A recurring theme
June 26, 2014 at 9:41 am
(This post was last modified: June 26, 2014 at 9:46 am by IAmTheeWallrus.)
I'm new here but not a new Atheist.
I'll go in record with a couple of observations about the "conversation" that we all engage in with theists.
1. We tend to have different definitions of certain terms. First and foremost the word "believe". I have seen that inevitably the conversations of the theist betray a much different meaning of the term "believe". It is used interchangeably with "believe that there may be even some extremely remote possibility". It's almost laughable but I'm sure that we all are familiar with this. There are others like "Nothing" and "Everything" etc..
It's important to understand that once upon a time the theist did actually believe believe. Capital B believe as in there were no competing explanations. Religious belief was the Newtonian physics of the bronze age.
Real capital B belief. The fact that now it has been downgraded speaks volumes.
2. Theist generally begin by defending their beliefs in a traditional personal god (a god one prays to) by becoming arm chair astrophysicists. Suddenly they are experts on the big bang. I almost always stop them at this point by pointing out that they have side stepped the entire issue. I simply point out that "I assume that they believe in a personal God". Generally they admit this. I ask them to explain "Why they belief that someone or something actually hears their prayers" and "how does their thought and wishes get to the god. Telepathy?" I point out that "I just know that it has nothing whatsoever to do with the big bang"
Generally this throws the theist into a bit of a tiff.
Next I point out the obvious. I get them to admit that they don't have a reason and I smooth the feathers a bit by saying "That's OK". They believe it because they've been taught it since a very young age. And they were taught that it is a good thing to believe. And it makes them feel good. They didn't decide to believe in God they were simply told at a young age that it is so and they have been going with that all along and whatever "reasons" they give for belief come after that fact from one of several online websites.
Generally they will admit this.
By and large this more or less does it.
The most stubborn will go on but ......
I'll go in record with a couple of observations about the "conversation" that we all engage in with theists.
1. We tend to have different definitions of certain terms. First and foremost the word "believe". I have seen that inevitably the conversations of the theist betray a much different meaning of the term "believe". It is used interchangeably with "believe that there may be even some extremely remote possibility". It's almost laughable but I'm sure that we all are familiar with this. There are others like "Nothing" and "Everything" etc..
It's important to understand that once upon a time the theist did actually believe believe. Capital B believe as in there were no competing explanations. Religious belief was the Newtonian physics of the bronze age.
Real capital B belief. The fact that now it has been downgraded speaks volumes.
2. Theist generally begin by defending their beliefs in a traditional personal god (a god one prays to) by becoming arm chair astrophysicists. Suddenly they are experts on the big bang. I almost always stop them at this point by pointing out that they have side stepped the entire issue. I simply point out that "I assume that they believe in a personal God". Generally they admit this. I ask them to explain "Why they belief that someone or something actually hears their prayers" and "how does their thought and wishes get to the god. Telepathy?" I point out that "I just know that it has nothing whatsoever to do with the big bang"
Generally this throws the theist into a bit of a tiff.
Next I point out the obvious. I get them to admit that they don't have a reason and I smooth the feathers a bit by saying "That's OK". They believe it because they've been taught it since a very young age. And they were taught that it is a good thing to believe. And it makes them feel good. They didn't decide to believe in God they were simply told at a young age that it is so and they have been going with that all along and whatever "reasons" they give for belief come after that fact from one of several online websites.
Generally they will admit this.
By and large this more or less does it.
The most stubborn will go on but ......
