I'll listen to that podcast later but I'll preface this by saying I have a hard time taking hard line atheists seriously, in much the same way I can't take hard line religious seriously. I'm fairly indifferent to both sides of the argument.
The reason I take exception to hard line, or better termed, militant atheists, ie the ones who not only profess to not believe in a God, but are trying as hard as they can to prove that a God doesn't exist, is.... why do they care so much?
If they believe God truly does not exist, they should be indifferent to what religious people believe, in the same way if someone told you about their 'invisible friend' or their 'magic book', you might humour them but you're not going to believe what they believe, right? So why the animosity? Why the need to prove that a God does not exist? For a start they're embarking on an impossible quest, you can't prove a faith-based being doesn't exist by using logic or fact, because said being doesn't exist in either medium. The very definition of faith from the Merriam-Webster dictionary 2b is thus: 'firm belief in something for which there is no proof'
For religious folk who might want to talk to me about their beliefs, cool, whatever helps them sleep at night - so long as they're not hurting someone else I couldn't care less what they believe.
For militant atheists frantically trying to disprove a faith-based entity I can only only put their drive down to one thing: Fear.
Fear because deep in their heart of hearts, they're afraid that there might actually be something to this 'God' business, and they desperately don't want to face the idea that a, they may not be in control of their own destiny, or b, that they may have to answer for their life choices one day. The reason I think this is that, again, if they were truly atheist, they'd be indifferent to the whole business.
One argument I've had thrown my way with this little spiel is that 'Religious people believe in superstition and they vote!', no kidding, do you honestly believe that if you had the power to snap your fingers and *poof* all religion was gone from the world, everyone was an atheist and religion was non-existant that we would all be singing in harmony and all believe the same things? If so, I have a bridge to sell you - don't be so naive. Humans will disagree over any number of things, religion is just one of them, and removal of religion from the world isn't going to change a thing.
There, that'll probably get the thread locked.
The reason I take exception to hard line, or better termed, militant atheists, ie the ones who not only profess to not believe in a God, but are trying as hard as they can to prove that a God doesn't exist, is.... why do they care so much?
If they believe God truly does not exist, they should be indifferent to what religious people believe, in the same way if someone told you about their 'invisible friend' or their 'magic book', you might humour them but you're not going to believe what they believe, right? So why the animosity? Why the need to prove that a God does not exist? For a start they're embarking on an impossible quest, you can't prove a faith-based being doesn't exist by using logic or fact, because said being doesn't exist in either medium. The very definition of faith from the Merriam-Webster dictionary 2b is thus: 'firm belief in something for which there is no proof'
For religious folk who might want to talk to me about their beliefs, cool, whatever helps them sleep at night - so long as they're not hurting someone else I couldn't care less what they believe.
For militant atheists frantically trying to disprove a faith-based entity I can only only put their drive down to one thing: Fear.
Fear because deep in their heart of hearts, they're afraid that there might actually be something to this 'God' business, and they desperately don't want to face the idea that a, they may not be in control of their own destiny, or b, that they may have to answer for their life choices one day. The reason I think this is that, again, if they were truly atheist, they'd be indifferent to the whole business.
One argument I've had thrown my way with this little spiel is that 'Religious people believe in superstition and they vote!', no kidding, do you honestly believe that if you had the power to snap your fingers and *poof* all religion was gone from the world, everyone was an atheist and religion was non-existant that we would all be singing in harmony and all believe the same things? If so, I have a bridge to sell you - don't be so naive. Humans will disagree over any number of things, religion is just one of them, and removal of religion from the world isn't going to change a thing.
There, that'll probably get the thread locked.
