What the Hell is Up with "Proof of God"?

CoastalRat- I agree with you. When it comes to closely held beliefs, it can be very distressing when they are held up to ridicule.

After all, what a person believes is an integral part of who they are. I try to make it my business to respect a person's feelings about his beliefs, even though I might not agree with them at all.

For my own view, first I think it is absurd to debate a matter of faith.

Second, my views are not easily pigeonholed as "Christian" or "Atheist" or any other convenient tag, so I'm left on the sideline in nearly any debate about faith. I can catcall or shout encouragement, but that's about it.

Finally, I've worked a long time to reconcile my faith with both science and history; I get impatient with those who haven't done the same sort of analysis.

But check it out.

You two have both just contriubted a nice, solid point to my thread.

There are just all these (pardon my mean-ness) stupid ass posts out there filled with nonsense that are mean to be "proof" or some mind blowing perspective we've never considered.

And now Drewdad has contributed an educated thought as well.

I believe we are all a part of a Sims Expansion pack
and one day here soon


our creator will Uninstall and Delete..

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is good and bad. I avoided this forum for most of the time I've been at A2K. Not because I didn't have opinions, but because I don't like to argue/debate. As one whose personal motto is 'live and let live', I never felt the desire to come here and express my opinions. That changed when I started reading posts that violated my personal sense of right relations and I saw the expressed intent of working toward legislation that follows a Christian agenda. Anything that expresses 'live like my definition of <fill in your favorite religion here>' will get me involved every time.

I don't feel compelled to jump into every thread. I leave the ones that are 'bad' by my definition to those who want to play that game and I pull myself out of the 'good' ones every so often when I feel myself getting sucked in (or down) to a level that isn't my nature and my comfort zone. I think it happens to many of us, some pull back and some don't. Other than Snood's thread in the features (your 'good' example), I haven't felt like being on this board at all in the past few days.

Some like spewing venom and responding just to respond. Some are so self-righteous they won't participate in a conversation, to say nothing of a debate or thoughtful exchange. Some express tolerance of other's opinions and then contradict themselves by jumping into a thread and debasing someone else's beliefs (the unchristianlike interactions of some Christians on the Islam thread is a perfect example)

A2K is many things to many people. We can get involved in the mindless threads or ignore them, and of course we each have our own definition of mindless. We can fight fire with fire or we can try to share with those who have a willingness toward open dialogue. Some people have minds like a sponge, wanting to soak up everything they can, others have minds of mirrored glass - so smooth that nothing soaks through, so black underneath that all opposing thought reflects away. Of course there are others everywhere in-between.

I haven't been around here long enough to know if these things cycle, but my guess is they do. Last spring we had the high school kids who kept everything interesting for awhile. I think one or two of them stayed on and are still participating. I think that will happen with every new influx.

Gee, thanks....

I know JB, and it's pretty nasty of me to catagorize people based on their posting habits but really, it does bug me to no end when people come here to tell me what I should believe and then not even be able to tell me why they believe it.

I guess my point to all this is that there are the posters who contribute (you know who you are) and those who don't contribute (the fluff, the 1 time posters, the ones who say the same thing over and over and over again in hopes it will become true).

I came to A2K at a time when maybe it was at it's peak. There were lively debates (some got a little rough but sometimes that happens), intelligent and witty converstaion and a lot of fun. We were able to debate and converse in an educated manner in one thread and then switch gears and talk nonsense in another.

Now, it's so full of tension here. There are all these hardcore, one-sided threads with posters who post just to hear themselves talk I think, and who have no intention of doing anything but trying to bully the rest of us into believing whatever it is they believe that week. We have these others who (IMO) waste space by posting incoherent dribble on here in language no one can understand (you know what I am talking about). And then we have the "regulars" who don't have much to do anymore because A2K has gotten so muddled up with garbage it's hard to find and keep a decent thread going any more. Or they leave because they get bored.

I guess I am being an internet A2K snob. But I want my old A2K back.

Always a pleasure with you.

I agree with drewdad that debating matters of faith is absurd. As far as the question of God's existence, those who argue against it seem no more "logical" than the believers. Both sides base their arguments on personal feelings.

I'll add as well that all A2K has become is "I Believe in Jesus Christ!", "I Don't Believe in Jesus Christ!" "I Hate the Bush!" "I Love the Bush!"


I am tired of hearing how shitty a president we have, like we don't already know.

I've not been here long myself, but have also noted a definite decrease in thought-provoking debate of late. I'm seeing an increase of somewhat similar threads cropping up next to threads which are little more than a copy/paste of someone's debate homework.

There has also been an increase in the 'nastiness' quotient over the past month or so that wasn't there previously, which might also be a contributing factor.

I believe that one of the problems is that these threads have seen an increasing number of new members who seem to be of high school age or less and have many of the characteristics of such- snideness, resistance to reason, and general immaturity. I do not deny that these characteristics are also present in some of our longer term members.

I love the bush.

J-B ->

I love your thought proccess... if only we all felt that way.

i too, dont go into the religious threads because
1) I hate to debate / argue
2) I am one of the people who WILL get into the childish " Your wrong because I SAY you are wrong" type of fights.
Then i will stand in the sidelines and bitch, whine and moan about how I hate people who do that. >sigh<

self control I dont have much of.

But above and beyond the petty - im right your wrong- mentality that is EVERYWHERE on the board, I just dont CARE what people believe.
Because they do not live my life for me. They do not reside in MY skin.. so why does one persons beliefs, or even WHy they believe what they do matter to any of us?

beliefs are a personal choice, and part of ones private life.
Believe it or not, i am a very religious person.
You would never get that from my posts. Simply because I stick to the idea of " private choice, private life"

I wonder what a2k would be like if everyone stuck to that.

Oh, and I think you'll see a return to the old standards after the holidays are over.

Yes, holidays.

Not that bush.... Bad Drewdad....

i hope you are right DD


i absolutly loathe what A2K has become in the past 2 months.

if you dont spit anger with the rest of them, a2k is f-n boring as hell lately.

I once saw a post by Joe Nation where he simply remarked that A2K discussions are mostly "bar conversations". However, I have seen A2K discussions that remind me of class discussions in college. We hear different points and learn from the contributions of others.

another thing I have been wondering.....


people argue about how much they hate or love the president.. and try their damndest to cram that thought down your throat and MAKE YOU think diffrently then you do about the president..


uhh... that mentality isnt taking the bastard out of office..
and it AINT keepin him IN office either..
so.... errrr... whats the point?
>sigh<