Remember a couple of years ago, when the movie The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was coming out? Remember all the atheists trying to organize a boycott of the film in cinemas? Remember all the atheist parents sending letters to their school principals asking for the Narnia books to be pulled from the library shelves? No, you don't remember that?
Oh...
Well...
Maybe that's because it never happened.
You see, atheists are not afraid of being exposed to ideas contrary to their own. Atheists do not try to shelter their children from media that might suggest points of view that differ from the one they hold. Atheists arrive at their opinions through the use of reason and logic, and are perfectly willing to allow their own children to arrive at their own conclusions the same way..even if those conclusions are different from their own. In fact, atheists actively encourage their children to explore many points of view in order to help them see the world as it is, not as we would have it be.
That's the difference.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
The difference between atheists and theists
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18 comments:
You forget. Most religions (especially Christians) need to feel persecuted for their beliefs. They need that concocted threat so the world will take pity on them, and thus, they have an "in" which they can exploit so as to hammer their ideology into the world.
Drug addicts use the same tactics to use people.
Anyway, I think it's high time we start pointing out that Christians do not deserve the special rights for which they are asking. They certainly aren't important or honest enough to have a voice when it comes to censorship.
-Dan
http://thewisdomofadistractedmind.blogspot.com/
I can't believe the furor that the 'Church' (usually the Catholic Church) can get going over the smallest of things. If they feel that allowing a child to read 1 book (or even a series of 3 books) can undermine a whole lifetime of teaching and believing...... Then, they aren't doing it right! Or maybe they have something to fear if the kids start thinking logically??? <LOL> I mean really, do they expect their children to -never- see, or hear, or read anything that disagrees with the 'party' line? Hmmmmm.... Sounds like a control freak reaction to me! And one more reason I don't trust main stream religion be it Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc....
I just thought of something as I was munching my breakfast of biscuits and gravy.
The thing is, compare the contents of those three books of Pullman's with the stories in the Bible and tell me which is more deserving of being pulled from the shelves so as to protect our delicate little snowflakes.
Let's face it, if they made a movie based on the actual contents of the Bible, it would easily be considered a snuff film with lots of murder, incest and other extreme horrors. The fact that these gesticulating goons use this collection of profane hatred and violence as a foundation for their morality is beyond disturbing.
Anyway, you do raise a good question. Do you suppose the real basis for this censorship is simply fear?
And, I don't mean some pointless fear of god. I'm talking about the sort of fear a restaurant owner has after an article comes out exposing his establishment as an unhealthy rat-infested hellhole. In other words, the Catholic Church is worried about losing paying customers and nothing else.
-Dan
http://thewisdomofadistractedmind.blogspot.com/
Amen, brother. I have no problem with anyone's religion or lack thereof. What grates on my last nerve is those that feel they have to tell you how to worship, how to live, how to THINK, and that anything that goes against what they believe is not only wrong, it is evil. I actually had someone post a comment on my blog that said "Get behind me Satan!" Ha! That was funny!
Beth
So do a lot of believers, Paul. It is just the stupid loud minority christian right that makes it seem like only atheists do. Asses...
be well,
Dawn
http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/
Once again, I find myself backing Dawn.
My only issue with your post is the term "theist".
The beef you have is with the "religious".
Those of us whom have a belief in God without the religious trappings are generally open to just about any new ideas. (This might be why your blog attracts us. You have myself, Dawn and if I'm not mistaken Simon - and probably a few others as yet not identified.)
Religious people always seem to have a fear of anything which might challenge their beliefs. For years they have believed, mainly because their religious authority figure told them to and also because they feared to be ostracized by their religious group if they in any way did not stay within the flock's accepted behavior.
Anyone who steps forward and questions the doctrine is immediately challenged as being subversive or evil. This is the only way to maintain the "faith" that they hold so dear.
'Facts' will always challenge 'faith' just by the very definition of the two words.
When your world revolves around faith to the extent religion does, facts can very easily look like the devil himself.
Me? Bring on the facts so I can figure it out and better understand the "big picture."
