Monday, November 16, 2009

Belief Without Evidence

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." - John 20:29

This verse has always troubled me. It is saying that it is a virtue to believe in the absence of evidence. This makes me fear that there is nothing we can do to combat the religious nutballs. Regardless of the evidence we bring, they will just go "Nope! I have faith!" I will never understand how someone can go 'There is zero evidence for my claim (there is even evidence against it) but I will believe it anyway!'

Is there anything we can do to reach people like this?

PS - Sorry for the lack of a 'Churching an Atheist' post yesterday. My mom did't wake me for church. I suspect that was deliberate, because of my actions last week.

8 comments:

  1. Yeah I think it is a little scary that there are all kinds of fundies out there who think ignorance is a virtue.

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  2. Teach yourself then? Reverse the tables my friend. We have no 'absolute' proof He exists, and we have no 'absolute' proof that He doesn't. We are trapped in a paradoxal belief system of yes's and no's, and it's our choice to choose from either of them.
    Choose your own destiny, faithes, truthes, and life styles. Athiests are ruthless and confused, and the Christians are hypocrites and unlearned of their teachings that they probably have never even seen.
    That is all for now.
    ~Christianonymous

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  3. We may not have 'absolute' proof either way, but the scientific way of things is to assume non existence until proof presents itself. You wouldn't accept the claim that a giant invisible rainbow squid with one horn was above your head without evidence would you?

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  4. lol. No "I" wouldn't accept it, and obviously you wouldn't either. But who's to say another culture, or someone as ignorant as you and I, wouldn't?
    And by non-existence until proven existent... why not existent until proven non-existent? I'm sorry Jesus isn't just gonna come down here and slap everyone in the face and say "Hey! Do you believe in me now?!" That's the apocalypse if you didn't know. So it'd be kind of too late if that time came around.

    Matt. 7:21
    ^ Words for the unlearned hypocratical Christians. And a good laugh for the people who can shove it in their faces.
    I'm Christianonymous. Ciao

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  5. Another baseless attack... Why's it so hard to believe that someone would believe in something, if the delivery of the idea is good enough? It's like selling a used car, it's possible even if the car sucks.
    And who's this we who assumes? And tell me what faith is, in your opinion. I want to see your gaping hole of a viewpoint. (don't worry, everyone has a gaping hole in their belief. This entire comment string is for my amusement)

    Guessing you didn't read my verse,
    -Christianonymous

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  6. do you believe in air you cant see that still need it to live? do you believe in gravity you sure cant see that? it all comes down to faith

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  7. The thing with your examples is that we have empirical evidence for the existence of those things.

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