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You guys are throwing out there a bunch of ideas which is cool but he is presenting evidence..... Based off of the information here these are just abstract ideas. I think I would much rather base what I believe off of the best evidence and not ideas.
Ok I guess I am a little stupid here because I have yet to see "evidence" that proves the existence of a supernatural creator........dammit all that time in university for nothing! lol
Wow!, wow, wow, wow.
So many points of intrest, so many points of veiws, and beliefs. I'll have to read this thead at least 10 times to absorb it all.
Ive walked this earth for well nigh of 43 years. Seen a lot, done a lot. Never seen proof of an almighty creator, and yet maybe I can't see the trees because of the forest. The short of the long, I'm a christian, whether brainwashed from birth or concluded through life experiences.
"On prayer, an athiest has nothing to lose from it, if he's right, but everything if he's wrong."
Wow!, wow, wow, wow.
So many points of intrest, so many points of veiws, and beliefs. I'll have to read this thead at least 10 times to absorb it all.
Ive walked this earth for well nigh of 43 years. Seen a lot, done a lot. Never seen proof of an almighty creator, and yet maybe I can't see the trees because of the forest. The short of the long, I'm a christian, whether brainwashed from birth or concluded through life experiences.
"On prayer, an athiest has nothing to lose from it, if he's right, but everything if he's wrong."
It's not like atheists can just decide to believe in god, that would be comparable to an adult deciding to believe in Santa Clause again. No matter how much social pressure - you can't do it, add an omniscient god to the variable and there is no use in pretending, either. So either I'm right or god predestined me to hell.
Is that not what you are supposed to do. There is a question that needs answering, you look at the data then form your conclussion.
Yeah, that is what your suppose to do but those of faith do not come to their conclusions by analyzing data. They come to their conclusions based on some other delusional desire and then collect what they believe is the best data to support their conclusions - if this wasn't what they did they would'nt have a philosophy based on faith.
Ok I guess I am a little stupid here because I have yet to see "evidence" that proves the existence of a supernatural creator........dammit all that time in university for nothing! lol
dude...it wasnt "for nothing"...i'm sure you prob. got drunk and laid!!!
HE WHO MAKES A BEAST OF HIMSELF, GET'S RID OF THE PAIN OF BEING A MAN!!
It's not like atheists can just decide to believe in god, that would be comparable to an adult deciding to believe in Santa Clause again. No matter how much social pressure - you can't do it, add an omniscient god to the variable and there is no use in pretending, either. So either I'm right or god predestined me to hell.
ok...#1. i dont know why you always gotta drag him (Mr Clause) into it!! i swear klash with all the proof on Santa (documentories, books published, sightings, dejected elves doing midget wrestling) you'd think you'd give this argument up!
#2. your lucky, in the end, i told you i got's your back...even though, WITH EVERY STINKING REPLY, you insist on making it more difficult for me! killing me klash....
i have to admit, you guy's make for some great reading. hope scally can put together his points from a diff direction. that'd crank it up a little more. mandarb, please remember, black type is still best. klash....just be klash, lol
HE WHO MAKES A BEAST OF HIMSELF, GET'S RID OF THE PAIN OF BEING A MAN!!
i have faith that unicorns exist and there is no proof that they don't.
so there.
Lol yes that is essentially what we are doing, having to prove that something does not exist. Maybe we should take this approach. OK now I know superman exist, prove me wrong! That is a hell of a lot easier then appealing to reason and logic! lol
Lol yes that is essentially what we are doing, having to prove that something does not exist. Maybe we should take this approach. OK now I know superman exist, prove me wrong! That is a hell of a lot easier then appealing to reason and logic! lol
see? and here you thaught you always had to go the hard way!!! "appealing to reason and logic"!!...that shyt's WAAAAY over-rated!!! nothing appealing about either of those!!!
HE WHO MAKES A BEAST OF HIMSELF, GET'S RID OF THE PAIN OF BEING A MAN!!
It's not like atheists can just decide to believe in god, that would be comparable to an adult deciding to believe in Santa Clause again. No matter how much social pressure - you can't do it, add an omniscient god to the variable and there is no use in pretending, either. So either I'm right or god predestined me to hell.
Only the grave will tell the truth.
And what did you mean by "believe in Santa Clause again" ?
Mandarb11...I don't believe in complete censorship. I just personally don't want to see it or give the guy any money because he has been quoted saying he "wants to destroy God" by writing childrens books. That in itself is twisted. Going after children. My take. Anyway, I consider all theologies or thoughts because I need to know what's in the world that I'll have to deal with as a Christian and a parent. Like I said if my children see it "life won't come to an end". So when you say "you people" means you didn't read the post. By lumping people of like thought togethor means they all feel the same way. Most people who attack abortion clinics claim to be Christian. But to be a true believer means turning the other cheek and showing Grace. Not killing someone for performing an abortion. I protest it by donating to Lifeline and other organizations who help teens and women to out the children up for adoption. Just an example of how using a blank statement can show closed mindedness...
