Sorry, but IMHO you lost every right to complain about Christians looking down on Atheists with your "Christards" comment.

Bigotry against Christians (which your name calling plainly is) is no better than bigotry against Atheists.

Want to help end the bigotry? Stop being a bigot.

Matt

Rationalist, and I, have been having an in-depth discussion about these very issues and I can tell you that he steadfastly refuses to accept that using insulting behaviour and rude comments is in direct conflict to his "nom de guerre." In fact, using such methodologies means he is obviously operating from a deep emotional level without any actual regards to rational thinking, proper use of argumentation and debate, proper etiquette when dealing with people and what it means to actually win an argument.
Of obvious irrationality is his insistence that I should support him simply because he claims to be a rational person despite evidence to the contrary.

__________________

Right, because in a universe where cause precedes effect, there is no possible way that my existence has anything to do with Atheists being burned alive by Christians centuries ago.

It came up a lot in college. Evangelical Christianity is very common in US colleges.

It happens a few times a year in various everyday contexts (stranges in a cafe, on a train, or in a grocery store).

If I may say so Rationalist....me thinks you are hung up on your atheism.
Being an atheist has absolutely nothing to do with attending a wedding or whatever...you don't have to believe in God to go to these things.
If it upsets you to be in a church...then you have other problems with identity not necessarily related to atheism.

__________________

The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity; where everything is made simple, and in that simplification the truth is lost.

You're right, it doesn't.

__________________
I am a liberal, a classical liberal. Classical liberalism is liberalism, but the current collectivists have captured that designation in the United States. In Europe they are glad enough to call themselves socialists. But no one in America wants to be called socialist and admit what they are.

Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, Perseverance

Well, I guess we know that Atheism is not genetic.

__________________

If the specific attributes being tested are integral parts of the definition of that god, then yes, the experiments in question do disprove the existence of that god.

The performance of miracles, the answering of prayers, the implantation of immortal, immaterial souls in new humans, and many other predictions about observable reality, are clearly integral parts of the definition of the god known as "God."

Heh Heh

__________________

The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity; where everything is made simple, and in that simplification the truth is lost.

Why doesn't the institutional mistreatment of your fellow Pagans enrage you?

Are you really this obtuse? Because you are reaching here. All that is being proven is if something did or did not happen, and how it may or may not have happened. Not whether some god put that something into action. You, along with these scientists, choose to ignore the fact that these beings by definition exist in a realm beyond our understanding; beyond science.

__________________
I am a liberal, a classical liberal. Classical liberalism is liberalism, but the current collectivists have captured that designation in the United States. In Europe they are glad enough to call themselves socialists. But no one in America wants to be called socialist and admit what they are.

Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, Perseverance

What part of "my hostility to Christians is a response to Christian mistreatment of Atheists. Period. " isn't clear?

If you show kindness to a cruel, barbaric enemy, then you get slaughtered.

Because it isn't institutional. I have never once been mistreated because of my beliefs.

__________________
I am a liberal, a classical liberal. Classical liberalism is liberalism, but the current collectivists have captured that designation in the United States. In Europe they are glad enough to call themselves socialists. But no one in America wants to be called socialist and admit what they are.

Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, Perseverance

and where have you disproven any of these things?


the whole point of a miracle is that it a)doesn't hardly ever happen and b) makes the normal laws of physics do more tricks than a coke starved porn star. Plus you'd have to be around, with equipment in place, to observe said miracle empiracally. done that lately?
bet not. which means you can't disprove it, any more than someone can conclusively prove it. meaning we're both taking it on faith either way!

No, but you're the one making claims that he doesn't.

So back those up...

__________________
Science flies you to the moon.

Religion flies you into buildings.

Are you really too obtuse to understand that the Theists are the ones who claim that their respective gods intervene in our universe in observable ways? The alleged supernatural cause is irrelevant to the fact that a real effect in our universe is, by definition, observable. That something that "did or did not happen" is something that the god being defined is supposed to have done.

Explain to me why the alleged beneficial effects of praying to God for the sick and injured are beyond the realm of sciece.