Presuppositionalism

How can you be lonely with your God?Maybe he's not there?

I am not a moral relativist. Relativism is a poison in the intellectual arena. What makes me think mine is the right one? Because I believe in an absolute. I dont buy into this idea that what is right for you is on you and what is right for the next guy is up to him.Relativism makes each of us responsible for deciding what is right and judges no one on their choice....but ultimately I believe there is an absolute standard upon which all relative judgments and decisions will be measured against.Do I know whether I have the inside info on this absolute standard? No. Do I believe that I do? Yes. Could I be wrong? Absolutely. But There is an absolute.

Who said anything about morality? I asked why you think your god is the right one out of thousands of possibilities. The correct one, the "truth". Morality doesn't enter into it. I bet you are - but we can discuss that in an appropriate topic.

I like people. Only a monk is content to just be with God....I guess i'm not a monk.Anyway...steering back towards this topic of Presuppositionalism...
I can see the logic that your views have that mine don't...and though you are correct in that there is absence of evidence, I wont personally believe in evidence of absence as you apparently were eager to do. I will agree that for the purposes of a logical argument you have won, I wont allow my belief to follow evidence. It is sheer folly to think that human wisdom is superior to any concept of a God. Ringo seems to think that evidence should be the "gold standard" in concluding any argument...but to simply say--as you are eager to do---that He doesn't exist is not my style. Perhaps I am more eager for him to exist than you are. In fact I think I am.Edited by Phat, : No reason given.

I find it bizarre that you would question that. If there is evidence, it IS the gold standard. It's the ONLY standard. How can you deny that?And if there is no evidence, then one empty opinion is as good as another.

Perhaps. But after all is said and done, it is only your opinion that can matter or be of any value to you. I would argue that my opinion--my belief---is as much of a standard to me as anything else.

Ever hear of democracy? Other people's opinions can definitely have an effect on you. And more to the point, fundies often think they are being persecuted for their religious opinions.So it might be worth your while to have a look at reality instead of just wrapping yourself in your own opinions.

I know the bumper sticker 'absence of evidence is not evidence of absence' is very popular here but it's total bullshit.If you haven't looked inside a room it is impossible to know whether there's anything in there. You have no evidence. If you've opened the door and had a jolly good look, you now know.If you say to me that there's a table in there but it's invisible and because we have no way of detecting it it's not evidence of absence, I'm calling bullshit. You can believe in the table if you want but I'm saying that your deluded. And I have evidence. That's a good definition of a delusion. Of course you are, you need to believe. Many people do. They're frightened of what it would mean if their god didn't exist. Faith actually wants the world to tumble into chaos to confirm her belief that she is saved. It's all very worrying that adults can't seem to deal with the responsibility of leading a good life for it's own sake.

Except we are not talking about a room. We are talking about two vast regions that are largely unexplored---the universe itself and/or the human mind.Now I grant that your arguments make logical sense, by and large. All I am saying is that the issue is far from evident. There are too many loose ends.

Granted many believers have empty opinions, but some of their opinions are backed by real world experience.. such as living through a hurricane or being persecuted for the faith in another country. I would argue that people who stand for the faith rather than waffle on it like an armchair quarterback are themselves evidence of perseverance at least.

It is evidence of how they behave but not evidence of anything else.

Have you not said that Christianity is about what you do? Thus...ones behavior is evidence of internal and intestinal fortitude at least. Tangle seems to think that God is absent. I would argue that strong positive behavior and character are evidence that God exists through some people. There are many recent examples in stories from the virgin islands and other devastated places...where individual actions of altruism and comfort beyond the norm were observed. These people have God in them whether they are aware of it or not.

Nonsense. It is only evidence of what is done. Again, nonsense. It is not evidence of God but only evidence of what they do.

Oh Phat......People acting to help other people is no more evidence of god than bees helping other bees is. It's part of our programming - we find it hard NOT to help.If you want evidence of the absence of god it's right there in the hurricane itself.

Only because the hypothetical god does not behave as you determine He should behave. So at best the evidence is subjective. I maintain that God allows the hurricane simply because micromanaging everything begets a race of couch potato people with no character development.