Play Trap the Atheist (The atheist delusion)

by dhw, Wednesday, December 05, 2012, 12:01 (4373 days ago) @ hyjyljyj

hyjyljyj: QUOTE:
The fact is that sooner or later, despite the atheist's faith that science will one day reveal all, we come up against the complete blockage of not knowing how it all began. The Big Bang is the current favourite, and in answer to the question what went bang, some say nothing and some say something, but nobody knows and nobody can know. That does not, of course, invalidate the Big Bang theory, so why should the same "don't know" invalidate the design theory?-Brilliant. Love to see the arrogance and ignorance of atheists challenged so successfully and succinctly.-Welcome to the forum. I can't remember the context of the above (it always helps if you give the reference), though it sounds very much like one of my own responses to an atheist argument, but the agnostic in me has to point out that the converse is also true. Since nobody knows and nobody can know, it seems to me as blinkered to insist on the truth of the design theory as it is to insist on the truth of the chance theory. -Hyjyljyj: I like asking atheists how they KNOW there's no designer...where's the spaceship they used for searching the entire universe, how do they know they didn't just simply overlook him, etc. 
Even better: Also ask them how they think they KNOW anything, when their brain wasn't at all designed for the purpose of thinking or knowing--and watch the stammering and squirming begin. Fun for all ages!-Whether our brain was designed or simply evolved, I'm a bit surprised to hear that thinking is not part of its purpose. But I agree with you 100% that none of us KNOW anything with regard to these fundamental questions. The most we can aspire to is belief, and since we are all equally ignorant, I find intolerance of other people's beliefs just as shocking in theists as in atheists. In fact, it's often surprising and rewarding to see how much rationality we can find in other people's beliefs once we open our minds to their arguments.
 
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