ignorance.

You would first have to know nobody knows before you can say nobody knows. It would be more rational to say I don't know how life originated, and I don't think any one else does either, but I could be wrong, maybe someone else does know.

That you don't know how life originated isn't a rational argument for saying that nobody else does either.

Prove I don't know.

Originally posted by FMF
Christians on this forum have been insisting for as long as I have been here that "salvation" is a choice: if you choose to believe in Jesus you shall be "saved" etc. It's nonsense. No one can choose to believe in Jesus if they find it all unbelievable. In other words, it's not "a choice".

"No one can choose to believe in Jesus if they find it all unbelievable."

I'm going to start calling you mr. obvious.

Only a fool believes in something they don't know to be true. It's only a choice when it's based on accurate knowledge.

Originally posted by josephw
First you make the definitive statement that "nobody actually know how life originated", and then follow it up with "I admit I don't". Can't you see how illogical that is? To state you know something, i.e. "nobody knows how life originated", and then say you don't is self contradictory.

How is it illogical? How is it self contradictory? "Nobody actually know how life originated". That means I don't know either. When I say "nobody", I am part of that nobody thing. And you know what? I "admit" it. Standard English, josephw. You're trying to hard - and perhaps a wee bit too hastily - to land a punch.

Originally posted by josephw
Only a fool believes in something they don't know to be true.

Nonsense. When people believe in something they don't "know" to be true, it's called "faith".

Originally posted by josephw
Prove I don't know.

Until you come up with some facts (that are not simply ancient Hebrew mythology or pagan tales of demi-gods, or animist fables) then you have proven nothing except that you believe in supernatural phenomena.

Originally posted by josephw
Neither is better. Both fail.

By the way, is this an admission that you don't know for certain whether an absolute universal standard of morality exists or not, and that because you don't that that's better than believing one does?

Oh dear. 🙁

Originally posted by FMF
Nonsense. When people believe in something they don't "know" to be true, it's called "faith".

Just goes to show how much you know about faith.

Faith isn't believing without knowledge. Faith isn't some surrealistic-supernatural-I-hope-it's-true-wish-washy-fantasy.

Faith is acting on and living out what one knows is true based on what the author of life has said.

Faith is something you know nothing about based on your own admission that you don't know how life originated because you fail to believe the evidence God has amply provided, so please spare me your definition of the faith you obviously have no experience with.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Oh dear. 🙁

Oh dear is right. It should have read, "..,and that because you don't know that that's better than believing an absolute standard of morality does exist?

Cypher that one out. 😉

Originally posted by josephw
Oh dear is right. It should have read, "..,and that because you don't [b]know that that's better than believing an absolute standard of morality does exist?

Cypher that one out. 😉[/b]

Oh dear, in that it 'was' a test and you failed to supply the correct answer. 😏

Try again sir, 'which is better, a child who doesn't know what 65 divided by 13 is (and freely admits it) or a child who is absolute and unyielding in his belief that the answer is 6000?'

Clue: Which one is best placed to discover the real answer?

Originally posted by FMF
Until you come up with some facts (that are not simply ancient Hebrew mythology or pagan tales of demi-gods, or animist fables) then you have proven nothing except that you believe in supernatural phenomena.

The fact of the existence of the material universe, the testimony of scripture and one's conscience.

Until you come to terms with those facts your self proclaimed ignorance of the origin of life leaves you without a word of merit.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Oh dear, in that it 'was' a test and you failed to supply the correct answer. 😏

Try again sir, 'which is better, a child who doesn't know what 65 divided by 13 is (and freely admits it) or a child who is absolute and unyielding in his belief that the answer is 6000?'

Clue: Which one is best place to discover the real answer?

Why don't you ask the straw man?

Originally posted by josephw
Why don't you ask the straw man?

My question is valid. You of course don't need to answer.

Originally posted by josephw
Just goes to show how much you know about faith.

Faith isn't believing without knowledge. Faith isn't some surrealistic-supernatural-I-hope-it's-true-wish-washy-fantasy.

Faith is acting on and living out what one knows is true based on what the author of life has said.

Faith is something you know nothing about based on your own admission that you do ...[text shortened]... provided, so please spare me your definition of the faith you obviously have no experience with.

It's not entirely clear from your mish mash of seemingly peeved and blurted assertions what your definition of "faith" is exactly, but I am pretty sure the definition I offered is nearer to the truth.