The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > A carnival of un-belief > Comments

A carnival of un-belief : Comments

By Nick Moodie, published 17/3/2010

Atheism can unite people in a movement of human, compassionate and thoughtful ideals.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. Page 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. ...
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. All
Jon J

I am not sure what else may exist out there in the universe (or multiverse) but I too am 100% sure it is not the god described by any of the Abrahamic religions or anyone else's for that matter. The universe is too vast for such petty deities.

Cheers
Posted by Severin, Thursday, 18 March 2010 9:17:04 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Thanks Nick, a good article. We should never underestimate the power of humor or the weight of religious emotional baggage.

It seems that ever since we humans developed awareness, we have struggled to explain both our environment and our rudimentary intelligence. Agnostics and atheists seem to be content to accept that, through the application of our intellect; we will progressively grow and apply our understanding of both.

For theists, and for reasons as yet unexplained, there is an immediate need for answers. In the absence of those answers theists create them.

In particular over the past 1,000 years, these explanations in the form of theology have grown exponentially into some 34,000 registered religions and millions of rules. This is an enormous volume of emotional baggage for humans to carry and requires the equally enormous expenditure of emotional energy to sustain it. Just observe the howling at the perceived threat posed by the prospect of “organized atheism”.

I’m concerned that the impact of the schizophrenia required to live in today’s complex reality, whilst subscribing to the even more complex and inexplicable religious faiths will eventually result in emotional damage.

The manifestation of fundamentalism in many religions may be the early indications of this breakdown. If so, our great thinkers, sociologists, psychologists and philosophers might need to stop deconstructing the past and focus upon the potential socio-political impact and policies that could head off the deteriorating rift between religions themselves, and between theism and atheism.

Satisfying though it may be for atheists, humor and ridicule have the potential to simply make things worse. Clearly it is also pointless to try to debate this complex, man made theology, its complexity is its inherent defense. Theology has become a massive library of irrational “one liner” rebuttals, so comprehensive and voluminous, that even the most inept religious exponents can fire off salvos.

Surely human cognitive powers are capable of developing something little more intellectual?
Posted by spindoc, Thursday, 18 March 2010 10:29:29 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Why bother Spindoc? What does it really matter what people believe?

From your perspective, in the end everyone - religious believer, agnostic, atheist, whatever - all end up as worm food and forgotten.

So why worry what anyone believes: it does not make any ultimate difference.
Posted by JP, Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:06:42 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
"So why worry what anyone believes: it does not make any ultimate difference."

Oh dear, here we go again: atheists are all despairing misery-guts with no sense of joy or wonder. How many do you actually know, I wonder? Most of the atheists I know pursue - and achieve - happiness wholeheartedly, much more so than believers who have arbitrary rules to tell them what they can and cannot do.

If it makes no 'ultimate difference' whether I have lobster or cabbage for dinner tonight then I might as well have lobster and enjoy it, no? Far better and more pleasant than making myself suffer to appease some imaginary Sky Fairy.

Something else I enjoy is baiting believers to see what further heights of nonsense they are capable of achieving. Could there -- I wonder -- be just a hint of jealousy and projection in this desperate, evidence-free, attempt to pretend that atheists are all gloomy Gusses?
Posted by Jon J, Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:20:47 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
John J – I don’t think you got my point. Why do you, or Richard Dawkins for that matter, care what I or anyone else believes?

Obviously Dawkins does care as he writes and speaks with the clear intent of trying to convert everyone to atheism. He doesn’t think people should be left as they are: does he believe he has some sort of responsibility to other people or to the world to set them/it straight?

If so, where does that responsibility come from?

Or is he just a busybody who should just shut up and leave other people alone? As I noted before, if he is correct, it makes no difference in the long run what we believe – it all comes to nothing.

Also, you spoke disparagingly of the “arbitrary rules” that (presumably) you believe that religious people have. In saying that are you implying that your rules are not arbitrary or are you saying that you do not have any rules?

Geoff Davies – you want people to choose to act from love. What do you say to the fellow atheist who does not want to choose to act from love but from revenge or jealousy, for example? What makes your choice “right” and his/her choice “wrong”? Sure, you may be able to choose to act from any motive you like but why should anyone take any notice of your choice?
Posted by JP, Thursday, 18 March 2010 2:07:21 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
JP

I don't give a rat's what you believe. What I and other atheists are concerned about is having myth taught as fact in schools, eroding the critical thinking of children, tax breaks for non-charitable organisations, for example businesses like Sanitarian or for spurious 'religions' like Exclusive Brethren, Scientologists, blurring of lines between church and state (if Christianity becomes the national religion where does that leave Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and others?). That religion remains sacrosanct from any criticism, that critics are labelled as 'strident', 'extreme', 'militant', 'socialists', even Marxists all for stating comments like those above.

Or having the temerity to speak out against bombing medical clinics or discriminating against homosexuals.

Take a look at education in Texas - Christians are busy rewriting history. http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=70959

<<< Editorial: Conservative changes mean setback for Texas education
March 17, 2010

On March 11, the Texas Board of Education made some very controversial decisions regarding the materials that will be covered in curriculums.

These changes that were made by the board are based heavily on conservative Republican principles.

These changes included more emphasis on the importance of American capitalism and the Christian beliefs on which the Founding Fathers based the government of the United States.

One notable change that will be made in future textbooks will be that "capitalism," a word with an arguably negative connotation, will now be referred to as "free enterprise."

Another change being made is the large emphasis put on Christian principles, like the basis on which the forefathers of America developed the country. >>>

This is why atheists and other free-thinkers are afraid, very afraid.
Posted by Severin, Thursday, 18 March 2010 2:42:03 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. Page 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. ...
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy