Saturday, August 13, 2005

http://www.bede.org.uk/2005/08/i-have-been-buried-in-libraries-for.html


I have been buried in libraries for half the week and riveted by the
cricket for the remainder, so must apologise for the continuing
infrequency of these entries. Here's some controversy to make up for
it.

I have a good friend who is very intelligent and an atheist. He has
moved through many beliefs in his time and has now decided that he has
no choice but to buy into the whole naturalistic caboodle. He takes no
great pleasure from this but feels he has been compelled into his
position by the evidence presented to him. He is a fully consistent
atheist and materialist who also denies freewill and thinks that the
'self' is an illusionary epiphenomenum of brain states. No matter that
I find all this deeply implausible, that is where he stands. However,
he is not particularly pleased by this and agrees that it is a pretty
grim philosophy for life. He has no desire to convert people to his
views (beyond the entertainment value of a good argument) and generally
thinks religion is a good thing. He does not make the mistake of
confusing certain elements of religious belief or practice with which
he has problems with the whole thing.

My point is this. I can see why someone might be an atheist (although
I'd disagree with them) but I cannot for the life of me see why any
knowledgeable and mature adult should want to be an atheist or want
other people to be.

The first reason for wanting reject God is that it might give a sense
of liberation. I'd expect this from adolescents chaffing at the bit and
wanting to go out and have sex with anything that moves. However, I
would also expect them to grow out of it once they have finished
growing up and realised that there is more to life than sex, drugs and
libertarianism. As an adult, perhaps, having a lot of money and wanting
to make more of it might also make someone want God out the picture. We
often hear from individuals who think they have been 'damaged' by a
religious upbringing and have hence rejected religion. Ironically,
science (as we learn from Steven Pinker and others) would say that
these people are sad cases due to their genes and that their upbringing
was irrelevant. The fact that most people who have had religious
upbringings are perfectly well adjusted and often religious themselves
rather kills the 'damage' argument as well.

A second reason for wanting to be an atheist is a confused idea of
history. If you have bought into the various anti-clerical myths you
might see religion as a bad thing and hence reject it. The trouble is
that the way people cling so tenuously to these myths when their errors
are pointed out suggests these are just providing ballast for an
already existing idea.

Thirdly, there is politics. In the US in particular, the defence of
secularism has become a battle against Bush by proxy. I do not want to
get mixed up in a foreign dispute but I do fail to see why disagreeing
with Republican policies or even the religious right should encourage
anyone to reject religion altogether. That said, American activist
atheism is a minority sport more deserving of pity than contempt. It is
also built on the huge misconception that church/state separation is
bad for church. In fact, as the UK's state religion shows, it is the
best thing ever to happen to US Christians. They should be guarding it
assiduously.

Fourth, I suppose, is the feeling that religion just gets in the way of
sex and shopping, the two major concerns of our society. But most of
these people do not want to be atheists, they just don't want to think
too hard about hard questions. When they do, many find themselves drawn
to Alpha Courses and realising they do want more from life than endless
distractions.

So, why would anyone want to be an atheist? Why does anyone want to
spread atheism? Is it all just teenage foolishness, historical
ignorance and lefties with a bee in their bonnet? Frankly, I have no
idea and would welcome suggestions.

The first reason for wanting reject God is

So, why would anyone want to be an atheist?

Saturday, August 13, 2005

http://www.bede.org.uk/2005/08/i-have-been-buried-in-libraries-for.html


I have been buried in libraries for half the week and riveted by the
cricket for the remainder, so must apologise for the continuing
infrequency of these entries. Here's some controversy to make up for
it.

I have a good friend who is very intelligent and an atheist. He has
moved through many beliefs in his time and has now decided that he has
no choice but to buy into the whole naturalistic caboodle. He takes no
great pleasure from this but feels he has been compelled into his
position by the evidence presented to him. He is a fully consistent
atheist and materialist who also denies freewill and thinks that the
'self' is an illusionary epiphenomenum of brain states. No matter that
I find all this deeply implausible, that is where he stands. However,
he is not particularly pleased by this and agrees that it is a pretty
grim philosophy for life. He has no desire to convert people to his
views (beyond the entertainment value of a good argument) and
generally thinks religion is a good thing. He does not make the
mistake of confusing certain elements of religious belief or practice
with which he has problems with the whole thing.

My point is this. I can see why someone might be an atheist (although
I'd disagree with them) but I cannot for the life of me see why any
knowledgeable and mature adult should want to be an atheist or want
other people to be.

The first reason for wanting reject God is that it might give a sense
of liberation.

I'd expect this from adolescents chaffing at the bit and
wanting to go out and have sex with anything that moves. However, I
would also expect them to grow out of it once they have finished
growing up and realised that there is more to life than sex, drugs and
libertarianism.

As an adult, perhaps, having a lot of money and wanting
to make more of it might also make someone want God out the picture.
We often hear from individuals who think they have been 'damaged' by a
religious upbringing and have hence rejected religion. Ironically,
science (as we learn from Steven Pinker and others) would say that
these people are sad cases due to their genes and that their
upbringing was irrelevant. The fact that most people who have had
religious upbringings are perfectly well adjusted and often religious
themselves rather kills the 'damage' argument as well.

A second reason for wanting to be an atheist is a confused idea of
history.

If you have bought into the various anti-clerical myths you
might see religion as a bad thing and hence reject it. The trouble is
that the way people cling so tenuously to these myths when their
errors are pointed out suggests these are just providing ballast for
an already existing idea.

Thirdly, there is politics. In the US in particular, the defence of
secularism has become a battle against Bush by proxy.

I do not want to
get mixed up in a foreign dispute but I do fail to see why disagreeing
with Republican policies or even the religious right should encourage
anyone to reject religion altogether.

That said, American activist
atheism is a minority sport more deserving of pity than contempt. It
is also built on the huge misconception that church/state separation
is bad for church. In fact, as the UK's state religion shows, it is
the best thing ever to happen to US Christians. They should be
guarding it assiduously.

Fourth, I suppose, is the feeling that religion just gets in the way
of sex and shopping, the two major concerns of our society. But most
of these people do not want to be atheists, they just don't want to
think too hard about hard questions. When they do, many find
themselves drawn to Alpha Courses and realising they do want more from
life than endless distractions.

So, why would anyone want to be an atheist? Why does anyone want to
spread atheism? Is it all just teenage foolishness, historical
ignorance and lefties with a bee in their bonnet? Frankly, I have no
idea and would welcome suggestions.

Saturday, August 13, 2005

http://www.bede.org.uk/2005/08/i-have-been-buried-in-libraries-for.html


I have been buried in libraries for half the week and riveted by the
cricket for the remainder, so must apologise for the continuing
infrequency of these entries.

Ironically,
science (as we learn from Steven Pinker and others) would say that
these people are sad cases due to their genes and that their upbringing
was irrelevant.

Why does anyone want to
spread atheism?