Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: November 27, 2024, 12:28 am

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Cognitive Mechanisms - Andy Thomson - American Atheists 09
#1
Cognitive Mechanisms - Andy Thomson - American Atheists 09






"The Universe is run by the complex interweaving of three elements: energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest." G'Kar-B5
Reply
#2
RE: Cognitive Mechanisms - Andy Thomson - American Atheists 09
So children will spontaneously invent the concept of God without adult intervention? I thought we were all born atheist.. well goes to show you what I know.... Tongue
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post

always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
Reply
#3
RE: Cognitive Mechanisms - Andy Thomson - American Atheists 09
Like all "children" we invent "Invisible friends"....many of us grow out of this infantile mindset...the religious do not.
"The Universe is run by the complex interweaving of three elements: energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest." G'Kar-B5
Reply
#4
RE: Cognitive Mechanisms - Andy Thomson - American Atheists 09
(January 10, 2012 at 4:58 am)tackattack Wrote: So children will spontaneously invent the concept of God without adult intervention? I thought we were all born atheist.. well goes to show you what I know.... Tongue

Not me. I was brought to church until the age of four or so. After that there was no bible reading or further trips to church. From that and my imagination arose a very strong but eclectic sense of god. In my mind, the point of living was to become a person who would be a worthy companion to god. I pictured this very old, perhaps lonely sentience waiting for people to join him. It always struck me as unlikely that He'd want fawning followers. It seemed to me that the only thing that would count would be that I made my own decisions regarding right and wrong and stand behind them. I though Jesus/God was someone who always knew and did what was perfect. That's probably how I would have defined god. It never occurred to me that there would be a judging. I just figured everyone's mind would persist somewhere else where God was and that He just wouldn't want to hang with people who hadn't become thoughtful.

That mindset lasted until I was about 10 and then, with some regret, I had to concede that a man in the sky wasn't very likely. I can't say that I regret having my early development warped in this way.

Still I suppose I didn't re-invent the concept of God spontaneously. Parent talk and church planted the seed. I just had room to flesh the concept out in my own way without too much interference.
Reply
#5
RE: Cognitive Mechanisms - Andy Thomson - American Atheists 09
I'm loving Dawkin's shirt Tongue
Cunt
Reply
#6
RE: Cognitive Mechanisms - Andy Thomson - American Atheists 09
(January 10, 2012 at 6:49 am)KichigaiNeko Wrote: Like all "children" we invent "Invisible friends"....many of us grow out of this infantile mindset...the religious do not.

"All children" don't invent invisible friends, only smart ones with a good imganation.

My Mum told me ( I had forgotten) that I had an invisible friend called 'Mr Bailey' when I was about 4. That I used to blame Mr Bailey for every thing. At 5 the good nuns got their talons into me,and it became "the devil made me do it", at least until mum had words with the head nun.Thinking
(January 10, 2012 at 10:03 am)frankiej Wrote: I'm loving Dawkin's shirt Tongue

Me too. I have eleventy two similar ones.
Reply



Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Are Atheists Afraid to Join Atheists? Asmodeus 10 653 October 26, 2024 at 9:09 am
Last Post: Asmodeus
  I enjoy far right atheists more than lgbt marxist atheists Sopra 4 2415 February 28, 2018 at 9:09 pm
Last Post: Edwardo Piet
  There are more American Atheists than we thought Aroura 26 9618 May 27, 2017 at 11:16 am
Last Post: vorlon13
  Cognitive dissonance purplepurpose 13 3627 April 6, 2017 at 11:02 pm
Last Post: Brian37
  What do american atheists think about guns あやまんJapan 0 701 September 25, 2013 at 8:36 am
Last Post: あやまんJapan
  Do you think evolution is the american dream Moira 20 6084 September 25, 2013 at 4:54 am
Last Post: ManMachine
  Community help for Non-Cognitive? TROC 38 17456 November 3, 2012 at 11:37 am
Last Post: TROC
Question Can an American citizen be a real atheist? walknh2o 150 61738 February 21, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Last Post: Cyberman
  Calling all American Atheists. . . Aegrus 19 8080 January 31, 2012 at 5:36 pm
Last Post: Mister Agenda
  Kanye is the Black Andy Kaufman Rhizomorph13 6 3001 October 3, 2009 at 1:42 am
Last Post: Rhizomorph13



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)