Mandarb11...I don't believe in complete censorship. I just personally don't want to see it or give the guy any money because he has been quoted saying he "wants to destroy God" by writing childrens books. That in itself is twisted. Going after children. My take. Anyway, I consider all theologies or thoughts because I need to know what's in the world that I'll have to deal with as a Christian and a parent. Like I said if my children see it "life won't come to an end". So when you say "you people" means you didn't read the post. By lumping people of like thought togethor means they all feel the same way. Most people who attack abortion clinics claim to be Christian. But to be a true believer means turning the other cheek and showing Grace. Not killing someone for performing an abortion. I protest it by donating to Lifeline and other organizations who help teens and women to out the children up for adoption. Just an example of how using a blank statement can show closed mindedness...
Yes and that is a respectable reason, if he really did say this then I too do not like such a statement. I believe in choice, and all of us need access to information / different viewpoints in order to make good decisions in life. The story itself is actually quite good, great adventure lots of "supernatural" beings and occurrances I can see why it won so many awards. I have been trying to find this interview to verify what exactly Pullman said, I would hate to think that he was misquoted. I wonder how many people that said they were going to restrict their children from his works and yet never checked to see what the facts really are!
Interview: Pullman Not Promoting Atheism
November 2, 2007 17:34 by Sachith Nilaweera
Philip Pullman addressed several issues, including claims that the His Dark Material books are anti-Catholic and promote atheism, raised by readers of Al's Book Club on MSNBC. He also answers questions on how he imagined such an epic world and how he came up with the concept of dæmons. Thanks to IMDb.com user downinnewyork for bringing this to our attention.
Pullman not promoting atheism in ‘Golden Compass’
Author on the anti-Catholic comments and how he imagined the epic world
How do you respond to the claim that your books are anti-Catholic and promote atheism? Lyndsay Petersen, Parkersburg, Iowa
Hello, Lyndsay: In the world of the story — Lyra’s world — there is a church that has acquired great political power, rather in the way that some religions in our world have done at various times, and still do (think of the Taliban in Afghanistan). My point is that religion is at its best — it does most good — when it is farthest away from political power, and that when it gets hold of the power to (for example) send armies to war or to condemn people to death, or to rule every aspect of our lives, it rapidly goes bad. Sometimes people think that if something is done in the name of faith or religion, it must be good. Unfortunately, that isn’t true; some things done in the name of religion are very bad. That was what I was trying to describe in my story.
I think the qualities that the books celebrate are those such as kindness, love, courage and courtesy too. And intellectual curiosity. All these good things. And the qualities that the books attack are cold-heartedness, tyranny, close-mindedness, cruelty, the things that we all agree are bad things.
Is there an underlying message for atheism in your book or did you simply want to write a fantasy story, like Tolkien? Kim Mapstead, Friday Harbor, Wash.
Hello, Kim: What I was mainly doing, I hope, was telling a story, but not a story like Tolkien’s. (To be honest I don’t much care for “The Lord of the Rings.”) As for the atheism, it doesn’t matter to me whether people believe in God or not, so I’m not promoting anything of that sort. What I do care about is whether people are cruel or whether they’re kind, whether they act for democracy or for tyranny, whether they believe in open-minded enquiry or in shutting the freedom of thought and expression. Good things have been done in the name of religion, and so have bad things; and both good things and bad things have been done with no religion at all. What I care about is the good, wherever it comes from.
How do you imagine such an epic world in “The Golden Compass”? Did you look for it or did it come to you? Muhaimin
Hello, Muhaimin: This is an interesting question, because it’s something I’ve often wondered about myself. When I’m telling a story I know, with part of my mind, that I’m making it up; but with another part of my mind, it feels as if I’m discovering something that is already there, in some mysterious way, and I’m learning about it rather than inventing it. So I can’t give you a definite answer! The one thing I do know is that if I don’t work steadily and try to write every day, no story will get written at all. So I try to do that.
I have always wondered about a bear's armor. It is said that armor is the soul of the bear, yet doesn't Iorek forge a replacement set? Perhaps I misunderstood something from the text, but if the armor is taken from a bear, does creating a new set give the bear his soul back? Paul Jacobs, Corvallis, Ore.
Hello Paul: Thanks for the question. When Iorek said that to Lyra — describing his armour as his soul — he was using a metaphor to express how important the armour was to him. Each bear makes his own armour, piece by piece, and gradually acquires the full set as he grows to maturity; so naturally it’s very important and special. The forging scene involving Iorek doesn’t involve his armour, but Will’s Subtle Knife.
Dear Mr. Pullman, My class is reading “The Golden Compass” and we were wondering how did you come with the concept of daemons? What inspired you? Hayden (age 8) Annadale, Va.
Hello, Hayden: Thank you for the question, and please give my greetings to your class and to your teacher. The idea of daemons came to me very suddenly and from nowhere that I can be sure of. I wrote the first chapter of “The Golden Compass” several times before I got it right, and at first it wasn’t going well at all. I didn’t know why until I realized that Lyra had to have a companion to speak to and share things with, and suddenly this daemon idea just came into my mind. It was an exciting moment, and it made the whole story come into focus for me. I’m still discovering new things to do with the idea, and I’m writing about them in a book that will be called “The Book of Dust.” But I’m a long way from finishing that yet.
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