Yeah, this is why I get a little uncomfortable around the converted-to-atheism crowd - more particularly, the ones who change to zealous atheists. Granted, may be my own bias as someone was raised atheist, by, to my eyes, the problem is the unquestioning zeal in general, not whether it's ire is pointed in my direction right this second.
See, the thing with me is that I was basically never raised to be religious, so I didn't have much in the way of God, and it never really made a whole lot of sense to me whenever I really thought about it. I'm not one of those people that moved away from Christendom, I never really had it except as a vague default setting of "sure, I guess God exists..." which I basically grew out of, and then slowly took more of a hard line stance against.
It drives me crazy to hear people talk about the "god shaped hole" in people's lives, or that religion is a natural aspect of humanity. I disagree, it's a construction of people's imagination to try and rationally order the world in their head, or it's an authority constructed by civilization as a modicum of behavioral control. It makes perfect sense to me that in ancient polytheist worlds, each city had their own god, and physical conflicts were also seen as conflicts between gods, and which ones were stronger. In reality, humans were taking metaphysical concepts to the fields of battle, and seeing which could bring a people more prosperity.
But the whole point is that is all still an externalization. It's an abstract philosophy manifested and personified. Which, is a bit silly outside of raw storytelling, but don't turn around and try and enforce it as a social order. If your abstraction is genuinely valid, then people will reflect it's positions naturally. If God is The Truth, then anyone reflecting truth, will necessarily reflect goodly piety. Who is more pious, the atheist who takes responsibility for himself and his family, or the prostitute who wears a golden cross and says she's a good Christian who goes to church on Christmas? I say the former, and it should not be an issue to anyone truly seeking truth and not tribe (which is why I can still get along fine with some Christians).
But then, these absolutely retarded a-Thesists literally do everything the Evangelicals ever accused them of: rejecting God because their mad and finding a new secular religion. If that was the case, why would you chose Faucism and George Floyd to be the one true God and not something like fucking Jainism. Hell, take the Church of The Flying Spaghetti monster seriously if you're gonna be that retarded! At least then I can take you seriously, and I know you aren't hurting people.
It makes perfect sense to me that in ancient polytheist worlds, each city had their own god, and physical conflicts were also seen as conflicts between gods, and which ones were stronger. In reality, humans were taking metaphysical concepts to the fields of battle, and seeing which could bring a people more prosperity.
Yeah, this is why I get a little uncomfortable around the converted-to-atheism crowd - more particularly, the ones who change to zealous atheists. Granted, may be my own bias as someone was raised atheist, by, to my eyes, the problem is the unquestioning zeal in general, not whether it's ire is pointed in my direction right this second.
See, the thing with me is that I was basically never raised to be religious, so I didn't have much in the way of God, and it never really made a whole lot of sense to me whenever I really thought about it. I'm not one of those people that moved away from Christendom, I never really had it except as a vague default setting of "sure, I guess God exists..." which I basically grew out of, and then slowly took more of a hard line stance against.
It drives me crazy to hear people talk about the "god shaped hole" in people's lives, or that religion is a natural aspect of humanity. I disagree, it's a construction of people's imagination to try and rationally order the world in their head, or it's an authority constructed by civilization as a modicum of behavioral control. It makes perfect sense to me that in ancient polytheist worlds, each city had their own god, and physical conflicts were also seen as conflicts between gods, and which ones were stronger. In reality, humans were taking metaphysical concepts to the fields of battle, and seeing which could bring a people more prosperity.
But the whole point is that is all still an externalization. It's an abstract philosophy manifested and personified. Which, is a bit silly outside of raw storytelling, but don't turn around and try and enforce it as a social order. If your abstraction is genuinely valid, then people will reflect it's positions naturally. If God is The Truth, then anyone reflecting truth, will necessarily reflect goodly piety. Who is more pious, the atheist who takes responsibility for himself and his family, or the prostitute who wears a golden cross and says she's a good Christian who goes to church on Christmas? I say the former, and it should not be an issue to anyone truly seeking truth and not tribe (which is why I can still get along fine with some Christians).
But then, these absolutely retarded a-Thesists literally do everything the Evangelicals ever accused them of: rejecting God because their mad and finding a new secular religion. If that was the case, why would you chose Faucism and George Floyd to be the one true God and not something like fucking Jainism. Hell, take the Church of The Flying Spaghetti monster seriously if you're gonna be that retarded! At least then I can take you seriously, and I know you aren't hurting people.
For some reason this reminds me of Black & White 2