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Politics : Al Gore vs George Bush: the moderate's perspective -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (7426)	11/25/2000 12:18:40 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10042

I think you can only convert people where there is a vacuum of belief. You and I, for example, are rationalists. There is no vacuum of belief in us- so emotional arguments are unlikely to work on us. Because belief is so emotional, I bet extreme emotional disappointments, or cognitive dissonances that cannot be tuned out, may trigger conversions in believers- but I would also bet those instances are rare- except in the young. Seems to me young people flop about for a while looking for things to believe in- since they seem to be designed to enter a belief vacuum in their teenage years. Then they harden into whatever mold they've chosen.

To: Lane3 who wrote (7426)	11/25/2000 8:55:06 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 10042

Proselytizing would never work on a "thinking" person, I disagree Karen.. Many cosmologists and astrophysicists have a sense of god, often in a variety of forms. Many of the astronomers I knew in Tucson are Christians, and the Catholic Church sponsors an active program of astronomy. Those who use science to explore the universe can not help but be awed and overwhelmed by it. Especially with regard to how sub-atomic forces which exist in a naturally chaotic state, are brought together under yet vaguely understood natural laws. I've often explained God to "thinking people" in a form that they can understand, such as an entity that exists in another dimension which we cannot perceive. Similar to an artist who draws two dimentional characters, or programmers who design intricate self-running simulation programs like SimCity. We live in a 3D world and there's no way we can properly define or explain any dimension that exists beyond what we can perceive. In that, or another, dimension lies "god". Unfortunately, many Christians limit their understanding and faith to images of some "gray-haired" codger sitting on a throne, despite the fact that the Bible directly says that god is formless, existing everywhere at the same time. Not trying to get into a religious discussion here Karen, but to claim that "thinking people" can't find a justifiable and rational reason to believe in God is untrue. Despite what X may opine about me, I like to consider myself a "thinking person"... :0) Regards, Ron