Where would you rate yourself on Dawkins' spectrum of theistic probability?

[NUance]

 

I just wish other people could have had the experience I had. All would be #1.

How can you be certain people haven't had very similar wondrous, euphoric experiences, but didn't feel the need to attribute it to something mystical?

 

How could someone pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit, have that experience, and then attribute it to something else?

 

Dude, or rather, The Dude, it's not like I was tripping balls on quaaludes when that happened.

[The Dude]

 

 

I just wish other people could have had the experience I had. All would be #1.

How can you be certain people haven't had very similar wondrous, euphoric experiences, but didn't feel the need to attribute it to something mystical?

 

How could someone pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit, have that experience, and then attribute it to something else?

 

Dude, or rather, The Dude, it's not like I was tripping balls on quaaludes when that happened.

 

I think it makes perfect sense that you would attribute it to that, if that's what you were praying for. I'm saying it's possible for people to be consumed by powerful emotions, and not have a need to attribute it to something mystical.

 

Also, I'm not doubting you experienced what you say you did. Not even a little bit.

[Scratchtown]

6 for sure. You can never be 100% sure of anything, but (to me) the odds of God existing are extremely low.

FIFY.

 

I'm not trying to start anything because you are more than entitled to your opinion, but I just don't understand where the "authority" comes from. I guess, I'm sort of asking where it comes from? If you would like to answer. Feel free to disregard my comment.

[tschu]

 

6 for sure. You can never be 100% sure of anything, but (to me) the odds of God existing are extremely low.

FIFY.

 

I'm not trying to start anything because you are more than entitled to your opinion, but I just don't understand where the "authority" comes from. I guess, I'm sort of asking where it comes from? If you would like to answer. Feel free to disregard my comment.

 

 

You could start with the complete and utter lack of any evidence whatsoever, that tends to bring the odds down quite a bit

[Scratchtown]

One thing I find amazing about this poll is the number of well respected HB posters who are #6 atheists. These are people who I get along with on this board and generally agree with on a number of topics. In real life I don't think I know even one single atheist. Or at least none that I can think of. Could it be that some people really are atheists, but just keep it to themselves?

I know plenty of people in my hometown of 2,000 that are outspoken about being atheist. I actually have a ton of atheist friends. Love those guys to death. I actually enjoy their company more than some believers. They tend to be much less self righteous than most "Christian" believers I know.

[Scratchtown]

 

 

6 for sure. You can never be 100% sure of anything, but (to me) the odds of God existing are extremely low.

FIFY.

 

I'm not trying to start anything because you are more than entitled to your opinion, but I just don't understand where the "authority" comes from. I guess, I'm sort of asking where it comes from? If you would like to answer. Feel free to disregard my comment.

 

 

You could start with the complete and utter lack of any evidence whatsoever, that tends to bring the odds down quite a bit

 

I guess it depends on what you consider evidence.

[strigori]

One thing I find amazing about this poll is the number of well respected HB posters who are #6 atheists. These are people who I get along with on this board and generally agree with on a number of topics. In real life I don't think I know even one single atheist. Or at least none that I can think of. Could it be that some people really are atheists, but just keep it to themselves?

Unless I'm engaged in a debate in a matter of religion, or politics, as they are fairly intertwined at the moment, I'm sure very few people I interact with in my life could say one way or another where I fall. I don't make a point of yelling my views to people as a matter of daily life. But you won't hear me use religious terms either. If asked, I will not lie or deny my views, but in a great many situations, there is simply no need to rock the boat. I would say most people I know who are of similar mind to me, are also doing the same.

[Landlord]

 

 

6 for sure. You can never be 100% sure of anything, but (to me) the odds of God existing are extremely low.

FIFY.

 

I'm not trying to start anything because you are more than entitled to your opinion, but I just don't understand where the "authority" comes from. I guess, I'm sort of asking where it comes from? If you would like to answer. Feel free to disregard my comment.

 

 

You could start with the complete and utter lack of any evidence whatsoever, that tends to bring the odds down quite a bit

 

 

 

Evidence is interpreted, and also exists in more disciplines than just science.

 

I don't have any qualms with you not thinking the evidence is there, but at least own up to that being due to your interpretation.

[tschu]

Evidence is evidence and all I can do is interpret it or the lack of it appropriately. If Jesus came down on a winged chariot and playing a golden trumpet tomorrow, then I would immediately say that God is extremely likely, or even known, to exist. Because that's how evidence works. But again, burden of proof...I'm not arguing that God doesn't or can't exist, I'm arguing that based on everything we currently know, it's extremely unlikely that he/she/it exists.

[Abdullah the Butcher]

 

 

 

6 for sure. You can never be 100% sure of anything, but (to me) the odds of God existing are extremely low.

FIFY.

 

I'm not trying to start anything because you are more than entitled to your opinion, but I just don't understand where the "authority" comes from. I guess, I'm sort of asking where it comes from? If you would like to answer. Feel free to disregard my comment.

 

 

You could start with the complete and utter lack of any evidence whatsoever, that tends to bring the odds down quite a bit

 

 

 

Evidence is interpreted, and also exists in more disciplines than just science.

 

I don't have any qualms with you not thinking the evidence is there, but at least own up to that being due to your interpretation.

 

 

Nah I'm pretty sure it's just a lack of evidence. If you're talking circumstantial evidence well I prayed for years for God to heal my chronic condition and he never came through, therefore he doesn't exist based on my "evidence"

[ZRod]

 

One thing I find amazing about this poll is the number of well respected HB posters who are #6 atheists. These are people who I get along with on this board and generally agree with on a number of topics. In real life I don't think I know even one single atheist. Or at least none that I can think of. Could it be that some people really are atheists, but just keep it to themselves?

 

 

I guess that would be a little bit true, but more than anything I think that the internet/messageboard culture attracts that demographic more.

I don't know that it attracts the demographic, it's just a place to debate and so it's more acceptable to voice your views here.

[NUance]

6 for sure. You can never be 100% sure of anything, but the odds of God existing are extremely low.

You could start with the complete and utter lack of any evidence whatsoever, that tends to bring the odds down quite a bit

Evidence is evidence and all I can do is interpret it or the lack of it appropriately. If Jesus came down on a winged chariot and playing a golden trumpet tomorrow, then I would immediately say that God is extremely likely, or even known, to exist. Because that's how evidence works. But again, burden of proof...I'm not arguing that God doesn't or can't exist, I'm arguing that based on everything we currently know, it's extremely unlikely that he/she/it exists.

 

I dunno about that. I guess it depends on whether you choose to believe in entropy or not. Consider the incredible complexity of the universe, the structure of matter, and indeed all the creatures and systems here on little ole earth. If you throw entropy out the window I guess you could choose to believe that all these things happened due to some miraculous big bang and then an incredible series of fortuitous happenstance. To me though this seems rather unlikely. When I look at the tiny fraction of the universe that we can perceive I just don't see any way around acknowledging that some higher power had a hand in it. I believe in entropy. Therefore I believe in God.

[strigori]

The only thing is that jump is full circle to "Because I don't know the answer, the only answer must be God" Any of our modern tech would be looked at exactly the same way by people in the past. And the danger with that line of thinking is it tends to stop people from looking for answers.

[tschu]

I don't think you understand how entropy works, NUance

[ShawnWatson]

I think I'm agnostic.

 

A lot of the times though I'm not sure if I want so badly there to be a God or I actually believe it.

 

I envy those that can definitively decide between believing or not believing because it's something I toil and struggle with a lot.