↪Frank Apisa
Your response has no counter-points, and still no demonstration that your way of defining atheism is better. All you did was try and ad hoc your own definition.
I stated a position, then offered reasoning/defense of that position, then offered reasoning as to why your position is wrong. You have not addressed any of it. Instead you are making a largely irrelevant update on your definition and using that to attempt a pivot, a shifting of the discussion, a dodge. These are the weeds I mentioned, lets try and stat out of them. — DingoJones
I would make a bet with anyone that a trip to a mall...asking Mr. or Ms. Everyman to hear MY take...and ask: Is that a theist, atheist or agnostic...the overwhelming vote would be for agnostic.
— Frank Apisa
Ok, but then I get to bet that every person you ask will assume they are of above average intelligence (everyone assumes they are of above average intelligence). So what?
Part of my argument is that for some reason, agnostics side with theists, even though their view is a lot closer to that of an atheist (I still can't see a difference other than the labels they give themselves). When most Christians in America hear "agnostic" they hear "searching for god" (earlier in my philosophical journey...this is actually the reason I stopped calling myself agnostic...later I learned definitions). So of course they will side with agnostics against the atheist....they think the agnostics are one of their people...oh, and they think atheists are Satan's spawn. — ZhouBoTong
Dingo...you sound like Trump. Everything everyone else is doing is substandard...and what you are doing is laudable. — Frank Apisa
No, Its just you that Im talking about and Im not saying what you are doing is substandard. I think that you are wrong, thats all. I could be the one thats wrong, and the way to determine that is for us to state our positions and defend them. Thats not what you are doing. You are making assertions, failing to defend them and then restating your assertion. — DingoJones
Once again, I have already provided an argument as to why your definition is the weaker one.
YOU asked me to pick one thing, which I did. I laid out my position (again, this was at YOUR request), defended it and offered an argument against your position. I did what you asked, and it is not unreasonable for me to expect you to address it.[/quote]Address that. I have offered a position and reasoning why my definition is better, stronger. Address that.
You simply are not engaging with whats being said to you, instead you are attempting to dodge...trying to shift the burden, comparing me to Trump, making it about my attitude, my spelling and punctuation, personal problems in your life, changing the subject, complaining about me not going along with your dodge/shift, restating again in caps...anything but what you are actually supposed to be doing.
Now, you have laid down the groundwork to throw your hands up and walk away so you can do that. You can address my points, thats another option. What isnt an option is for you to drag me into the weeds, I am not going to play this game with you.
The choice of course is yours, but Im still interested in the discussion if you want to actually have it.
↪Frank Apisa
Im not finished making my point, I just asked the one question so we can do it step by step, and not get lost in the weeds.
So I would like to finish what I started...we might find your question moot after Ive made my point and/or you have refuted my point.
Acceptable? — DingoJones
So are you actually interested in hearing other peoples points, or are you just interested in your turn to make yours? This is you, once again, trying to shift the burden to me, to dodge an argument made directly against yours.
I tried making my point all at once, and you failed to engage and/or understand it, so its necessary to go step by step (which will require a series of questions) to see where either you are misunderstanding or where I am. By refusing to go through it step by step, you are just doubling down on exactly what I said you were doing.
In fact, I am going to address your question in the process of making my point because my point (chosen at your request) is about what the most sensible definition of atheism is.
If thats still not acceptable after that further explanation, then I will answer your question but not without noticing this is merely another attempt to dodge on your part, and my patience is wearing thin. Not a threat, just a fair warning that this discussion may not survive you forcing us into the weeds.
Is it acceptable for me to continue making my point? — DingoJones
Ok, so NOT acceptable to continue making my point.
I gotta say, getting more and more clear you arent paying attention.
Ok, so in order to answer your question I need to know what you mean by “need”, and why you put it in quotations. This is because Im not sure what the word “need” means in the context of a word definition. This is a clarifying question, so hopefully it doesnt qualify for this strange tit for tat you’ve adopted. — DingoJones
↪Frank Apisa
I don't believe in Tabula Rasa and consider it an archaic theory; with fields such as evolutionary psychology affirming that people just like animals are born with inherent or genetic predispositions, in fact this would seem to be common sense.
In fact, even during the 19th century when Tabula Rasa was most popular, what I consider to be more "serious" fields of speculation, such as the theory of the Common Law as per Oliver Wendall Holmes and other legal theorists, it was more or less known that "passions", or "instincts", play a role in human behavior, not solely rational faculties, so even during it's era of popularity, Tabula Rasa was, in my opinion, always a nonsensical theory.
For example, in the theory of criminal, crimes of "passion", or done in the "heat of the moment", when a person is acting more from impulse or instinct rather than from reason, are less severe than "pre-meditated" crimes, those which are intentionally and methodically planned out while in a fully rational — IvoryBlackBishop
All babies are atheist until indoctrinated into religion"
2. Religion is a childish belief which one grows out of? — IvoryBlackBishop
Your very first post to me was condescending...and damn near every post since has had tinges of condescension rippling through it. That is one of the reasons I am not showing as much respect to you that I normally do to people with whom I am in discussion. — Frank Apisa
Here you start off with a pretense that I am saying it is not acceptable to continue making your point...despite my specific answer to your question on that issue being, "Yes, make any arguments you want...that is your right." — Frank Apisa
I suspect this "what is the meaning of need" crap is just an extension of that condescension. — Frank Apisa
Anyway, to show you at least a modicum of respect so that we might get this discussion back on track, I am simply going to ignore that question...so it won't be counted. — Frank Apisa
Answer my question as written. You do not need any further explanation of the words I used. — Frank Apisa
Babies don't believe in tooth fairies or Santa either. — Artemis
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