Brent
Dawn is correct. There are lots of theists who believe in religious tolerance (including toward atheism and agnosticism). There are also a few militant atheists who try to ban Christmas music from stores. The truth is that in any continuum of human behavior, there is likely to be a lunatic fringe at each end - and a tendency by the less fringe-y to judge the other side of the continuum by the behavior of those at the fringe ends. Thus: people come to believe that Christians are intolerant, Republicans are bigots who fear Mexicans and Muslims, and Star Trek fans all live in their parents' cellars. One can find examples of each, but the characterization is not true of the larger population. - Karen
Paul, if you don't submit this to the next "Carnival of the Godless", I will.
Brent, yes, I think you have me pegged there. Thanks. Religious fervor in the name of something higher (and presumably relatively benevolent in the eyes of those engaging in the ferve) really is rather hypocritical. It's typically the outspoken, narrow-minded few who give the quieter, more thoughtful majority a bad name. A point Paul could probably argue when it comes to the term 'angry atheist', a perjorative that's been bandied about to the detriment of the more thoughtful heathens like our favourite AOL blogger.
Simon
You know, I really didn't want to use the word 'theist' in the title because I know that it tars with far too wide a brush. However, I also did not want to use the word 'Christian' for the same (albeit at the opposite extreme) reason. Brent has it right that 'the religious' is really what I meant, but I didn't think it read as smoothly for a title. Any other suggestions?
And in response to Dawn and Karen, I think the fundamentalists who are doing the complaining are nowhere near as small a majority as many moderate Christians assume. The activist, religious right is growing rapidly in the US, and by association, in Canada, because they have recognised the political power they wield at a national level, and they have become somewhat intoxicated by it. Many of the more devout moderate Christians are falling under the fundamentalist spell these days.
-Paul
Since I read this the other day, I began to think about the influences of "God" in my world, and how often I simply let it's presence be there...... When I started to take stock, I was delighted by how much I allowed divine presence into my world. Impressive for an out of the closet Atheist~~Me
For one, I wake up every morning to the song "Closer to God" by Nine Inch Nails on my CD player alarm clock.*That's got to count for something right?*
When I drop something I'll utter, "Oh Jesus" or better yet, when something irritates me I like to groan, "Good God."
I'll enter a Church to witness a marriage, or mourn a death.
I recently read "The Red Tent"
I hum Christmas music like Oh Holy Night, and really like the song Little Drummer Boy.
I even say, Merry Christmas. *gasp, the blasphemy of a non-believer*
And here's a kicker, I sent my daughters, for one year, to Awanna's so they could learn for themselves about Good God and Oh Jesus.
I had no fear of conversion, I had already raised free thinking, rational daughters. I didn't have to say a word~
I just wish, reverently, that those oh so devoted souls, knew what a life was like without fear, oppression and the miracle of a life focused on Earth, rather then establishing an afterlife.
Free Thinking Prevails,
Rebecca
I just thought that the Icy Queen was HOT! I'd like a chariot pulled by polar bears to pop me down to the grocery store, too. --Cin
Paul... in response to your comment tomy comment (sorry I'm late) I know there are a lot, and maybe it is my rose colored glasses but I would still like to think that there are a whole helluv a lot of rational/smart/free-thinking non-fundies out there to keep the fundies from ruining the world/US/Canada as we know it.
be well,
Dawn
http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/
ps to Rebecca... Red Tent was good wasn't it?
While you may well be among the most "open-minded" of atheists, Paul, I think your argument misses a major point. There are plenty of atheists who are NOT open-minded, and there are plenty of religious people who ARE open-minded.
Rather than "atheists" vs. "theists," I propose a different approach:
http://www.patrickkphillips.com/2007/12/04/it%e2%80%99s-about-tolerance-not-belief/
Patrick
I see AOL is up to its old tricks with HTML conversion in that last comment of mine. Visit my blog -- http://www.patrickkphillips.com -- and look for the post on today's date (Dec. 4).
Patrick
The only atheism is the denial of truth. And you are in classic denial
What is truth?
-P.
Dear Paul,
(clears throat)
uh.... how about playing fair?
(rolls up my sleeves ..)
how about allowing for the fact that you don't have to be a narrow minded nut case to have your own personal beliefs?
How about you not lumping All Christians in the world with some people who are afraid of Atheists?
And how about your explaining to me why Ann Rand (spelling?) gave up atheism for Christianity and wrote a book about Christ?
And how about your explaining how atheists inherently hold no reguard for Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc?
natalie
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