Famous atheist now believes in God...

[pisces2473]

Look WB, there's hope for you! :razz:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=315976

[WeirdBrake]

VERY funny. Just remember who has Jersey street cred and who doesn't.

In all fairness, he still doesn't believe in God in the traditional sense (the "personal" all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing God of the western monotheisms who watches over us and rewards or punishes in the afterlife). According to the article, he still doesn't believe in an afterlife, and he only believes in "God" as simply an intelligent force that created the universe. Not necessarily a God with any of the traditionally ascribed traits.

Plus, he was a scientific skepticism atheist. I'm a theodicy problem atheist. Scientific skepticism atheists don't believe in God because of lack of evidence or proof. It's a much weaker form of atheism. Theodicy problem atheists, on the other hand, don't believe in God because of the "an all-loving God wouldn't allow suffering" issue. Theodicy problem atheists regard an all-loving God in a world of suffering as an inherent logical contradiction.

If you only disbelieve something because of lack of evidence or proof, you can always start to believe in it if you think you've found the necessary evidence or proof. However, if you disbelieve something because you think it's logically contradictory, it's far less likely that you will ever change your mind or come to believe in it.

Why am I so hot on this subject these days?

[pisces2473]

Gosh, I was just joking around...

[WeirdBrake]

That'll teach you to joke around with an ex philosophy major! :evil:

[WeirdBrake]

Now if only we could get ephphatha here, we could REALLY have a party.

[pisces2473]

Yeah, where the hell is he?

[WeirdBrake]

If I believed in hell, I'd say "Damned if I know." ;)

[stonemonkey]

Theodicy problem atheists regard an all-loving God in a world of suffering as an inherent logical contradiction.


But then doesn't that leave you open to believing in a God who's a mean, sadistic bastard?

[WeirdBrake]

Yep, but the traditional God of western monotheism is characterized as all-loving.

[Mad Dawg]

Yep, but the traditional God of western monotheism is characterized as all-loving.Except in the Old Testament... Where he often comes across as a mean, sadistic bastard. ;)

[heatherf]

Gosh, I was just joking around...

No kidding. ;)

And except for when God created the bar exam- again, mean sadistic bastard.

[RayJ1977]

I'm actually somewhat intrigued by the Deist notion of god mentioned in the article and particularly thought of by Thomas Jefferson. Anyone know more about that? I'm not advocating or whatever, but I'm interested in understanding it.

[Mad Dawg]

Deism (http://www.deism.org)

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[Desiderata]

I half expected this thread to be about WB... guess it would have then had to be "infamous"

[WeirdBrake]

Or "Beloved." :huge:

[Desiderata]

alright jesus...take yourself off the cross, we need the wood for fire :rolleyes:

[WeirdBrake]

I'm not Hispanic. Don't call me Jesus. :lol: