From: spam@spam.com   
      
   On Fri, 4 Nov 2011 10:10:00 -0400, "Arny Krueger"    
   wrote:   
      
   >> On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:12:04 GMT, spam@spam.com (Don Pearce) wrote:   
   >   
   >>Atheism is NOT a faith. It is the position that there is no reason or   
   >>evidence to suggest that any supernatural entity exists. It requires   
   >>no faith.   
   >   
   >The above argument fails to consider the well known and intensely valid   
   >principle that absence of proof is not proof of absence.   
   >   
      
   No it doesn't. However, proof of absence is an absurd position to   
   advance. It is countered by the flying spaghetti monster, the orbiting   
   teapot and the chocolate cake on the far side of the moon.   
      
   >It's also a matter of being polite and honoring the principle of freedom of   
   >faith. I can't recall ever seeing a person of faith berate someone simply   
   >because they are an atheist, but I surely can remember numerous occasions   
   >where atheists have publicly and gratuitously attacked people of faith for   
   >simply being people of faith. If memory serves, Mr. Pearce is a repeat   
   >offender.   
   >   
   I will always attack superstition and gullibility wherever I encounter   
   them. They are poison to our society and have no place in a scientific   
   world.   
      
   >And please let me clarify that I'm not getting down on Pearce for being an   
   >atheist. I'm  pointing out his flawed logic, bad manners and retrograde   
   >politics reminiscent of the days of Stalin.   
   >   
      
   No, my logic is sound. And Stalin trained to be a Russian Orthodox   
   priest at Tvilisi seminary. As history reports, he decided he could do   
   the job better on his own, but he still kept all the religious   
   trappings - the inquisition, miracles, leader worship etc.   
      
   d   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)