Ben Stein vs. Sputtering Atheists

[Torque]

I have seen no evidence that supports the idea of an afterlife. It's a nice thought and probably a great comfort to those that are afraid to die, but I have no illusions of a life after death. As the electro-chemical machine I am when my life-processes seize to function I will seize to exist as a sentient being. My body will break down into elemental compounds and return to the Earth were they will be the building blocks of new life. Many small creatures and plant life will live of my remains and in that regard there is an afterlife, but the entity I call "me" will be gone forever ... only remembered by those who love me.

lumpy is spot on... what i find ironic... those that rage against nanny govts are the first to paparazzi the original.

[SkyRock]

I must have missed the questions directly to me....

My bad Donzo, they were to Lambo.  Could you answer these?

What time frame did God create the sea slug and the bombadier beetle?  WHich did he create first?  Were they both created in the same week?

[moot]

Assuming there is a creator of all he must be disappointed when we reject reason and intellect. He created these afterall did he not? For these gifts to be squandered on exalting one's self instead of leading us to the knowledge of him surely causes him pain.  

Baloney... Who are you to say what "is Him" or isn't?  Any and all things done or thought are equaly part of "Creation".  Who are you to say what disappoints him or doesn't?  Neither you nor anyone has anything else to base this on but a leap of faith.

Faith has no relevence in science.

And I reckon Holden doesn't reject God like you're so quick to conclude.  It's really not surprising that in the end, the real argument for the religious to force faith onto science is some philosophical argument that's not scientific at all.

[Holden McGroin]

If you reject God now will you feel any differently should you find yourself still aware and thinking after you cross the threshold of death?

I do not reject God.  I simply reject the idea that the (non) existance of God is knowable.

Accepting God on the proviso that one could be wrong, so the safe thing to do is accept Him, is a foolish one, as with that notion, one is fooling one's self.

"I better cover my bases because I might be wrong" is not blind faith.

[SirLoin]

Accepting God on the proviso that one could be wrong, so the safe thing to do is accept Him, is a foolish one, as with that notion, one is fooling one's self.

"I better cover my bases because I might be wrong" is not blind faith.

That's called "Pascal's Wager".

[Holden McGroin]

And there are many things wrong with it, http://www.update.uu.se/~fbendz/nogod/pascal.htm but the fundamental in my mind is that:

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." John 20:29 KJ

He doesn't say ,"Blessed are those who accept me on the possiblility that I may exist, because if they didn't believe in me and were wrong and they would burn in hellfire for eternity."

[AKIron]

I do not reject God.  I simply reject the idea that the (non) existance of God is knowable.

Accepting God on the proviso that one could be wrong, so the safe thing to do is accept Him, is a foolish one, as with that notion, one is fooling one's self.

"I better cover my bases because I might be wrong" is not blind faith.

I agree and you have created a strawman.

[Holden McGroin]

If you reject God now will you feel any differently should you find yourself still aware and thinking after you cross the threshold of death?  

This is a paraphrase of Pascal's wager.

It is not my strawman.

[AKIron]

This is a paraphrase of Pascal's wager.

It is not my strawman.

I was not suggesting you would regret your rejection of God, assuming Christians are right and he does stand and knock at the door of everyone's heart. I was asking that if you reject the Christian God now would you change your mind should you find him to be a reality after you die?

[Lumpy]

If there is a "designer", he isn't a very good one.

[Holden McGroin]

I was not suggesting you would regret your rejection of God, assuming Christians are right and he does stand and knock at the door of everyone's heart. I was asking that if you reject the Christian God now would you change your mind should you find him to be a reality after you die?

And your question is Pacal's wager.

Logic would say that a reasonable man would change his views based on evidence showing him wrong.  I am a reasonable man. But in order for your suggestion to be reasonable, one must assume the existance of an afterlife: something that has no evidence and is therefore unreasonable.   

Your question is just an if based on an if.

I have not rejected God, I just have no evidence suggesting his presence. 

Whether you realize it or not, you have misrepresented my views: hence the strawman is yours.

[AKIron]

Rev 3:20 "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."

Whether or not you have heard the knock but won't answer is not for me or any other man to say. It is my belief though that everyone will at some or many points hear that knock. That knock may be considered by God sufficient "evidence". 

[Holden McGroin]

So...

The evidence needed to believe... will reveal itself... once you believe...

OK.

Once again logic and faith are not adequate to prove each other.

[MORAY37]

Once again a thread on evolution dissolves into bible class.  

This simple observation proves evolution can move in two directions.  Too many scared, intellectually lazy people out there, instead of learning about the world, decided to go make too many copies of themselves and now have gone from riding in the short bus to driving it. 

Your genes will win out in the end... you can't fix stupid.

Let the "Devolution" debate begin.  The real life Devolution obviously has, at least in the United States.  I swear, if there ever was an alien invasion, all they'd have to do is dress one of them up like Jesus, send him down and tell us to shoot ourselves.  Pretty sure 85% of of this country might just listen, without a second thought. 

I wonder if the loss of rational thought hurt many of you.

[myelo]

Well .... that's was insightful.