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Percy is a Deist - Now what's the difference between a deist and an atheist?

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Author Topic:   Percy is a Deist - Now what's the difference between a deist and an atheist?
Blue Jay
Member (Idle past 2723 days)
Posts: 2843
From: You couldn't pronounce it with your mouthparts
Joined: 02-04-2008

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Message 91 of 375 (498798)
02-14-2009 1:56 AM 		Reply to: Message 67 by dronestar
02-12-2009 3:20 PM

Re: To summarize then
Hi, Dronester.
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dronester writes:
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We are here for a reason?
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About three thousand children die everyday from starvation EVERY DAY. It is a horrible way over a long period of time to die? What's the "higher purpose" for that?
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About three thousand children die of malaria EVERY DAY. Consider all the other terrible diseases that kill children every day. What's the "higher purpose" for that?
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Thousands of women are raped and murdered everyday. What's the "higher purpose" for that?
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I have never been able to understand this line of argument. Why is it that "higher purpose" is automatically equated with "people not experiencing bad things"?
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Would you have all "bad" things removed from existence?
If so, how would you determine what is "bad"?
Are spiders "bad"?
Are runny noses "bad"?
Are forest fires "bad"?
Are deer droppings "bad"?
Are people who disagree with you "bad"?
What is it that makes something "bad," who gets to decide which things are "bad," and why should such things be avoided?
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Would you argue that a world with only "goodness" and "happiness" all the time would be able to serve some sort of "higher purpose"?
If so, what purpose do you feel could be served in such a place?
I think such a place would be boring and meaningless: why would a "higher power" want to create something boring and meaningless?
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Edited by Bluejay, : Addition.
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-Bluejay/Mantis/Thylacosmilus
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Darwin loves you.
This message is a reply to:
 Message 67 by dronestar, posted 02-12-2009 3:20 PM dronestar has replied
Replies to this message:
 Message 96 by RDK, posted 02-14-2009 1:11 PM Blue Jay has replied
 Message 122 by dronestar, posted 02-17-2009 7:20 AM Blue Jay has not replied
  
Blue Jay
Member (Idle past 2723 days)
Posts: 2843
From: You couldn't pronounce it with your mouthparts
Joined: 02-04-2008

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Message 105 of 375 (498871)
02-14-2009 4:38 PM 		Reply to: Message 96 by RDK
02-14-2009 1:11 PM

"Higher purpose"
Hi, RDK. Welcome to EvC!
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RDK writes:
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Assuming you're backing the Judeo-Christian view of God and his infinite goodness, your answer seems a little bit silly.
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Well, assuming you're backing the phlogiston model of chemistry and its view of the magical powers of mercury, your answer seems little bit silly.
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RDK writes:
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As for what constitutes "good" and "bad", I would say that, taking an atheistic / naturalist point of view, anything that is beneficial to your survival and ensures the passing on of your genes is "good", and anything that hinders these things is "bad".
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This is exactly what I was going for: "good" and "bad" are inevitably subjective.
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So, if a "higher purpose" is to involve a diversity of entities, it must either allow conflicts of interest or enforce unanimous agreement.
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Which of those two options sounds more likely to serve a "higher purpose"?
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-Bluejay/Mantis/Thylacosmilus
​
Darwin loves you.
This message is a reply to:
 Message 96 by RDK, posted 02-14-2009 1:11 PM RDK has not replied
  
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