This response is usually caused by the fact that theists don't understand the difference between the meaning of the word theory in common parlance and the meaning of the same word in a scientific context.
Theory
a : a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation
Scientific theory
In science, the word "theory" means much more. A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment.
2. You have faith in science
This is clearly a misunderstanding between the definition of faith in a religious context and can be cleared up quite easily.
Faith
Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists. Hebrews 11:1 International Standard Version
According to this definition faith is synonymous with hope. You hope for something and have confidence that it will come to pass without evidence to the contrary. You believe in the unseen in the same manner.
Faith does not apply to science because science deals with facts of the empirical kind. This is why science is always changing its views because it is led by the evidence and not the other way around.
3. If you don't believe in God then you are immoral, because objective moral values come from the Lord.
1The fool says in his heart,“There is no God.”They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;there is no one who does good. Psalm 53:1 New International Version
Thus our need for "salvation" Pffft!
4. You say you don't believe in God because you don't want to be accountable for your sins.
The truth is that sin, as defined in the original translations of the Bible,
means "to miss the mark." The mark, in this case, is the standard of
perfection established by God and evidenced by Jesus. Viewed in that
light, it is clear that we are all sinners.
There are two things that the theist must realize here. As an atheist I don't believe that God exist and so to miss the mark of his perfection makes no sense to me outside of a religious context. The word sin in a religious context is nonsensical and therefore sin does not exist either. I am accountable first and foremost to myself for my own actions, my society and its laws, and the culture in which I was reared.
5. Prove to me that God does not exist!
Unfortunately since you are the one making the positive assertion that he does and all I'm doing is doubting your statement due to lack of evidence, the onus is entirely on you to prove me wrong. Good luck with that one.
6.Where do you think that the universe and life came from? Nothing can come from nothing.
We may not know the exact process of how life sprang from inanimate matter (abiogenesis) but we are humble enough to admit it and scientists are working hard at trying to come up with answers. If you posit that God is the beginning of everything all you are doing is begging the question of where did your God come from. To say that he just always was, is, and forever will be is stating that he too came from nothing thus making your argument null and void.
7. Jesus loves you
How could a possible fictional character love me? Even if he did exist he did in the early first century and allegedly died around 33-35 CE and I don't believe the resurrection story. Therefore someone who allegedly died almost two thousand years ago is nowhere around today and thus makes it utterly impossible to love me or anyone else for that matter.
8. When you find yourself in hell it will be too late to repent!
See reasons #'s 3 and 4. I don't believe in God, sin, or the need to repent. This amounts to nothing more than an idle threat with no substance.
9. You worship the devil
I don't believe in any supernatural beings, especially the ones mentioned in the so called holy Bible.
10. The Bible is the word of God
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16
For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21
Using the Bible to vouch for its own authenticity is what is know as circular reasoning. This argument is thus invalid.
Note: All biblical citations are taken from the New International Version of the scriptures unless indicated otherwise after the citation used.
We may not know the exact process of how life sprang from inanimate matter (abiogenesis) but we are humble enough to admit it and scientists are working hard at trying to come up with answers. If you posit that God is the beginning of everything all you are doing is begging the question of where did your God come from. To say that he just always was, is, and forever will be is stating that he too came from nothing thus making your argument null and void.
7. Jesus loves you
How could a possible fictional character love me? Even if he did exist he did in the early first century and allegedly died around 33-35 CE and I don't believe the resurrection story. Therefore someone who allegedly died almost two thousand years ago is nowhere around today and thus makes it utterly impossible to love me or anyone else for that matter.
8. When you find yourself in hell it will be too late to repent!
See reasons #'s 3 and 4. I don't believe in God, sin, or the need to repent. This amounts to nothing more than an idle threat with no substance.
9. You worship the devil
I don't believe in any supernatural beings, especially the ones mentioned in the so called holy Bible.
10. The Bible is the word of God
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16
For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21
Using the Bible to vouch for its own authenticity is what is know as circular reasoning. This argument is thus invalid.
Number 8 has always been a favorite with me. The "surprise," if it were in any way possible, would certainly be on the faithful, but of course since death has the final say, their disappointment will never be realized, and we won't have the satisfaction of saying "we told you so."
