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Would the world be better off if all theists became atheists.
May 13, 2011 at 3:08 pm
(This post was last modified: May 13, 2011 at 3:10 pm by darkblight.)
at first i was going to word this as " would the world be better off if all theists vanished" but then i think that
would evoke personal ties to people, or the thought that gee that doctor i know who saved my life was a theist etc.. so i changed it.. simply put
we wake up tomorrow and everyone has converted to atheism.. is the world a better place to live in?
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RE: Would the world be better off is all theists became atheists.
May 13, 2011 at 3:10 pm
It would be one less thing to fight about.
and that can only be a good thing.
You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.
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RE: Would the world be better off is all theists became atheists.
May 13, 2011 at 3:11 pm
(May 13, 2011 at 3:10 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: It would be one less thing to fight about.
and that can only be a good thing.
so atheists do not have their own in-fighting ? 
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RE: Would the world be better off is all theists became atheists.
May 13, 2011 at 3:19 pm
(May 13, 2011 at 3:11 pm)darkblight Wrote: (May 13, 2011 at 3:10 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: It would be one less thing to fight about.
and that can only be a good thing.
so atheists do not have their own in-fighting ?
We have spats not crusades.
You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.
Tinkety Tonk and down with the Nazis.
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RE: Would the world be better off if all theists became atheists.
May 13, 2011 at 3:20 pm
(This post was last modified: May 13, 2011 at 3:21 pm by Eudaimonia.)
(May 13, 2011 at 3:08 pm)darkblight Wrote: at first i was going to word this as " would the world be better off if all theists vanished" but then i think that
would evoke personal ties to people, or the thought that gee that doctor i know who saved my life was a theist etc.. so i changed it.. simply put
we wake up tomorrow and everyone has converted to atheism.. is the world a better place to live in?
*Better* ??? Not sure why you're asking...
It depends on how the world handles it.. Atheism is not a social institution.. Nor is atheism a separate belief system.. So your question really is faulty imo..
Atheism is not a counter belief (and thus alternative system of belief to those who do believe).. So there is no way to gauge what WOULD happen.. We can only say what is most likely NOT to happen anymore were the world no longer theist...
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RE: Would the world be better off is all theists became atheists.
May 13, 2011 at 3:21 pm
(This post was last modified: May 13, 2011 at 3:23 pm by darkblight.)
(May 13, 2011 at 3:19 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: (May 13, 2011 at 3:11 pm)darkblight Wrote: (May 13, 2011 at 3:10 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: It would be one less thing to fight about.
and that can only be a good thing.
so atheists do not have their own in-fighting ?
We have spats not crusades.
i feel this way.. it would be better.. and I imagine many others do as well.. so why not actually do something about it?
(May 13, 2011 at 3:20 pm)Eudaimonia Wrote: (May 13, 2011 at 3:08 pm)darkblight Wrote: at first i was going to word this as " would the world be better off if all theists vanished" but then i think that
would evoke personal ties to people, or the thought that gee that doctor i know who saved my life was a theist etc.. so i changed it.. simply put
we wake up tomorrow and everyone has converted to atheism.. is the world a better place to live in?
*Better* ??? Not sure why you're asking...
It depends on how the world handles it.. Atheism is not a social institution.. Nor is atheism a separate belief system.. So your question really is faulty imo..
Atheism is not a counter belief (and thus alternative system of belief to those who do believe).. So there is no way to gauge what WOULD happen.. We can only say what is most likely NOT to happen anymore were the world no longer theist...
for the sake of conversation the word "better" is subjective in that would you feel the world to be more to your liking.
as in.. if everyone in the world was suddenly MORMON would it be for the better or the worse?
it is pretty common in conversations to ask if something is better or worse, so please do not be so nit picky it is not a scientific postulate i am trying to create just a question on opinion.
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RE: Would the world be better off if all theists became atheists.
May 13, 2011 at 3:27 pm
As much as I want to say yes, I can't entirely. I was having a conversation with a friend the other day, and he told me that he agreed with what I was saying, but the "hopelessness of atheism" was too much for him. I wondered what would happen to him if he realized life was most likely the extent of his lifetime. There is something very cruel about telling a small child that Santa doesn't exist. And it parallels the belief that some people have in a god. Personally, like a child with Santa, I feel it is something that our species must outgrow. I know i'll get hit about that, but can you imagine the volume of people mourning the loss afterwards? I didn't become atheist overnight, it was a process, and I am better because it was a process.
