no, I'm not saying that the sheer number of people alone is sufficient
LadyLorraine Send a noteboard - 19/12/2011 10:13:09 PM
Nor that those people are correct by force of majority.
I will clarify what I was trying to say. If billions of people have had some perception of "something", whatever they call it, I think it is worth thinking about. I really doubt any one person/group is correct. But it's like...if 75% of a town see an airplane above their town, then it is worth considering if there was an airplane above the town, isn't it? Maybe they're wrong, or maybe they're right, but it's at least worth investigating. Provided you're in to airplanes, anyway, but that's just nitpicking the analogy and you get my point
Also, I think a lot of people pigeonhole "atheism" when they talk about just believing in God (or not) (I don't even see MANY people directly talk about non-Christian gods). My definition of an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in ANYTHING religious or spiritual. If someone does not believe in a deity, but believes that there is some spiritual aspect to life, then I would not label them an atheist. It's definitely a more nitpicky and particular definition and I'm aware some people disagree and label themselves accordingly. That's fine by me.
It does affect how I label myself, though. I am 99.999...% sure there is no God, or gods as we know them. However I am not going to round that specific value up to the statement "100% no deities; I am atheist", because I do believe there is something that many would label "supernatural" or "spiritual" or whatever. I'm not aware enough or knowing enough of it to try to define it. I just believe that it's there, and so I don't want to call myself an atheist.
I will clarify what I was trying to say. If billions of people have had some perception of "something", whatever they call it, I think it is worth thinking about. I really doubt any one person/group is correct. But it's like...if 75% of a town see an airplane above their town, then it is worth considering if there was an airplane above the town, isn't it? Maybe they're wrong, or maybe they're right, but it's at least worth investigating. Provided you're in to airplanes, anyway, but that's just nitpicking the analogy and you get my point

Also, I think a lot of people pigeonhole "atheism" when they talk about just believing in God (or not) (I don't even see MANY people directly talk about non-Christian gods). My definition of an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in ANYTHING religious or spiritual. If someone does not believe in a deity, but believes that there is some spiritual aspect to life, then I would not label them an atheist. It's definitely a more nitpicky and particular definition and I'm aware some people disagree and label themselves accordingly. That's fine by me.
It does affect how I label myself, though. I am 99.999...% sure there is no God, or gods as we know them. However I am not going to round that specific value up to the statement "100% no deities; I am atheist", because I do believe there is something that many would label "supernatural" or "spiritual" or whatever. I'm not aware enough or knowing enough of it to try to define it. I just believe that it's there, and so I don't want to call myself an atheist.
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Kim Jong-il is dead. Would you become a fervent believer?
- 19/12/2011 03:37:28 AM
1742 Views
If I was a Christian, I'd pray that he would burn forever in hell.
- 19/12/2011 03:47:52 AM
1155 Views
See, I can't be an atheist.
- 19/12/2011 03:53:55 AM
1118 Views
I agree about atheism
- 19/12/2011 04:19:02 AM
1027 Views
It's an approximation.
- 19/12/2011 05:40:05 PM
1015 Views
no, I'm not saying that the sheer number of people alone is sufficient
- 19/12/2011 10:13:09 PM
898 Views
No, Pascal's Wager is stupid.
- 19/12/2011 03:09:42 PM
1000 Views
You obviously misread my comments or ignored them.
- 19/12/2011 03:39:59 PM
1022 Views
You're answering a different point to the one I was addressing.
- 19/12/2011 04:01:54 PM
926 Views
For atheism to be a tenable position, one must assume that millions lie about their experiences.
- 20/12/2011 04:11:53 AM
1018 Views
Look, doesn't this go against your most sacred principle?
- 20/12/2011 06:43:27 AM
977 Views
No, it doesn't.
- 20/12/2011 08:30:55 PM
884 Views
Re: No, it doesn't.
- 20/12/2011 09:21:22 PM
928 Views
This militant atheism is somewhat amusing.
- 20/12/2011 09:48:57 PM
942 Views
... somewhat irrational at times too
- 21/12/2011 01:22:54 AM
857 Views
Huh?
