Shock, Horror - Iona Institute Finds Religious People are "Happier" & "Healthier"

[Almanac]

Dawkins was on Minnesotta NPR recently and he distinguished between the religious who believe in virgin births, miracles, resurrection etc and those who are deists. He called the former "infantile" and said at least you can have an intelligent conversation with the latter.

BTW some elected Representatives of the "infantile" type sought to have Dawkin banned from giving a lecture at the Oklahoma university recently. They didn't succeed so now they are "investigating " the university.

Do you honestly think I care an iota what Dawkins did or said?

[Almanac]

Even if you did seek to take it away from them you probably can't, to an extent, until the person is ready.

You can't argue with some people:

No one's asking or inviting you to have a conversation or argument. Why not just talk to people who have reached your own heights of enlightenment?

[Almanac]

To be honest for some thats all they've got and I wouldn't necessarily seek to take it away from them - but that doesn't make it true.

That's an extremely noble sentiment. Thank you for respecting their free will.

[Almanac]

I have friends who while they've been on drugs tell me that they've seen lightening men in the sky. I think the most reasonable explanation is that "lightening men" don't exist and that this was an hallucination. That is most reasonable explanation.

Reasonable to you viewing it through the hermeneutical filter of atheistic rationalism.

It's quite simple. If God exists, he is all powerful or else he is not God. And if he exists and is all powerful then he can perform miracles.

[garlandgreen]

Reasonable to you viewing it through the hermeneutical filter of atheistic rationalism.

It's quite simple. If God exists, he is all powerful or else he is not God. And if he exists and is all powerful then he can perform miracles.

I think non-drug induced rationalism is what he was going for. But if you see what you're doing as much the same thing as those he was referring to well we have nothing left to argue about do we?

[ArtyQueing]

Hawkins is suffering from the atheist meme - it is all in his head

[Kilroy]

Here's another amazing stat that I'm surprised Dave up in the Iona missed...children who believe in Santa Clause are generally happier at Xmas than children who don't believe in him...or maybe I'm imagining it...the amazing healing powers of self delusion!

[Oppenheimer]

Here's another amazing stat that I'm surprised Dave up in the Iona missed...children who believe in Santa Clause are generally happier at Xmas than children who don't believe in him...or maybe I'm imagining it...the amazing healing powers of self delusion!

We can also collect data this very weekend as kids try to find the Easter Bunny in their egg hunt.

[tmesis2008]

No one's asking or inviting you to have a conversation or argument.

Plenty of people talk to me, and I have the odd argument. As far as this site goes, I registered, I post, and I haven't broken any rules of engagement. I'm sorry if my arguments are inconvenient for you.

Why not just talk to people who have reached your own heights of enlightenment?

Why argue when you can sneer, eh?

Reasonable to you viewing it through the hermeneutical filter of atheistic rationalism.

It's quite simple. If God exists, he is all powerful or else he is not God. And if he exists and is all powerful then he can perform miracles.

You have atheistic rationalism as well, you just apply it to other people's religions. That bearded man in the toast must be Jesus and not Mohammed!

No. 1: Why would an all-powerful being have a sex? Surely God is an "it"? You really don't think that God is actually exactly like a man, tackle and all? Is your God the white-bearded, James-Earl-Jones-voiced, staff-wielding type?

No. 2: There is nothing to suggest that God is all-powerful. In fact, if you read your bible, God is quite fallible, and subject to human failings (but, of course, "God" is a character created by men, so that would make sense)

No. 3: If God is all-powerful why would he need to perform miracles? Doesn't that admit that he has to tinker with his creation.

No.4: You've re-stated your position instead of dealing with the problems with your "sun-dancing" miracle. I still don't understand why God would choose a "miracle" that could be probably be replicated by atmospheric conditions of some type. I'm pretty sure that people would have thought once that the Northern Lights were some sort of miracle.

[Almanac]

Why argue when you can sneer, eh?

Tell me because you are a first class 'sneerer'.