Accommodation vs. Confrontation
September 11, 2011 at 6:34 pm
(This post was last modified: September 11, 2011 at 7:02 pm by SecularSanity.)
I’ve noticed that there’s an epidemic of apologists, lately. Some of it stems from the accommodation vs. confrontation debate. I am growing tired of the agnostics, free thinkers, moderates, deists, pantheists, humanists, apologists, etc. Hell, let’s call them all cherry pickers, or anti-atheists, ones who wish to maintain the good attributes that stem from the idea of God. Many feel that we need to appreciate what religion has accomplished and that it is unrealistic to blanket them all. That those, who use it as power to endlessly judge, terrorize, oppress, or put other people down, hijacked the religious movement, but it was once a grand idea that is now drowned with egos. These pseudo-intellectuals, once lazily perched on a fence, are no longer innocent bystanders, and they feel that they can call the shots from the safety of higher ground. They are detractors, who discourage, and drain with their cynicism. They are anti-atheists.
The Constitution of the United States was greatly influenced by John Locke, an anti-atheist, who avidly promoted religious toleration, with atheism being one of the notable exception. He believed that atheism should never be tolerated because “Promises, covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human society, can have no hold upon an atheist”.
"Lastly, those are not at all to be tolerated who deny the being of a God.” - John Locke
“I esteem that toleration to be the chief characteristic mark of the true church. Promises, covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human society, can have no hold upon an atheist. The taking away of God, though even in thought, dissolves all; besides also, those that by their atheism undermine and destroy all religion, can have no pretence of religion whereupon to challenge the privilege of toleration.” ~John Locke
Who here believes that the first amendment only grants freedom of religion, but not freedom from religion? If this was in fact, the intentions of our forefathers, it is not right.
It is more important for the pious to be right than it is for them to express compassion. Are humans so evil that we need self-declared politicians and religious leaders to tell us right from wrong? No, and the world will never change by those who fit in with the norm. Politics is a game within a social game. This idea of heaven, utopia, and paradise is the ultimate human endeavor to live in peace and harmony, but this indescribable essence is not God. It is the capacity of human compassion. It is our fundamental need for cooperation, love, and acceptance.
Feelings trump reason and at times can cause more harm than good. Atheism may be slow to move because it is short on sentiments, but atheism is reasonable, and apprehends reality as it is. It is confidently assertive, not aggressive. Feelings themselves will not save the world. Everyone wishes to be viewed as compassionate, some vain with their own egoistic fulfillment, while others have sentimental grief and idiot compassion. All of which, can be harmful or ineffective. Genuine compassion does not look towards the outcome, or the rewards for self-sacrifice, but simply responds appropriately to another’s suffering at the time.
Do humans have an innate capacity to be compassionate? I believe they do. Sifting through history was there some revelation, age of enlightenment, or an adaptation, which lead us away from barbaric behavior? I don’t think so. It was when we forced people to put themselves in other people's shoes. It was through sentiments. It is our feelings, which move us to action. We have achieved this through our most powerful tool, language. It was our ability to communicate that moved us to change. Technology advanced, and even though communications were limited, we were able to express sentiments to many, though art, music, and literature, which enable us to connect and relate.
Now, here we are still stuck with this religious notion of God, which at the very foundation, still divides us. It adds fire to the “us and them” mentality, which inhibits compassion at its core. Does God hold the key to our happiness? I do not think so. It’s a door to our outlook, which only we can unlock. It’s easier said than done and no one has all the answers. We are fallible human beings, who need acceptance to survive. We are social animals, plain and simple. We are changing, growing, learning, and exploring. I do know this much, though…our time is limited and we only live once. Therefore, I simply wish to express my feeling and I feel that there is no God.
Should We Tolerate Non-Believers?
P.S. My family doesn’t want me to respond to the comments left by Islamic viewers but feel free to do so.
The Constitution of the United States was greatly influenced by John Locke, an anti-atheist, who avidly promoted religious toleration, with atheism being one of the notable exception. He believed that atheism should never be tolerated because “Promises, covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human society, can have no hold upon an atheist”.
"Lastly, those are not at all to be tolerated who deny the being of a God.” - John Locke
“I esteem that toleration to be the chief characteristic mark of the true church. Promises, covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human society, can have no hold upon an atheist. The taking away of God, though even in thought, dissolves all; besides also, those that by their atheism undermine and destroy all religion, can have no pretence of religion whereupon to challenge the privilege of toleration.” ~John Locke
Who here believes that the first amendment only grants freedom of religion, but not freedom from religion? If this was in fact, the intentions of our forefathers, it is not right.
It is more important for the pious to be right than it is for them to express compassion. Are humans so evil that we need self-declared politicians and religious leaders to tell us right from wrong? No, and the world will never change by those who fit in with the norm. Politics is a game within a social game. This idea of heaven, utopia, and paradise is the ultimate human endeavor to live in peace and harmony, but this indescribable essence is not God. It is the capacity of human compassion. It is our fundamental need for cooperation, love, and acceptance.
Feelings trump reason and at times can cause more harm than good. Atheism may be slow to move because it is short on sentiments, but atheism is reasonable, and apprehends reality as it is. It is confidently assertive, not aggressive. Feelings themselves will not save the world. Everyone wishes to be viewed as compassionate, some vain with their own egoistic fulfillment, while others have sentimental grief and idiot compassion. All of which, can be harmful or ineffective. Genuine compassion does not look towards the outcome, or the rewards for self-sacrifice, but simply responds appropriately to another’s suffering at the time.
Do humans have an innate capacity to be compassionate? I believe they do. Sifting through history was there some revelation, age of enlightenment, or an adaptation, which lead us away from barbaric behavior? I don’t think so. It was when we forced people to put themselves in other people's shoes. It was through sentiments. It is our feelings, which move us to action. We have achieved this through our most powerful tool, language. It was our ability to communicate that moved us to change. Technology advanced, and even though communications were limited, we were able to express sentiments to many, though art, music, and literature, which enable us to connect and relate.
Now, here we are still stuck with this religious notion of God, which at the very foundation, still divides us. It adds fire to the “us and them” mentality, which inhibits compassion at its core. Does God hold the key to our happiness? I do not think so. It’s a door to our outlook, which only we can unlock. It’s easier said than done and no one has all the answers. We are fallible human beings, who need acceptance to survive. We are social animals, plain and simple. We are changing, growing, learning, and exploring. I do know this much, though…our time is limited and we only live once. Therefore, I simply wish to express my feeling and I feel that there is no God.
Should We Tolerate Non-Believers?
P.S. My family doesn’t want me to respond to the comments left by Islamic viewers but feel free to do so.
Quote:COMMENT: So, where are you going, where did you come from, and what is the goal of your life? Everything by mistake had been made or by accident…you, people, animals , water , earth , wind ,sun, everything have a start and end everything is under a roll even inside your body it’s amazing how is the body working and every part is doing its job, all that by mistake ?
