Do you believe in some sort of God(s)? - Page 12

gumpzilla · #**111** 02-01-2007, 07:12 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Like I said, I have no problem with the argument, and I'm not defending Christianity as a logical construct. However, a lot of people who aren't Christian or even theist would agree that it is less silly than Scientology.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that's because most people are much more familiar with the breadth of what Christianity offers, as opposed to merely eschatological minutiae. How much do people really know about Scientology? It seems famously hard to learn about without shelling out money (which in itself is a very dubious sign, it must be said.)

GuyOnTilt · #**112** 02-01-2007, 07:14 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If you're going to take Tom Cruise to task for having crazy-ass beliefs, you should also take the majority of Americans to task for having different crazy-ass beliefs.

[/ QUOTE ]

PJ,

You're smarter than this.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think, as Gump noted, it's a very fair point Joker's making. Tradition does not equal legitimacy (although it may feel / appear that way). And at root, every religion is built on faith and faith alone.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's a fair point, yes. But saying that because someone jumps on one religion for being nonsensical they then must jump on all other nonsensical philosophies is pretty horrible logic.

Aloysius · #**113** 02-01-2007, 07:18 PM

GoT - well, why? To me it's actually a refreshing clarity of belief - basically, you believe X (there is no metaphysical state or God) therefore anything that is metaphysics-based and deviates from X is incorrect.

-Al

amplify · #**114** 02-01-2007, 07:19 PM

What does eschatology have to do with anything?

gumpzilla · #**115** 02-01-2007, 07:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What does eschatology have to do with anything?

[/ QUOTE ]

My main point was that if people only knew a sliver of what Christianity said - comparable to what is publically known about Scientology - would they have more reason to take it seriously? (Obviously in one sense, yes, because more people believe it. But that's more a matter of politics, which is tangential to this discussion.) And I like the word.

GuyOnTilt · #**116** 02-01-2007, 07:32 PM

[ QUOTE ]
GoT - well, why?

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

If you're going to take Tom Cruise to task for having crazy-ass beliefs, you should also take the majority of Americans to task for having different crazy-ass beliefs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Taking on one example to illustrate an idea in no way means "you should also take" on all others, or even any others.

Replace the phrase "crazy-ass beliefs" in his statement for the phrase "bad breath in the morning", or any other phrase that fits. It makes no sense whatsoever.

I agree with the point he's trying to make wrt tradition/social acceptance, but he shouldn't use bad logic to get there.

technologic · #**117** 02-01-2007, 07:33 PM

i'm a Christian as a result of the sum of my experiences, rather than logical reasoning.

there are just some things you can't break down into logical little pieces, like attempts to quantify why art/music is awesome, or why we fall in love, etc. in the end, there are only really your own experiences to fall back on to make decisions.

joker,

i think you have more of a problem with the hypocrisy of many christians than christianity itself.

lippy · #**118** 02-01-2007, 07:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
there are just some things you can't break down into logical little pieces, like attempts to quantify why art/music is awesome, or why we fall in love, etc. in the end, there are only really your own experiences to fall back on to make decisions.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can't these feelings (love, attraction to music) be explained as evolutionary impulses. Those drawn to a woman are more likely to be successful breeders, etc.

GuyOnTilt · #**119** 02-01-2007, 07:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
there are just some things you can't break down into logical little pieces, like attempts to quantify why art/music is awesome, or why we fall in love, etc. in the end, there are only really your own experiences to fall back on to make decisions.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can't these feelings (love, attraction to music) be explained as evolutionary impulses. Those drawn to a woman are more likely to be successful breeders, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't know the right term for it, but things along the lines of Brain Stimulation Reward and other brain-related chemical processes explain these things too, I think.

technologic · #**120** 02-01-2007, 07:49 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
there are just some things you can't break down into logical little pieces, like attempts to quantify why art/music is awesome, or why we fall in love, etc. in the end, there are only really your own experiences to fall back on to make decisions.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can't these feelings (love, attraction to music) be explained as evolutionary impulses. Those drawn to a woman are more likely to be successful breeders, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

it's your choice to explain it away as such, but i tend to believe that learning about how other people think (through mediums such as movies, art, music, expression) and love are not always made to further my genetic code.