[ATLian]

>Now, now, now .... your story has 11 players i.e. the
>story-teller (who has the right picture) and 10 blind men.
>I will not give you marks for guessing between the Bible and
>the other 10 man-made theories, which one has the correct
>concept of the 'elephant'

Actually the Bible only sees god from one perspective - the biblical one. So you'll be the blind man touching the elephants leg and saying the elephant is like a tree. Same way the Koran sees god from only one perspective - the Koran's, and so the Muslim will be the blind man touching the tail and saying the elephant is like a snake. When you can look at god from many different perspectives, you'll be suprised at what you can see.

As an atheist, I look at your gods from many perspectives. Before you wonder how an atheist can look at god, let me explain it. We can talk about The Incredible Hulk and his personality and strength and color from the way the comic books show him to us, even though we know the Hulk doesn't exist. Ditto with god, although I don't believe in your god, when I talk about your god, I talk about him from the way your bible defines him.

As a believer, you are not allowed to view your god in any other perspective apart from the one that says he's all good, all forgiving, all knowing, all powerful, etc. Since faith doesn't trap me into looking at god from just one perspective (all-whatever), I can see the other sides of him that your faith won't allow you to see. e.g. when he does evil stuff, I see it for the evil it is. When he's not forgiving, when he contradicts himself, when he is irrational, etc, I can see it for what it is. The believer will still tell himself that Yes, god just killed all the first born kids in Egypt, but it wasn't evil, it was the right thing to do. Of course when King Herod later does it, it's now extremely evil. Since I'm free from this "I always have to see god as good" mentality, I can see a better picture of who and what god really is.

By the way is the reason you always criticize Coach's god is because you are far removed to a point where you can see all about Allah clearly, and you can criticize him without the fear of blaspheming. Of course Coach cannot see the bad things that you see about Allah because through his beliefs, Allah CANNOT do bad things.

I hope I've come across more clearly this time about the perspective issue.



>Isn't it funny that you are always anti-'this and that' but
>never give an opinion where you stand (pro)...

TM, you've known categorically and unambiguously where I stand from Day 1. I don't believe in your or Coach's or any other gods out there, I think it's all hogwash. I've never hidden my stand, I've always stated it. Unlike you, I'm anti your god when he does crazy stuff. You just ignore the bad stuff and keep praising him as all-good. On the other hand I'm pro your god when he does good stuff. I disagree with your religion on many aspects, but I also agree with it on many more.

At least I'll give god props once in a while for doing good things. According to you, there's nothing bad god has ever done, even if it's wiping out the world and killing millions of innocent kids in the mix, killing all the first born kids, etc. And I think the bible has more attrocities committed by god than the good things he did.