BLoggins02

This was brought up earlier in the thread, and I just want to jump in and say that I agree with Jamie.

When I was younger, and I always heard that the ultimate question was supposedly "Why are we here?" I always thought "Because we are, isn't that enough?"

I STILL don't understand why people feel some external being other than themselves has to give life a purpose in order for life to indeed have a purpose.

I know that I don't think like most people I've ever met. I ask questions, I read and learn about EVERYTHING. I have books on my bookshelf that most people have never heard of. I enjoy things like math and science for their own sake, not just means to getting a degree. When I talk, I talk about complicated things. I like to ask questions like "what if everybody saw different colors inside their head, like what if what I thought was green my friend saw as red." People think I'm crazy and tell me "shut up, who cares?" I analyze everything, which annoys most people, but then again I don't see how the majority of people I know go through life without ever really thinking about things.

Do I think I'm smarter than most people? I think I'm smarter than many people (obviously nowhere near all people), but I don't think that's why I'm an atheist. I'm an atheist because I'm intellectualy honest with myself and do not allow my emotions to dictate my beliefs. Intelligence has nothing to do with it.

Easy Be

So you don't think intelligence has anything to do with your ability to be intellectually honest with yourself and to not allow your emotions dictate your beliefs.


I feel what you stated is more intelligent than blindly following a belief.

BLoggins02

I think intelligence has something to do with it, but I don't think you have to be a genius to figure it out.

As a college student, the majority of "True Christians" as they like to call themselves (you know, "I know that science says otherwise, but I must have faith in the Lord that the Earth was created in 6 days") are actually very intelligent. I just think they've become masters of doublethink. I believe most of the Christians I've met are just as smart if not smarter than me or most other atheist (but I won't say all, I've met some pretty smart cookies on this board, *cough* Wolf *cough* ).

I think the difference lies, as I said before, in the way we think. To them, faith is most important. Even if they are intelligent, faith in God simply outweighs smarts. To me, logic and reason are most important. If the only way to believe that a logically inconsistent and irrational position is objectively true is simply to have blind faith, I will have no part in it, because I know that I'm simply lying to myself.

And notice we are talking about objectively true here, most Christians I know wouldn't have anything to do with this touchy-feely idea that "we all have an inner subjective truth" or some such new-age BS. Let's face it, either the core tenets of Christianity are literally true, or they're not. Either there is literally this God who's going to send us all to hell for not believing He killed Himself to save us from Himself, or there is not.

I have found no evidence to back up the Christian position. I find it incompatible with the rest of the universe as I see it, and I find it unlikely that an all powerful God (even if he were such a tyrant) would trust His divine message to the human race, let alone a bunch of ignorant goat herders in the middle east.

But that is where I stop, I cannot say to myself "well, I'll believe anyway". No, if an irrational assertion has absolutely no evidence to support it and a plethora of evidence against it, I'll pass. That is all.

-RRH-

For me, this would call into question why God would make someone so incapable, if He wants us all to believe. But then, He already makes mentally disabled people who can't understand the concept of God, so most theists would be able to accomodate this development.

That said, I would also hope like hell that nobody decides they need to correct this defect. Parents who are scared of having atheist babies can have their kids selected to be the religious kind.

Easy Be

BLoggins02,

Really, but before you said, and I quote So which is it?
non sequitur
O.K. I agree with you about "True Christians" but we are discussing all theists not just "True Christians." What type of Christians have you met?
Yes, I would agree for the most part.
What if someone lacks the mental capacity to use logic and reason to the extent needed to become an atheist? This person will likely believe in God.
While I agree with most of what you say, I think you should realize that it takes more intelligence to become an atheist than it does to become a theist. Theists have the advantage because most children are raised in a religion. It takes a certain intelligence, that some people lack, for someone to lose their religion.
I agree completely!

CX

Yes, well, 13 is a tough age. At 13 , one has the intellectual tools of an adult, but lacks the experience to use them like an adult. More importantly a 13 year old lacks the knowledge that she lacks the experience.

Incidentally how can one "convert" from atheism? Perhaps you are defining atheism differently than I am.

CX

Do I? Heh. I can't really recall what I was thinking. I rarely get angry. Though I do get arrogant and dismissive. Sorry.