King Rat

I bet you are right, and that depresses me more than atheism ever could. Not that there are more people like you Heathen Dawn, but that fear and denial have such a hold on them. Its depressing.

Aravnah Ornan

Michio Kaku's Hyperspace sets forth an interesting hypothesis that in primitive humanity, clear thinking offered a survival advantage in some situations, while unthinking faith in the leader offered a survival advantage in others. If I recall correctly (and I don't have the book handy right now), he applied this to politics, although I don't think it's too much of a stretch to consider it in the context of religion.

Heathen Dawn

What could be more depressing than the end result of the Enlightenment? Which is: that the idea that God makes nothing in vain was replaced by the idea that there is no God and that everything is in vain.

Krosis

I know many depressed christians.. pagans.. pick a worldview... and there will be depressed adherants.

-K

EverLastingGodStopper

Why are there so few atheists?

I think part of the problem is in the leadership of atheist groups who insist that there's only one right way to be an "Atheist." Another problem is a total lack of understanding about the word itself. I mean, as long as people are going around saying that atheism is a philosophy of reason, or system of thought, or a worldview, or anything beyond an implicit lack of faith in that which people call gods, then all the people who actually are atheists aren't using the correct word to describe themselves (in terms of god-belief).

I don't have a worldview, or a philosophy; I barely have a stance. I just don't share the faith in the existence of God that theists share. So that makes me an atheist, regardless of any other opinions I may have, which would make up my worldview.

I really think it's erroneous to call atheism a worldview, and maybe that's why there's so few atheists: because so many people assign the word "atheism" attributes that it simply doesn't encompass.

Viti

No, it's not. It's a belief statement. "I am an atheist" doesn't tell you anything about how I view the world, simply that I don't believe in deities, which may be one aspect of a worldview.

Metaphysical Naturalism is a wordview, Humanism is a worldview, Objectivism is a worldview.

dado

note: i'm not going to have a chance to reply - or even read - the thread until after sundown saturday so i hope this doesn't get out of hand before then. have a good weekend everyone!

King Rat

That is what I'm talking about. You call it being thrown off a cliff, I call it base jumping.

Heathen Dawn

You’re an Orthodox Jew? One of THEM? You keep all those 613 stupid laws? You worship that good-for-nothing, lying god that didn’t save 6 million Jews?


HD (former Orthodox Jew)

Naked Ape

In Matrix terminology you would prefer the blue pill over the red pill.
"Do you [choose to] live on in ignorance (and potentially bliss) or do you lead what Aristotle called 'the examined life'..."
[question edited to add "chose to" quoted from the red pill link]
No big deal you just appear to prefer bliss to knowledge. These topics have been discussed in these same contexts for quite some time now, as we can see below:
That last sentence seems almost prophetic, don't you think?

Cheers,

Naked Ape