Thread of the Temple of the Search for Truth

[Elixir]

This thread is a depressing demonstration of the principle that drives people to seek refuge in religion. What is it from which people seek refuge? The unknown, the incomprehensible and the unknowable. While science can provide the means to fathom the unknown, unravel the incomprehensible and define the unknowable, it doesn’t do any of that work for you. You have to APPLY reason. You have to work your brain within the investigative methodology of science. It’s hard. it is satisfying, but only after conquering the frustrations and fatigue of exhausting effort.
In contrast, religion provides a spiritual MRE with no work required - just surrender to its offering and you can feel better TODAY!
I find it rather sad and pitiable.

 

[Rhea]

Now maybe if I spent 10 years reading all the books that negate Christianity, Yes, I might slowly tear away at this faith im talking about.

It sounds like you are implying that I read anti christian stuff and lost my faith. But that’s not at all true. Maybe it’s easier for you to imagine atheists if you imagine that, I dunno.

I have never believed in god(dess)(es). I was raised in a Christian household and from my earliest memory I could not understand why people

1. Believed that story
2. Liked that story

It plumb evades me and it always has.

Note that this was before I entered school, so it wasn’t an infusion of meanie atheist propaganda. It just does not compute,

So why the F$%$ would I try to do that?

Dunno. Did someone ask you to?

If I handed over my golden ticket to the Chocolate Factory tour, I'm sure after 10 years of cutting it into small pieces for me, you would then successfully proclaim that the ticket never existed.

Er, you are implying here that the existence of the ticket was certain and incontrovertible at the beginning before you imagine I tried to destroy it? Your analogy is confusing.


You made a claim that blind faith was blessed. I heard you and I pictured, “okay, how would that work for any encounter,” and I discovered that it didn’t hold up well at all as a way to deytermine whether something is true or good. It would lead people to have faith in bad things, too.

The thing is - any faith claim, any claim that prefers one religion, should be able to prefer that religion and not prefer others. But if the claim makes you fall for anything, than what good is it? I’m serious here.

How does “believe without seeing” make you find the RIGHT god and not some evil imposter? How can anyone even tell that they have faith in the right thing? God gave you an instruction that is LIKELY to lead you astray. Indeed, mybe it already has!?

If I were Satan, I would ABSOLUTELY write a book that says, “believe in me without evidence and I’ll give you great treasures.”

 

[TomC]

Er, you are implying here that the existence of the ticket was certain and incontrovertible at the beginning before you imagine I tried to destroy it? Your analogy is confusing.

Honestly, the problem I see is the assumption that the Chocolate Factory exists.

"I've got a Golden Ticket to the Chocolate Factory" doesn't mean much if the chocolate factory is something made up by the ticket salesman.
Tom

 

[Rhea]

Er, you are implying here that the existence of the ticket was certain and incontrovertible at the beginning before you imagine I tried to destroy it? Your analogy is confusing.

Honestly, the problem I see is the assumption that the Chocolate Factory exists.

"I've got a Golden Ticket to the Chocolate Factory" doesn't mean much if the chocolate factory is something made up by the ticket salesman.
Tom

Have faith in the factory, Tom! It has to exist, it’s written in a book!