Enough Nonsense
New member
A lot of atheists talk as if they place a high value on reason. However, their consistent use of reason in arguments against religion is itself unreasonable (ironic, isn't it?). My own experiences have taught me that in most cases, faith is primarily driven by emotion, backed up by years of conditioning that started at an early age. Appeals to science and evidence have a hard time competing with people's desires. There are numerous reasons for religious belief, but here's the main one: people want to believe in these things. They have been conditioned to associate various mythologies with "hope" and "salvation." Many of my fellow atheists seem oblivious to that.
If we are to ever make substantial progress against the oppressive force of religion, we will have to give people a good reason to NOT want to believe in mythology. Two suggestions: 1) Emphasize the misanthropic nature of Christianity, which teaches us that every single one of us deserves to burn in Hell forever. That's an extremely cynical concept. And it certainly does not reflect well on the "Creator" either. Why should anyone want to believe such a thing? Atheists should hammer away at this idea, exposing its despicable character, rather than drone on about science. 2) Put the focus on freedom. Religion is burdened with countless arbitrary rules. This gives atheism a huge advantage. Because I am not shackled to some horrid mythology, I am free to live my own life. That doesn't give me a right to harm others, but it does allow me to fully pursue my personal fulfillment without the interference of invisible Beings (or more accurately, humans who claim authority to speak on behalf of invisible Beings).
P.S.: The preceding commentary does not apply to atheists who are content to avoid debates about these subjects. None of us is obligated to thwart religion.
Jesus Wont Save You: I'm sure that you are correct about that. Nevertheless, I see many atheists simply saying things like "God isn't real." Or "Why don't you believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, [insert a seemingly mythical entity here]?" That's a valid question. Yet, it seems to have little impact on the faithful.
My main point here is to focus on the emotional aspects of religious belief. If you and others are already doing that, I salute you.
XY GTHO: My Catholic upbringing was a pleasant one. It was not the "negative experience" that many theists would like to reference when assessing a person's lack of belief in God. Also, I have not read any atheist books. To my mind, the Bible itself provides more reason to reject Christianity than Hitchens and Dawkins and Charles Darwin ever could.
If we are to ever make substantial progress against the oppressive force of religion, we will have to give people a good reason to NOT want to believe in mythology. Two suggestions: 1) Emphasize the misanthropic nature of Christianity, which teaches us that every single one of us deserves to burn in Hell forever. That's an extremely cynical concept. And it certainly does not reflect well on the "Creator" either. Why should anyone want to believe such a thing? Atheists should hammer away at this idea, exposing its despicable character, rather than drone on about science. 2) Put the focus on freedom. Religion is burdened with countless arbitrary rules. This gives atheism a huge advantage. Because I am not shackled to some horrid mythology, I am free to live my own life. That doesn't give me a right to harm others, but it does allow me to fully pursue my personal fulfillment without the interference of invisible Beings (or more accurately, humans who claim authority to speak on behalf of invisible Beings).
P.S.: The preceding commentary does not apply to atheists who are content to avoid debates about these subjects. None of us is obligated to thwart religion.
Jesus Wont Save You: I'm sure that you are correct about that. Nevertheless, I see many atheists simply saying things like "God isn't real." Or "Why don't you believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, [insert a seemingly mythical entity here]?" That's a valid question. Yet, it seems to have little impact on the faithful.
My main point here is to focus on the emotional aspects of religious belief. If you and others are already doing that, I salute you.
XY GTHO: My Catholic upbringing was a pleasant one. It was not the "negative experience" that many theists would like to reference when assessing a person's lack of belief in God. Also, I have not read any atheist books. To my mind, the Bible itself provides more reason to reject Christianity than Hitchens and Dawkins and Charles Darwin ever could.