(October 12, 2015 at 9:05 am)robvalue Wrote: It seems there are many theists with the type of personality that is willing (perhaps even eager) to worship and submit to the biggest thing available. So much so that some can't seem to grasp the concept of believing in a god but not worshipping it.

On the whole, most atheists I've met seem to find the very idea of worship to be bizarre, and so the existence or not of the God in question is moot anyway.

Is there something to this, I wonder? Could it be studied somehow?

I have long considered the "submission to God" concept to be an extension (and perversion) of the common drive found in social apes to form hierarchies and submit to the Alpha Male. As pointed out by [was it Losty?], inventing the god-concept was just a way for Beta Males to create an even bigger Alpha than the Warlord/King, whose "will" they relayed to us mere mortals, so they could attain a degree of political control.

For those of us who don't feel the drive to subjugate ourselves to the hierarchy's higher-ranking members, the concept of an uber-Alpha is not only unnecessary, it's patently obvious and ridiculous. For those who feel that sense of satisfaction from belonging to a group in which they "know their place", I'm sure being part of the Uber Alpha's entourage, so to speak, is quite emotionally fulfilling. 

Me, I just feel bad for them, especially when they're exhibiting such chimp-like behavior as they go on to proclaim that "we didn't come from monkeys!".

Ah yes, that makes a lot of sense, thanks Indeed, how ironic!

It seems to go with the mindset of "How do I know what to do if someone isn't telling me?"

(October 12, 2015 at 9:35 am)robvalue Wrote: Ah yes, that makes a lot of sense, thanks Indeed, how ironic!

It seems to go with the mindset of "How do I know what to do if someone isn't telling me?"

Right. And I think that drives their refusal to accept that we can be moral without being told what morality is by a High Authority. 

They are, of course, just as capable as we are to do so, and they actually do it.  That's why they're not out stoning nonbelievers and gays and disobedient children, as commanded by the Wholly Babble. But they still like to think they have been handed an objective set of Rules From On High™, to which they are "properly" in orderly obedience/subjugation.

It just breaks my heart for them, but I expect no differently, since I observe that these types of primate behaviors are unlikely to Naturally Select their way out of the gene pool or the cultural memes anytime soon.

It is incredibly sad that they have been mentally thrashed into believing these things about themselves. You're right, in most cases it just isn't true, and that's the hardest part for me being in the outside.

People mostly use religion as a mirror.

Epic post TheRocketSurgeon.