[udontknowmickey]

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I would suggest, though, that discussions about specifics of a religion between religious people and atheists before discussing the “God exists or not” question gets ahead of itself (or is even backwards).


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While this sounds good in practice, I'm not too sure how much people are willing to defend or advocate "general" theism rather than their specific theistic worldview. To me, "theism" is much closer to atheism than it is to Christianity.

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Basically, I agree with you. Or I should say, I agree with what I think you are saying. Theism and atheism are close. Both take a stance and both are based on Faith. Theist, faith in a God. Atheist, faith that there is no god.

At the same time you seem to be unintentionally making one of my points. That those who want to discuss these things like to throw digs at religions. Your Christianity comparison sounds like a jab. If I read too much into it and it was meant only literally as written, then ignore this paragraph. If meant only as written then, too, I get your point, not conceding to it, but understand what you are saying.

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Well, since I didn't quite understand what you were saying, let me try to reclarify my statement (so that you can reevaluate and clarify yours =p).

I am a Christian. As a Christian, I believe that the Christian worldview, and only the Christian worldview has validity. To say otherwise would deny some of the tenants of Christianity. Thus for me as a Christian (and as I suspect for others for their religion), if I am to discuss "theism," I must discuss Christian theism.

To reclarify my statement: A "general theistic" worldview (where we just acknowledge there is some higher being) is as incompatible with Christianity as an "atheistic" worldview, and thus are to be equally opposed in my eyes.

If I made a "jab" at any religion due to my words, I am sorry, I do not wish to offend others with my words, but I do also acknowledge that the Christian worldview, in it's claims of being the exclusive truth, is offensive to others, so I am not sorry if my worldview offends someone.

As a side note, a Christian's defintion of faith is markedly different from that of anyone else (though oftentimes even Christians will get the two usages confused).