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Topic: Theists

	Theists And Atheists Think Alike 99.9% Of The Time
		I, perhaps naively, believe that if many theists knew exactly what the atheist world view was, they’d see that tiny portion that is not in line with their views, and would consider becoming an atheist themselves.
		This means that if a theist could sit down and critically analyze why they do not believe in other gods without drawing upon dogmatic and circular edicts from their own doctrine (e.g., “God said there are no other gods, so there aren’t) then they’d realize they are changing the rules when evaluating their own beliefs.
		Theists have extremely sounds reasons and thorough logical arguments why other gods do not exist, or are very unlikely to, just as atheists do.
	www.useless-knowledge.com /1234/july/article308.html (613 words)

	Lively Answers to Theists
		A theist might respond to Le Poidevin's trilemma by holding that God (a) creates timelessly, (b) creates in a higher time dimension, or (c) employs some form of "backwards" causation to create after the universe has begun.
		I agree, but some theists seem to think there is something to these concepts, so a more detailed consideration of their views might be in order.
		Plantinga therefore claims that theists violate no epistemic duties, and hence are not irrational, in adhering to belief in God even though they acknowledge the facts of evil and cannot explain why God permits evil.
	www.infidels.org /library/modern/keith_parsons/lively.html (3132 words)

	DO ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACH HUMANISM? (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		Whether theists know it or not, and whether theists like it or not, children of theists are being taught humanism in public schools.
		While many theists in the teaching profession may sense the undesirability of evolutionary assumptions within their own curriculum content, teaching methods and purposes, and while they may therefore alter it in accordance with their own theistic perspectives, they cannot thereby overcome the strong hold that evolution has upon public education.
		Because theists are so accustomed to educating their children in public schools, theists, like all others in our society, have built their life styles in such fashion to accommodate public education.
	www.biblicaltheism.com /doall.htm (6202 words)

	The Existence of God or Questions for Theists
		THEISTS of marked intellectual ability persistently avoid any attempt to defend the Christian's notion of their God as he is delineated in the Bible.
		The Theist's position further assumes that the universe and man are incapable of producing that which we know to exist, and that the present "order of things" could not be the result of certain molecular movements of the elements in nature.
		Revelation, Design, and Intuition are all advanced by different classes of Theists to prove their claims; but the particular method relied upon by one class of Theists is entirely repudiated by the others.
	infidels.org /library/historical/charles_watts/existence_of_god.html (4783 words)

	20th WCP: Nonbelief as Support for Atheism
		Theists may reply that there is evidence for the existence of God and so theistic belief is in no way irrational.
		Theists usually fall back on the Unknown-purpose Defense according to which God has some adequate though unknown purpose for permitting people to be nonbelievers.
		Theists who answer questions Q1 and Q2 affirmatively are saying that God loves humanity greatly and wants that love to be reciprocated.
	www.bu.edu /wcp/Papers/Reli/ReliDran.htm (3054 words)

	Faith
		This essay attempts to quell some arguments between atheists and theists who both claim they are making more "logical" assumptions when in fact many of their "different" assumptions are the same, with the exception of extra theistic assumptions such as the existence of a loving being, a conscious creator, an imminent god.
		Theists find it provocative when atheists deny that there is a spiritual world and call it 'deluded'.
		Theists assume that materialists are blind or have some ulterior motive to not 'acknowledging' the spiritual world.
	www.vexen.co.uk /religion/faith.html (875 words)

	The Metaphilosophy of Naturalism
		It became apparent to the philosophical profession that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by naturalists in terms of the most valued standards of analytic philosophy: conceptual precision, rigor of argumentation, technical erudition, and an in-depth defense of an original world-view.
		Realist theists, whom hitherto had segregated their academic lives from their private lives, increasingly came to believe (and came to be increasingly accepted or respected for believing) that arguing for realist theism in scholarly publications could no longer be justifiably regarded as engaging in an “academically unrespectable” scholarly pursuit.
		Of course, some professors in these other, non-philosophical, fields are theists; for example, a recent study indicated that seven percent of the top scientists are theists.1 However, theists in other fields tend to compartmentalize their theistic beliefs from their scholarly work; they rarely assume and never argue for theism in their scholarly work.
	www.philoonline.org /library/smith_4_2.htm (6652 words)

	Arguing against faith (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		Theists often consider atheists to be some sort of lower form of life with no morals, poor education, antisocial tendencies and probably bad breath as well.
		Theists will often define the way God does things, to fit in with their argument (you'll also notice that their god invariably shares their own personal prejudices).
		Many theists will only accept their own personal meaning for certain words (like omniscience, and so on) in a debate, and may simply refuse to discuss the issue with you unless you do it on their terms (which suit their argument).
	www.abarnett.demon.co.uk /atheism/debate.html (3363 words)

