The Role of the Unrepentant Skeptic

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
What in there-is-no-God-ergo-there-is-no-purpose-that-God's name is comfort?

If the religious beliefs ~ that people like you and KellyJay profess ~ give your lives meaning, offer you the consolation of thinking you have an afterlife to look forward to, and afford you some satisfaction and philosophical grounding in what is laid out in the texts that underpin them, then I would describe that as a form of "comfort".

Originally posted by FMF
Don't be so brittle and insecure. I don't know for sure if Ghost of a Duke sees it like I do, but I am pleased for you if your religious beliefs give you solace and a sense of purpose - or structure - and if they help you to come to terms with the inevitability of death by making you feel 'death is not the end'.

So essentially truth doesn't matter as long as your beliefs give you solace and a sense of purpose is that about it?

Originally posted by KellyJay
Me and several other people got into A LOT of trouble, and I asked God to get me out of it. He did, I went to church and got baptized on a Sunday, and went back to my old life on Monday; however, from that point on I started talking to God off and on, I still didn't know anyone who was saved. Then I felt Him calling me so I looked for someone to help me out, w ...[text shortened]... aper, I called went over got saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit. That happened over 30 years ago.

Meanwhile, babies were blown up from bombs, young children were raped so hard they can't walk anymore, whole families destroyed, but Kelly got away with shenanigans.

Praise the Lord!

Originally posted by dj2becker
So essentially truth doesn't matter as long as your beliefs give you solace and a sense of purpose is that about it?

Essentially, yes, that's my attitude to other people's superstitious beliefs as long as they don't translate into what I see as negative political action. If your religious beliefs make you feel confident and happy, for example, then good for you. Your claims about the "truth" in the realm of superstition don't actually matter to me (i.e don't affect me or the reality in which I live) but if your beliefs give you solace and a sense of purpose in life, then that's OK by me.

Originally posted by KellyJay
Me and several other people got into A LOT of trouble, and I asked God to get me out of it. He did...

This is a perennial story line in countless soapy TV dramas that are screened during the month of Ramadan here.

Originally posted by FMF
Essentially, yes, that's my attitude to other people's superstitious beliefs as long as they don't translate into what I see as negative political action. If your religious beliefs make you feel confident and happy, for example, then good for you. Your claims about the "truth" in the realm of superstition don't actually matter to me (i.e don't affect me or the r ...[text shortened]... live) but if your beliefs give you solace and a sense of purpose in life, then that's OK by me.

Would you say everyone who believes that Jesus existed is being superstitious?

Originally posted by dj2becker
Would you say everyone who believes that Jesus existed is being superstitious?

I believe Jesus existed. "Superstition" is a belief in supernatural causality and other supernatural phenomena, events or beings. Everyone who believes that Jesus was a divine being is being superstitious, in my view.

Originally posted by FMF
I believe Jesus existed. "Superstition" is a belief in supernatural causality and other supernatural phenomena, events or beings. Everyone who believes that Jesus was a divine being is being superstitious, in my view.

Do you believe all 'superstitious beliefs' are untrue?

Originally posted by dj2becker
Do you believe all 'superstitious beliefs' are untrue?

You asked me this before already ~ when you were using the Fetchmyjunk account ~ and I answered.

Originally posted by FMF
You asked me this before already ~ when you were using the Fetchmyjunk account ~ and I answered.

I don't recall asking you this before. I suspect you just don't want to answer the question for obvious reasons.

Originally posted by dj2becker
I don't recall asking you this before. I suspect you just don't want to answer the question for obvious reasons.

If, after swapping many hundreds of posts with me on the subject of superstition, you now choose to act as if you are under the impression that I might somehow be superstitious about certain things, then that is your prerogative.

Originally posted by FMF
If, after swapping many hundreds of posts with me on the subject of superstition, you now choose to act as if you are under the impression that I might somehow be superstitious about certain things, then that is your prerogative.

I am merely interested in how you have arrived at the truth value of the things you choose to label as superstitions.

Originally posted by dj2becker
I am merely interested in how you have arrived at the truth value of the things you choose to label as superstitions.

Well maybe ask somebody else who's interested in discussing it with you on this occasion. As far as I am concerned, we have already discussed it ad nauseam and here you are broaching the topic with yet again with me as we haven't.

Originally posted by FMF
Well maybe ask somebody else who's interested in discussing it with you on this occasion. As far as I am concerned, we have already discussed it ad nauseam and here you are broaching the topic with yet again with me as we haven't.

As far as I am concerned you are always ducking and diving and hiding behind the claim that you can't decide to believe in anything and that all your beliefs are just brain dead realizations.