Common Sense 316 - The Day of the Dove

[Martin Hash]

I knew what you meant. (An Atheist is just a rebellious Theist.)

[Hastur]

So did I. We have traveled down the same path. I still don't believe in God but I have come to appreciate the narrative of Christianity and I think the militant atheist are as full of crap as some of the religious preachers.

[TheReal_ND]

Christianity is part of our shared heritage.

[Ph64]

So did I. We have traveled down the same path. I still don't believe in God but I have come to appreciate the narrative of Christianity and I think the militant atheist are as full of crap as some of the religious preachers.

For myself I consider my views agnostic - I can't prove or disprove the existence of a God (or Gods). Given the science it seems ludicrous to think there is no other life in the universe, and that there might not be life far beyond us technologically/mentally. Heck maybe solar systems are the "atoms" of a huge intelligence, galaxies being "molecules" in a huge universal intelligence. But then I gotta think that we'd be as significant to such an intelligence as grains of sand or ants are to us - virtually meaningless, not worthy of much thought. I doubt such an overarching intelligence really cares about whether you go to church, pray, or blow each other up, its all just meaningless human control paradigms that I don't buy into.

[Hwen Hoshino]

Christianity is part of our shared heritage.

And what do you plan to do with it?

[SuburbanFarmer]

Since shit posting with you assholes for like only 2 years, I am no longer an atheist, am less libertarian, bought my first gun and want another, and probably more.

Assholes.

Waiminit.

Did you just say that the DCF/MHF brought you to Jesus? Literally?

I didn't say that at all, while I am out learning new things and opening my mind to new ideas, you remain as always a complete a total moron, with pitiful reading comprehension, who has never given a charitable interpretation to any opposing viewpoint in your entire life.

I was just noting the huge changes I have undergone over 2 years, whereas before I started exploring new things and trying new ideas I knew everything and was master of everything -- just like you -- and since I have learned how much I don't know.

I also said nothing about jesus or any particular religion, but I am learning to accept the limitations of what I do understand.

You are a toxic moron who will never ever grow unless you grow the fuck up.

Jeez, the effects are showing already...

I was just making a funny, and I thought we had a pretty good rapport. Seems you've taken more of the MHF to heart, than is healthy.

[TheReal_ND]

Christianity is part of our shared heritage.

And what do you plan to do with it?

Burn you at the stake when I track you down

[heydaralon]

I knew what you meant. (An Atheist is just a rebellious Theist.)

An atheist, at least the evangelical secular humanist variety that is so popular among the reddit demographic, is someone who believes in institutions that were only given their legitimacy by Christian teachings and ideas. They want to remove Christian influence from society, while pretending that their entire worldview isn't completely borrowed from it. Nietzsche hated liberalism, because of its reliance on judeo-christian morality. His philosophy is a trainwreck imo, but he was honest enough to make the connection. I don't think that means that people who value liberalism should have to be Christians, but they should at least acknowledge where this stuff came from. If you talk to these people they always act like they are all about ideas and rational thinking, but they don't even know the history of these ideas.

[SuburbanFarmer]

I knew what you meant. (An Atheist is just a rebellious Theist.)

An atheist, at least the evangelical secular humanist variety that is so popular among the reddit demographic, is someone who believes in institutions that were only given their legitimacy by Christian teachings and ideas. They want to remove Christian influence from society, while pretending that their entire worldview isn't completely borrowed from it. Nietzsche hated liberalism, because of its reliance on judeo-christian morality. His philosophy is a trainwreck imo, but he was honest enough to make the connection. I don't think that means that people who value liberalism should have to be Christians, but they should at least acknowledge where this stuff came from. If you talk to these people they always act like they are all about ideas and rational thinking, but they don't even know the history of these ideas.

I'm more of the opinion that humans were capable of conjuring up a Golden Rule and caring for the poor, before Emperor Constantine codified the New Testament.

Regardless, I have a problem with applying mysticism to the fields of science, and a big problem with legislation based on a simpleton's understanding of the Bible. Other than that, feel free to worship your shoes if you want. No business of mine.

[KerningChameleon]

I knew what you meant. (An Atheist is just a rebellious Theist.)

An atheist, at least the evangelical secular humanist variety that is so popular among the reddit demographic, is someone who believes in institutions that were only given their legitimacy by Christian teachings and ideas. They want to remove Christian influence from society, while pretending that their entire worldview isn't completely borrowed from it. Nietzsche hated liberalism, because of its reliance on judeo-christian morality. His philosophy is a trainwreck imo, but he was honest enough to make the connection. I don't think that means that people who value liberalism should have to be Christians, but they should at least acknowledge where this stuff came from. If you talk to these people they always act like they are all about ideas and rational thinking, but they don't even know the history of these ideas.

I'm more of the opinion that humans were capable of conjuring up a Golden Rule and caring for the poor, before Emperor Constantine codified the New Testament.

Regardless, I have a problem with applying mysticism to the fields of science, and a big problem with legislation based on a simpleton's understanding of the Bible. Other than that, feel free to worship your shoes if you want. No business of mine.

Honestly, if we take that kind of thinking to it's logical conclusion, we removed tribal superstitions and the Greco-Roman mythology from their cultural importance in our western societies. We still refer to the stories of those myths, but as just that: stories and characters that are interesting to think about and discuss from a narrative perspective, but no one today seriously believes they actual exist (except for whacko New Age outliers). If we could evolve philosophically beyond a polytheistic worldview, why is it such a leap to think we couldn't also evolve past a cultural need for monotheism, even just supernatural paradigms in general?

We can take the moral lessons but leave behind the slight-of-hand hokum, I think.