The curse of atheism is not an intellectual one but rather moral. You see, an atheist knows that if they believe there is a God, they will have to change the way they live. Professing atheism has become a fashion these days. Many illiterate people also proudly identify themselves with these beliefs. In addition, some political parties adopt this theme as their party principle.
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Funnily enough, the only fairly illiterate people I keep hearing from around here are fundamentalist Christians.
The atheists and non-fundy religious posters seem to be far better educated. They also appear, on the whole to be far more 'moral'in the sense of how to treat other human beings than the bible-thumpers who are forever posting death threats and damnation against anyone who is different than themselves.
As to the basis of atheism, it seems in most cases to be a well-reasoned response to biblical inconsistency and a failure by religios organisations to look beyond the literal interpretation of scripture, failure to become inclusive rather than exclusive, and failure to move their faith into a position where it has some relevence the 21st century CE.
You see, an atheist knows that if they believe there is a God, they will have to change the way they live.
Ironically, yes. Most fundies would have a person believe that to have faith means to check their brain at the door. Additionally, most will scour the bible for shoehorned phrases to demonize...well...everything. So yes, we would have to forgo logic, forgo common sense, and live by a series of arbitrary, senseless rules.
Many illiterate people also proudly identify themselves with these beliefs.
Really now? Because I find most people from your side of the field conform to that stereotype.
Belief in a god is not a sign of morality, I know a number of so called "christians" who have no trace of morals or ethics, and atheists, and members of other religions, who are highly moral.
I don't think your talking about morality, what you are refering to is religious dogma.
Anon-e-moose
The curse of fundieism is an intellectual one. You see, a fundie knows that if they can't prove that a God exists - to the satisfaction of Atheists - they will have to change the way they live.
Ex-Olympic gold medal-winning athlete and ex-long time Christian Jonathan Edwards did:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_%28athlete%29#Religious_beliefs
Professing Atheism is now a fact. Because the bullshit spewed by fundies no longer has the right to be believed.
Many illiterate people identify with fundie beliefs. They're too simple to think for themselves.
In addition, the GOP adopt this theme as their party principle. After all:
'A sucker is born every minute'
-PT Barnum
"The curse of atheism is not an intellectual one but rather moral. You see, an atheist knows that if they believe there is a God, they will have to change the way they live."
Yeah. That's [i]why[/i] we're Atheists.
"You see, an atheist knows that if they believe there is a God, they will have to change the way they live."
But I never see evidence that professing believers ever do this, so why should I expect to do so if I ever came to believe there was a god? Wouldn't I just continue doing whatever I thought right and proper, only now because "God" wanted me to? Hence I'd have even less incentive to consider or change my views, since I'd now ascribe them to an infallible source.
As Nicholas Epley's 2009 experiment showed, what people believe "God" thinks is intimately tied to their own views on that topic, and if their opinions are subtly manipulated, "God's" opinion shifts to follow suit.
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/12/01/0908374106.abstract
So if I became a believer, my moral compass would just point the same path as always, only now it would be because "God" guided the needle.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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