How do you know that you were brainwashed? You have no fact to support that conclusion, just an opinion. You won your intellectual freedom? How do you know that you didn't jail yourself within the limits of the human mind? I am not saying you are wrong, just that you don't know, nor do I. You made a choice. Fine, but why the hostility?
You are correct dgabriel, and I agree that the power of positive thought can have a measurable effect on sick people. I think most atheists would agree here, due to what you said in your last sentence: "It is true that clinically depressed people are given to illness more often and recover from illness more slowly than happy people. " BUT these double blind studies are attempting to see if there is any EXTERNAL supernatural forces at work here, as theists claim. However, these types of studies FAIL. The Duke study was the largest of these studies, and shows that prayer, when UNKNOWN to the patient, has NO effect. So what can we conclude? There is no rational reason to believe that prayer has any power beyond human positive thinking. peace axeman
If religious belief were unreasonable, it would be seen as such by the fields of mental and physical health. It is not viewed as unreasonable by the field of psychology, sociology, physiology, neurology, neuropathology, neurophysiology, biology, philosophy as a whole, or any other mainstream sciences that study human behavior. Some practicioners may have opinions to the contrary, but at this point, those who practice belief in God are determined to be quite sane by all legal bodies and all major medical professional organizations.
I see. So read the following article, and then please explain to me what is the difference between your god and Carl Sagans dragon: http://www.users.qwest.net/~jcosta3/article_dragon.htm What is the difference between a god I cannot see, touch, smell, feel, hear, verify, test, or measure in any way, and an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire ??? How can I tell the difference between your god and the fictional tooth fairy? I cannot. I therefore can only conclude they are both fictions and only exist in peoples imaginations. If you claim that god is beyond human logic, and is not material by definition, and you use these attributes to defend his existence, then this amounts to just one big circular argument. If there is no way for me to detect, test or measure, this so called god, then as far as im concerned, he is on the same level as unicorns and the tooth fairy. peace axeman
Fallacy: Appeal to authority. Once again proving that all your arguments are based on fallacious reasoning. If the majority were always right, the earth would still be flat Do we consider children who believe in santa and the tooth fairy as unreasonable? Of course not. Lot's of people believe in all kinds of silliness, including Miss Cleo But just because psychologists, etc, do NOT consider them unreasonable, in NO WAY means that their belief is correct. Your reasoning does not hold water. peace axeman
how about ETAA: EliteTrader Atheist Alliance so far i think we have: GG LongShot FPC axeman stu feel free to add yourself to the list.
ARogueTrader, you are NOT going to out-debate axeman. i don't even think it is possible on this subject.
Hahaha.... you forgot "athiest". I noticed him/her recently as a new user to ET. peace axeman "Religion is bunk" ---Thomas Edison
ARogueTrader, you are NOT going to out-debate axeman. i don't even think it is possible on this subject. GG ___________________________________________ Axeman does not debate he indulges in childish arguments and insults. I don't have the time right now to point to the hundreds of examples but will soon.