	The Problem with the Problem of Evil (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		And still others deny that the theist is required to offer any sort of explanation (theodicy), arguing instead that the theist need only defend the logical consistency of simultaneous belief in the existence of evil and God.
		However, it is simply not the case that all theists who believe that God is omnipotent and perfectly good hold the same, or even similar, beliefs concerning the nature and extent of God's power or the type of value that a perfectly good being places on various states of affairs.
		But some theists -- for example, process relational theists -- continue to believe that since other self-determining entities have co-existed eternally with God, the power to create ex nihilo is not a power that it is logically possible for any being to possess, even if this being is perfect in every respect.
	www.biblical-theology.com /miscellaneous/basin1.htm (3167 words)

	Philippine Atheists » Atheism Misunderstood (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		Theists, particularly those from mono-theistic religions, have often hurled accusations against atheists, branding atheists as fools (” Only a fool says there is no God”;), heathens and infidels.
		Unlike our theist brethrens who tend to be united in worshipful prayer and unity, atheists do not have religious institutions to fall back on, and hence are not exposed to the “sheep mentality” that theists are routinely subjected to.
		Just as there are theists who fought and died for their countries, there are atheists who fought and die for their countries too.
	philippineatheists.org /index.php/2006/03/01/atheism-misunderstood (1218 words)

	SciForums.com - Theists vs. Atheist?
		Theists are convinced that they are 'saving the world' and doing 'the right thing' by trying to make others belive exactly what they believe.
		The key to a solution is evidence and while the majority of atheists favor the scientific method the theists claim a ‘higher’ form of evidence.
		Theists have enough of a problem trying to debate which theism is the right one among themselves.
	www.sciforums.com /printthread.php?t=14686 (2255 words)

	Council for Secular Humanism
		Theists believe that the best scientific evidence that God exists is the evidence that the universe began to exist in an explosion about 15 billion years ago, an explosion called the Big Bang.
		Theists think it obvious that the universe could not have begun to exist uncaused.
		Rather, according to the theists, we can consider it to be an empirical generalization based on observation.
	www.secularhumanism.org /index.php?section=library&page=smith_18_2 (1442 words)

	Something is Wrong with Theists \| UberKuh
		I am not arguing, mind you, that theists are genetically hardwired to be irrational.
		Theists are no different from atheists with respect to their brains' logical, pattern-matching functionality.
		The difference between theists and atheists is that theists are willing to accept irrational beliefs and behaviors in one, peculiar area of their lives, namely, that which concerns religion.
	uberkuh.com /node/359 (3422 words)

	a wolf angel is not a good angel » wolfa tries to understand angry theists
		Perhaps their theism was the result of the tragic death of a loved one, or an angry degrading rant, or an insensitive eulogy, or an unfeeling castigation of lifestyle choices or perhaps something even worse.
		But there are also people who become theists for this same reason: it is more comforting to imagine that whatever happened to you was for some sort of reason, even if it’s a reason you don’t yet understand.
		Of course the good things that theists have done are important and have made the world better, just like the good things atheists have done have made the world better, though since we’re outnumbered a lot, there are fewer of them.
	wolfangel.calltherain.net /archives/2006/05/14/wolfa-tries-to-understand-angry-theists (2066 words)

	Religion D3: Mackie - An Inconsistency
		Mackie thinks that many theists who try to solve the problem of evil are confused.
		{ 1 } - theists who claim that evil doesn't really exist -- because it's an illusion (or perhaps a mere lack of good).
		Mackie thinks such theists are inconsistent, since they want to hold that this illusion is evil -- or that it's evil to lack good.
	www.jcu.edu /philosophy/gensler/RE/r-d3--02.htm (475 words)

	GOD
		Theists "explain" it positing that the creation of life and universe is an act of the religious God, which is really not an explanation, but a simplistic statement of faith in the unknown.
		Theists exploit this ambiguity to interpret a denial of both God-P and God-I to suit their agenda of dehumanizing SHRs.
		The fact that theists emphatically claim that God-P is clearly and unambiguously defined in their religion does not make it so, since those claims do not pass the criteria of logic as universally accepted and reflective of the advanced human rational faculty.
	humanists.net /avijit/article/god_atheism_secular_humanism_apathib.htm (2969 words)

	PAM's Tactical Approach Treats Theists With Kid Gloves Knut W. Barde (Reply) (10-01)
		The theist might agree the term is historically slippery, but nonetheless catchable, while the atheist would claim the word is slippery because it is a chimera.
		The theist can easily maneuver us into the position of agnosticism because the task of claiming ignorance of god is easier than claiming knowledge about the absence of god because of the lack of coherence of the term.
		The theist will have no problem in proving that the word god is coherent because that is what he wishes to believe, and he will not feel defeated just because it is admitted that his conclusion is based on faith.
	www.positiveatheism.org /mail/eml8724.htm (3169 words)

	The Deductive/Logical Problem of Evil
		While premise 1 is acceptable to theists, premises 2 and 3 are not sufficiently qualified to match what Christians mean by the divine attributes of perfect goodness and omnipotence.
		So, I will show the logical problem of evil is flawed by showing that theists are not committed to the premises of the argument (as they are currently stated), and showing that it is logically possible for God and evil to coexist.
		Traditional theists can rest assured that the logical problem of evil has been solved, but the inductive or evidential problem of evil is still a serious threat that theists need to address.
	apologetics.johndepoe.com /evillogic.html (1279 words)

