Can atheists be sports fans?

[bandit4god]

Choice or determinism?  Most atheists (choose to) believe in the latter, which has a number of somewhat depressing consequences.  Criminals are imprisoned for just being poor slobs caught under determinism's raincloud.  Who you marry, divorce, and remarry are all part of the cosmic deterministic plan.  Your family member's (or your own) drug addiction was in the cards from the day you were born.

And perhaps most chilling of all, atheists can't be sports fans!  A Super Bowl win or loss has nothing to do with the coach in the booth calling play A or B, nor the quarterback throwing the pass to Snoggs or Scroggs.  Nervous about the game winning field goal?  Why, it's not up to the kicker's choice anyway!  Choice doesn't exist, remember?  Every sporting event is just a roll of a billion sided die, the result of trillions of microcausal events.

Any sports fans out there?

[Ihateyoumike]

So I've now read two of your new topics, and all in all, probably took about 3 minutes of my life to do so.
That's wasted time that I'll never get back. Thanks alot, buddy.

[Sophus]

Yes, we can be. Baseball and basketball I don't much care for, but I follow football and the Olympics.... sometimes hockey.

Determinism doesn't mean nobody chooses anything. It simply means we don't have control over the forces determining the decision making in the brain.

So is this really about sports or freewill?

[bandit4god]

So I've now read two of your new topics, and all in all, probably took about 3 minutes of my life to do so.
That's wasted time that I'll never get back. Thanks alot, buddy.

C'mon, location says you're in Oregon--how can you be sour at determinism with how awesome your NCAA football team is doing these days?  Thank you universe!!

Any other sports fans out there?

[Ihateyoumike]

So I've now read two of your new topics, and all in all, probably took about 3 minutes of my life to do so.
That's wasted time that I'll never get back. Thanks alot, buddy.

C'mon, location says you're in Oregon--how can you be sour at determinism with how awesome your NCAA football team is doing these days?  Thank you universe!!

Any other sports fans out there?

Fail. What you failed to consider in your most amazing of arguments there is that there's more than one NCAA football team in Oregon. I am a BEAVER fan and there has never been a sports team that I hate more than the ducks.

And you know what? I chose to be a Beaver fan. And though they aren't doing as well as the other team, I'll remain a fan.

[bandit4god]

Determinism doesn't mean nobody chooses anything. It simply means we don't have control over the forces determining the decision making in the brain.

What's the difference?  IhateyouMike freely admits that he chose to be a BEAVER fan (there's so much I could do with that... just too easy), but you're saying he didn't have control over the forces determining decision making in the brain?

[McQ]

Choice or determinism?  Most atheists (choose to) believe in the latter, which has a number of somewhat depressing consequences.  Criminals are imprisoned for just being poor slobs caught under determinism's raincloud.  Who you marry, divorce, and remarry are all part of the cosmic deterministic plan.  Your family member's (or your own) drug addiction was in the cards from the day you were born.

And perhaps most chilling of all, atheists can't be sports fans!  A Super Bowl win or loss has nothing to do with the coach in the booth calling play A or B, nor the quarterback throwing the pass to Snoggs or Scroggs.  Nervous about the game winning field goal?  Why, it's not up to the kicker's choice anyway!  Choice doesn't exist, remember?  Every sporting event is just a roll of a billion sided die, the result of trillions of microcausal events.

Any sports fans out there?

Again, check the forum first to avoid duplicate threads that have already been or are currently being discussed. In this case, we have plenty going on determinism, free will, and sports, even though we all know you're not really interested in talking about sports, just determinism.

[bandit4god]

...we have plenty going on determinism, free will, and sports...

...but no one has posted to them in months.  Chill, guys, let's just have a conversation about determinism, free will, and sports.

[McQ]

...we have plenty going on determinism, free will, and sports...

...but no one has posted to them in months.  Chill, guys, let's just have a conversation about determinism, free will, and sports.

You like sports? How about baseball? I love baseball. Here's a baseball related post for you:

Strike one.

Now would be a good time to check the third base coach. He's signaling for you to lay off the high cheese.

[Ihateyoumike]

You like sports? How about baseball? I love baseball. Here's a baseball related post for you:

Strike one.

Now would be a good time to check the third base coach. He's signaling for you to lay off the high cheese.

Best modorator post ever.  

[bandit4god]

Disappointed I'm not looking at the third base coach and laying off the high cheese?  That I chose this path?  Determinism, fellas, it's the universe--how could I do different?

[McQ]

Disappointed I'm not looking at the third base coach and laying off the high cheese?  That I chose this path?  Determinism, fellas, it's the universe--how could I do different?

No problem. I think he just called for a time out anyway. Probably should have listened to him. See you on Sunday. Put some ice on that.

[Will]

Yes, atheists can be sports fans.  

[Sophus]

Determinism doesn't mean nobody chooses anything. It simply means we don't have control over the forces determining the decision making in the brain.

What's the difference?  IhateyouMike freely admits that he chose to be a BEAVER fan (there's so much I could do with that... just too easy), but you're saying he didn't have control over the forces determining decision making in the brain?

Because everyone faces choices and we are forced to make them. You are implying that we think nobody makes choices when what Determinism really means is that we do not have control over what drives the activity in our brain which leads to the decisions made. The entire question of freewill is not whether or not we make choices. That's too elementary. It asks if we are free enough in our decision making to be able to "act in certain situations independently of natural, social, or divine restraints" (Britannica).

You're also assuming everybody here is a Determinist or that all atheists are Determinists. They simply aren't.

[Wilson]

What Sophus said.  Study it.  And this atheist is an embarrassingly rabid fan of the 49ers, the Warriors, the Sharks, and the World Champion San Francisco Giants!