| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"qstn" |
| Date: |
21 Mar 2005 12:57:40 AM |
| Object: |
Question for atheists... |
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe
in God or participate in religion. How do atheists reconcile the fact
that many highly educated, professional, wealthy individuals (eg.
doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.) believe in God and
participate in (and are the biggest benefactors of) organized
religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and have
anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to not need
to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they still
believe. How do atheists explain this?
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| User: "Zadok" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 02:41:32 AM |
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"qstn" <> wrote in message...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe
in God or participate in religion. How do atheists reconcile the fact
that many highly educated, professional, wealthy individuals (eg.
doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.) believe in God and
participate in (and are the biggest benefactors of) organized
religion?
I guess you would have to quote the article that says that athiests said
that in the first place.
Then prehaps, you could explain why so many educated people, have no place
for the God that you teach!!
Then I guess you and the athiests would be even.
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| User: "Peacenik" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 11:34:28 AM |
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"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe
in God or participate in religion.
Really? I've never heard this.
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| User: " \- Prof. Jonez©" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 05:57:50 PM |
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Peacenik wrote:
"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would
believe in God or participate in religion.
Really? I've never heard this.
I've heard fundie-brained theists project this image of themselves
as counter-argument.
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| User: "Christopher A. Lee" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 07:04:02 PM |
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On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 10:57:50 -0700, " \"- Prof. Jonez©\""
<jonez@norcom.ca> wrote:
Peacenik wrote:
"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would
believe in God or participate in religion.
Really? I've never heard this.
I've heard fundie-brained theists project this image of themselves
as counter-argument.
Atheists are individuals, who tend to treat others as individuals.
When a believer says something silly, which is often the empty threat,
personal falsehood about what our POV "really" is and why, etc he gets
treated as an idiot. But for reason they seem to think this is because
they're Christian and imagine we tar them all with the same brush.
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| User: " \- Prof. Jonez©" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 07:38:41 PM |
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Christopher A. Lee wrote:
On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 10:57:50 -0700, " \"- Prof. Jonez©\""
<jonez@norcom.ca> wrote:
Peacenik wrote:
"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against
believers is that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type
people would believe in God or participate in religion.
Really? I've never heard this.
I've heard fundie-brained theists project this image of themselves
as counter-argument.
Atheists are individuals, who tend to treat others as individuals.
When a believer says something silly, which is often the empty threat,
personal falsehood about what our POV "really" is and why, etc he gets
treated as an idiot. But for reason they seem to think this is because
they're Christian and imagine we tar them all with the same brush.
It is hard to resist at times ... and quite entertaining.
Don't forget -- EVERYTHING is a Religion , therefore God exists!
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| User: "Gordon Burditt" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 09:05:21 PM |
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Don't forget -- EVERYTHING is a Religion , therefore God exists!
Incorrect.
EVERYTHING is a Religion, therefore *TiVo* exists!
Gordon L. Burditt
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| User: " \- Prof. Jonez©" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
25 Mar 2005 10:55:50 PM |
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bob young wrote:
" \"- Prof. Jonez©\"" wrote:
Christopher A. Lee wrote:
On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 10:57:50 -0700, " \"- Prof. Jonez©\""
<jonez@norcom.ca> wrote:
Peacenik wrote:
"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against
believers is that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class
type people would believe in God or participate in religion.
Really? I've never heard this.
I've heard fundie-brained theists project this image of
themselves
as counter-argument.
Atheists are individuals, who tend to treat others as individuals.
When a believer says something silly, which is often the empty
threat, personal falsehood about what our POV "really" is and
why, etc he gets treated as an idiot. But for reason they seem to
think this is because they're Christian and imagine we tar them
all with the same brush.
It is hard to resist at times ... and quite entertaining.
Don't forget -- EVERYTHING is a Religion , therefore God exists!
If you ever become an airline pilot let me know, so I can make sure I
never fly with you
LOL!
An American Airlines pilot terrified passengers when he asked Christians to
identify themselves and allegedly went on to call non-Christians "crazy".
Some passengers on the flight from Los Angeles to New York were so worried they
tried to call relatives on their mobile phones.