"In our youth, we lacked the maturity, the decency to create gods better than ourselves so that we might have something to aspire to. Instead we are left with a host of deities who were violent, narcissistic, vengeful bullies who reflected our own values. Our gods could have been anything we could imagine, and all we were capable of manifesting were gods who shared the worst of our natures."-Me
"Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation; all of which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, even if religion vanished; but religious superstition dismounts all these and erects an absolute monarchy in the minds of men." – Francis Bacon
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RE: Would the world be better off if all theists became atheists.
May 13, 2011 at 3:29 pm
Quote:but the "hopelessness of atheism" was too much for him.
So he forces himself to believe in fairy tales?
Incomprehensible.
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RE: Would the world be better off is all theists became atheists.
May 13, 2011 at 3:31 pm
(May 13, 2011 at 3:21 pm)darkblight Wrote: (May 13, 2011 at 3:19 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: (May 13, 2011 at 3:11 pm)darkblight Wrote: (May 13, 2011 at 3:10 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: It would be one less thing to fight about.
and that can only be a good thing.
so atheists do not have their own in-fighting ?
We have spats not crusades.
i feel this way.. it would be better.. and I imagine many others do as well.. so why not actually do something about it?
(May 13, 2011 at 3:20 pm)Eudaimonia Wrote: (May 13, 2011 at 3:08 pm)darkblight Wrote: at first i was going to word this as " would the world be better off if all theists vanished" but then i think that
would evoke personal ties to people, or the thought that gee that doctor i know who saved my life was a theist etc.. so i changed it.. simply put
we wake up tomorrow and everyone has converted to atheism.. is the world a better place to live in?
*Better* ??? Not sure why you're asking...
It depends on how the world handles it.. Atheism is not a social institution.. Nor is atheism a separate belief system.. So your question really is faulty imo..
Atheism is not a counter belief (and thus alternative system of belief to those who do believe).. So there is no way to gauge what WOULD happen.. We can only say what is most likely NOT to happen anymore were the world no longer theist...
for the sake of conversation the word "better" is subjective in that would you feel the world to be more to your liking.
as in.. if everyone in the world was suddenly MORMON would it be for the better or the worse?
it is pretty common in conversations to ask if something is better or worse, so please do not be so nit picky it is not a scientific postulate i am trying to create just a question on opinion.
My intent is not to be nit picky.. It is to explain why I think the question is inherently faulty.. If you asked if the world would be better off Mormon.. I would simply review the Mormon philosophy and practices etc.. to gauge what human beings would do..
For instance when we evaluate dominant atheist communities that are prosperous.. imo.. they are not prosperous BECAUSE they are atheist.. They are prosperouse BECAUSE they adopted and practiced successfully certain principles..
I could only say that the world would be freer to practice those principles if they chose to do so.. but could not say if the world would more likely practice them...
I hope that helps you understand my point better...
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RE: Would the world be better off if all theists became atheists.
May 13, 2011 at 3:35 pm
(May 13, 2011 at 3:29 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Quote:but the "hopelessness of atheism" was too much for him.
So he forces himself to believe in fairy tales?
Incomprehensible.
i have said before, atheism is both freeing and horrifying at the same time.
frankly we live in bodies that have pleasure centers to reward us for certain actions , take advantage of those pleasure centers.
frankly if i could have a harem of servants and a morphine drip attached to me for the rest of my life i would do it in the blink of an eye.
and there comes in the question of social standing and wealth, and in this society that is about all that matters.
again tho, if you answer yes to this question, and i have.. what can be done about it?
theists spring to action every day to recruit, if we are to fight the good fight we must to.
theists dedicate their entire lives to their belief, for us to win we must too!
and trust me, it is a battle! a battle for the mind. the mormons go door to door.. maybe we should to.. i would actually love to do that.. would take some balls but ohhh the conversations you could have.
"i hate therefore i am"
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