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All I hearing here is "They are willing to be persuaded by evidence - and that's their weakness. I am not going to swayed by anything - and that's my strength".
It isn't. Adapting our views to new evidence makes our views stronger because they are a closer model to the facts (whatever they are). Rejecting evidence on faith gradually erodes the credibility as more and more rests on faith -based denial.
I wouldn't swap my wishy -washiness for your unbending resolve.
What it comes down to is being confident in one's belief. I don't need to disprove the beliefs of others to be solid in my own beliefs.
Kind of goes along with my believing with all my heart and soul that my dog is the most superior dog that has ever existed. In so believing that, I don't need to go around being critical of the dogs of others to prove that my dog is superior. If, however, I have doubts, I would try to challenge others to prove to myself that I was correct. If I have to find a way to prove something I believe to myself..........
What it comes down to is being confident in one's belief. I don't need to disprove the beliefs of others to be solid in my own beliefs.
Kind of goes along with my believing with all my heart and soul that my dog is the most superior dog that has ever existed. In so believing that, I don't need to go around being critical of the dogs of others to prove that my dog is superior. If, however, I have doubts, I would try to challenge others to prove to myself that I was correct. If I have to find a way to prove something I believe to myself..........
Well... you personally are free to believe that your dog is the most superior dog that has ever existed.
However, when you do things like force children in a captive environment like compulsory public schools to pray to your dog, we have every right to be critical.
When you think 10% of the American population should be denied the de facto right to marry because your dog barks at them, we have the right to be critical.
When you decide that you have the right to discriminate in the business world against those who don't believe in the superiority of your dog -- or who do things your dog doesn't like -- we have the right to be critical.
When you start teaching people that certain scientific FACTS are untrue because those facts might show that your dog isn't as superior as you think he is, we have the right to be critical.
When you claim that your dog is so superior that *everyone* should bow down and worship it -- and you send out "agents" to spread your dog-faith around the world, well, we have the right to be critical.
When you begin claiming that your dog has given you a bunch of rules that *all* of us are supposed to follow and then threatens us with eternal torture if we refuse to believe in your dog's supremacy, we have the right to be critical.
I'm sure you get the idea by now.
In addition, no ... we atheists don't go around criticizing religion because we're unsure of our own position. That's not it at all. In fact, for you to believe that is just your way of rationalizing to yourself as to why we do what we do. In other words, yeah, let's put my own thoughts, words, and motivations onto the atheists as if you're controlling them like a puppet. I'll be the one to decide why atheists criticize religion instead of letting atheists explain it for themselves.
Because we criticize religion because we honestly feel that religion is quite harmful for this country especially, but also for the world at large.
It would be the equivalent of saying that doctors who tell you to quit smoking are simply "saying" to quit because they're uncertain of their own position on smoking.
However, when you do things like force children in a captive environment like compulsory public schools to pray to your dog, we have every right to be critical.
When you think 10% of the American population should be denied the de facto right to marry because your dog barks at them, we have the right to be critical.
When you decide that you have the right to discriminate in the business world against those who don't believe in the superiority of your dog -- or who do things your dog doesn't like -- we have the right to be critical.
When you start teaching people that certain scientific FACTS are untrue because those facts might show that your dog isn't as superior as you think he is, we have the right to be critical.
When you claim that your dog is so superior that *everyone* should bow down and worship it -- and you send out "agents" to spread your dog-faith around the world, well, we have the right to be critical.
When you begin claiming that your dog has given you a bunch of rules that *all* of us are supposed to follow and then threatens us with eternal torture if we refuse to believe in your dog's supremacy, we have the right to be critical.
I'm sure you get the idea by now.
In addition, no ... we atheists don't go around criticizing religion because we're unsure of our own position. That's not it at all. In fact, for you to believe that is just your way of rationalizing to yourself as to why we do what we do. In other words, yeah, let's put my own thoughts, words, and motivations onto the atheists as if you're controlling them like a puppet. I'll be the one to decide why atheists criticize religion instead of letting atheists explain it for themselves.
Because we criticize religion because we honestly feel that religion is quite harmful for this country especially, but also for the world at large.
...
Excellent post.
I wanted to comment on part I bolded.
It reminded me of China's cultural revolution when we would see video of little children marching around in their uniforms and I heard many Americans criticize the Chinese for militarizing their children. And I thought, yeah, they wear little uniforms...sort of like our Boy and Girl Scouts. While the real issue was regimenting people to believe a certain way at the earliest age possible. And this exactly what our churches attempt to do -- hook 'em while they're young. Or, alternately, if it's about conversion, hook 'em while they're poor or uneducated.
When I was a kid growing up in the late 1950s, our school would dismiss kids an hour early on Wednesdays so they could attend religious instruction at their church. Well, if they were members of one of the 5 main churches in town. Some of the smaller, less-recognized groups -- nope -- "too dangerous" to go that far from school, even though many of the students walked further to and from school every day or had parents who were willing to drive them to religious instruction. (The 5 main churches in the town were 1-2 blocks from school). There was no principle involved other than the principle of hook 'em while they're young.
Part of the atheist doctrine is that there are no consequences. So an atheist will be prone to do whatever makes them feel good even at the cost of others.
Statements like this is why I left the christian life.
Of the people I have known, Atheists seem to be the most accepting and kind. To the point of giving the shirt off their back for strangers.
My ex- became a christian during our marriage. The belief explained to me was "I can do whatever I want, because all I need to do is ask for forgiveness.'
The congregation supported this theory and I was out of there asap.
Not a christian, not an atheist. No need to discredit either. Just be kind
I had a post on 'about anything' then cancelled it, but it's relevant to topic here. It is a number of vids I have seen discrediting atheism, but grossly misrepresenting them. I saw one showing hawking doing something a bit like 'The secret life of atheists' with him reciting the usual tosh Believers accuse them of. Maybe these things are spoofs, but you can't tell them from the real thing. It seems they have given up on anything like trying to make a case for Christianity, but just bash atheists. bash, bash, bash.
I did see one clip or vid..in fact I'll try to find it. It showed a VERY extreme atheist - if he was one. I was a little suspicious because there was no attempt to debate by the placard -wavers. They merely chuckled indulgently...
Part of the atheist doctrine is that there are no consequences. So an atheist will be prone to do whatever makes them feel good even at the cost of others.
Yeah, it's a good thing I didn't see this comment earlier or SOMEone would have gotten a "shellacking."
Gee, I wonder who it would've been? *whistles innocently*
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That makes perfect sense...to anyone who doesn't care whether what he believes is true, but only about confirmation -bias.
you beat us all....