The pilot, whose name was not released, asked Christians on Friday's flight to
raise their hands.
He then suggested non-Christians talk to the Christians about their faith.
He went on to say that "everyone who doesn't have their hand raised is crazy",
passenger Amanda Nelligan told CBS news.
"He continued to say, 'Well, you have a choice: you can make this trip
worthwhile, or you can sit back, read a book and watch the movie'," she said.
The pilot also told passengers he would be available for discussion at the end
of the flight.
A spokesman for American Airlines said later that the pilot denied using the
word "crazy".
'Bizarre'
Ms Nelligan said passengers had thought the pilot's behaviour was "bizarre" and
wondered whether his comments were a threat.
Flight attendants notified ground control.
American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner said the incident was being investigated.
"It falls along the lines of a personal level of sharing that may not be
appropriate for one of our employees to do while on the job," he added.
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| User: "ZenIsWhen" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 03:30:01 AM |
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"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe
in God or participate in religion. How do atheists reconcile the fact
that many highly educated, professional, wealthy individuals (eg.
doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.) believe in God and
participate in (and are the biggest benefactors of) organized
religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and have
anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to not need
to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they still
believe. How do atheists explain this?
How about this ....if it isn't too taxing on your brain ......?
The VERY FEW idiots who make the claim you suggest are NOT among the
majority of rational, thinking atheists.
While atheism does NOT necessarily include intelligence, being rich and
educated does not exclude religion (or even religious stupidity or
corruption).
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| User: "Ike" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 03:57:11 AM |
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"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe
in God or participate in religion. How do atheists reconcile the fact
that many highly educated, professional, wealthy individuals (eg.
doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.) believe in God and
participate in (and are the biggest benefactors of) organized
religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and have
anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to not need
to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they still
believe. How do atheists explain this?
People as a group are more powerful than an individual. The co-repigionists
help each other get wealth. The wealth also helps their children be more
educated and intelligent, but often not intelligent enough to reject the
religion. In cases where they are too intelligent to believe in a fairy
tale, they often keep that opinion to themselves and think of themselves as
agnostics.
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| User: "Don" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 04:06:12 AM |
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"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe
in God or participate in religion. How do atheists reconcile the fact
that many highly educated, professional, wealthy individuals (eg.
doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.) believe in God and
participate in (and are the biggest benefactors of) organized
religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and have
anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to not need
to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they still
believe. How do atheists explain this?
A lot of people profess religious belief for practical, political, business,
etc. reasons. although privately they may be agnostics or atheists. In
today's world I very much suspect this tactic is more common than you might
realize.
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| User: "stoney" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
23 Mar 2005 10:06:01 PM |
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On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 04:06:12 GMT, "Don" <dwzimm@telus.net> wrote:
"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe
in God or participate in religion. How do atheists reconcile the fact
that many highly educated, professional, wealthy individuals (eg.
doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.) believe in God and
participate in (and are the biggest benefactors of) organized
religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and have
anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to not need
to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they still
believe. How do atheists explain this?
A lot of people profess religious belief for practical, political, business,
etc. reasons. although privately they may be agnostics or atheists. In
today's world I very much suspect this tactic is more common than you might
realize.
According to 'Jesus' there isn't a Christian on the planet.
--
Contempt of Congress meter reading-offscale.
Hello, theocracy with a fundamentalist US Supreme
Court who will ensure church and state are joined
at the hip like clergy and altar boys.
America 1776-Jan 2001 RIP
Religion is the original war crime.
-Michelle Malkin (Feb 26, 2005)
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| User: "If Life Gives You Clayton....Make Claytonaide" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 06:40:34 AM |
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"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
Please don't feed the attention seeking, nym-morphing, flame baiting troll!
<plonk>
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| User: "kathryn" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 04:04:00 PM |
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"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe
in God or participate in religion. How do atheists reconcile the fact
that many highly educated, professional, wealthy individuals (eg.
doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.) believe in God and
participate in (and are the biggest benefactors of) organized
religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and have
anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to not need
to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they still
believe. How do atheists explain this?
