On Thu, 15 May 2008 14:11:31 -0700, Ben Goren <ben@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:
>John W. Wells wrote:
>
> > John Smith wrote:
> >
> >> **Why would ANYONE "believe" in a god UNLESS there is valid
> >> evidence?
> >
> > Is that a rhetorical question?
> >
> > The answer--mine anyway--is simple. If I believe in God, and He
> > assures me of everlasting life, then I needn't confront my
> > finitude. (Belonging to the most intelligent species on this
> > earth, I couldn't help but notice that we're all gonna die)
> >
> > Then, too, I needn't figure out how to behave amoung my fellow
> > creatures--morality is predefined for me.
> >
> > Nor do I need to find meaning in this short span of life I
> > have--that's predefined, too.
>
>Never mind, of course, that, without evidence, that's nothing more
>than wishful thinking. Might as well believe in clapping your
>hands to save Tinkerbell.
Wishful thinking, practiced long enough, might as well be called
self-hypnosis. And it's impervious to "evidence."
So I think it's a waste of time and energy to try to talk believers
out of their beliefs, no matter how absurd they may seem to you and
me. (What to do about their actions is another matter, though.)
Did you ever watch Richard Dawkins try to convince via reason a
believer--it's painful to see his frustration rise as the believer
smiles sweetly and benignly at him! His science and logic are for
naught!
--John Wells
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