I'm not saying that a traditional religious text has all the answers, or that any person (living or dead) talks to God directly, or that God is something we can quantify and describe in the terms we do.
However, I cannot believe that there isn't something greater. The Kim Jong-il statement is just one in a LONG line of bizarre "coincidences" in my life. Dreams, predictions, etc., that come true with too much specificity for me to say "I'm an atheist". It happens too often and with too much regularity.
This also gets me back to my fundamental proposition: being an atheist is stupid. If you're right you don't benefit and if you're wrong you certainly may suffer. Although God is not a proven quantity, people around the world claim enough divine miracles, and I've personally experienced enough odd things, that stating affirmatively that there is no God is just as silly as stating that he is the inspiration for the Bible, or that he dictated the Qur'an.
However, I cannot believe that there isn't something greater. The Kim Jong-il statement is just one in a LONG line of bizarre "coincidences" in my life. Dreams, predictions, etc., that come true with too much specificity for me to say "I'm an atheist". It happens too often and with too much regularity.
This also gets me back to my fundamental proposition: being an atheist is stupid. If you're right you don't benefit and if you're wrong you certainly may suffer. Although God is not a proven quantity, people around the world claim enough divine miracles, and I've personally experienced enough odd things, that stating affirmatively that there is no God is just as silly as stating that he is the inspiration for the Bible, or that he dictated the Qur'an.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
Kim Jong-il is dead. Would you become a fervent believer?
- 19/12/2011 03:37:28 AM
1667 Views
If I was a Christian, I'd pray that he would burn forever in hell.
- 19/12/2011 03:47:52 AM
1077 Views
See, I can't be an atheist.
- 19/12/2011 03:53:55 AM
1033 Views
I agree about atheism
- 19/12/2011 04:19:02 AM
909 Views
It's an approximation.
- 19/12/2011 05:40:05 PM
931 Views
no, I'm not saying that the sheer number of people alone is sufficient
- 19/12/2011 10:13:09 PM
812 Views
No, Pascal's Wager is stupid.
- 19/12/2011 03:09:42 PM
902 Views
You obviously misread my comments or ignored them.
- 19/12/2011 03:39:59 PM
935 Views
You're answering a different point to the one I was addressing.
- 19/12/2011 04:01:54 PM
840 Views
For atheism to be a tenable position, one must assume that millions lie about their experiences.
- 20/12/2011 04:11:53 AM
929 Views
Look, doesn't this go against your most sacred principle?
- 20/12/2011 06:43:27 AM
895 Views
No, it doesn't.
- 20/12/2011 08:30:55 PM
797 Views
Re: No, it doesn't.
- 20/12/2011 09:21:22 PM
844 Views
This militant atheism is somewhat amusing.
- 20/12/2011 09:48:57 PM
858 Views
... somewhat irrational at times too
- 21/12/2011 01:22:54 AM
783 Views
Huh?
- 21/12/2011 10:47:06 AM
826 Views
That's somewhat unrelated to the intended point of the post
- 21/12/2011 12:41:49 PM
828 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
814 Views
You're objecting to me calling the Military Dictator militant?
- 21/12/2011 03:13:35 PM
874 Views
Your position isn't rational nor logical
- 20/12/2011 12:45:03 PM
870 Views
I never stated it was either. That's the problem with spiritual matters.
- 20/12/2011 08:43:46 PM
776 Views
How about a faith atheist?
- 19/12/2011 04:28:59 PM
968 Views
Nevermind. It appears you answered that in your reply to Tim. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 04:32:19 PM
479 Views
Re: See, I can't be an atheist.
- 19/12/2011 04:57:23 PM
925 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
746 Views
Sounds like you must be a modern-day prophet
- 19/12/2011 05:24:24 PM
778 Views
Idiocy. Confirmation bias doesn't explain away external phenomena.
- 20/12/2011 04:19:10 AM
901 Views
Well.
- 21/12/2011 01:49:36 PM
869 Views
I didn't forget about it. I was getting ready to give up on it.
- 21/12/2011 02:27:18 PM
780 Views
Also, learn to use the subjunctive. It's "if I WERE a Christian..."
- 19/12/2011 03:54:20 AM
887 Views
The sad thing about that comment...
- 19/12/2011 04:52:57 AM
1012 Views
I'm pretty sure there's plenty of middle ground between those two examples 
- 19/12/2011 05:31:13 PM
786 Views
- 19/12/2011 05:31:13 PM
786 Views
Tom, I think this means you should take up ForEx trading. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 04:00:20 AM
403 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
962 Views
I thought you were asking if I believed in KJ-I, the Eternal Leader
- 19/12/2011 06:55:08 AM
790 Views
The article I just read said he died on Saturday.
- 19/12/2011 08:58:17 AM
858 Views
Yeah, he actually died on a train Saturday morning before Tom made the comment. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 09:13:44 PM
357 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
869 Views
You know what's really weird?
- 19/12/2011 11:32:23 AM
862 Views
They took it down, apparently. *NM*
- 20/12/2011 04:40:24 AM
378 Views
Not surprising, still in the revisions if anyone wants to see of course
- 20/12/2011 11:06:05 AM
1023 Views
He's not dead-dead. Neither is his father. Just ask the North Koreans.
- 19/12/2011 04:23:48 PM
840 Views
Re: He's not dead-dead. Neither is his father. Just ask the North Koreans.
- 19/12/2011 09:15:09 PM
776 Views
The problem with predictions that come true
- 19/12/2011 05:28:24 PM
888 Views
I don't make a lot of predictions. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 08:18:53 PM
511 Views
Well you should start at least journaling the ones that you do make.
- 19/12/2011 08:40:18 PM
852 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
918 Views
*NM*
I can attest to the fact that this conversation took place on Facebook Saturday.
- 19/12/2011 09:19:06 PM
789 Views
Yes, TMJ, you also contributed in this case. *NM*
- 20/12/2011 04:38:42 AM
361 Views
Jeez, I hope I never get on your bad side
- 20/12/2011 12:06:54 AM
738 Views
- 20/12/2011 12:06:54 AM
738 Views
Things did change for the better with Stalin's death.
- 20/12/2011 02:51:12 AM
835 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
355 Views
*NM*
- 20/12/2011 04:37:35 AM
355 Views