Is God real

[Zingari]

If only free will existed. Every action has a reaction - everything that will happen is destined to happen because of the precedent action.

Blimey I didn’t know that !

I’m in court next week for nicking a bottle of whiskey from Tesco ; can I use this as my defence?

[The Doctor]

How can one be 99% atheist? Surely that would make you agnostic.

Err, no - agnosticism is a position on certainty of belief. If you don't believe there is a god but admit that you can't be certain that there isn't one, you're an agnostic atheist. Agnostic is not it's own separate category - you're either atheist or theist, there's no middle ground (well - possibly apatheist, which essentially means you don't give a **** whether there is one or not, but I'd put that under atheism because it's still the absence of belief in a deity).

Edit: Here's a handy chart:

If only free will existed. Every action has a reaction - everything that will happen is destined to happen because of the precedent action.

Erm - that's a matter for debate actually. The Libet experiments back in the 80's did suggest that free will didn't exist, given the brain is making moves to perform an action up to 350ms before the concious decision is made, but there's also apparently argument for it existing: Look up Dan C. Dennett's book "Freedom Evolves" (which is on my current reading list but a bit of a way down).

[Dr The Singh]

Do we exist, I watched matrix the other day and now everything makes sense......i am Neo

[Haydos]

An atheist completely rejects the possibility of a deity, agnostics believe the possibility of the existence of a 'deity' is unknowable.

You appear to be an agnostic.

Fair enough, I guess I'm agnostic then

[fleckneymike]

Err, no - agnosticism is a position on certainty of belief. If you don't believe there is a god but admit that you can't be certain that there isn't one, you're an agnostic atheist. Agnostic is not it's own separate category - you're either atheist or theist, there's no middle ground (well - possibly apatheist, which essentially means you don't give a **** whether there is one or not, but I'd put that under atheism because it's still the absence of belief in a deity).

Edit: Here's a handy chart:

Erm - that's a matter for debate actually. The Libet experiments back in the 80's did suggest that free will didn't exist, given the brain is making moves to perform an action up to 350ms before the concious decision is made, but there's also apparently argument for it existing: Look up Dan C. Dennett's book "Freedom Evolves" (which is on my current reading list but a bit of a way down).

To paraphrase Vampire Weekend "I stand corrected"

You've been checking on my factsAnd I admit I have been laxIn double screening what I sayIt wasn't funny anyway

[Haydos]

To paraphrase Vampire Weekend "I stand corrected"

You've been checking on my factsAnd I admit I have been laxIn double screening what I sayIt wasn't funny anyway

And now I'm an atheist-agnostic. I did think that was a thing but wasn't sure.

[Matt]

No and religion is the root of all evil.

There would be alot less hurt, battles, war, arguments and racism if it wasn't for relgion and believers. I'm not saying it would eradicate all of those things, it wouldn't but there certainly wouldn't be anything near how much there is in the world.

[purpleronnie]

To paraphrase Vampire Weekend "I stand corrected"

said the man in the orthopedic shoe.

cheers alan.

[Guest BlueBrett]

That chart is pretty dopey. What if I sit at the end of the x axis and at the point where the two meet on the y? Surely then I am an ambivalent agnostic - or to say that without sounding like a pretentious dick, just plain agnostic.

Let's be honest, it's the the only place to be if you aren't inhibited by idiocy or arrogance.

[Captain...]

No and religion is the root of all evil.

There would be alot less hurt, battles, war, arguments and racism if it wasn't for relgion and believers. I'm not saying it would eradicate all of those things, it wouldn't but there certainly wouldn't be anything near how much there is in the world.

They would just do it in the name of someone or something else, the greatest wars we have seen were not done for religion, although they have played a part. The greatest tragedies too, racism apartheid and slavery were not done for religious reasons.

Man is inherently compelled to follow orders, no matter how abhorrent they may be, until they have followed orders so well they get to be the one giving orders. The problem is years of blindly following orders doesn't prepare you to give them.

[Dr The Singh]

They would just do it in the name of someone or something else, the greatest wars we have seen were not done for religion, although they have played a part. The greatest tragedies too, racism apartheid and slavery were not done for religious reasons.

