Why do athiests care so much about religion?

[Jack]

You mean things like what is love, why do we feel compassion, that sort of thing? Science is trying to examine those types of things, but it falls to the "soft sciences" like psychiatry to try to find answers. We are not very far along in examining our own consciousness.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Quote by: Isherwood Most atheists I know arrived at that conclusion after years of thinking. Most theists I know came to that end by suspending their ability to think critically and instead blindly accepted (faith) religion. Atheists should think, you're right. But I think theists are in greater need of encouragement.

True. It is just most atheists I have seen tend to accept anything science spits at them with blind faith. (Most atheists I know picked atheism because they're not much for thinking, and because it's not cool to believe in a god or gods... not making this up.) This, I think, is a problem; as goverments realize people will believe anything the last scientific study said, they're going to be using that to sway people's decisions. We'll have people suspending their ability to think critically and instead blindly accepting science. While science in its ideal form is exempt from bias, in the real world it could just as easily become the same tool that religion once was.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Quote by: Isherwood You mean things like what is love, why do we feel compassion, that sort of thing? Science is trying to examine those types of things, but it falls to the "soft sciences" like psychiatry to try to find answers. We are not very far along in examining our own consciousness.

basically, yea.

[Jack]

Most atheists I know picked atheism because they're not much for thinking, and because it's not cool to believe in a god or gods

Then you're arguing against stupid, lazy-brained people. Even religion has its share of those. Just because people follow a path for the wrong reasons does not mean the path is invalid. We shouldn't allow stupid, lazy-brained to be used as a standard for any debate.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Basically what it comes down to is atheists SHOULD care about religion. We're all human beings and religious people are claiming exclusive rights to how we all should live our lives. The problem is that religions are always on the move to convert, and get bigger. If people within religions would actually follow what they've been taught they'd allow the atheists and people of other religions to seek knowledge in their own way. Organized religion, which is trying to get people to all think one way, is basically the antithesis of what is at the center of atheism and individuality in general. Long story short, Atheism is just the beginning of a battle, the battle between the individual's right to think how he wants and organized religion's desire to have us all think how they want.

[Jack]

I agree. Religion is the poster-child for the group-think proponents.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Quote by: Isherwood Then you're arguing against stupid, lazy-brained people. Even religion has its share of those. Just because people follow a path for the wrong reasons does not mean the path is invalid. We shouldn't allow stupid, lazy-brained to be used as a standard for any debate.

Yea I know, I was just trying to give you a compass as to what assumptions I'm working with here.

[Fonceai]

I'm amazed so many alleged intellectuals in this thread are making such ignorant generalizations.

Being religious does not immediately mean someone is intellectually deficient.

That kind of immediate pigeon-holing demonstrates a serious degree of ignorance in its own right.

[Jack]

Being religious does not immediately mean someone is intellectually deficient.

If you met someone on the street who claimed that there was a large, fuzzy purple bunny standing behind you that this person could see and talk to, would you not consider them a little addled? I can't help that the idea of anyone believing in an invisible, supernatural god with whom they claim a personal relationship strikes me the same way. Seeing things that aren't there and hearing voices in your head have long been considered signs of mental problems. Why should I make an exception in my thinking for theists alone? It may come across as harsh or judgmental, but it's how I look at it.

I don't ask christians to apologize for their claim that I'm doomed to eternal damnation.

[Mocca]

Quote by: TheTruth hey i can debate without illogical fairy stories. for me i didnt need the stories all i needed was to feel the power of God the moment i got saved and i didnt believe, i KNEW. maybe you atheists should stop overanilizing and thinking so much and actually experience God for yourself (at a real church not some dead catholic or somthing like that) then maybe you would believe.

Yeah, maybe we should just stop thinking so much. I mean, thinking? Who needs it? Just blindly accept the faith and then we promise you'll feel it. You don't need to think. Just accept.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Quote by: Isherwood If you met someone on the street who claimed that there was a large, fuzzy purple bunny standing behind you that this person could see and talk to, would you not consider them a little addled?

Yes but that could be due to a whole lot of hope, as well as stupidity. Some people want it to be true so bad that they believe it: that dosn't make them stupid, it just means they've pinned a lot of hope on something being true and if it isn't, their whole world will fall apart.

