“the fact that no one has proven (scientifically)
the existence of a higher being, that you
cannot say that God doesn’t exist.”
Legion, it’s complicated for me, but this is why part of me leans toward agnosticism. There’s too much about ourselves and our world and our universe, etc., that we can not begin to understand, so I can not say with certainty that God does not exist.
Again, however, that said, personally, I really do not believe that God exists, which clearly makes me more of an atheist.
And yet there is that nagging part of me that can not say for sure . . . Can you say conundrum?
I would put a counter-argument this way Arkady,
If one is counting on a mere 5 senses to make determinations on the universe and its workings,
one is woefully ill-equipped.
bfarwell,
If I was reading your posts correctly,
you are pointing out that it is NOT valid
to say that something (God) exists just because
someone else hasn’t disproven it.
Wouldn’t the inverse be true then,
that the fact that no one has proven (scientifically)
the existence of a higher being, that you
cannot say that God doesn’t exist.
That seems to be just a part of the conundrum.
I won’t get into the perception part as I have gotten into that at length already.
What we perceive is but a small fraction of what is going on around us.
“an assumption of a particular set of characteristics that are possessed by whatever is perceived” (belief)
“Perception – apprehension by senses” (perception)
I think both of those are sensible definitions.
Point I was trying to make was that they limit the sphere of the ‘perceived world’ very much, such that almost everything would be a matter of ‘belief’, not just metaphysical questions about God.
I think God is perceived as well as believed in (in fact I’m not sure if there is such a thing as in God intellectually if one doesn’t perceive anything). I expect most Christians would have the same view.
oh god – god talk
**ducks out quietly**
“the fact that no one has proven (scientifically)
the existence of a higher being, that you
cannot say that God doesn’t exist.”
Legion, it’s complicated for me, but this is why part of me leans toward agnosticism. There’s too much about ourselves and our world and our universe, etc., that we can not begin to understand, so I can not say with certainty that God does not exist.
Again, however, that said, personally, I really do not believe that God exists, which clearly makes me more of an atheist.
And yet there is that nagging part of me that can not say for sure . . . Can you say conundrum?
Nytol!
I would put a counter-argument this way Arkady,
If one is counting on a mere 5 senses to make determinations on the universe and its workings,
one is woefully ill-equipped.
Yall are makin’ my head spin with this ‘perceived vs. belief’ stuff! Nite 🙂
Not snark but I thought god is supposed to be ineffable – ergo not sensed by any of the 5 – taste, smell, etc.
bfarwell,
If I was reading your posts correctly,
you are pointing out that it is NOT valid
to say that something (God) exists just because
someone else hasn’t disproven it.
Wouldn’t the inverse be true then,
that the fact that no one has proven (scientifically)
the existence of a higher being, that you
cannot say that God doesn’t exist.
That seems to be just a part of the conundrum.
I won’t get into the perception part as I have gotten into that at length already.
What we perceive is but a small fraction of what is going on around us.
“an assumption of a particular set of characteristics that are possessed by whatever is perceived” (belief)
“Perception – apprehension by senses” (perception)
I think both of those are sensible definitions.
Point I was trying to make was that they limit the sphere of the ‘perceived world’ very much, such that almost everything would be a matter of ‘belief’, not just metaphysical questions about God.
I think God is perceived as well as believed in (in fact I’m not sure if there is such a thing as in God intellectually if one doesn’t perceive anything). I expect most Christians would have the same view.
jester, the ipad and most touch screen devices (including phones) have that “tic tic” sound programmed in
I hear that sound jester. But I’m a really fast typist so that may be why.