A woman convicted over her part in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot said she rejected Trump's pardon because it would be a "slap in the face to Capitol police officers."
I have no idea how to interpret “improve our conscious contact with God” any other way.
Then you’re not experiencing any empathy for them. You’re not actively putting yourself in their perspective, their world. You’re accepting what they say, not extrapolating from that to understand what they think.
Religious people generally don’t hear voices in their head. We know God doesn’t talk to them. They know God doesn’t talk to them. They might believe in signs or whatever, but they don’t hear a voice when they pray, and they certainly don’t expect to.
From the outside perspective of an athiest, you should be able to see that all they’re really doing is using their imagination to simulate a being greater than themselves and then asking “what would that being want for my life?”
This is not very functionally different from asking ourselves “if I was a better person, what would I want for my life?”
The theistic process could be corrupted by malformed ideas about the things a deity would want, sure. But the athiestic process could also be corrupted by malformed ideas about the things a good person would want.
I have no idea how to interpret “improve our conscious contact with God” any other way.
… All they’re really doing is using their imagination to simulate a being greater than themselves and then asking “what would that being want for my life?”
This is a secular interpretation of “improve our conscious contact with God” that doesn’t actually involve “communicating with a God”
Is there something about this interpretation that you don’t understand or disagree with?
I already told you what I didn’t agree with and why I didn’t agree with it several times, so I have no idea why you keep asking me over and over as if I will change what I said.
I even did what you wanted.
It feels like you just are insistent that I must agree with you.
I already told you what I didn’t agree with and why I didn’t agree with it several times
I didn’t and still don’t see any explanations for why you disagree, other than “being athiest” which I do not believe is sufficient explanation in and of itself. There are plenty of athiests who find reasons to agree or disagree on this topic beyond that single belief.
I apologize if my approach seems insistent that you need to agree with me. I only wanted to explore the topic further, and am happy to discontinue that if the desire is not reciprocated. Farewell.
I never said that, nor did I ever think that. But you have made clear that this discussion is unwanted, and I will respect that and say no more on it. Farewell.
Then you’re not experiencing any empathy for them. You’re not actively putting yourself in their perspective, their world. You’re accepting what they say, not extrapolating from that to understand what they think.
Religious people generally don’t hear voices in their head. We know God doesn’t talk to them. They know God doesn’t talk to them. They might believe in signs or whatever, but they don’t hear a voice when they pray, and they certainly don’t expect to.
From the outside perspective of an athiest, you should be able to see that all they’re really doing is using their imagination to simulate a being greater than themselves and then asking “what would that being want for my life?”
This is not very functionally different from asking ourselves “if I was a better person, what would I want for my life?”
The theistic process could be corrupted by malformed ideas about the things a deity would want, sure. But the athiestic process could also be corrupted by malformed ideas about the things a good person would want.
I did exactly what you asked me to do and now you’re saying I did it wrong.
This is a secular interpretation of “improve our conscious contact with God” that doesn’t actually involve “communicating with a God”
Is there something about this interpretation that you don’t understand or disagree with?
I already told you what I didn’t agree with and why I didn’t agree with it several times, so I have no idea why you keep asking me over and over as if I will change what I said.
I even did what you wanted.
It feels like you just are insistent that I must agree with you.
I didn’t and still don’t see any explanations for why you disagree, other than “being athiest” which I do not believe is sufficient explanation in and of itself. There are plenty of athiests who find reasons to agree or disagree on this topic beyond that single belief.
I apologize if my approach seems insistent that you need to agree with me. I only wanted to explore the topic further, and am happy to discontinue that if the desire is not reciprocated. Farewell.
I said a hell of a lot more than that.
Did you? To me? Where?
Does it matter? Whatever I said was stupid and worthless anyway.
I never said that, nor did I ever think that. But you have made clear that this discussion is unwanted, and I will respect that and say no more on it. Farewell.