(June 22, 2015 at 9:06 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:(June 22, 2015 at 8:33 pm)whateverist Wrote: Since this thread is still bouncing around I'd like to amend my earlier post. Sure, the end of theism in and of itself still would not signify any great accomplishment.
As I think about it some more, I have to add that neither would we likely be any worse off. Theists include plenty of creative and wonderful people, but I can't believe the loss of their god belief would drastically change that, at least not if the loss was their own idea.
What do you think, Catholic Lady or Randy? Do you believe that if you lost your faith you would be fundamentally different than you are? Do you suspect you'd take up a career as a serial killer or rapist?
To answer your question, I'd like to think I'd remain the exact same way, but it's hard to know for sure what I'd be like. My faith is such a fundamental part of me, I don't know how to say how I would be if I didn't have it.
Obviously, my personality and my heart would remain the same, but I think there are some things about the world and about morality that would view differently.
(June 22, 2015 at 9:05 pm)Homeless Nutter Wrote: Uhm... Did you mean - 20th century? "1900's" suggests the first decade of the 20th century.
Yes, I meant the 1900's as a whole century, not just 1900-1909.
The Soviet Union didn't try to stamp out religion during the whole century. The soviet state only tried to stamp out religion during a relatively brief period, from about late 1920s to when the Germans invaded in 1941. afterwards the Russian orthrodox church entered into cozy collaboration with the Stalin regime, and Stalin and subsequent soviet regimes richly rewarded the upper echelons of the Russian orthrodox clergy with the most prestigious baubles of the atheistic state, such as red banner order of socialist labor, for praising the achievements of the communist state and collaborating with the state's efforts to spy on its citizens.