[Mocca]

Quote by: Mr. Blue Sky Yes but that could be due to a whole lot of hope, as well as stupidity. Some people want it to be true so bad that they believe it: that dosn't make them stupid, it just means they've pinned a lot of hope on something being true and if it isn't, their whole world will fall apart.

In my opinion, someone who is so hopeful that it impairs their rational thought...



...



...


...is stupid.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

True. I think that for them though it's like a mental illness sort of like what isherwood said. More of socio-mental illness perhaps. That kind of God existing is logical to them, and if it were not so it would shatter their life completely. It's not so much that they're stupid in some cases, they're more so insane. They refuse rational thought because it simply would not be comfortable for them to live like that.
But you're right, I can't argue against the fact that a lot of religiously inclined people are stupid. I just think some of them can't be blamed for it.

[Mocca]

Well, yes, you can think of it that way. I don't actually think religiously inclined people are stupid either - I'm not that kind of person. I just see how someone could think that way.

[Fonceai]

Quote by: Isherwood If you met someone on the street who claimed that there was a large, fuzzy purple bunny standing behind you that this person could see and talk to, would you not consider them a little addled?

I would. But I would be ignorant to compare every single religious person with that analogy. Again, it's foolish generalizing.

Quote by: Isherwood I can't help that the idea of anyone believing in an invisible, supernatural god with whom they claim a personal relationship strikes me the same way.

Why not just accept that they are different and believe something different?

Once they try to tell you that what they believe is the truth for every person in the world, then you can call them foolish.

Notice, this applies to any side of the religious argument other than "unknown"... try to say it's the truth for everyone and you're an ignorant fool.

Quote by: Isherwood Seeing things that aren't there and hearing voices in your head have long been considered signs of mental problems.

Why over-generalize? Why not just specify people who talk to God?

Really, Ish, I'm going to hold you to a higher standard now. Be specific when specificity is required.

Quote by: Isherwood Why should I make an exception in my thinking for theists alone? It may come across as harsh or judgmental, but it's how I look at it.

It's ignorant. Roping all people who believe differently from you into one derogatory category is just as bad as people who are sexist, racist, or homo-ist. You just hide behind intellect as your excuse.

Quote by: Isherwood I don't ask christians to apologize for their claim that I'm doomed to eternal damnation.

I thought this was about religion? Yet suddenly you're specifying your feelings towards Christians.

Otherwise, your angst is intellectually directed towards a certain type of Christian. Why be negative towards an entire group? Instead, be specific about the type of religious person you are referring to.

As I wrote before, if you don't do that, if you classify and generalize an entire group, that's just as bad as any other kind of prejudice.

I don't see any threads here asking "Why do niggers act the way they do?" yet it's okay to generalize the same way and say "Why do atheists act the way they do?" or "All Christians act a certain way"?

Same kind of thing, just a different name.

[Cephus]

Quote by: Mr. Blue Sky I said science, not rational, objective and logical methods. there is a difference.

Which is exactly what science and the scientific method is based on. And exactly who has ever said that they base their lives on science, that's a straw man and a ludicrous claim.

[Cephus]

Quote by: Isherwood You mean things like what is love, why do we feel compassion, that sort of thing? Science is trying to examine those types of things, but it falls to the "soft sciences" like psychiatry to try to find answers. We are not very far along in examining our own consciousness.

Those are very easy to answer. Love is a biochemical reaction in the brain and we feel compassion because we're social creatures and helping others allows for a more healthy society. Of course, you're looking for romantic answers to those questions, the only real answers are the facts, and the facts aren't very romantic, they're just true.

[Zhavric]

Quote by: Cephus Of course, you're looking for romantic answers to those questions, the only real answers are the facts, and the facts aren't very romantic, they're just true.

The worst is when theists attempt to A) denounce the facts on the grounds they're not romantic enough and / or B) belittle non-theists as "heartless", "cold", etc for not properly romanticizing the facts.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Quote by: Cephus exactly who has ever said that they base their lives on science, that's a straw man and a ludicrous claim.

Then we'll just say I know a few scarecrows in that case...

[Milton Bradley]

I'm late to this thread, so I'll just jump in, and answer the original question.


All of my interest in other peoples religion is fostered by the same thing, their desire to legislate it onto me/others.


If they practiced what they preached, and stayed the Hell out of politics, like their good book instructs, then there would be very little reason for the topic to ever come up in conversation.


As always, they bring the persecution upon themselves.


The U.S. government was never empowered by the constitution to "do Gods work".