(July 27, 2019 at 7:46 am)Alan V Wrote:(July 27, 2019 at 6:51 am)Acrobat Wrote: I think there's a variety of beliefs some atheists operate on, that resemble myths, regardless if they are true or not, such as the view atheism is a matter of honesty and truth, and religion as delusions, and untruths. The view of disbelief as something worthy of being spread, encouraged endorsed, to rid ourselves of the stains of religion. The God Delusion, that End of Faith, the underlying motivations that are being peddled, the sort of heroic scientist, the idea of objective man, the removed observer, observing reality for what it truly is, are all parts of this mythology. It's not all the mere expressions of facts, but the selling of a story, a narrative however loosely formed it may be.
I remember both The God Delusion and The End of Faith as making a whole series of arguments, not all of which I agreed with. People are allowed to make arguments even if we don't agree with them.
Summing them all up as competing mythology is judging them by theistic standards.
Im saying they utilize much of same functions of myths, and not commenting on whether the arguments are true or not.
Those functions are less about the facts being presented but the sort of narrative that houses them, the elements that inspire atheists, to come out the closest, embrace the sort of clarity of their perspective, recognize the deception and delusion of others, motivate them to gather together, establish communities, in opposition to what they perceive as the dark forces of religion, embrace certain sets of heros perceive certain types of villains, the peddling of certain values, etc
