Why Certain Aspects of Theism Piss Me Off

[thesummerqueen]

(AKA, why photography also makes me horny).

By the title, I could come up with a rather long list, but this one is near and dear to my heart and produces a special sort of rage, perhaps because natural beauty was instrumental in me finally giving up grasping on to Judaism.

When I was still hanging out with more theists than non-theists and listening to a lot of (mostly Southern Baptist flavored) opinions, I heard a stunning amount of shit about how horrible the world is, and how much better the hereafter will be. Some of them were saying this because of human action, but more than a few referred to the world itself. This link came up in my feedly file and I'd like to take a minute to remind you all that most of us will never know even a 10th part of what this beautiful, magnificent world has to offer. It is not any less beautiful to me for lacking the belief that it was made specially for humanity - in fact, it's possibly much more brilliant and beautiful for knowing that it isn't.

I can't change the mind that would rather devote itself to metaphysical matters and not to the glorious things that surround them, but I hope spreading things like this around will give them pause...if they're not too busy crying about how "god made it". Many of these instances are humans and nature working together.

I can only post 10 images here, and there are 22. I highly recommend you click through for the rest.

---

---

[L.A.F.]

First of all, thank you for your input and your pictures. I must say that the pictures can be used as wallpapers.

Furthermore, I am sorry that some aspects of theism bother you. Yet, you mention characteristics of theists, not theism in general.
Thus my question is: Does theism in general bother you, or do some religious people and their opinions bother you?

[thesummerqueen]

"Belief" in general bothers me when it's based on pseudoscience and an unskeptical nature.

"Theism" bothers me if the particular flavor of theism preaches the aspects I mentioned (or others I haven't, such as violence against women). I honestly have less problem with a nature-oriented religion like Wicca than I do with monotheism, even though I find them both ultimately unskeptical for their belief in the motive power of the universe.

Religious people individually bother me if they're cock-ups. They piss me off if they're cock-ups in mobs.

[downbeatplumb]

You live in an awesome area Summer.

[thesummerqueen]

Yes I do, but I hope you don't think that any of those photos are from North Carolina.

[Rayaan]

I heard a stunning amount of shit about how horrible the world is, and how much better the hereafter will be.

Many atheists also say that the world is horrible, perhaps even more than some theists do, especially when they bring up the "problem of evil" and then mention all the bad things in this world and the ugly things in this world and about natural disasters and so on. And sometimes they also like to point out "flaws" in design, like how the moon is blasted with impact craters, for example, in order to disprove the idea of intelligent design. You know what I'm talking about, right?

Beautiful pictures, though.

[Dragonetti]

WOW

[KichigaiNeko]

I heard a stunning amount of shit about how horrible the world is, and how much better the hereafter will be.

Many atheists also say that the world is horrible,

Well it is Rayaan, but mostly it is horrible because of people. Earth herself? One can only stand back in awe.

perhaps even more than some theists do,

Got any studies, peer reviews, research to back this up?

especially when they bring up the "problem of evil"

There is no "evil" only people doing what can be viewed as "evil"

and then mention all the bad things in this world and the ugly things in this world and about natural disasters and so on.

I don't think that natural disasters can be simplistically lumped in to this "evil" you seem to be speaking about. "Evil" is something people do and have invented, for me it is just a sick mind. Earth herself? No she is not "evil" she just is.

And sometimes they also like to point out "flaws" in design, like how the moon is blasted with impact craters, for example, in order to disprove the idea of intelligent design.

No Rayaan,, the Moon is a poor example of flawed design. One only has to have knowledge of the human body to find flawed design and extrapolate that IF a deity actually DID design humans in such a poor state how could he/she/it have any hope of designing something as complex as the universe in it's entirety?

You also missed the impact craters on earth of which there are many so I would suggest that your combatants are undereducated. aka They missed Geo 101

You know what I'm talking about, right?

Assuming this is directed @ SummerQueen.....

otherwise no

[Ryantology]

I heard a stunning amount of shit about how horrible the world is, and how much better the hereafter will be.

Many atheists also say that the world is horrible, perhaps even more than some theists do, especially when they bring up the "problem of evil" and then mention all the bad things in this world and the ugly things in this world and about natural disasters and so on. And sometimes they also like to point out "flaws" in design, like how the moon is blasted with impact craters, for example, in order to disprove the idea of intelligent design. You know what I'm talking about, right?

Beautiful pictures, though.

The universe is only horrible if it is the way it is because some sentient being deliberately designed the hazards and horrors it contains. It would have to be intentionally set up to be a deadly obstacle course for the sole purpose of making progress more difficult and costly.

But, it is not a design, and therefore, it isn't horrible. It its full of deadly dangers, but that's nobody's fault. It is what it is. Tornados, meteoroids and gamma ray bursters are awesome and terrifying, but they are neither evil nor punitive.

[thesummerqueen]

You've got a point, Rayaan, but like Kichi said, I've heard it far less from atheists, who seem fascinated by the world if they're science minded. Most of the pissy ones have a problem with how humanity is fucking up the planet, not that the planet is in some way 'bad'.

I don't know where many of those suicidal Avatar fucknut people stood on the theist-atheist divide, but those people pissed me off too.