Is a question many atheists have been asked in one form or another. Many have given varied answers to the question and my contribution, though not new, is to say evidence that would be accepted by any reasonable person/observer.
But who is a reasonable observer/person?
Abstract philosophy and exercise is only suited for that person who is well fed and housed. The practical man or woman has use for philosophy to the extent to which it is relevant to their lives and until professional philosophers address issues of practical men and women, their works will remain in university bookshelves read only by other professional philosophers.
The evidence demand would be directly connected to specific claims. A claim from theism about the efficacy of prayer, for example, implies certain expected evidence if true. Claims about the personal conversion experience likewise imply measurable features. Claims about history or miracle can be evaluated on evidence.
In a nutshell, the immaterial god proposed by theism is supposed to have measurable impacts on the material world. Those claimed effects should be the grounding for evidential requirements to support the claim. Otherwise, and as with all hypothesized causal explanations, the null assumption reigns.
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Hello Matt,
I agree with you totally.
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Brilliant response. I’m an nicking it for when the next patronizing, mealy-mouthed god-bother asks what evidence would convince me!
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We tend to look for evidence to support our own needs but: if we could recognise each otherโs needs, we would surely be able to recognise our own ‘ignorance’ too, for how frequently has that deceitful knave fooled the minds of innocent men who look out upon the same landscape from different viewpoints and, believing their eyes cannot be deceiving them, begin quarrelling with one another about what they each believe to be their own true picture of the world? (This is something Colonists have ignored for the last 500 years.)
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The missionaries came to Africa, Asia bearing the good news of the lord & we all were to be converted from our ways. An injustice that the popish Church & all others need to repent.
Your comment also reminds me of the anecdote about blind men and an elephant. Each of them limited only by the extent of their touch.
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”When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘Let us pray.’ We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.”
Desmond Tutu
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And the bloke still became a Bishop!
Was it Kenyatta or Tutu who said this?
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Desmond , apparently .
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I am not looking for evidence, if any theist has any evidence I have not previously heard I will listen but in the last 50 years I have heard nothing but the usual non compelling nonsense! Theists make the positive claim therefore it is up to them to prove their issue!
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Jean, you and me same.
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I think “what sort of evidence would you consider?” would be a more reasonable question. I don’t carry around a stock list of evidence that I want to see. It’s up to any believer who wants me to consider his faith to put something on the table.
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I think I agree with you.
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Evidently, their definition of what constitutes evidence differs from mine. Otherwise they’d stop asking what kind of evidence I need and get on with the task of producing it..
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Some of them think they have adduced enough evidence in form of arguments & that you lot are shifting goal posts or just being plain hard hearted like pharaoh
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You forgot pharaoh did not harden his heart “god” hardened pharaohs heart, if you want to accuse someone please accuse the right person!
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Haha Jean.
That was tongue in cheek. Yes, the culprit is known.
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…the kind they ain’t got!
Or going to have.
It’s all hot air and bluff. If they can do better than that, someone please let me know. I won’t be holding my breath. ๐
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You don’t consider their arguments enough evidence ๐
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I generally consider their arguments as practical as pissing into a high speed fan… and they have the gonads to claim they aren’t wet.
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Hahahaha, my friend you have made my day.
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I still want an answer to this: Even if we grant you your fundamental claims, why should we join you in groveling before such a wicked, blind, arrogant creator as your “God”. Seems to me you be worshipping a Devil!
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This is a much broader question. Why should this particular entity be worshipped?
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Their abstract view of the machinery of human society prevents them from understanding the natural flow of events and from remembering when they themselves have erred and why.
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