ReplyDelete"You have faith in science"
ReplyDeleteWe need to separate our meanings. As the human population is dumbing itself down, so too is our vocabulary and the word faith just means far too much these days.
We really need to separate the word faith-belief and faith-credence... with only the later having any resemblance to its other synonym, truth.
I haven't encountered the threat of Hell lately, but I'm finally ready for it. My answer is "What if the Buddhists are right and you come back as a cockroach a million times over for your arrogance of thinking you know what happens after death?"
ReplyDeleteI get the good old hell threat every once in a while. It's quite funny actually.
DeleteRemember the Seinfeld episode with Elaine & Puddy? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Jsja_OGjY
DeleteI am always amused by the mention of hell, because of the utter delight Christians seem to have in them being in paradise while people they know are tormented by the eternal fires. Apparently their idea of paradise and mine are vastly different. But they can really become foaming at the mouth indignant when you mention it.
ReplyDeleteWhat they fail to realize is that their salvation is not 100 percent guaranteed according to their own scriptures.
Delete"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Romans 2:13
There are many believers that talk a whole lot but don't live according to what the proclaim to believe. I guess if what you believe is indeed true then I will be seeing some of you in hell.
The theory one is particularly annoying to me."
ReplyDeleteAnother one is "I'll pary for you." - A good response is "I'll think for you."
My favorite, "I'll sacrifice a goat for you."
DeleteChristians like playing word games, as all the evidence they provide gets shot down. This means they have to play word games as they have nothing else as proof.
ReplyDeleteRegarding disprove God. I just say according to the bible (hence God) prayer works if you believe in what you pray for, and you would not pray if you did not believe. Yet prayer does not work, so the bible is wrong or God does not exist. Either way this is a huge dilemma for a theist.
Christians have their own dictionary. Only by redefining the meaning of words to suit their beliefs can they save face. Believing in the absurd and then attempting to defend it reasonably is hard work. In fact it's an exercise in futility because no matter how much you try to cover it up the bullshit always shows through.
DeleteOr they try to do an end run around, like my best friend did once, I love him like a brother but he can be so annoying with this stuff, when I pointed out the the bible endorses slavery he didn't believe me, he carries his bible around with him always, so I told him to look up verses like Leviticus 25:44-46, Exodus 21:2-11, Exodus 21:20-21, and Ephesians 6:5, he did, he read them, re-read the, and re-read them again, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head trying to rationalize it, what he came up with has to be one of the stupidest things I have ever heard, he said, and I quote, "God didn't really want, or support slavery, but he allowed it to protect peoples businesses and livelihoods." I was like "WTF?????? Do you honestly expect me to sit here and believe that you honestly believe that ANY god that didn't want slavery around would still allow it to protect peoples businesses???" he finally did admit it was very poor reasoning on his part and that he doesn't know why slavery would be endorsed in the bible, I told him there are only two reasons it could be 1) Assuming that god is real and the bible is the word of gods will, then god thinks slavery is ok or 2) God isn't real and the bible was written by a group of men to try to justify their immoral behavior.
DeleteThey like to answer God answers all prayers "yes" "no" or "wait.", but that can be said of literally anything:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk6ILZAaAMI
God does not answer prayers with a "yes", "no" or "wait". There are many (including Christians) who talk to fresh air. If your child says to you "Can I have a bar of chocolate" you may give one of the three answers. If you talk to fresh air and say "Can I win the lottery" you will get one of the three answers. Prayer is something very different. And there is only one answer that you will get.
ReplyDeleteGod does not answer prayer at all actually. When it appears that he has it is due to this little thing called chance that is both random and happens often.
DeleteYou can pray to anything - God, Thor, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the Sun, Joe Pesci - or as the video said, a jug of milk - and you will get the same results. You'll also get the same results if you don't pray to anything and won't waste the time praying.
DeleteI have tried praying to a jug of milk but the results are not as good
DeleteGravity is not a theory.
ReplyDeleteGravity is a theory in the scientific sense of the word theory. Not in the meaning of the word theory as used in common parlance by the nonscientific community.
DeleteA scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on knowledge that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_theory
Yes it is - Newton's Theory of Universal Gravitation.
ReplyDelete