What do Theists Think About Atheists?

[Jacob(smooth)]

As to what's the point? Because it helps me to cope with life. It brings me pleasure and comfort and saves me examining hard truths too closely.

Jacob, I think this is precisely what bothers atheists so much- even about level-headed Christians like you. The idea that people are choosing something that prevents them from examining hard truths (like the finality of death or the mercilessness of disease, or simply our isolation in our own minds) is a difficult thing to understand. The way you phrased this seems to indicate that you know a truth is out there, but you are going to mask it with something else that could possibly be a fiction. If that's not what you mean, could you clarify?

Sort of.

Ok let me mangle an analogy. Best bit of my day is when I go home and my kids are excited to see me. There's hugs and tickling and laughter and it's all rather lovely.

Now I know that children are genetically programmed to have attachments to their parents as a survival trait. I also know that it's sociologically programmed into them, and that on some level they know they get more nice things for being good than if they are little shits.

I know that my wife is with me because I'm the best she can do and tick most of her boxes. Because I provide for her and for the children which genetics program her to protect. That if I stopped doing those things shed probably go find someone who would.

But at the end of the day I don't really want to examine those truths too closely. I'd rather have lots of hugs and use the shorthand of "love" to encapsulate all of those genetic, biochemical and psychosocial elements, all of which are fundamentally self serving. Because if I dwelt on that, is be even more of a miserable bastard than I already am. So, like most of us, I construct a simple little fable, that in our family we all love each other. I mask the truth with a comforting lie (or perhaps model is a better word) ... and I spend all day looking forward to going home.

Reductionism is a fine thing in science. Necessary and brings us as close to truths as we can get. But I don't want to live that way. I don't want to know why whisky makes me happy, I'm just happy that it does. I think in some ways the human condition is like an onion. As much as we might like to peel the layers to see what gives it it's form, you just end up with a smaller onion. Sometimes it's best just to take what seems to be.

There is more, but does that go some way to dome of it?

---

You're not stirring the shit at all. We're just talking.

Good.

And yes, I've constructed my own version of Christianity. I've cherry picked, redacted, reinterpreted and selectively edited it to fit the small space between my ears, my preformed world view and my personal morality. And you know what? I think each and every Christian has done the same. Otherwise, logically, we would all share the same views on everything. And we so palpably don't! You think there are arguments here, you should see what goes down in the private bits of Christian forums!

Aren't you concerned that you might be misinterpreting, though? I'm not one for Pascal's Wager, but if I did end up believing in a god, I probably wouldn't be so blase about avoiding his wrath.

As to what's the point? Because it helps me to cope with life. It brings me pleasure and comfort and saves me examining hard truths too closely.

Sounds more like a worldview than a religion to me. Then again, I'm not gonna presume to tell you what you are; you're more open about it than most, which is way refreshing, anyway.

Ah, I learned a thing about pascal's wager on this very forum. As you know, Everyone takes it. There is no low risk proposition. I may be misinterpreting HOWEVER I interpret. So I might as well take an interpretation which seems right to me. At least if I do end up in hell for it it will be a "fair cop". If I take the bible as literal and THAT turns out wrong I go to hell for shit I didn't really want to do!!