Re: Selling Points of the Major Religions

On Mon, 12 May 2008 07:26:08 -0700 (PDT), Jerry Kraus
<jkraus_1999@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

>On May 11, 5:20 pm, Free Lunch <lu...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> On Sun, 11 May 2008 14:28:50 -0700 (PDT), Jerry Kraus
>>
>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>> >Let's clarify what exactly you mean by "superstition".  This term
>> >seems to be regularly used by the so-called "atheists" in the U.S.,
>> >who I am really referring to here.  Frankly, I haven't the slightest
>> >idea what these so-called "atheists" mean by "superstition", but they
>> >claim that they reject all "superstition".
>>
>> Claims about the supernatural which are unsup****ted by any evidence. It
>> includes belief in gods, spirit ancestors, souls, etc.- Hide quoted
text -
>
>
>What is "supernatural"?  What is real?  How do we tell the
>difference?  How CAN we tell the difference without making certain
>assumptions which can be questioned?

All real things actually have evidence that they exist. So far, every
single claim for the supernatural is completely unsup****ted by any
evidence. Stories of the supernatural are entertaining and often
fun-scary, but there are no ghosts, no goblins, no ghouls, no gods.

>Do so-called "atheists" simply object to vagueness?  Certainly, the
>concept of "God" in monotheism is extremely vague, probably
>undefinable.  On the other hand, the Gods of Hinduism are much more
>tangible -- largely representations of aspects of life, in the
>conventional polytheistic sense.   The Gods of Hinduism seem to simply
>represent various real aspects of life in symbolic form.

So, are you arguing that all gods are representational, that they are
nothing but early attempts to make sense of natural processes?

>What exactly do so-called "atheists" claim to believe in?  Anything?

Most are pretty well committed to reality and refuse to let people tell
them religious stories that are contrary to reality. Still, why do they
have to believe in anything. Why not just let them accept reality and
ignore stories of the supernatural? 

>If they do believe in something, why exactly do they believe in it?
>What "evidence" do you use?  Why?  How can you tell if the evidence
>for your beliefs is real, or adequate for you to believe in it?

I don't have religious beliefs. How hard is that for you to comprehend?
I accept the discoveries about nature that have been made. I accept what
scientists have learned and what society has developed, but I don't
accept religious claims about gods because there is no reason to.