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Having been one in my previous life, before being born again, I have often looked back at that dark bleak moment of my life with serious regret.
Initially I thought only a few of US were on the right page and that the vast majority of people were on the hell-bound train.
If every other word from my mouth wasn't based on religion, why speak I thought. If my car wasn't covered in really cool accusatory and damning bumper stickers, why drive I thought. If I couldn't wear those really inflammatory t-shirts inviting others to turn their backs on hell and run towards a religious building, I might as well be naked.
Eventually I realized that everything I was doing as an extremist was meant to manipulate other via FEAR, DOUBT, and OPPRESSION. I slowly came to understand I had bought into an organization built from a mental illness and to remain a member in good standing I had to not only become brain damaged, I had to LIKE being brain damaged and surrender all desire to be healed for the sake of acceptance by a cookie-cutter organization that reject individualism and free thinking as the means of attaining entrance to some fabulous rewards that only dead people could receive.
When I started thinking about the living, and the lack of rewards and amenities they had access to, my standing on the organization was questioned and I was required to "prove"my commitment through financial contributions and or participation, after all, having less money and free time would prevent me from straying and reduce the time I had to THINK.
Today, being years removed from the control of that organization, I am able to honestly deconstruct those events for what they really were..
Several posts have pointed up the cult -methods of Some kinds of religious groups, and the hunger for money of so many of them. It's a danger to be avoided, even if doesn't cause brain -damage. Again I am so glad that atheism emphasises individuality, the desirability of questioning everything and the value of remaining the kind of cats you can't herd.
Several posts have pointed up the cult -methods of Some kinds of religious groups, and the hunger for money of so many of them. It's a danger to be avoided, even if doesn't cause brain -damage. Again I am so glad that atheism emphasises individuality, the desirability of questioning everything and the value of remaining the kind of cats you can't herd.
Atheism doesn't emphasize anything beyond that gods don't or probably don't exist.
What you are talking about is Individualism, Skepticism, and Freethought.
I doubt many atheists, Orthodox Christians, or Muslims in the Soviet Union cared deeply about these three things when it came to Soviet politics.
Let's not forget political extremism. I know that's not this particular forum, but it's causing more problems and damage these days than anything religious. It has control and power in more extensive ways than religion could ever touch or reach.
Let's not forget political extremism. I know that's not this particular forum, but it's causing more problems and damage these days than anything religious. It has control and power in more extensive ways than religion could ever touch or reach.
Quote:
According to Dr. Grafman and his team, since religious fundamentalism involves a strict adherence to a rigid set of beliefs, cognitive flexibility and open-mindedness present a challenge for fundamentalists. As such, they predicted that participants with lesions to either the vmPFC or the dlPFC would score low on measures of cognitive flexibility and trait openness and high on measures of religious fundamentalism.
The results showed that, as expected, damage to the vmPFC and dlPFC was associated with religious fundamentalism. Further tests revealed that this increase in religious fundamentalism was caused by a reduction in cognitive flexibility and openness resulting from the prefrontal cortex impairment. Cognitive flexibility was assessed using a standard psychological card sorting test that involved categorizing cards with words and images according to rules. Openness was measured using a widely-used personality survey known as the NEO Personality Inventory. The data suggests that damage to the vmPFC indirectly promotes religious fundamentalism by suppressing both cognitive flexibility and openness.
Yes, any type of "stubborn/strict extremism/rigidity" (even political) would definitely be about not considering different concepts fully and not giving in to open-mindedness.
Changes and "abnormalities" in the PFC can be caused by physical trauma, drug abuse, genetics, development, etc.
been saying it since 81. List the traits of a fundamentalist. You fill find that personality disorder in all large groups, atheist, theists, nationalist, socialist, whatever.. Its a human thing.
Let's not forget political extremism. I know that's not this particular forum, but it's causing more problems and damage these days than anything religious. It has control and power in more extensive ways than religion could ever touch or reach.
Yes, extremism can be fund in ALL organized groups.
been saying it since 81. List the traits of a fundamentalist. You fill find that personality disorder in all large groups, atheist, theists, nationalist, socialist, whatever.. Its a human thing.
Atheism doesn't emphasize anything beyond that gods don't or probably don't exist.
What you are talking about is Individualism, Skepticism, and Freethought.
I doubt many atheists, Orthodox Christians, or Muslims in the Soviet Union cared deeply about these three things when it came to Soviet politics.
Yes. Of course atheism mans only that. But of coure we don't live in a bubble. We live in the world and atheism has an effect on the way we live in it. That's what I mean by 'emphasize'. Perhaps that wasn't a good word to use.
Atheism doesn't of course have a list of social and political attitudes we have to sign up to, but it's remarkable how deonverting from theism to atheism will very often have an effect on the way they begin to live in society.
Yes. Of course atheism mans only that. But of coure we don't live in a bubble. We live in the world and atheism has an effect on the way we live in it. That's what I mean by 'emphasize'. Perhaps that wasn't a good word to use.
Atheism doesn't of course have a list of social and political attitudes we have to sign up to, but it's remarkable how deonverting from theism to atheism will very often have an effect on the way they begin to live in society.
That atheism "allows" and that "current dominant subcultures of atheists foster" would have been an adequate term and phrase.
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