| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"" |
| Date: |
28 Dec 2004 02:15:15 PM |
| Object: |
The Psychology of Atheism, Pt. 2 |
The Psychology of Atheism
Professor Paul C. Vitz
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{continuation}
The Psychology of Atheism: Social and Personal Motives
There seems to be a widespread assumption throughout much of the
Western intellectual community that belief in God is based on all kinds
of irrational immature needs and wishes, but atheism or skepticism is
derived from a rational, no- nonsense appraisal of the way things
really are. To begin a critique of this assumption, I start with my own
case history.
As some of you know, after a rather weak, wishy-washy Christian
upbringing, I became an atheist in college in the 1950s and remained so
throughout graduate school and my first years as a young experimental
psychologist on the faculty at New York University. That is, I am an
adult convert or, more technically, a reconvert to Christianity who
came back to the faith, much to his surprise, in my late thirties in
the very secular environment of academic psychology in New York City.
I am not going into this to bore you with parts of my life story, but
to note that through reflection on my own experience it is now clear to
me that my reasons for becoming and for remaining an atheist-skeptic
from about age 18 to 38 were superficial, irrational, and largely
without intellectual or moral integrity. Furthermore, I am convinced
that my motives were, and still are, commonplace today among
intellectuals, especially social scientists.
The major factors involved in my becoming an atheist-although I wasn't
really aware of them at the time-were as follows.
General socialization. An important influence on me in my youth was a
significant social unease. I was somewhat embarrassed to be from the
Midwest, for it seemed terribly dull, narrow, and provincial. There was
certainly nothing romantic or impressive about being from Cincinnati,
Ohio and from a vague mixed German-English-Swiss background. Terribly
middle class. Further, besides escape from a dull, and according to me
unworthy, socially embarrassing past, I wanted to take part in, in fact
to be comfortable in, the new, exciting, even glamorous, secular world
into which I was moving. I am sure that similar motives have strongly
influenced the lives of countless upwardly mobile young people in the
last two centuries. Consider Voltaire, who moved into the glittery,
aristocratic, sophisticated world of Paris, and who always felt
embarrassed about his provincial and nonaristocratic origin; or the
Jewish ghettos that so many assimilating Jews have fled, or the latest
young arrival in New York, embarrassed about his fundamentalist
parents. This kind of socialization pressure has pushed many away from
belief in God and all that this belief is associated with for them.
I remember a small seminar in graduate school where almost every member
there at some time expressed this kind of embarrassment and response to
the pressures of socialization into "modern life." One student was
trying to escape his Southern Baptist background, another a small town
Mormon environment, a third was trying to get out of a very Jewish
Brooklyn ghetto, and the fourth was me.
Specific socialization. Another major reason for my wanting to become
an atheist was that I desired to be accepted by the powerful and
influential scientists in the field of psychology. In particular, I
wanted to be accepted by my professors in graduate school. As a
graduate student I was thoroughly socialized by the specific "culture"
of academic research psychology. My professors at Stanford, however
much they might disagree on psychological theory, were, as far as I
could tell, united in only two things-their intense personal career
ambition and their rejection of religion. As the psalmist says, ". . .
The man greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of
his countenance the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are,
'There is no God'" (Psalm 10:3-4).
In this environment, just as I had learned how to dress like a college
student by putting on the right clothes, I also learned to "think" like
a proper psychologist by putting on the right-that is, atheistic-ideas
and attitudes.
Personal convenience. Finally, in this list of superficial, but
nevertheless, strong irrational pressures to become an atheist, I must
list simple personal convenience. The fact is that it is quite
inconvenient to be a serious believer in today's powerful secular and
neo-pagan world. I would have had to give up many pleasures and a good
deal of time.
Without going into details it is not hard to imagine the sexual
pleasures that would have to be rejected if I became a serious
believer. And then I also knew it would cost me time and some money.
There would be church services, church groups, time for prayer and
scripture reading, time spent helping others. I was already too busy.
Obviously, becoming religious would be a real inconvenience.