Everyone is stupid, and I include me in this.
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| User: " \- Prof. Jonez©" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 06:41:25 PM |
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kathryn wrote:
"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would
believe in God or participate in religion. How do atheists
reconcile the fact that many highly educated, professional, wealthy
individuals (eg. doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.)
believe in God and participate in (and are the biggest benefactors
of) organized religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and
have anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to
not need to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they
still believe. How do atheists explain this?
Everyone is stupid, and I include me in this.
Well, if you're smart enough to know you are stupid, then
you aren't so stupid, are you?
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| User: "kathryn" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 08:20:29 PM |
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" "- Prof. Jonez©"" <jonez@norcom.ca> wrote in message
news:uzE%d.22$cY4.957@news.uswest.net...
kathryn wrote:
"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would
believe in God or participate in religion. How do atheists
reconcile the fact that many highly educated, professional, wealthy
individuals (eg. doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.)
believe in God and participate in (and are the biggest benefactors
of) organized religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and
have anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to
not need to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they
still believe. How do atheists explain this?
Everyone is stupid, and I include me in this.
Well, if you're smart enough to know you are stupid, then
you aren't so stupid, are you?
Yep - still a dumbass :D
People are especially stupid enmasse
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| User: "Part_Time_Troll" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
23 Mar 2005 06:06:12 AM |
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"kathryn" <bob@bobbybobbobthebobster.com> in news:d1naad$plg$1
@hercules.btinternet.com:
And yet they
still believe. How do atheists explain this?
a noticeable number of $intelligent$, $educated$ people had faith (nyuk) in stalin or in
lyndon larouche (sp)
plausible conclusoin from your example, and my two examples:
$intelligent$ does not always equal intelligent
--
You can die for my typo sins, but I won't.
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| User: " \- Prof. Jonez©" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 09:11:25 PM |
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kathryn wrote:
" "- Prof. Jonez©"" <jonez@norcom.ca> wrote in message
news:uzE%d.22$cY4.957@news.uswest.net...
kathryn wrote:
"qstn" <qu@est.ion> wrote in message
news:p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news...
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against
believers is that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type
people would believe in God or participate in religion. How do
atheists reconcile the fact that many highly educated,
professional, wealthy individuals (eg. doctors, lawyers, CEOs,
some scientists, etc.) believe in God and participate in (and
are the biggest benefactors of) organized religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and
have anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough
to not need to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And
yet they still believe. How do atheists explain this?
Everyone is stupid, and I include me in this.
Well, if you're smart enough to know you are stupid, then
you aren't so stupid, are you?
Yep - still a dumbass :D
People are especially stupid enmasse
Another reason I don't go to mass.
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| User: "James Burns" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 11:37:35 PM |
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" \"- Prof. Jonez©\"" wrote:
kathryn wrote:
Everyone is stupid, and I include me in this.
Well, if you're smart enough to know you are stupid, then
you aren't so stupid, are you?
D'oh! I should have realized that.
I guess that makes me stup^H^H^H^Hsma^H^H^Hst
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
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| User: "Don Kresch" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 03:20:00 AM |
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In alt.atheism on Sun, 20 Mar 2005 16:57:40 -0800, qstn <qu@est.ion>
let us all know that:
Troll
Don
---
aa #51, Knight of BAAWA, DNRC o-, Member of the [H]orde
Atheist Minister for St. Dogbert.
"No being is so important that he can usurp the rights of another"
Picard to Data/Graves "The Schizoid Man"
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| User: "*nemo*" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 10:23:12 AM |
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In article <p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news>, qstn <qu@est.ion>
wrote:
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe
in God or participate in religion.
To start off, I have always known better than to say something as
patently untrue as this.
How do atheists reconcile the fact
that many highly educated, professional, wealthy individuals (eg.
doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.) believe in God and
participate in (and are the biggest benefactors of) organized
religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and have
anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to not need
to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they still
believe. How do atheists explain this?
I've been studying this issue for several years. There's a lot of very
interesting material to be found that explains religion as a purely
human phenomenon. "Religion Explained: The evolutionary origin of
religious thought" is one of the best books written on the subject for
laypeople to read. I recommend it to everyone interested in the subject.
