hyposothingorother question for some athiests

[Todd]

Dixon mentioned in a thread that Skeptical Inquiror like himself are not so much about bashing God but just simply looking for reasonable proof of such. {Sorry if I screwed up the point you were trying to make Dixon}


So as an athiest who isn't against the idea of a God, merely an athiest who has no evidence of such.


What type of evidence would be required to believe in a supreme being christian or other just a diety of some sort?


AND


If this evidence was given to you would it change anything in your view?


Any and all explainations wanted, please discuss.

 

[Tabby432]

A personal invitation from god.

 

[sexy-girl]

i think this question is a very good one todd


for me the proof i need is if there is a soul then there is a god


falling in love made me believe that theres such things as souls and that in turn made me believe in god

 

[Mischka]

What type of evidence would be required to believe in a supreme being christian or other just a diety of some sort?

AND

If this evidence was given to you would it change anything in your view?

Very good question, Todd, and I have no idea what the answer is.

Every religion I have ever studied is based on faith - a fundamental feeling that some higher power exists and is responsible for our existence. I have never felt this faith, and I honestly don't know what it would take for me to feel it. If someone could give me faith - a reason to believe - would I? Of course. It's quite an empty feeling to watch others derive comfort from their religion and not have any idea what that feels like.

To me, religion simply does not make sense. I do not understand the need to worship and praise a higher life form, and I do not understand why a higher life form would want that attention from lesser beings. I believe that life was started by a force beyond our full comprehension, I just don't see what that has to do with religion.

Perhaps what I need is probative evidence that a higher life form exists, that it consciously created life, and then an explanation why it needs persistent worshipping for this act.

 

[Azwed]

Not really an athiest more of a diest myself. I just don't belive in organized religion. I think there is most likely some kind of supreme being out there, but if this being was so powerful it would be impossible for a human to understand. How could you quantify a being like this with a religion. I don't think you can which is why i reject organized religion.

That probably does not answer your question Todd, but I think it does explain my views some.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Maybe I can help you to answer this question yourself Todd...

What kind of evidence would you need to prove that Sandra Bullock is really a genetically altered octopus?

I'm entirely serious here. What kind of evidence would you need to believe somethign like that. What amazing thing would you have to be shown? What insurmountable scientific paper would have to be presented to you? Just how big would the proof have to be? Pretty damn big, compelling proof, right? Absolutely unshakeable proof, right? Exhaustive proof presented in such a compelling, lucid, testable way as to wipe away even the tiniest shadow of doubt that this isn't hypnosis, Hollywood FX, hysteria, psychosis or governmental conspiracy. Just what LEVEL of proof would you require to make you believe in such a silly, silly, silly thing that just can't possibly ever be true?

See, I don't think you get yet that to an atheist the concept of an actual God is just as ludicrous as Sandra Bullock being an octopus. Meditating on just what kind of "Proof" we need really isn't something we consider.

Or is there a part of you that thinks Sandra Bullock just might have a tentacle?

In that case, you're an agnostic.

 

[Angel]

So Dixon, how much exactly will you be giving me to cover the cost of removing soda from my keyboard?

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

You think you're having problems? Look what I got on my screen...

 

[Calamity Jane]

DCL's post is pretty accurate. Like Azwed, I believe in 'something larger than ourselves' but I completely reject organized religion.

Are you asking what proof we'd need to actually believe that some sort of deity exists? Or are you asking what it would take for us to believe that YOUR deity not only exists, but is the ONLY deity?

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Todd, I realize you're asking because elsewhere I said that Skeptics are "looking" for proofs -- but that's more of a wishful thinking sort of "looking", if you know what I mean. We ALL want to know that there is judgement after death, eternal life, and something beyond our terrestrial, tangible plane. It's only human to want that. That's what I mean about "looking". I think many skeptics have conceeded that astrology and reading tea leaves and talking to ghosts is pretty much not going to ever be "proven", but we're willing to look.

But -- a Skeptic is NOT an atheist. Plenty of Skeptics beleive in God. So, asking a Skeptic for what kind of proof he'd accept for telekenisis is different from asking an Atheist what kind of proof he'd accept for God.

 

[Tabby432]

Wow!

I feel pretty shallow now. In all seriousness though, there is nothing any person could do or say to convince me.