Originally posted by Hand of Hecate
I think Pudzanka deserves an answer.

Who cares what you think?

I'll answer who I want as and when I want. I wasn't online at the time, hence my response is only materialising now.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Yes, I do have "free will". That has nothing to do with it. I've just never been able to take christianity, or any religion, seriously. It's hardly like I sat down and thought about it, I just took one long look and thought, "yeah, pull the other one mate, it's got bells on!"

Oh, and for your betterment, the curtain thing was a reference to "the wizard of Oz".

Do you take anything seriously for that matter?

So you really think that will be a good enough excuse?

Originally posted by Phuzudaka
So you really think that will be a good enough excuse?

If you read his post again you will notice that he basically said that he doesn't think that excuses will be necessary because he doesn't expect to be asked in the first place because he doesn't think there is a God out there to be doing the asking.
And what about you? Are you ready to answer the quiz that Odin will set for you when you get to the gates of Valhalla? Have you killed enough people to even get as far as the gates? I sincerely doubt it.

Originally posted by twhitehead
If you read his post again you will notice that he basically said that he doesn't think that excuses will be necessary because he doesn't expect to be asked in the first place because he doesn't think there is a God out there to be doing the asking.
And what about you? Are you ready to answer the quiz that Odin will set for you when you get to the gates ...[text shortened]... alhalla? Have you killed enough people to even get as far as the gates? I sincerely doubt it.

His initial statements were made within the paradigm of Christianity.

Shifting the goal-posts is all he can do.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Yes, I do have "free will". That has nothing to do with it. I've just never been able to take christianity, or any religion, seriously. It's hardly like I sat down and thought about it, I just took one long look and thought, "yeah, pull the other one mate, it's got bells on!"

Oh, and for your betterment, the curtain thing was a reference to "the wizard of Oz".

If you've hardly given it a serious think, then perhaps you should not be too quick to judge people who have given it serious thought as lacking reason.

Originally posted by Phuzudaka
His initial statements were made within the paradigm of Christianity.

Shifting the goal-posts is all he can do.

Which statement was that?

Mind read: you had nothing better to say and didn't want to answer my question.

Originally posted by lucifershammer
If you've hardly given it a serious think, then perhaps you should not be too quick to judge people who have given it serious thought as lacking reason.

If you see a madman running through the streets shouting "The sky is falling" would you be "too quick to judge" if you simply dismissed him as a madman rather than giving serious thought to the possibility that the sky was falling?

Originally posted by twhitehead
If you see a madman running through the streets shouting "The sky is falling" would you be "too quick to judge" if you simply dismissed him as a madman rather than giving serious thought to the possibility that the sky was falling?

If I know from previous experience that he is a madman, then I would hardly be starting from first principles now, would I.

Counter-question for you -- what if it were a physics professor running through the streets? A good friend you know is quite a smart man?

Originally posted by twhitehead
If you see a madman running through the streets shouting "The sky is falling" would you be "too quick to judge" if you simply dismissed him as a madman rather than giving serious thought to the possibility that the sky was falling?

Perhaps a prudent observer would have a quick check before reassuring himself that the firmament is not about to crash from its celestial setting.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
Perhaps a prudent observer would have a quick check before reassuring himself that the firmament is not about to crash from its celestial setting.

An observer with even a hint of curiosity would take a look up to see whether there was any basis in the claim.

Originally posted by lucifershammer
An observer with even a hint of curiosity would take a look up to see whether there was any basis in the claim.

Yes, and scotishinnz said "I just took one long look and thought, 'yeah, pull the other one mate, it's got bells on!'" just as you might after observing a perfectly normal sky.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Yes, and scotishinnz said "I just took one long look and thought, 'yeah, pull the other one mate, it's got bells on!'" just as you might after observing a perfectly normal sky.

A more appropriate analogy would be someone dismissing global warming after looking up and observing a perfectly normal sky.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Which statement was that?

Mind read: you had nothing better to say and didn't want to answer my question.

"I mean, if you're right, YOUR God created us (knowing in advance that we'd reject him and have to send us to hell, but that's an aside), and is the only one who can judge us, RIGHT?!?"

Ring a bell?

Originally posted by Phuzudaka
Do you take anything seriously for that matter?

So you really think that will be a good enough excuse?

I take people seriously. I take my science and my teaching seriously. I take reality seriously. I do not take a bunch of fairy stories that you haven't grown out of, or are too indoctornated to break out of, seriously.

Originally posted by Phuzudaka
His initial statements were made within the paradigm of Christianity.

Shifting the goal-posts is all he can do.

Actually, he makes a good point. What if YOU are wrong? Have you done enough to appease any God or Gods which may exist?

How can you possibly know, using objective evidence, that you are *right*?