--
Nemo - EAC Commissioner for Bible Belt Underwater Operations.
Atheist #1331 (the Palindrome of doom!)
BAAWA Knight! - One of those warm Southern Knights, y'all!
Charter member, SMASH!!
http://home.earthlink.net/~jehdjh/Relpg.html
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
Quotemeister since March 2002
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| User: "wcb" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 06:43:29 PM |
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*nemo* wrote:
this?
I've been studying this issue for several years. There's a lot of very
interesting material to be found that explains religion as a purely
human phenomenon. "Religion Explained: The evolutionary origin of
religious thought" is one of the best books written on the subject for
laypeople to read. I recommend it to everyone interested in the subject.
What other books on the subject have you read and found worth reading?
--
When I shake my killfile, I can hear them buzzing!
Cheerful Charlie
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| User: "*nemo*" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
22 Mar 2005 01:37:35 AM |
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In article <113u5bbajr3rs78@corp.supernews.com>,
wcb <wbarwell@mylinuxisp.com> wrote:
*nemo* wrote:
this?
I've been studying this issue for several years. There's a lot of very
interesting material to be found that explains religion as a purely
human phenomenon. "Religion Explained: The evolutionary origin of
religious thought" is one of the best books written on the subject for
laypeople to read. I recommend it to everyone interested in the subject.
What other books on the subject have you read and found worth reading?
I have "The Psychology of Religion: Theoretical approaches" -- a much
more serious, scholarly book. A collection of papers on the subject
edited by Spilka and McIntosh. And "Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science
and the Biology of Belief" by Newberg, D'Aquili and Rause. It's another
pretty accessible book for us dillitantes.
--
Nemo - EAC Commissioner for Bible Belt Underwater Operations.
Atheist #1331 (the Palindrome of doom!)
BAAWA Knight! - One of those warm Southern Knights, y'all!
Charter member, SMASH!!
http://home.earthlink.net/~jehdjh/Relpg.html
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
Quotemeister since March 2002
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| User: "wcb" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
22 Mar 2005 07:52:20 PM |
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*nemo* wrote:
In article <113u5bbajr3rs78@corp.supernews.com>,
wcb <wbarwell@mylinuxisp.com> wrote:
*nemo* wrote:
this?
I've been studying this issue for several years. There's a lot of very
interesting material to be found that explains religion as a purely
human phenomenon. "Religion Explained: The evolutionary origin of
religious thought" is one of the best books written on the subject for
laypeople to read. I recommend it to everyone interested in the
subject.
What other books on the subject have you read and found worth reading?
I have "The Psychology of Religion: Theoretical approaches" -- a much
more serious, scholarly book. A collection of papers on the subject
edited by Spilka and McIntosh. And "Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science
and the Biology of Belief" by Newberg, D'Aquili and Rause. It's another
pretty accessible book for us dillitantes.
I have the latter but it puts me to sleep.
Here's another.
*********************************
Dean Hamer
Category: Science - Genetics
Publisher: Doubleday
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
Pub Date: September 2004
Price: $24.95
ISBN: 0-385-50058-0
Also available as an eBook and a trade paperback.
LEADING GENETICIST DEAN HAMER CRACKS THE ?CODE? BEHIND WHY WE ARE
PREDISPOSED TO BELIEVE IN GOD. IN A BOOK THAT BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN
RELIGION AND SCIENCE, HAMER BRILLIANTLY ILLUMINATES HOW OUR INCLINATION
TOWARD FAITH IS INFLUENCED BY OUR GENES.
The overwhelming majority of Americans believe in God, expressing a
conviction that has existed since the beginning of recorded time and is
shared by billions around the world. In The God Gene, Dr. Dean Hamer
reveals that this inclination toward religious faith is no accident; it is
in good measure due to our genes. In fact, he argues, spiritual belief may
offer an evolutionary advantage by providing humans with a sense of purpose
and the courage and will to overcome hardship and loss. And, as a growing
body of evidence suggests, belief also increases our chances of
reproductive survival by helping to reduce stress, prevent disease, and
extend life.