- 21/12/2011 10:47:06 AM
918 Views
That's somewhat unrelated to the intended point of the post
- 21/12/2011 12:41:49 PM
921 Views
My "Huh?" was at your claim that any reasonable definition Kim Jong-il was a millitant athiest
- 21/12/2011 12:58:44 PM
895 Views
You're objecting to me calling the Military Dictator militant?
- 21/12/2011 03:13:35 PM
962 Views
Your position isn't rational nor logical
- 20/12/2011 12:45:03 PM
967 Views
I never stated it was either. That's the problem with spiritual matters.
- 20/12/2011 08:43:46 PM
868 Views
How about a faith atheist?
- 19/12/2011 04:28:59 PM
1048 Views
Nevermind. It appears you answered that in your reply to Tim. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 04:32:19 PM
514 Views
Re: See, I can't be an atheist.
- 19/12/2011 04:57:23 PM
1007 Views
It's impossible to tell if worshipping a false god would be worse than worshipping no god at all.
- 20/12/2011 04:14:59 AM
827 Views
Sounds like you must be a modern-day prophet
- 19/12/2011 05:24:24 PM
859 Views
Idiocy. Confirmation bias doesn't explain away external phenomena.
- 20/12/2011 04:19:10 AM
961 Views
Well.
- 21/12/2011 01:49:36 PM
972 Views
I didn't forget about it. I was getting ready to give up on it.
- 21/12/2011 02:27:18 PM
865 Views
Also, learn to use the subjunctive. It's "if I WERE a Christian..."
- 19/12/2011 03:54:20 AM
962 Views
The sad thing about that comment...
- 19/12/2011 04:52:57 AM
1087 Views
I'm pretty sure there's plenty of middle ground between those two examples
- 19/12/2011 05:31:13 PM
862 Views
- 19/12/2011 05:31:13 PM
862 Views
Tom, I think this means you should take up ForEx trading. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 04:00:20 AM
438 Views
I might. I'm close enough to it as is. I just did some ForEx ISDAs for clients...
- 19/12/2011 04:03:11 AM
1044 Views
I thought you were asking if I believed in KJ-I, the Eternal Leader
- 19/12/2011 06:55:08 AM
865 Views
The article I just read said he died on Saturday.
- 19/12/2011 08:58:17 AM
946 Views
Yeah, he actually died on a train Saturday morning before Tom made the comment. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 09:13:44 PM
396 Views
I'm not claiming causality. And, for the record, I first made the comment on Friday afternoon.
- 20/12/2011 04:25:07 AM
944 Views
You know what's really weird?
- 19/12/2011 11:32:23 AM
941 Views
They took it down, apparently. *NM*
- 20/12/2011 04:40:24 AM
421 Views
Not surprising, still in the revisions if anyone wants to see of course
- 20/12/2011 11:06:05 AM
1121 Views
He's not dead-dead. Neither is his father. Just ask the North Koreans.
- 19/12/2011 04:23:48 PM
920 Views
Re: He's not dead-dead. Neither is his father. Just ask the North Koreans.
- 19/12/2011 09:15:09 PM
876 Views
The problem with predictions that come true
- 19/12/2011 05:28:24 PM
979 Views
I don't make a lot of predictions. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 08:18:53 PM
549 Views
Well you should start at least journaling the ones that you do make.
- 19/12/2011 08:40:18 PM
932 Views
I actually now do tell my friends when I have dreams that have the "feel" to them.
- 20/12/2011 04:36:07 AM
1006 Views
I can attest to the fact that this conversation took place on Facebook Saturday.
- 19/12/2011 09:19:06 PM
870 Views
Yes, TMJ, you also contributed in this case. *NM*
- 20/12/2011 04:38:42 AM
404 Views
Jeez, I hope I never get on your bad side
- 20/12/2011 12:06:54 AM
831 Views
- 20/12/2011 12:06:54 AM
831 Views
Things did change for the better with Stalin's death.
- 20/12/2011 02:51:12 AM
906 Views
So I guess you want me to destroy the voodoo doll I have of you? Oh wait...never mind.
*NM*
- 20/12/2011 04:37:35 AM
399 Views
*NM*
- 20/12/2011 04:37:35 AM
399 Views

*NM*