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And here's one of my problems with many Atheists; not only do they argue from a point of assumed superiority, they use the negative aspects of religion to justify resistance (or outright intolerance) of it and either reject or ignore the good things it does. There is so much charity and volunteer work inspired by religion. Most of the charities in my city are faith-based. Missionaries are all around the world right now bringing food, medical support, education and drilling wells for people that desperately need help. A friend of mine is in a Christian group who donated all of their profits directly to a charity, which they helped to found, that fights human trafficking.
Yes, while there are problems created by religion, there are many acts of kindness and charity inspired by religion that are conveniently overlooked by those looking to criticize it.
Most of the charities in MY city are NOT faith-based, yet do the same things. The only difference is they're not trying to convert people while they're there.
Very true. In the US, 78% of us are Christian while 1.6% are Atheist (4% if you include Agnostic). The chances for some "Christian" lunatic doing something terrible and grabbing headines is simply an inevitability.
On the flip side, with staunch Atheists being less than 2% of the population, one Atheist jerk spouts off online and it represents all Atheists poorly since they're such a minority. This thread has done nothing but reinforce the stereotype of the angry, hateful, insult-throwing Atheist, with nearly every page expressing disdain for religion or religious individuals.
No, it doesn't.
You choose to see that with or without any actual numbers.
This and numerous other threads have done nothing but reinforce the stereotype of the angry, hateful, insult-throwing religious, with nearly every page expressing disdain for no religion or non-religious individuals.
Just out of curiousity, are you sure it's faith that has made you compassionate and caring? You don't think it's something innate? Why do you think it's faith that has made you a better, kinder person? You're probably empathic and would be just as good a person without it.
Through college and most of my 20's, religion became a less important part of my life and I was definitely a more self-centered person. In my 30's, my faith became more important once again, largely due to the challenges to religion brought up by the new Atheists. During this time, I've gone back and reexamined the teachings of Jesus, which inspired me to be a more selfless person.
In a nutshell, my faith has made me a better person, not that I was ever bad to begin with. Except for that time I killed a hooker while on a coke bender.
Like I mentioned earlier, I have always been a kind and compassionate person. My faith has simply inspired me to go even further to be helpful to others, especially those most needing of help.
Exactly how?
What did you do thanks to your faith that you wouldn't have done without it? Please, I'm genuinely interested.
- What else do you expect when the thread is based on the notion that atheists are mentally ill? Friendly replies?
- Yes, of course disdain for religion. Most of us atheists consider religion stupid, so what else can you expect. We do not consider religion an equal alternative to atheism, but an inferior, outdated one, responsible for many problems on this planet.
I have not detected much disdain for religious individuals, though. I guess individuals just can't take it that we consider their beliefs inferior, and thus consider it an insult of them as people. Muslims are also very good at that. As far as individuals are concerned, my feeling is one of pity, not of disdain.
If you are an atheist, that is okay by me.
However, those with a cursory knowledge of "science" and physics tend to be dismissive of religion, as "science" refutes the contention of a divine being (according to them). Actually, the converse is true. I had this explained to me by James Van Allen (Van Allen radiation belts). With advanced theoretical physics and mathematics, there is a very high statistical improbability that our universe (one of several hundred thousand universe in the multiverse) happened due to chance. This contention is supported by previous "discrepencies" in the solutions (yes, solutions) to string theory.
Believe what you want. Are atheists mentally ill? Of course not (there are certainly some atheists, as well as Christians, who certainly are mentally ill). Is there a CORRELATION between atheism and mental illness? I don't know. I do know, howver, that there IS a higher incidence of mental illness in liberals. This does not suggest causation, as liberalism may have promoted mental illness, or those with mental illness are more attracted to liberalism.
I live in France. We do charity too. We care for one another. Sometimes through clergy, most of the times through a government we vote for (and even the right-est wing ones don't resemble yours).
Lots of people in the US call it socialism and evil. Yet, doesn't it come from the same will to do good to each other and care for one another? How is that different from your faith?
