That’s a major issue I have when theists basically say “yeah, well I can understand why you left; that church doesn’t believe in the ‘real’ Jesus” or “my church isn’t so old fashioned” - you get the idea. When I hear things like that, especially from “progressive” Christians, it makes my blood boil because it betrays the fact that it’s all made up! They’re basically just admitting “I’m keeping the parts I like and ignoring and/or explaining away the things I do!” It’s like they’re molding a ball of clay into whatever they want and then somehow acting like it’s an objective, self evident truth. 🙄
And like you and that person said - does that mean conclusively there is no god? Of course not! But if he/she/it/they exist, definitely not one of the major religions as far as I’ve seen.
My father, RIP, was a theologian. A gifted academic. A graduate from Union theological College, Belfast Ireland and a Doctorate from Midwestern Theological Seminary.
When I questioned him about proof of god, you can imagine the conversations and debates.
At the end of the day it would always come down to his faith. He actually said, “no one knows, but at least I’ve got my bases covered” - even as a 12 year old kid I knew that wasn’t “faith” and certainly not good enough evidence of a god.
This is the part that always gets skipped in the altar call and the debate bro podcast: disbelief is not the same thing as certainty. A lot of atheists aren’t saying, “I have personally searched every dimension and found no divine landlord.” They’re saying, “The claims I’ve been handed do not convince me.” That’s not arrogance. That’s intellectual hygiene. Psychedelics may crack open the stained-glass windows of the mind, sure, but seeing the wallpaper move is not the same as proving who built the house.
That’s a major issue I have when theists basically say “yeah, well I can understand why you left; that church doesn’t believe in the ‘real’ Jesus” or “my church isn’t so old fashioned” - you get the idea. When I hear things like that, especially from “progressive” Christians, it makes my blood boil because it betrays the fact that it’s all made up! They’re basically just admitting “I’m keeping the parts I like and ignoring and/or explaining away the things I do!” It’s like they’re molding a ball of clay into whatever they want and then somehow acting like it’s an objective, self evident truth. 🙄
And like you and that person said - does that mean conclusively there is no god? Of course not! But if he/she/it/they exist, definitely not one of the major religions as far as I’ve seen.
Blessed are the cherry pickers, for they shall always find only the flavorful fruit they seek.
My father, RIP, was a theologian. A gifted academic. A graduate from Union theological College, Belfast Ireland and a Doctorate from Midwestern Theological Seminary.
When I questioned him about proof of god, you can imagine the conversations and debates.
At the end of the day it would always come down to his faith. He actually said, “no one knows, but at least I’ve got my bases covered” - even as a 12 year old kid I knew that wasn’t “faith” and certainly not good enough evidence of a god.
This is the part that always gets skipped in the altar call and the debate bro podcast: disbelief is not the same thing as certainty. A lot of atheists aren’t saying, “I have personally searched every dimension and found no divine landlord.” They’re saying, “The claims I’ve been handed do not convince me.” That’s not arrogance. That’s intellectual hygiene. Psychedelics may crack open the stained-glass windows of the mind, sure, but seeing the wallpaper move is not the same as proving who built the house.
The universe doesn’t know that we exist.