Hamer shows that new discoveries in behavioral genetics and neurobiology
indicate that humans inherit a set of predispositions that make their
brains ready and eager to embrace a higher power. By analyzing the genetic
makeup of over a thousand people of different ages and backgrounds, and
comparing their DNA samples against a scale that measures spirituality,
Hamer actually identified a specific ?God gene? that appears to influence
spirituality.
Popular science at its best, The God Gene is an in-depth, fully accessible
inquiry into the cutting-edge research that is changing the way we think
about ourselves, our world, and our culture. Written with balance and
integrity, without seeking to confirm or deny the existence of God, The God
Gene brilliantly illuminates the mechanism by which belief itself is
biologically fostered. It?s a book that bridges the gap between science and
religion, and one that will appeal to the readers of Genesis and Genome
alike.
............
--
When I shake my killfile, I can hear them buzzing!
Cheerful Charlie
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| User: "Mark K. Bilbo" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 01:19:20 AM |
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In our last episode <p16s31pnf2cat1djepqop0thml23b4vclo@news>, qstn
pirouetted gracefully and with great fanfare proclaimed:
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is that
only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe in God or
participate in religion. How do atheists reconcile the fact that many
highly educated, professional, wealthy individuals (eg. doctors, lawyers,
CEOs, some scientists, etc.) believe in God and participate in (and are
the biggest benefactors of) organized religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and have
anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to not need to
believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they still believe.
How do atheists explain this?
Conditioning.
--
Mark K. Bilbo - a.a. #1423
EAC Department of Linguistic Subversion
Group website at: http://www.alt-atheism.org
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"Religion is regarded by the common people as true,
by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful."
-- Seneca the Younger
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| User: "Vic Sagerquist" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 01:07:38 AM |
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On 20 Mar 2005, qstn dropped trou, farted, whirled, then shouted:
One of the criticisms that atheists often have against believers is
that only dumb/foolish/uneducated/low class type people would believe
in God or participate in religion. How do atheists reconcile the fact
that many highly educated, professional, wealthy individuals (eg.
doctors, lawyers, CEOs, some scientists, etc.) believe in God and
participate in (and are the biggest benefactors of) organized
religion?
These are people who, given their wealth and power, could do and have
anything in today's world and feel self-sufficient enough to not need
to believe in a "fantasy figure in the sky". And yet they still
believe. How do atheists explain this?
Fear of death is the main reason a person seeks religion. Even
intelligent people fear death.
Another explanation is early childhood indoctrination, which is almost
impossible to escape once brainwashed to believe that skepticism is a
deadly sin. An intelligent person can think to his heart's desire, as
long as he has been brainwashed to avoid "those" questions.
--
Vic Sagerquist
aa#2011
Supervisor, EAC Department of little adhesive-backed "L" shaped
chrome-plastic doo-dads to add feet to Jesus fish department
Plonked by Jason Gastrich for all eternity...
______________
As you were, I was. As I am, you will be.
--- Hunter S. Thompson
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| User: "Jim Walsh" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 01:55:48 AM |
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Vic Sagerquist <address@withheld.com> wrote:
Fear of death is the main reason a person seeks
religion. Even intelligent people fear death.
Claiming to be Christian gets votes (in politics and elsewhere). People
assume religionists have higher standards.
In my experience, religionists have fewer standards, but that does not
matter. People believe the myth, and that's what counts.
--
Love Jim
http://www.broomleigh.com/
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| User: "Jez" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 01:06:22 PM |
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Jim Walsh wrote:
Vic Sagerquist <address@withheld.com> wrote:
Fear of death is the main reason a person seeks
religion. Even intelligent people fear death.
Claiming to be Christian gets votes (in politics and elsewhere). People
assume religionists have higher standards.
In my experience, religionists have fewer standards, but that does not
matter. People believe the myth, and that's what counts.
Indeed, indeed !
