this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2026
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[โ€“] SnoopSqueak@lemmy.today 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm not Christian, as you can see by criticism of Roman Catholicism and offshoots here.

But you do believe in god? I am antitheist. Christianity is what I was personally abused by, but it could happen if we treat any god, any baseless claim as fact. People just make shit up and it causes problems.

if God Himself wanted to make people he couldn't control, because He decided so, how would He? He can just remake a universe of actual sims if he wanted to.

I don't believe in free will. Our brains are physical things. But if a god was all-powerful, they could do anything. Like, he could make people very similar to how we are (to make this example easier to imagine), but actually interact with them directly instead of being vague and absent. He could show us why he is worth worshipping, or confirm his existence to anyone with functioning senses, which he could guarantee we all have if he's all-powerful.

That is one of infinite examples, because all-powerful suggests he could do anything. Christians show a startling lack of imagination when they pretend that the world must be the way it is.

And hey, you're not the only one who has had it hard because of Christians/so called religious people, I get it and I'm sorry. I'm not defending them here.

Thank you. Others have it worse than I do. Many are dead and the number continues to rise. I think too many people have internalized the idea that everyone is entitled to their beliefs. We should all try to align our beliefs as closely with reality as we can.

[โ€“] ArgumentativeMonotheist@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Not believing in free will shows an incompleteness in your ideology and holes in your understanding of reality. Just remember, those who shun their free will and say "they're just doing X" for any reason besides their own volition range from irresponsible and silly to actual monsters like concentration camp guards.

Even just saying "I don't believe in free will" is an acknowledgement of the possibilities and your own decision making, lol.

But that's for a different day in a different thread. ๐Ÿ‘

[โ€“] SnoopSqueak@lemmy.today 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Even just saying "I don't believe in free will" is an acknowledgement of the possibilities and your own decision making, lol.

No, it's a choice I am making. But how does anyone choose anything? Not magic, not free will. Biology, chemistry, physics. My physical brain is reacting to the stimuli it has been exposed to.

Don't get me wrong, I am accountable for my choices. But there is no evidence to suggest free will exists.

But that's for a different day in a different thread. ๐Ÿ‘

๐Ÿคท You make the same dangerous mistakes as christians do, accepting claims with no evidence because they comfort you. Be careful.

[โ€“] ArgumentativeMonotheist@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Doesn't sound like you're making a choice then, and nobody actually has personhood and nobody can be accountable for anything because they're just robots acting on some unbendable OS and reacting to external stimuli. Idk man, that doesn't look like reality to me, it sounds like the product of getting lost in the sauce of a "pure reason" disconnected from reality itself.

But regardless, thanks for your civility and kindness. ๐Ÿ‘

[โ€“] SnoopSqueak@lemmy.today 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You keep trying to pick one of two extremes when the truth is in the middle. We are biological machines. We make choices based on our beliefs and feelings. Everyone has personhood and is accountable for their choices, we share reality.

So while I do not believe in free will, I do believe it is worthwhile to consider our choices and their repercussions.

It can be difficult for me to be civil. I am deeply concerned about humanity harming itself by drifting away from reality. I am angry at my parents and people like them, people making selfish choices that harm others. They justify it by denying reason and distorting reality.

I have to consciously remind myself of a few things, like that my parents were wrong, and that rage, even when justified, is often counterproductive.

Thank you for your patience.

[โ€“] ArgumentativeMonotheist@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Our capacities are limited by what we are and our circumstances, sure, but in all of that there's a little pocket of free will that can change enough. And in that little pocket is who we truly are. I'm glad we seem to see eye to eye about this. And hey, it's somewhat hard for me to be civil at times as well, I have my own issues hehe, but I think we did okay. ๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿซถ

[โ€“] SnoopSqueak@lemmy.today 1 points 3 weeks ago

Our capacities are limited by what we are and our circumstances, sure, but in all of that there's a little pocket of free will that can change enough. And in that little pocket is who we truly are.

A nice thought, though I remain unconvinced that free will exists. But I can agree that a person's choices say a lot about them. It's why I think it's so important for us all to align our beliefs as closely with reality as we can: our beliefs are one of the biggest factors in determining the choices we make.

Thank you for the chat. ๐Ÿ™‚ Take care.