Response To: "Atheists Have Faith, Just Like Theists."

Where you see incident, I see probability and chance. Unless you have scientific evidence that the reason that person lived was because of God, I cannot consider your subjective experience. And remember, a subjective experience does not provide for an objective truth or fact. I don't want you to change your beliefs. And yes, it is hard for people to accept that our lives are one big random event. It makes us feel small and inadequate. That is why some people need to believe in God. I don't.

I have gotten through many surgeries and did not lean on a Higher Being. I prefer to stand on my own two feet. If you want to appeal to a Higher authority, that is your choice. I do not need to. And yes, all your examples are chance, and do not provide sufficient evidece that there is a Higher Power.

Yes, all a coincidence. We live in an uncertain world. Show me evidence that finding a winning lottery ticket after throwing it out is no coincidence? Terminal illnesses usually end in death, but not always. It is not impossible to recover from a terminal illness. And yes, someone can survive a hurricane and plane crash. Yes, it is all chance. Some people die in hurriances, and some don't. How do any of these show proof of a Higher being or more than chance? Evidence?

It really does. You have to love the ignorance of people that say "it's just a theory." Most people cannot even distinguish the difference between a hypothesis and a theory :::rolls eyes:::

Great, but subjective experiences do not provide evidence for an objective truth. That is why they are subjective, because they are ONLY true for the person experiencing them, not for everyone else. Therefore, your experience proves nothing in the terms of absolute facts.

Thanks renegade4dio!

The complete webcasts for most on the recent shows (the last 200 shows approximately) are available on Google Video. They are named "Atheist Experience #xxx" where xxx= the episode number. Enjoy your webcasts ;)

I truly do not believe all faiths and religions are EXACTLY the same but it is becoming very difficult not to see the caller acting exactly the way a muslim would if you were to discuss timelines in history, or question "the prophet" PBUH

Matt has a very good way of articulating his point. I wish I could find complete webcasts of this program to hear more. Also, the ending is pretty hilarious.

The last 10 seconds are one the funniest things I've seen in a while.

"...How bout this? How 'bout I jus' come down there and punch your fat head in for Jesus?"--caller

And he'd been doing so well behaving himself up till then... I wonder what makes so many Christians so violent when confronted with a challenge to their beliefs. The only speculations that come to my mind are too pejorative to even mention.

To elaborate on what MonsterMag said about the fallacy of "just a theory":

The whole body of scientific knowledge known as "Chemistry" is utterly reliant on Atomic Theory and its assumptions about the fundamental makeup of matter. This includes everything from conjecture about the geometry of electron sub-shells within the "electron cloud," to how covalent bonds increase attraction, to what atoms are made of.

So the statement that your soft drink is "carbonated" is really ... just a theory.

Last night, laying in bed, I thought about my post on the Germ Theory of Disease, and thought OH S**t ! I forgot to add Disease to the end of it... Thanks for the added help ;)

I wonder if it wasn't some sort of sick joke. He seemed to be a fairly nice and rational guy.

It's the Germ theory of disease... Which means germs are what makes you sick, rather than say... sin....

If that makes it easier to understand... Also it is only relatively recently that we can actually see a germ... Perhaps in the future we may be able to see atoms...

I don't understand how that guy turned so vicious in the end, he seemed like he was sort of listening to what Matt had to say until that point.

very nice

Yes, indeed. It may seem unbelievable but the Germ Theory is, well, a theory. Although, it has been more or less proven it is still "just a theory." So, it is indeed fair to say that evolution is just a theory, even though tons (Literally) of evidence has proven it correct.

He means under the true definition. Because of the extremely slight possibility of the reason we stay on earth are invisible chains, gravity is still a "theory" in definition.

Germs are a theory...really? Even though you can see organisms under a scope?

Most things that you consider Scientific "Fact" are, actually theories themselves. I suppose you believe in Germs, correct? Well, they are just a theory. The same goes for, plate tectonics, cells, the Atomic Theory, molecular bonds, and of course, gravity. These are just a few, and they ARE NOT scientific Mumbo-jumbo.

Well end stage cancer is never reversible so that is why to me what i saw was miraculous. Anyway I haev poor examples Nietzche but you get the point. Incident after incident I saw god work in my life, or what i believe to be god. I totally understand that you see someone like me as being deluded since you grew up atheistic. I have believed this way for a verrrrry long time and it is hard for me at this point to say my whole life is one big random event.

That's not a logical argument for the existence of a sky nanny. An atheist could make a similar plea:

"I have been thru awful things in my life...and I have relied on myself, my family and friends to help me endure when all else failed. Sickness, financial issues...I was not born into a rich, well-to-do evangelical family, kmcl11."

And how would you respond to a Muslim who claimed that Allah answered his prayers or worked some miracle? Does that mean Allah is real? How about Zeus?

"Finding a winning lottery ticket after throwing it out is no coincidence. Seeing someone healed of a terminal illness, being the only suvivor of an accident, surviving a hurricane, or plane accident..all these things are a matter of probability and physics to you? How lame"

What's lame is your arrogance!

Your god took the time to help you do all those things, yet allows a hurricane to destroy a city, a tsunami to destroy entire islands, earthquakes to kill thousands

And you see no problem

Would you say that all the things you've experienced in your short life havent any meaning? Would you say it was all a conincidence. Finding a winning lottery ticket after throwing it out is no coincidence. Seeing someone healed of a terminal illness, being the only suvivor of an accident, surviving a hurricane, or plane accident..all these things are a matter of probability and physics to you? How lame. How have you gotten thru life's ups and downs without some higher being to lean on.