RE: at what point did inorganic matter become organic life forms and what caused it?
July 20, 2013 at 2:16 pm
Right, Poca. Typically in deconverts moving into atheism, the statement is "I believe there is no god," which after understanding the nuances of their position [or rather, lackthereof], shifts into "I do not believe there is a god." The first is a firm assertion, the other is merely a negative stance. There's a lot of people who don't really understand the subtle nuances that separate these two positions and that is understandable; at a cursory glance, they are saying the same thing, but with a bit more opening of the mind and reading a bit further into the wording, it becomes clear that there is actually quite a very distinct difference. As Poca pointed out, the former is an assertive stance with a burden of proof taken upon it. The latter is a non-stance. The former may seem the stronger position, but in truth it is the latter that is the stronger position, for the former stoops to the level of religious claims but the latter outright denies them. The first is saying "I have proof god doesn't exist!" Which is a falsehood as surely as religious claims are. But the second is saying "You have no proof god exists." Which is truth. By the very nature of faith, in fact. It is merely stating the obvious; that there is no proof, no evidence, and that historically-speaking, the claims that religious texts make keep coming up short and end up being proven wrong by the creeping juggernaut of scientific understanding of the world around us. The more we learn, the more absurd, ridiculous, and outright false religious texts' claims become.
So in closing, no. It's not dogma. It's not even a stance. It's also extremely narrowly defined and gives no real scope to anything. Stating that disbelief is a dogma is a contradiction. It would be dogma if we disbelieved even under mountains of proof piling on top of us [see also: the reaction of most religious individuals in regard to the theory of evolution] showing us how wrong our stance is. If you think you have a religious belief [regardless if you call yourself "irreligious," if you hold a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs, then you are irreligious, and if you do not hold any such beliefs, well congratulations, you're an atheist, too] that provides a firm, concrete answer for everything or SOMEthing around us, please pay it forward and bring it to bear, so that we may collectively curb-stomp it with evidence and logical analysis. And then, we will see who is dogmatic.
But again, if you don't, then congratulations on your new atheism, now please wear this giant A necklace and attend our weekly bible-burning where we have a drug-induced orgy every Friday while we scream "thank atheismo it's Friday!"
I'm joking, that's not real, but man it'd be awesome if it was... XD
So in closing, no. It's not dogma. It's not even a stance. It's also extremely narrowly defined and gives no real scope to anything. Stating that disbelief is a dogma is a contradiction. It would be dogma if we disbelieved even under mountains of proof piling on top of us [see also: the reaction of most religious individuals in regard to the theory of evolution] showing us how wrong our stance is. If you think you have a religious belief [regardless if you call yourself "irreligious," if you hold a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs, then you are irreligious, and if you do not hold any such beliefs, well congratulations, you're an atheist, too] that provides a firm, concrete answer for everything or SOMEthing around us, please pay it forward and bring it to bear, so that we may collectively curb-stomp it with evidence and logical analysis. And then, we will see who is dogmatic.
But again, if you don't, then congratulations on your new atheism, now please wear this giant A necklace and attend our weekly bible-burning where we have a drug-induced orgy every Friday while we scream "thank atheismo it's Friday!"
I'm joking, that's not real, but man it'd be awesome if it was... XD