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.
Well, I certainly don't intend to get in a debate about atheism.
Ὦ ξεῖν', ἀγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε
κείμεθα, τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι.
κείμεθα, τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι.
Kim Jong-il is dead. Would you become a fervent believer?
- 19/12/2011 03:37:28 AM
1532 Views
If I was a Christian, I'd pray that he would burn forever in hell.
- 19/12/2011 03:47:52 AM
942 Views
See, I can't be an atheist.
- 19/12/2011 03:53:55 AM
909 Views
I agree about atheism
- 19/12/2011 04:19:02 AM
771 Views
It's an approximation.
- 19/12/2011 05:40:05 PM
792 Views
no, I'm not saying that the sheer number of people alone is sufficient
- 19/12/2011 10:13:09 PM
675 Views
Re: See, I can't be an atheist.
- 19/12/2011 04:25:06 AM
766 Views
No, Pascal's Wager is stupid.
- 19/12/2011 03:09:42 PM
774 Views
You obviously misread my comments or ignored them.
- 19/12/2011 03:39:59 PM
762 Views
You're answering a different point to the one I was addressing.
- 19/12/2011 04:01:54 PM
694 Views
For atheism to be a tenable position, one must assume that millions lie about their experiences.
- 20/12/2011 04:11:53 AM
784 Views
Look, doesn't this go against your most sacred principle?
- 20/12/2011 06:43:27 AM
747 Views
No, it doesn't.
- 20/12/2011 08:30:55 PM
673 Views
Re: No, it doesn't.
- 20/12/2011 09:21:22 PM
717 Views
This militant atheism is somewhat amusing.
- 20/12/2011 09:48:57 PM
735 Views
... somewhat irrational at times too
- 21/12/2011 01:22:54 AM
649 Views
Huh?
- 21/12/2011 10:47:06 AM
694 Views
That's somewhat unrelated to the intended point of the post
- 21/12/2011 12:41:49 PM
701 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
696 Views
You're objecting to me calling the Military Dictator militant?
- 21/12/2011 03:13:35 PM
733 Views
Your position isn't rational nor logical
- 20/12/2011 12:45:03 PM
722 Views
I never stated it was either. That's the problem with spiritual matters.
- 20/12/2011 08:43:46 PM
650 Views
How about a faith atheist?
- 19/12/2011 04:28:59 PM
842 Views
Nevermind. It appears you answered that in your reply to Tim. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 04:32:19 PM
410 Views
Re: See, I can't be an atheist.
- 19/12/2011 04:57:23 PM
797 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
607 Views
Sounds like you must be a modern-day prophet
- 19/12/2011 05:24:24 PM
642 Views
Idiocy. Confirmation bias doesn't explain away external phenomena.
- 20/12/2011 04:19:10 AM
772 Views
Well.
- 21/12/2011 01:49:36 PM
681 Views
I didn't forget about it. I was getting ready to give up on it.
- 21/12/2011 02:27:18 PM
674 Views
Also, learn to use the subjunctive. It's "if I WERE a Christian..."
- 19/12/2011 03:54:20 AM
762 Views
The sad thing about that comment...
- 19/12/2011 04:52:57 AM
889 Views
I'm pretty sure there's plenty of middle ground between those two examples 
- 19/12/2011 05:31:13 PM
659 Views
- 19/12/2011 05:31:13 PM
659 Views
Tom, I think this means you should take up ForEx trading. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 04:00:20 AM
360 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
825 Views
I thought you were asking if I believed in KJ-I, the Eternal Leader
- 19/12/2011 06:55:08 AM
664 Views
The article I just read said he died on Saturday.
- 19/12/2011 08:58:17 AM
741 Views
Yeah, he actually died on a train Saturday morning before Tom made the comment. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 09:13:44 PM
302 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
735 Views
You know what's really weird?
- 19/12/2011 11:32:23 AM
736 Views
They took it down, apparently. *NM*
- 20/12/2011 04:40:24 AM
318 Views
Not surprising, still in the revisions if anyone wants to see of course
- 20/12/2011 11:06:05 AM
881 Views
He's not dead-dead. Neither is his father. Just ask the North Koreans.
- 19/12/2011 04:23:48 PM
722 Views
Re: He's not dead-dead. Neither is his father. Just ask the North Koreans.
- 19/12/2011 09:15:09 PM
641 Views
The problem with predictions that come true
- 19/12/2011 05:28:24 PM
760 Views
I don't make a lot of predictions. *NM*
- 19/12/2011 08:18:53 PM
455 Views
Well you should start at least journaling the ones that you do make.
- 19/12/2011 08:40:18 PM
711 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
781 Views
*NM*
I can attest to the fact that this conversation took place on Facebook Saturday.
- 19/12/2011 09:19:06 PM
682 Views
Yes, TMJ, you also contributed in this case. *NM*
- 20/12/2011 04:38:42 AM
307 Views
Jeez, I hope I never get on your bad side
- 20/12/2011 12:06:54 AM
608 Views
- 20/12/2011 12:06:54 AM
608 Views
Things did change for the better with Stalin's death.
- 20/12/2011 02:51:12 AM
718 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
298 Views
*NM*
- 20/12/2011 04:37:35 AM
298 Views