Putting faith in its place

Faith has no place demanding agreement or punishing disagreement.

NOTE: In the beginning thought experiment, the computer is not asking for general answers like 'space' or 'matter' that would apply to absolutely every possible permutation of objects in the cube. It is asking for specifics.

Apply the 'game show' criterion. If you were asked on a game show 'What's in the cube?' you know that 'space' and 'matter' would not cut it as answers.

Besides, if you do resort to answering with generalities that would apply to any conceivable contents of the cube, that simply illustrates my point: that specific answers can't be given.

• Category

  Education

[LorentsL]

"A changeless mind is by definition non-functioning." So what's your definition, Mr. QualiaSoup?

[TheRavensGhost]

The point of the video is to explain why it is ridiculous to claim there is a god or to believe there is a god when you have no evidence or possible way of knowing that there is one. Believing it on faith is as silly and delusional as believing there is an elephant inside your shoe when you haven't seen an elephant inside your shoe. I know it's a difficult concept to grasp when you are a believer (I was there too for 90% of my life), but once you do, you'll stop believing.

[TheRavensGhost]

So you just stated yourself that an atheist is "one who does not believe or have faith..." "or one who lacks belief or faith." Anyone that claims to know for certain that there is no god would also qualify as an atheist because obviously they do not believe in a god if they are claiming to know there isn't one, but the absolute claim of certainty that there is no god is not what the word atheist implies.

[TheRavensGhost]

The word that describes non belief is atheist. Agnosticism applies to your position of knowledge not belief. Is it possible to know if there is a god with absolute certainty? If you say yes, you are gnostic, if you say no, you are agnostic. Do you believe a god exists? If you say yes, you are a theist, if you say no, you are an atheist. Depending on how you answer both questions you can be a gnostic theist, agnostic theist, gnostic atheist, or an agnostic atheist. Atheism = lack of belief.

[109Rage]

Don't think Zeus was very big on answering prayers to begin with...

He'd have better luck alternating between gods for different problems, and sacrificing a lamb to them, everytime his prayers were answered...

Atleast, that's how the Greeks did it, (don't quote me on this, i'm mostly speculating, going by my limited knowledge of their culture xD)

[Davos Maeda]

A similar situation happened to my friend where he prayed for Zeus several times in a time of need and miraculously had all of his prayers answered. Basically we now have absolute evidence for two gods, how can that be?

[Mantafirefly]

I also don't personally call this binary mode of judgement where people are either given an eternity of paradise or torment based on whether or not someone committed the victimless crime of not accepting Jesus "Righteous". Especially when most people are genetically and geographically predisposed towards believing or not. It's unfair at its very roots.

"Manipulative", "Jealous" or "Arbitrary" seem like much better descriptions.

[Mantafirefly]

Yeah, but that falls down when you realise that the god you believe in can literally do anything. If he can do that, can't he make a heaven where sin isn't a barrier to entry? Can't he do a proper job of designing a human who wouldn't want to sin, even of their own free will? Can't he change the rules posthumously to let people in despite what the bible says?

[LittleLlion]

But we would have lived our lives without Him and without Jesus we would not be free from sin and thus the righteous judgement of God rendering us incapable of being with Him. like I said I don't know what'll happen with people that never heard of Jesus, they might get a choice after they died but they might not and I think that means they remain under the sin and unholy under the judgement of God which is terrible, so we try desperate to tell everyone about Him to give them a choice.

[Mantafirefly]

Far from telling you the bible isn't something you should read. I feel like you need to read it some more. If you find yourself with some time, try this; Read the whole thing, cover to cover, without any external input, no study guides, no study groups, no footnotes. Just the thing in its raw unadulterated form. Perhaps then you might be able to see what I mean when I refer to it as a self contradictory mess of abhorrent morals.