So there is no proof in anything ever?
You're making less and less sense with every post.
Actually there is sense in this.
Just for the record, I believe the only
rational stance is that of Agnostic-Atheism which is what I define myself as.
Yantorsen, you seem to believe (yes, an assumption) that you are well read, but from my objective reading of this thread -- you only seem to be versed within literature that conforms to your own ideals.
I think but I do not believe (belief here being defined as having more weight than simple thought) that the bible (although historically accurate in the sense that there may be some correlations with scientific fact) or rather belief systems were created as a foundation to answer the unknowable, similar to what an earlier poster suggested. I
think that perhaps these answers are manifestations created to ease the cognitive dissonance we experience in our quest for answers. Simply put; we do not like to be left without closure.
You assume that the burden is on others to prove there is a god(s) simply because you've been raised as a Christian -- you are the son of Christian parents. The natural state of affairs is atheism. When you are born you do not hold any prejudice, ideals or wants other than the instinctive need for survival. I'm afraid the onus is on you, as a theist to present the atheists (atheism being a-theism; a = without, theism = knowledge -- the term itself being somewhat bias, reflective of our historical past) with proof.
What people are trying to explain to you, and you've completely missed the point (which has in turn put doubts in my mind for any reasonable debate with you on that matter) on the original analogy of the FSM. Theists are the ones who are presenting
atheists with a somewhat profound claim of the existence of a deity. It is therefore your responsibility to produce the associated evidence; this is how you argue with a sceptic. In your mind, god gave us free will -- in my mind, this free will is to
question everything. If it means breaking the "unforgivable sin", then so be it. It amuses me really; why would god create me if he ultimately knew that I would mature to question such things? It seems like somewhat of a fool's errand. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Two more things -- how do you know that god is not evil? The bible seems to suggest otherwise and this isn't an assumption. The trump card of the New Testament doesn't change this either. Did you even recognise this in all your years or was it more convenient to ignore it?
Also, have you ever even considered that you're wrong? You were brought up by a Christian parent and I'm not surprised at Gilly's amusement. Your brain is wired, through evolutionary workings to take what an authoritative figure tells you as truth because it would quite simply lead to death otherwise; it is natural selection in its essence. I seriously recommend that you educate yourself on what exactly evolution is, as it really isn't just an "offensive" remark of descending from Apes. Do you not find it strange that in embryology that we still have a lizard's tail, or how if the eye isn't perfect? Do you think a designer would deliberately leave these 'inefficient' flaws in?
Let me ask you; why do you think or believe that Christianity is the one true religion? Is it because of the bible, because of your own personal deluded experiences, or is it because you were raised as such? I would quite reasonably wager a sum of money on the notion that should you have been born in the Middle East that you'd probably be Muslim and shrug Jesus as simply a prophet rather than the son of god.
I don't like belittling others but you are still very young, and when I was 16 I thought I was pretty clued up too, but you really have a lot to learn and your first lesson is this; be more sceptical. Do not believe everything you read and that doesn't mean pick and choose which suit your current beliefs, but actually seek out the truth. Let me ask you; in those videos you uploaded, did you believe anything Dawkins had to say or did you simply dismiss it? I don't agree with everything he has to say, but to a sceptic he makes far more sense than simple rhetoric. Since you seem to enjoy ancient wisdom, Socrates put it quite nicely; "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." and the older you get, the more you'll realise the merit to this sentiment.
The bible is not proof, it is simply evidence but the evidence in favour and against is highly skewed. When viewed completely objective (something which you seem incapable of doing at the moment) the bible is very dubious. You need to think; who, what, why, where and when?
I would assume that you're probably afraid of what it means to be an atheist, but there really is beauty in truth. Just because there is/are no god(s) doesn't make life meaningless or people inherently selfish; I personally subscribe to the Humanistic rationale. The universe is absolutely beautiful, right from the scale of things, to its age and even to its mysterious workings.
Quite simply, you're looking in the wrong places. You couldn't read all the books ever written in your lifetime so the trick is to read the right ones. For starters I suggest you read these:
Richard Dawkins - The Blind Watchmaker
Bill Bryson - A Short History of Nearly Everything
...and if you like those, I have plenty more suggestions to whet [edited for the pedantic] your appetite.
OT: The spelling in this thread makes baby Jesus want to cry.
PS: The Earth is thought to be about 4.5 billion years old with a 1% margin of error, the story of which is explained within Bryson's book. IIRC it was discovered through the use of carbon dating on meteorites, someone may correct me if I'm wrong.
