(March 2, 2015 at 11:37 am)watchamadoodle Wrote: I used to believe in Noah's Ark and so forth, because I had been indoctrinated and had never bothered to reexamine these beliefs as an adult. I believed in evolution, dinosaurs, etc. while I simultaneously believed the Bible stories were based on real events. I didn't see the cognitive dissonance.
However, when I went to college and began to discuss these issues with friends, I rapidly woke up to the stupidity of my beliefs. It wasn't instantaneous, but it happened eventually. This was in the days before internet, and I was ignorant of comparative religion, philosophy, etc. that might have accelerated the process.
I just don't understand how people today can believe in Noah's Ark in spite of all the resources available through the internet (such as AF). How is that possible? I'm pretty gullible, but I eventually woke up. Many of these Christians are smarter and better educated than me, but they keep believing things that are ridiculous.
EDIT: I especially don't understand how fundamentalists can come to atheist forums and debate these issues without realizing that their beliefs are silly. This is different from those fundamentalists who don't think much about their beliefs.
Exactly how much do you believe in evolution?
MM
"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions" - Leonardo da Vinci
"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