	Atheism Awareness (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		There is only one time that I hate theists and that is when theists use their theistic beliefs as a means to justify the start of war, spread hatred, spill blood, or trample on the rights of others.
		The theists that I hate are the theists that kill anything or anyone and say they did it because their God told them to.
		The theists that I hate are the theists that use the blind faith of the masses to create havoc, chaos, and bloodshed.
	www.alabamaatheist.org /awareness/questions/hatetheists.htm (520 words)

	PROCESS PHILOSOPHY (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		While it is important to note that both classical Christians and process theists share their thoughts and concerns with God in prayer, it is equally important to note that those in both camps also want God's perspective shared with them.
		If process theists decide that God would do so, it then becomes difficult to see how they can justifiably maintain (as many do) that coercion is morally incompatible with divine perfection (as Ford 1978 says), or that persuasion is the greatest of all powers, the only power capable of worthwhile results (as Cobb 1976 says).
		In response, some process theists (for example, Griffin 1991) acknowledge that the God of process theism would coerce if possible, but deny that this is inconsistent with continuing to maintain that persuasive power, if properly understood, is morally superior to coercive power.
	members.aol.com /NeoNoetics/Process_Theism.html (3306 words)

	How Would Society Fare If Theists Suddenly Lost Faith? Frank (Reply) (10-04)
		In fact, the odds are overwhelming are that a religious person's values came from numerous sources, most of which are either internal to the individual or are based upon experience (which includes being taught).
		If my experience and interviews are any indication, when theists "suddenly" (as you say) see that religion is bunk, when they realize that their childhood religious instruction was falsehood, at worst they become resentful toward those who would lie to them while in such a vulnerable state as childhood.
		Many of those who claim to be theists, who get counted as theists, who behave like one would expect theists to behave (going to the prayer meeting, etc, rather than any specific moral regimen or attitude) are not really theists at all, but are closet atheists, or theistic agnostics at best.
	www.positiveatheism.org /mail/eml8261.htm (1017 words)

	Daylight Atheism > What Are You, Stupid?
		Besides, many theists do have such beliefs (that God speaks to them and commands them to kill, etc.) and these theists are generally recognized as delusional by psychiatrists.
		Where theists have delusional beliefs, they can be seperated from non-delusional beliefs by careful investigation: hence psychiatrists do call these beliefs delusional but do not call 'normal' beliefs delusional.
		but it is true that theists are generally frightened by beliefs that veer from the ordinary, because i think deep down, mosts theists know somewhat that god, is obsolete and unnecessary, when pretty much all phenomena has a natural explanation, and scientific enlightenments are made on a daily basis.
	www.daylightatheism.org /2006/05/what-are-you-stupid.html (5816 words)

	Thorn's Metaphysical Challenge to Theists
		I lay it down before any individual who might insist that I accept as knowledge the claim that there is a God and that this God created the universe, that he demonstrate how an act of consciousness can result in the existence of physical matter which did not exist prior to the act of consciousness.
		The existent produced by the theist's demonstration will have to be verified by science before the demonstration can be declared a success.
		Incidentally, at least one theist claimed that he could meet this challenge, to demonstrate how existence can find its source in a form of consciousness, though, strangely enough, he never did make an attempt to perform such a demonstration.
	www.geocities.com /Athens/Sparta/1019/AFE/Metaphysical_Challenge.htm (471 words)

	Are atheists smarter than theists? \| UberKuh
		Level of intelligence is, unfortunately, no indicator of whe'er or no a person will be atheist or theist.
		All you need to be a theist is acceptance of an unlikely, unsupportable, unverifiable premise like "there is a creator." The most brilliant of minds can then extrapolate 'til they've got a scheme that the sheep will worship unconditionally.
		it is surely the case that the vast majority of people, theist or atheist, are intelligent enough to realise that the existence of a god is, rationally speaking, unlikely.
	uberkuh.com /node/244?PHPSESSID=e404e0d2c49c27c46fac725b8b6feeab (779 words)

	Courting the Theists
		One of the strategies of ID critics seems to be an attempt to convince theists that a Darwinian form of evolution is fully compatible with their belief system.
		Many of those mainstream theists have made strong commitments to honor both their religious intuitionsandan effort to formulate a worldview that is science friendly.
		Those devout, faithing theists who go about their daily lives committed to acting on their beliefs deserve an unambiguous exposition of what is being promoted.
	www.dlcommunion.org /docs/courting.html (2429 words)

	Do many (a)theists unjustly ignore philosophical arguments?
		Most theists cannot even try to see that there are problems with concepts like "infinitely powerful" or "infinitely good".
		I think that most people (theists, agnostics, and atheists included) are not dedicated to rationally laying out their ideas of their philosophies from first principles.
		Now, I'm not saying that an atheist society is destined to repeat the same mistakes, but I think we live in the best of all times when the State and the Church are separate in their balance of powers.
	debatingchristianity.com /forum/viewtopic.php?t=3326 (5006 words)

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