Atheos Expect Curveballs, Part 2

Believers say the most bizarre things.

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I’m a person of deep faith, but I don’t want to talk about it.

Would you be willing to discuss this belief with your children?

Would it help you feel better if you did?

Is it because you’re afraid you’re wrong?

I respect that. Though, may I ask why you won't discuss your conviction?

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But I want to celebrate Christmas & Easter. I won’t be able to if I convert to atheism.

People don't convert to atheism. Atheism doesn't have any creeds. Even so, you don't need a reason to hold a celebration.

Those holidays are the result of Christian adaptation to pagan tradition. Clearly, they don’t have difficulty celebrating pagan holidays.

You're just greedy & want presents.

Many people celebrate holidays outside of their beliefs. Holidays are just a time for gathering & celebrating for different reasons.

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Why do so many atheists turn to God when death is upon them?

Some people are desperate in bleak situations. Why do you think some people don't?

Is that true?

Why do you think so?

I think that's a myth. Are you aware of even a single study showing this is true on any scale?

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You really believe in God, but you're in denial.

Is it really inconceivable to you that someone might legitimately disagree with you?

How would someone who genuinely disbelieved in God appear?

You really believe in Thor, but you’re in denial.

Why do you think you have epistemic access to my beliefs?

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You just worship another God—money, materialism, sex, etc.

That doesn’t make sense.

Even if one did value those things, what would that have to do with whether or not God existed?

Might as well worship something that’s fun!

I don't worship anything—I appreciate many things. Do you think I have the same relationship to money & sex as you to do your God?

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How do you explain the fact that when the body dies it loses weight? If it’s not the soul then what is it?

If the discrepancy could be explained, would you still believe in a 'soul'?

How much does a soul weigh? Could it not be the loss of other bodily matter or decomposition?

If the soul is immaterial, why would it have weight?

That's not a soul leaving the body. That's poop.

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Since so many atheists don’t know that abortion is murder, it shows how morally bankrupt atheism really is.

Whether or not abortion is murder is independent from whether or not there are any Gods, no?

How do you know abortion is murder?

Atheism has no necessary moral prescriptions, so it cannot comment on the rightness or wrongness of abortion.

The only thing that unites atheists is that they think there's not enough evidence to warrant belief in a God or Gods. Let's get back to why you think your God exists.

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Almost all communists are atheists & most atheists are leftists. So atheism fails.

If communism fails due to atheism, why did theistic forms of communism fail as well?

What do you mean by 'atheism fails'?

Assuming that's true, why does that make atheism false?

Nearly all major genocides in history were carried out by the religious. What’s your point?

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Atheism pushes people toward religious fundamentalism by forcing them to choose between science & religion. People will choose religion.

What does that have to do with whether or not the claims within a religious tradition are true?

Atheism doesn't force anything upon anyone. It only promotes questioning & reason. Why do you think otherwise?

Why would they choose religion?

Statistically, the number of people has been going down over time.

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Sometimes we have to pretend to know things we don’t know before we can know things we previously only pretended to know.

Seriously?

English! Do you speak it!?

What do you mean by that?

How would pretending to know something solve the problem of merely pretending to know it in the past?

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Atheism is almost exclusively for white men. I’m neither white nor male & I don’t want to be in your club.

Why does race & gender have anything to do with thinking there's insufficient evidence to warrant belief in a God or Gods?

By that reasoning, most organizations are clubs mostly run by white men.

Non-belief doesn't preclude people of various ethnicities & gender identities from discussion—in the same way that your Thor atheism doesn't prohibit you from anything.

Well, we don't want you either.

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My Father's house has many wings of His mansion. If this were not so, I would tell you. There is a spot prepared for you.

I don't understand.

If your father is anywhere near as obnoxious as you, I think I’ll pass.

I have no idea what you're talking about. Can you please explain this?

That's an interesting statement, but I'm curious as to why you brought it up in the middle of our conversation.

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Everything is a circular argument.

How is the argument that everything is circular a circular argument?

What does that mean?

That, my friend, is a deepity.

Everything follows the circle of life.

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The fact that the infinite exists proves the existence of God & faith.

It actually proves that there is no need for a God.

The universe is frequently described as being infinite. Does that mean that the universe is God?

How does the possibility of an infinite universe lead to your specific God & not Zeus, for example?

Infinity is more of a mathematical concept than an actual, concrete thing.

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God designed us with 10 fingers & 10 toes. Base 10 is the root of our math system.

Math is math & evolution is evolution. Why don't you keep the two separate?

Guinea pigs have 8 fingers & 6 toes. So what?

Why does this matter?

How does this indicate that we were designed by God?

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Suffering exists; therefore there must be a God.

Why not assume instead that suffering proves the existence of some omnipotent demon? Why is a God the best or only explanation?

Suffering disproves the existence of a God, doesn't it?

That's a horrible reason to believe in a God!

What's the relationship between suffering & a deity? Why is that relationship necessary?

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Sweden, Norway, Denmark & Finland have crosses on their flags.

That means nothing for the validity of your argument. Can't you see that?

The AOL logo is a triangle. Does that prove the existence of the Illuminati?

Wales has a dragon on its flag. Does that speak to the actuality of dragons?

Isn't it likely those crosses reflect a history of religious presence rather than national endorsements of theism or proof of a divine being?