Lemur

So you don't reject unicorns, or...

?

John A. Broussard

Shucks!! You beat me to it.

Lemur

Sowwy.

Ojuice5001

I also think this is true of most people in general and most atheists in particular. It's probably true of the guy Albert is addressing, although no one can know for sure.

I don't know about Albert, but I have no problem saying that I do reject unicorns, and for reasons of conformity. There's not always anything wrong with doing or believing things for that reason. Doesn't mean it's the most compelling reason in the world though.

Albert Cipriani

We aren’t held accountable for our wrong answers, only for our wrong reasons. Peer pressure is not a reason at all. Ergo, it is definitely the wrong reason for rejecting anything, be it God or unicorns.

I hold up to ridicule anyone’s wrong reasons, not their wrong conclusions. It’s actually possible to have good reasons for wrong conclusions, such as a belief in unicorns. But it’s positively impossible to be a good person while employing non-rational non-reasons to hold to correct conclusions. – Sincerely, Albert Cipriani the Traditional Catholic

Justin Z

Cool. So Pascal's Wager doesn't really hold up after all. Thanks for clearing that up.

~Justin

Albert Cipriani

I rejected Pascal's Wager in 9th grade. What took you so long?

Pascal was a Jansenist Christian, not an orthodox Catholic. He subscribed to that heresy which the Church roundly condemned. Ergo, it should be no surprise that this smart man whom I respect could come up with his theologically stupid wager. -- Sincerely, Albert Cipriani the Traditional Catholic

Lemur

You're the one who brought up peer pressure.

Do you believe in unicorns? Why or why not?

WilliamB

No shit?


Sure it can. Gods and unicorns are both fictional beings which do not exist in reality, and they ought to be rejected for that reason. One can reject gods and unicorns for exactly same reason one rejects elves, faeries, goblins, trolls, ghosts, demons, gargoyles, and jackalopes.


I imagine it must be a great comfort to you to be able to play the mystery card whenever it seems convenient. What you must do is come to terms with one very simple truth: it is precisely because of this "mystery" that we atheists reject God.

Take a look at your statement, and be honest with yourself for one moment. In one sentence you declare that God is mysterious, while claiming that a person's rejection of this mysterious being is itself mysterious.

Albert, I know that you cannot possibly comprehend Apollo, because he is far too mysterious. But your rejection of him is a mystery.



I highly doubt that everyone accepted the existence of unicorns 500 years ago, but that's beside the point. What bothers me is the dishonesty, which really rears its ugly head in the following statement:


Yes, of course, we atheists are just a bunch of conformists, aren't we. Look at all of the statistical data you can find, Albert. Religious folk still greatly outnumber atheists, and they always will, because most people are, unfortunately, governed by this herd instinct of which you speak. If it weren't for the strength of the few throughout history who were bold and courageous enough to go against the herd, we would still be living in the Dark Ages, adhering to absurd tribal rituals like filthy barbarians, slaughtering one another for the glory our thousand-and-one local gods.

The herd instinct is what makes religions thrive. Christianity survives not because of the veracity of its scriptures or its doctrines, but because of sheer numbers.



More dishonesty; more desperate, pathetic irony. Peer pressure? Yes, Albert, I became an atheist because all the kids at school were hanging out reading Nietzsche and Russell and smoking cigarettes, and I just figured I'd better get in line and drop my god-belief, you know, if I wanted to be cool.

You realize that you're adopting the tactics of the TAGists? You realize that every theist will be using these same absurd inversions as arguments: that atheists are the ones with blind faith, which is argued in spite of the fact that faith is recognized as a cardinal virtue by Christians; that atheists represent the common herd, which is proposed in light of the brute fact that believers greatly outnumber non-believers; that the non-believer's rejection of God is a mystery, in light of every theist's proud declaration that God is a mystery and cannot be understood.

Ridiculous.

John A. Broussard

Terrific! You must have gone to the same school as I did.

Too bad this humor is wasted on Al. He'll simply take what you say verbatim and assume you started smoking.