--
Jez
'Realism is seductive because once you have accepted the reasonable
notion that you should base your actions on reality, you are too often
led to accept, without much questioning, someone else's version of what
that reality is. It is a crucial act of independent thinking to be
skeptical of someone else's description of reality.'-
Howard Zinn
NFS Underground2, Americas Army And MOH-PA
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| User: "Christopher A. Lee" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
21 Mar 2005 01:42:11 PM |
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On 20 Mar 2005 19:55:48 -0600, Jim Walsh <jimwalsh@mz74.hjnet.net>
wrote:
Vic Sagerquist <address@withheld.com> wrote:
Fear of death is the main reason a person seeks
religion. Even intelligent people fear death.
I don't think that absent any religion, anybody seeks it.
You already have to believe/grant/etc enough of its tenets to seek the
rest of it.
If you haven't been brought up to fear it for religious reasons, death
is just another fact of life.
Claiming to be Christian gets votes (in politics and elsewhere). People
assume religionists have higher standards.
Religionists assume fellow religionists have higher standards. With
co-religionists having even higher.
In my experience, religionists have fewer standards, but that does not
matter. People believe the myth, and that's what counts.
They also tend to imagine that their own "higher" standards are
absolute, because they think they come from their deity.
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| User: "Vic Sagerquist" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
22 Mar 2005 02:09:07 AM |
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On 21 Mar 2005, Christopher A. Lee dropped trou, farted, whirled, then
shouted:
Vic Sagerquist <address@withheld.com> wrote:
Fear of death is the main reason a person seeks
religion. Even intelligent people fear death.
I don't think that absent any religion, anybody seeks it.
You already have to believe/grant/etc enough of its tenets to seek the
rest of it.
I did seek it myself, as a teenager. But maybe for the wrong reasons.
Between the ages of seven and sixteen I avoided religion because I
thought it was kooky. But my HS GF fell into the Mormon trap, so as a
hedge to win her favors I went to see the missionaries myself. The
***** they fed me was unbelievable, and I saw it was getting me
nowhere with the GF, so I quit them both. But I gave "god" one more
chance by joining the congregation at Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral
in Garden Grove. I did enjoy the comeraderie with other "worshipers" of
my age group, but there was that god/jesus/love/burn-in-hell thing again,
which I remember frightened me as a child, and subsequently turned me off
about it. Changes in my life slowly phased it out until I arrived at the
same apathetic stage I was at before any of that happened. I remained
that way, until I read "Dear Believer" by Dan Barker, the turning point
for me. The awakening point, you could call it.
--
Vic Sagerquist
aa#2011
Supervisor, EAC Department of little adhesive-backed "L" shaped
chrome-plastic doo-dads to add feet to Jesus fish department
Plonked by Jason Gastrich for all eternity...
______________
As you were, I was. As I am, you will be.
--- Hunter S. Thompson
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| User: "stoney" |
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| Title: Re: Question for atheists... |
23 Mar 2005 07:21:44 PM |
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On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 08:42:11 -0500, Christopher A. Lee
<calee@optonline.net> wrote:
On 20 Mar 2005 19:55:48 -0600, Jim Walsh <jimwalsh@mz74.hjnet.net>
wrote:
Vic Sagerquist <address@withheld.com> wrote:
Fear of death is the main reason a person seeks
religion. Even intelligent people fear death.
I don't think that absent any religion, anybody seeks it.
You already have to believe/grant/etc enough of its tenets to seek the
rest of it.
If you haven't been brought up to fear it for religious reasons, death
is just another fact of life.
Claiming to be Christian gets votes (in politics and elsewhere). People
assume religionists have higher standards.
Religionists assume fellow religionists have higher standards. With
co-religionists having even higher.
In my experience, religionists have fewer standards, but that does not
matter. People believe the myth, and that's what counts.
They also tend to imagine that their own "higher" standards are
absolute, because they think they come from their deity.
'Higher Standards®' are all too often the inverse.
--
Contempt of Congress meter reading-offscale.
Hello, theocracy with a fundamentalist US Supreme
Court who will ensure church and state are joined
at the hip like clergy and altar boys.
America 1776-Jan 2001 RIP
Religion is the original war crime.
-Michelle Malkin (Feb 26, 2005)
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