The difference between the government and charity is that one is voluntary. If the government takes and redistributes as it sees fit, you're not really choosing to help other people. The government is forcing you to be charitable. Being directly connected to charity, especially by volunteering, is a much more personal means of helping others.
Through college and most of my 20's, religion became a less important part of my life and I was definitely a more self-centered person. In my 30's, my faith became more important once again, largely due to the challenges to religion brought up by the new Atheists. During this time, I've gone back and reexamined the teachings of Jesus, which inspired me to be a more selfless person.
In a nutshell, my faith has made me a better person, not that I was ever bad to begin with. Except for that time I killed a hooker while on a coke bender.
Well, who hasn't?
In all seriousness though, just about everyone in their 20s is self-centered. It's part of the transition in becoming a bona fide adult.
However, those with a cursory knowledge of "science" and physics tend to be dismissive of religion, as "science" refutes the contention of a divine being (according to them). Actually, the converse is true. I had this explained to me by James Van Allen (Van Allen radiation belts). With advanced theoretical physics and mathematics, there is a very high statistical improbability that our universe (one of several hundred thousand universe in the multiverse) happened due to chance. This contention is supported by previous "discrepencies" in the solutions (yes, solutions) to string theory.
Believe what you want. Are atheists mentally ill? Of course not (there are certainly some atheists, as well as Christians, who certainly are mentally ill). Is there a CORRELATION between atheism and mental illness? I don't know. I do know, howver, that there IS a higher incidence of mental illness in liberals. This does not suggest causation, as liberalism may have promoted mental illness, or those with mental illness are more attracted to liberalism.
My view has long been that actually everything including us humans IS god (but really, I hate to use that word as it has been hijacked by certain religions and my idea has nothing whatsoever to do with the god(s) Semitic and most other religions believe in). I used to have the idea that the 'whatever we want to call it' that existed at the beginning turned into the universe(s), like energy can turn into matter and the other way round. Or like a butterfly that develops out of a caterpillar, which then no longer exists. That is the key difference, I do not believe in the existence of a separate being.
I live in France. We do charity too. We care for one another. Sometimes through clergy, most of the times through a government we vote for (and even the right-est wing ones don't resemble yours).
Lots of people in the US call it socialism and evil. Yet, doesn't it come from the same will to do good to each other and care for one another? How is that different from your faith?
I have faith in a human society.
cannot rep you again.
You bring out an excellent point, maybe the most important point. It certainly does seem to be the right wing that harbors the most bible thumpers and yet those are the very ones that have the huge problem with giving a hand-up to the most needy thru social progrmas. Just a peek at the now infamous Ryan Budget Plan and how it was lauded by the Conservatives, speaks volumes about the hypocrisy. Don't want to get off topic, but this needed to be said...thanks.
However, those with a cursory knowledge of "science" and physics tend to be dismissive of religion, as "science" refutes the contention of a divine being (according to them). Actually, the converse is true. I had this explained to me by James Van Allen (Van Allen radiation belts). With advanced theoretical physics and mathematics, there is a very high statistical improbability that our universe (one of several hundred thousand universe in the multiverse) happened due to chance. This contention is supported by previous "discrepencies" in the solutions (yes, solutions) to string theory.
Believe what you want. Are atheists mentally ill? Of course not (there are certainly some atheists, as well as Christians, who certainly are mentally ill). Is there a CORRELATION between atheism and mental illness? I don't know. I do know, howver, that there IS a higher incidence of mental illness in liberals. This does not suggest causation, as liberalism may have promoted mental illness, or those with mental illness are more attracted to liberalism.
I hate it when people use the improbability argument. Over long enough time scales, assuming the multiverse has no has no limits to the amount of universes it can create and hold, if a universe like this one has even the most vanishingly small nonzero chance of ever existing, it is inevitable that such a universe will exist, sooner or later.
I am reminded of a video from a Youtube user called "DarkMatter". When autumn comes around, go out and watch the leaves fall. Try to focus on a single leaf. Watch it hit the ground. Did you see that? That leaf just landed, right there! Do you have any idea how unimaginably improbable it was that that leaf would land right there, at that exact time? It's difficult to even imagine. And yet, it happened!
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cannot rep you again.