> In a message dated 97-12-03 11:21:24 EST, Kvan writes:
>
> << Blind atheists are much worse than blind theists, precisely because
> they
> defend their position the way they do (usually with more-or-less
> vague
> references to scientific proof); yet they hypocritically refuse to
> employ
> the very tools they claim to base their understanding on when
> confronted
> with a statement not their liking, resorting instead to the kind of
> rejection they argue against. Such people deserve no respect.>>
>
> As an agnostic/atheist I must say "amen" to that. The most annoying
> example
> I can think of are atheists that claim that atheism holds some sort of
>
> privileged "default" position. Hence the shifting the burden of proof
>
> irrevocably on to all non-atheists. I think there are no necessary
> default
> positions on these matters. Although I may reject a thousand out of a
>
> thousand attempts to prove a thousand different deity/religious
> concepts, I
> still can only characterize my position as a belief rather than actual
>
> knowlege. To conclude that it is some type "default position" is lazy
> and
> closed minded.
>
> -Jake
No way jake, not knowing is ALWAYS the default belief, I don't think
you can find an example that tells us otherwise. In general, Atheism
simply says give me evidence, and i will consider. That is always the
default position. no evidence, no serious consideration. I am not
opposed to looking for evidence in something that beforehand has none,
but i will not make a DECISION without evidence. If you tell me that
there is a fountain of youth in the himalayas, I would say where is the
evidence. If you tell me that there is a fountain of youth in the
himalayas, wanna go look? I'll say sure, lets go look. I will apply
whatever reliable tools there are to discover the existence of a "god",
but so far, hallucination, deception and lack of understanding are the
only indications. I would say that the statement Marie uses here is
exactly what she is griping about.
Also, blind Atheists usually don't go about killing people, oppressing
people, or forcing by means of violence to believe.
Sodom