tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post132510381359841077..comments2023-09-25T04:26:51.568-06:00Comments on The Barefoot Bum: What is atheism?Larry Hamelinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-21296855985901890902011-04-08T09:32:49.412-06:002011-04-08T09:32:49.412-06:00I think you should consider asking your two questi...I think you should consider asking your two questions: "If you're religious, I'm going to ask you two questions: What fear are you unable to face? Whom do you want to oppress?" to atheists.<br /><br />You claim here that religious people are 'oppressive', yet do hardly give a good reason for it.<br /><br />Oppression (or rather suppression) of some things might be good (ie suppressing ignorance)<br /><br />If you claim that "The "philosophy" of theism is tiresome. The whole edifice of philosophical bullshit around theism exists only rationalize and obfuscate assholery and cowardice."<br /><br />and<br /><br />"Fundamentally, that's what atheism really is: science, personal moral responsibility (if you're going to be an asshole, at least be one on your own account, not a god's), and adult psychological maturity"<br /><br />I think you are either ignorant of what you are saying or fooling yourself or you are an hypocrite.<br /><br />Too bad because many things you write are quite insightful.<br /><br />Perhaps this was a bad day for you. Perhaps you just had your panties in a twist and needed to rant against theism.<br /><br />Or perhaps you read too much PZ Myers and your brain got soft?Franknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-28945507701252679912011-02-26T14:20:54.876-07:002011-02-26T14:20:54.876-07:00I think death has a lot to do with theism. One exa...I think death has a lot to do with theism. One example I can give of the kind of thinking that leaves people open to allowing themselves the lie of theism is death. Not usually their own though. My mother is a classic example. One of her brothers died a few years ago and as intelligent and generally discerning about bullshit ideas as she can be, she is so upset by the idea of never meeting her brother again that she just can't let go of some nebulous hope that there might be some kind of afterlife. She is not a member of any particular religious group and holds no concrete ideas about an afterlife but it is easy to see how incredibly tempting such a belief might be to her. I suspect that this it the carrot that first draws a lot of people toward theism. The hope that they will see the people the miss terribly again. After they are through the door the brainwashing can begin!The Celtic Chimphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04570106602777322387noreply@blogger.com