Billions of people believed the earth is flat/
Of course the end will come. Let's hope the preaching stops before it does.
Are we approaching a "golden age of atheism" in America?
- Thread starter KennyJC
- Start date
Billions of people believed the earth is flat/
Of course the end will come. Let's hope the preaching stops before it does.
Yes; this is what I agree with.
It's not so much we're moving into a golden age of atheism as we are moving into a golden age of post-Christianity. Atheism is not the only rapidly growing census denomination. Paganism, Eastern religions, and others are growing at a similar or even faster rate.
I agree. The majority seem to need superstition, so they drop one and pick up another.
Well for one thing, we don't consider it necessary for everyone to believe as we do. In fact, we expect people remain true to their culture, while appreciating any steps they take to understand ours. I think that is possibly why sectarianism has not been a problem in the East even among Christians. If the Parsis and Iranians want to consider themselves separate because they came to India at different times in history, thats perfectly reasonable to us. If the Jews who came at 5 differnt time points want to live separately, thats fine too. If Shias and Sunnis want to do their own thing, thats okay as well. If you want to belong to a cult that wears no clothes and meets once in several years in Kumbh, have at it. Whats teh problem with being different? Believe whatever makes you happy. :shrug:
I believe churches and temples should start paying taxes. I believe suicide bombers should stop killing innocent people.
That's the problem with being different, you fuck everyone else in the process.
davewhite04
Valued Senior Member
I call it freedom of speech.
That is not true. It is just as possible to come to conclusions about the idea of God as the idea of light and gravity. We don't need faith in anything to have a fufilling life. It's much more rewarding to use our brains and question the situation we are in.
Is that why there aren't any Jewish communities left in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran...?
I call it picking the pockets of everyone else to have your freedoms. I'm not interested in paying for your clubhouses of worship.
davewhite04
Valued Senior Member
Faith in your senses is quite useful.
davewhite04
Valued Senior Member
And that is precisely what I am saying: if I use my rationality and logic, I cannot come to the conclusion that there is no God; nor can I come to the conclusion that there is a God.
If I were placed somewhere with no idea where or about the world, and using rationality, I'd come to the conclusion that I am in a place. If I questioned where it came from, I could come to the conclusion it's always been there, or it was created.
By using rationality, we support the idea of God, rather than detract from it. Of course, I am speaking on the concept, not scripture.
The concept of gods is entirely rational, as are the concepts of leprechauns and unicorns.
It is entirely irrational unless you can explain who created the creator. The fact that some of us are intelligent has nothing to do with an intelligent creator.
I have little faith in my senses. My trust is provisional.
Can you answer that question?