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<DIV><SPAN class=403450802-28112004><FONT color=#0000ff>OK. I should say
</FONT><FONT color=#000000>"nowadays Atheists are not necessarily more
scientific or more true than theists."</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=403450802-28112004><FONT color=#0000ff>And I consider
</FONT><FONT color=#000000>"why and how comes the universe" and "the existence
of God(s) or not" are the <BR>most profound questions for human
beings.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=403450802-28112004>And I don't expect the answer is just "42".
Human beings can always make some progress (maybe slowly).</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT size=2>Thanks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT size=2>Walter.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT size=2>---------</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=zh-tw dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Olga
Bourlin<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, November 28, 2004 1:29 AM<BR><B>To:</B> ExI
chat list<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [extropy-chat] Atheists launch
inquisition...<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><B>From:</B> <A title=Walter_Chen@compal.com
href="mailto:Walter_Chen@compal.com">Walter_Chen@compal.com</A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>> The point is like this: </FONT><FONT size=2>Atheists
are not necessarily more scientific or superior than theists.</FONT>
<BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I would think that atheists *are* probably more scientific
(not all of them, but in a greater majority than theists), but
"superior" is a loaded word and concept to use in this context, to the
point of being completely meaningless. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>However, compared to the history of humankind beforehand,
the ideas that came out of the Enlightenment (taking the viewpoint away
from imaginary, invisible, omnipotent, humorless and somewhat
insecure being(s) and focusing on humans) proved better for us
all. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>> Since why and how comes the universe and the existence
of God(s) are the</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2>most profound questions that nobody
can answer or prove to satisfy </FONT><BR><FONT size=2>the human beings until
now, both theists and atheists should respect</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2>each
other and work together to find the final answer (if it exists). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>You incorrectly state that "why and how ... the existence of
god(s)" is "one of the profound questions that nobody can answer." I
mean - I don't know how to put it more gently, but
- that's twaddle.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>You also state that both theists and atheists "should"
respect each other. It seems you are confusing "should respect each
other" with "should respect each other's *right*" to believe what they
want. Working together in a pluralistic society,
however, is a good idea (... and this charming scene was
inspired by another basic concept from the Enlightenment
- tolerance).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>> Maybe the final answer is partly objective and partly
subjective.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Maybe there is no such thing as a "final
answer" (whatever that means). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Olga</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>