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RE: If everyone was atheist
June 21, 2015 at 12:56 pm
(June 21, 2015 at 12:28 am)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: (June 21, 2015 at 12:22 am)Faith No More Wrote: You can use "evil" as an adjective to describe something without believing in some supernatural force behind it.
I have to say nothing would really change. Sure, there would be a lot of things for the better, but we're human beings. We'll be a self-destructive species no matter what people believe in, so we'll find new stuff to wreak havoc with.
^^^ This ^^^
People regardless of their beliefs are, on average, still prone to irrationality and poor decision making.
God belief or religion aren't the problem - certain expressions of them are, and even the irreligious can be prone to idiocy.
The only way religion is going to die out is if people stop being so irrational. So if religion did die out, it would necessarily mean that we would have less irrationality. Of course, religion is not going to die out, at least not any time soon. But that is a bad thing, not something good or even neutral.
Religion is caused by, and is also a cause of, irrationality.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: If everyone was atheist
June 21, 2015 at 1:02 pm
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: If everyone was atheist
June 21, 2015 at 1:17 pm
I would lament the loss of certain cultural elements, particularly those associated with tribal societies, but religion has no legitimate place in the civilised world. Certainly without the main blocs of islam and christianity a lot of antagonism and bloodshed could be spared.
There'd be a lot less blaming of natural disasters on homosexuals / exhibitionists/ random scapegoats as well and science teachers would be able to actually teach science in science classes...
Quote:I don't understand why you'd come to a discussion forum, and then proceed to reap from visibility any voice that disagrees with you. If you're going to do that, why not just sit in front of a mirror and pat yourself on the back continuously?
- Esquilax
Evolution - Adapt or be eaten.
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RE: If everyone was atheist
June 21, 2015 at 1:52 pm
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: If everyone was atheist
June 21, 2015 at 2:06 pm
I think if everyone suddenly becomes an Atheist somehow then the world would become a disaster because most people are religious and they believe that they would do all sorts of vile stuff if God was not watching over them
if knowledge and Atheism come hand to hand then this world would become a great place,
“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
― Voltaire
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RE: If everyone was atheist
June 21, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Like the matrix, some people are not ready to wake up.
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RE: If everyone was atheist
June 21, 2015 at 2:14 pm
(June 21, 2015 at 2:06 pm)Twisted Wrote: I think if everyone suddenly becomes an Atheist somehow then the world would become a disaster because most people are religious and they believe that they would do all sorts of vile stuff if God was not watching over them
...
People say that, and seem to sincerely believe it, but when they actually lose their religion, that is not what happens. In other words, their prediction is wrong, just like their other beliefs were wrong.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: If everyone was atheist
June 21, 2015 at 3:44 pm
(June 21, 2015 at 4:37 am)Neimenovic Wrote: I don't care what you believe. Just leave the fucking kids alone.
Am I allowed to teach my kids Catholicism, as my parents taught me?
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
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RE: If everyone was atheist
June 21, 2015 at 3:51 pm
(This post was last modified: June 21, 2015 at 3:52 pm by Longhorn.)
(June 21, 2015 at 3:44 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: (June 21, 2015 at 4:37 am)Neimenovic Wrote: I don't care what you believe. Just leave the fucking kids alone.
Am I allowed to teach my kids Catholicism, as my parents taught me?
You are 'allowed'. I'm not proposing a law.
But teaching your children the conclusion instead of teaching them to think for themselves and give them a CHOICE in matters as personal as faith is, in my humble opinion, the wrong way to go about it.
If it's the truth why do you need to teach your kids about it in order for them to accept it? Religion would diminish significantly if children were not taught to believe.
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RE: If everyone was atheist
June 21, 2015 at 3:55 pm
(June 21, 2015 at 2:11 pm)Pandæmonium Wrote: Like the matrix, some people are not ready to wake up.
While I personally do not accept the stories, I do aknowledge the power they have in keeping a social order together for a considerable number of people.
I dislike what many of them teach as "good", but I also suspect that given a free reign without fear of consequences we'd see a far more chaotic world, at least now. I don't think the world is ready for Athiesm, nor will it come when Africa and the middle east are so caught up in poverty and strife. In that light I'm not sure it will ever come.
I think Voltaire said something to the effect that while he doesn't accept Christianity he'd much rather his servants were Christians since he'd be cheated and robbed far less often. Clearly it doesn't work in every circumstance but I do think there is a grain of truth to that. If possible, I think redirecting religion to a morality that wasn't so amoral might lead to a better world than an Athiest one. Some people are good for the sake of being good, but many who aren't may become good with the prospect of divine reward (I think late Roman Platonism is the best example of this in practice, had Christianity not swung by this may have been the religion of the middle classes).
Sounds a bit big brother ish I know, and I don't expect many to agree with me.
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