Man is inherently compelled to follow orders, no matter how abhorrent they may be, until they have followed orders so well they get to be the one giving orders. The problem is years of blindly following orders doesn't prepare you to give them.

Agreed

[Vacamion]

Has anyone here not voted because they think that God logs on to FoxesTalk and will judge them to the enternal punishments of hell fire if they didn't vote "Yes"?

A sort of online Pascal's Wager...

I didn't vote, but not for that reason.

[Guest]

Blimey I didn’t know that !

I’m in court next week for nicking a bottle of whiskey from Tesco ; can I use this as my defence?

You can try. I can get you some references if you want.

Err, no - agnosticism is a position on certainty of belief. If you don't believe there is a god but admit that you can't be certain that there isn't one, you're an agnostic atheist. Agnostic is not it's own separate category - you're either atheist or theist, there's no middle ground (well - possibly apatheist, which essentially means you don't give a **** whether there is one or not, but I'd put that under atheism because it's still the absence of belief in a deity).

Edit: Here's a handy chart:

Erm - that's a matter for debate actually. The Libet experiments back in the 80's did suggest that free will didn't exist, given the brain is making moves to perform an action up to 350ms before the concious decision is made, but there's also apparently argument for it existing: Look up Dan C. Dennett's book "Freedom Evolves" (which is on my current reading list but a bit of a way down).

I go further than that, the very formation of our brain is a causal event.

Have you read Pierre Laplace?

Nature is the perfect machine, we are cogs and deluded in our beliefs that we are free.

[Vacamion]

Have you read Pierre Laplace?

Nah, I had no need for that hypothesis...

[Deucalion]

God clearly exists, sometimes we have a chat.

[ousefox]

One of my earliest memories was when i was around 3 or 4 and i asked my dad whether he really thought god was real. He laughed and said no. Think that sums it up for me, that i was able to work that out for myself at such a young age.

Really can't understand why people dedicate their lives to gods and religion. Although on the train to Leicester the other day, there was an old woman from a religious drama group talking to her friend about a script etc, and i realised how happy it probably made her and what else she would be doing if it wasn't for that and the part it played in her community. As long as people are happy it doesn't really matter to me, though i do have to say i find it hard to take religious people seriously when i know they believe in a god who is meant to be so fantastic and great. When religion stops people enjoying themselves that's when i get frustrated with it- i have a muslim friend who was always very sociable, but isn't allowed to go to parties/go into town because of the risk of him drinking. He's now very isolated and hardly sees any of his mates.

Nobody has put a half decent argument to me to suggest a god exists. People say that you can't say he doesn't exist as you can never truly know, but that's just the same as saying you can't say that fairies and unicorns don't exist.

Good video with Dawkins and Ricky Gervais here, though i'm getting bored of Gervais constantly going on about religion- all he talks about on twitter and he's not going to change anybodys mind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmtpFMJlpos

[ozleicester]

You're missing the point of free will.

You;re missing the point of GOD! - he that created a universe, from a gnats dick, to coke to gravity, he created free will..he can take it away.

You have kids don't you? You created them? They are, in your eyes at least, incredible, how is controlling their every action and thought?

Create is one thing.... GOD is another thing altogether...i (contrary to previous postsin this thread) am NOT GOD, if i were i would be capable of stopping starving and evil

[Guest]

God clearly exists, sometimes we have a chat.

On the big white telephone?

[Jimothy]

[Monk]

I must admit I didn't watch the video from OP originally, just did and got a good laugh from it. To say it misses the point would be a bit of an understatement!

Hate all these christian videos online against 'the athiests' as if people who don't believe in an invisible man in the sky are some kind of organisation (I mean in general - I do know there are some organisations)

[Tielemans63]

Like most Catholics, no I don't believe in God....

[Deucalion]

On the big white telephone?

He sits next to me when I'm on the loo.

[Carl the Llama]

I must admit I didn't watch the video from OP originally, just did and got a good laugh from it. To say it misses the point would be a bit of an understatement!

Hate all these christian videos online against 'the athiests' as if people who don't believe in an invisible man in the sky are some kind of organisation (I mean in general - I do know there are some organisations)

Basically all I learned from it is that fervent Christians literally have the mental capacity of a child...