The God Delusion

Originally posted by scottishinnz
So explain why we have to be able to make it. We cannot make an apple, does that mean that they don't exist?

Originally posted by whodey
Common sense would lead me to believe they did not spontaneously pop into existence on their own, however, nor by a slow process of about a billion years or so.

Originally posted by rwingett
This is the new book by Richard Dawkins. Looks like it's going to be a good one.

From the blurb:

[i]While Europe is becoming increasingly secularised, the rise of religious fundamentalism, whether in the Middle East of Middle America, is dramatically and dangerously dividing opinion around the world.

In America and elsewhere, a vigorous dispute be ...[text shortened]... sm' thread. Namely, Noah and the great flood.

So who's going to rush out and buy it?

Originally posted by dj2becker
If there was no God, there would be no such a thing as an atheist.

Originally posted by Penguin
So you are saying that if there was no god, there would be no such thing as a "person who believes that there is no God"

I don't think the existance or not of one puts any restrictions at all on the existance or not of the other.

Originally posted by dj2becker
If there was no God, there would be no such a thing as an atheist.

Originally posted by Starrman
That's clearly a load of tripe, since by definition an atheist is someone who has no belief in god. If no gods were believed in, everyone would be an atheist by definition. The only thing that would change would be that we would prehaps have no terminology for it.

Originally posted by dj2becker
Noun 1. atheist - someone who denies the existence of god

http://dictionary.laborlawtalk.com/Atheist

If God did not exist, you would not need to deny his existence.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
"Did our earliest ancestors gain some evolutionary advantage through their shared religious feelings?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,2763,1590899,00.html

Originally posted by rwingett
Do you believe in unicorns? If not, does that mean unicorns exist?

Originally posted by dj2becker
I have never made the claim that unicorns do not exist. The strong atheist does make the claim that God does not exist.

Originally posted by rwingett
Have you been reading St. Anselm again? Naughty boy.

If anyone makes the claim that unicorns do not exist, does that mean they exist?

The idea of god clearly exists, but that is all that can be demonstrated.

If God did not exist, you would not need to deny his existence.

Come on, dj. Don't be silly. Surely even you can see what that statement makes no sense. Let me give you an example of the absurdity that can arise from your sort of logic.

Example:
There does not exist a rational number, q, such that q = sqrt(2). Here 'sqrt' means "positive square root." There. I have denied the existence of such a number, however I (and every mathematician in the world) must be fools. By your logic, this number must exist because otherwise I (and every mathematician in the world) would have no need to deny it.

I acknowledge your faith dj2, but I think you often get carried away when defending it or when attacking other philosophies and beliefs. You should pursue truth first, then let the chips fall where they may.

Originally posted by dj2becker
[b]If anyone makes the claim that unicorns do not exist, does that mean they exist?

No. It means that the person who makes the claim, claims to have absolute knowledge.[/b]

Originally posted by telerion
[b]If God did not exist, you would not need to deny his existence.

Come on, dj. Don't be silly. Surely even you can see what that statement makes no sense. Let me give you an example of the absurdity that can arise from your sort of logic.

Example:
There does not exist a rational number, q, such that q = sqrt(2). Here 'sqrt' means "positive ...[text shortened]... ophies and beliefs. You should pursue truth first, then let the chips fall where they may.[/b]