Now perhaps you think that such reasons are restricted to especially
callow young men-like me in my twenties. However, such reasoning is not
so restricted. Here I will take up the case of Mortimer Adler, a well
known American philosopher, writer, and intellectual who has spent much
of his life thinking about God and religious topics. One of his most
recent books is titled How to Think About God: A Guide for the 20th
Century Pagan (1980). In this work, Adler presses the argument for the
existence of God very strongly and by the latter chapters he is very
close to accepting the living God. Yet he pulls back and remains among
"the vast company of the religiously uncommitted" (Graddy, 1982). But
Adler leaves the impression that this decision is more one of will than
of intellect. As one of his reviewers notes (Graddy, 1982), Adler
confirms this impression in his autobiography, Philosopher at Large
(1976). There, while investigating his reasons for twice stopping short
of a full religious commitment, he writes that the answer "lies in the
state of one's will, not in the state of one's mind." Adler goes on to
comment that to become seriously religious "would require a radical
change in my way of life . . ." and "The simple truth of the matter is
that I did not wish to live up to being a genuinely religious person"
(Graddy, p. 24).
There you have it! A remarkably honest and conscious admission that
being "a genuinely religious person" would be too much trouble, too
inconvenient. I can't but assume that such are the shallow reasons
behind many an unbeliever's position.
In summary, because of my social needs to assimilate, because of my
professional needs to be accepted as part of academic psychology, and
because of my personal needs for a convenient lifestyle-for all these
needs atheism was simply the best policy. Looking back on these
motives, I can honestly say that a return to atheism has all the appeal
of a return to adolescence.[2]
http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth12.html
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| User: "johnebravo836" |
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| Title: Re: The Psychology of Atheism, Pt. 2 |
28 Dec 2004 04:20:16 PM |
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wrote:
The Psychology of Atheism
Professor Paul C. Vitz
----------------------------------
{continuation}
The Psychology of Atheism: Social and Personal Motives
There seems to be a widespread assumption throughout much of the
Western intellectual community that belief in God is based on all kinds
of irrational immature needs and wishes, but atheism or skepticism is
derived from a rational, no- nonsense appraisal of the way things
really are. To begin a critique of this assumption, I start with my own
case history.
[snip]
Here's a guy who appears not to understand the fundamental distinction
between the evidentiary support for a given position, and the possible
motiviations different people might have for wanting to believe that
position.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: The Psychology of Atheism, Pt. 2 |
28 Dec 2004 05:08:08 PM |
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johnebravo836 wrote:
rcman777@excite.com wrote:
The Psychology of Atheism
Professor Paul C. Vitz
----------------------------------
{continuation}
The Psychology of Atheism: Social and Personal Motives
There seems to be a widespread assumption throughout much of the
Western intellectual community that belief in God is based on all
kinds
of irrational immature needs and wishes, but atheism or skepticism
is
derived from a rational, no- nonsense appraisal of the way things
really are. To begin a critique of this assumption, I start with my
own
case history.
[snip]
Here's a guy who appears not to understand the fundamental
distinction
between the evidentiary support for a given position, and the
possible
motiviations different people might have for wanting to believe that
position.
Yeah, especially when you snip (and probably did not read) the rest.
======
RC
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| User: "Don Kresch" |
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| Title: Re: The Psychology of Atheism, Pt. 2 |
28 Dec 2004 05:51:27 PM |
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In alt.atheism on 28 Dec 2004 12:15:15 -0800, let
us all know that:
Vitz got his "research" from the back of a Cheerios box.
No one outside of the fundinazis takes Vitz seriously.
And you're a 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: "bloodyvikings" |
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| Title: Re: The Psychology of Atheism, Pt. 2 |
29 Dec 2004 03:38:29 AM |
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Don Kresch wrote:
In alt.atheism on 28 Dec 2004 12:15:15 -0800, let
us all know that:
Vitz got his "research" from the back of a Cheerios box.
No one outside of the fundinazis takes Vitz seriously.
And you're a troll.
http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/index.php
He's an Enfant Provocateur, a jerk and a Ferrous Cranus
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| User: "Vic Sagerquist" |
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| Title: Re: The Psychology of Atheism, Pt. 2 |
28 Dec 2004 04:17:26 PM |
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On 28 Dec 2004, ARSEYMAN dropped trou, farted, whirled, then shouted:
plonk.
--
Vic Sagerquist
aa#2011
Supervisor, EAC Department of little adhesive-backed "L" shaped
chrome-plastic doo-dads to add feet to Jesus fish department
--------
Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: The Psychology of Atheism, Pt. 2 |
28 Dec 2004 05:09:06 PM |
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Vic Sagerquist wrote:
On 28 Dec 2004, ARSEYMAN dropped trou, farted, whirled, then shouted:
plonk.
Run away, atheist, run away!
=====
RC
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