An article against Atheism (creation, America, theist, Christian, Christ)

[CaptainXeroid]

The link works now, and here is the last paragraph in it...and I concur with it.

Originally Posted by article

...“Atheism is abnormality. It is not merely the denial of dogma. It is the reversal of a subconscious assumption in the soul: the sense that there is meaning and direction in the world it sees.” -- G.K. Chesterton

Since 90% of people surveyed claim to believe that God exists, it would appear a lot of other people would concur as well.

[standing_alone]

Originally Posted by Booko

As always, consider the source.

Definately was the first thing I looked at. Certainly a biased source.

The notion that communism rejected religion to eliminate any other allegiences competing with the state was false. Communism rejects religion because religion is viewed to be a way for those in power to maintain inequality and continue to exploit for religion is the "opium of the people" as Marx said. If people have their senses numbed by religion, they won't be bothered by the oppression of a capitalistic state (from a communist perspective) - hence why religion was rejected by communists.

I also disagreed with the quote put at the end of the article stating that with atheism there is no meaning and direction in the world. I think there is, it's just not based on religious dogma.

[darkwaldo]

Originally Posted by Booko

As always, consider the source. The author is a member of the Wilberforce Forum, according to the article. And according to Wiki, this is what the Wilberforce Forum is:

"The Wilberforce Forum is a conservative Christian political and social think tank and action group particularly active in the promotion of Christian creationism in education and in biotechnology and bioethics issues, such as human cloning and stem cell research."

Methinks I hear the sound of axes grinding in the background of this article...

Yeah, good point. After reading your post, I can hear the ax grinding as well.

[Majikthise]

Originally Posted by CaptainXeroid

The link works now, and here is the last paragraph in it...and I concur with it.
Since 90% of people surveyed claim to believe that God exists, it would appear a lot of other people would concur as well.

The greatest people in the history of human achievement have primarily been societal outcasts. Call me abnormal.

[darkwaldo]

Originally Posted by standing_alone

I also disagreed with the quote put at the end of the article stating that with atheism there is no meaning and direction in the world. I think there is, it's just not based on religious dogma.

I felt the same way. Atheist have to find meaning on their own I think. The few that were mentioned in this article seemed to fail in that area.

[Booko]

Stories like Sartre’s and Murray’s abound, revealing that the faith required for atheism, and its underpinning of philosophical naturalism, is enormous; in fact, one could say that it’s without rational basis altogether.

Originally Posted by mr.guy

Cute.

That's exactly when I started getting suspicious about possible axes to grind.

OK, so let's suppose that it takes as much "faith" for Sartre and Murray to hold their positions. Well then, it's precisely the same amount of "faith" required to be a theist -- and obviously billions of people have no problem with it, now do they? So exactly how "enormous" could this requirement for faith be?

It sounds so much like someone who's never been an atheist, never really known any atheists, and just doesn't get the pov of an atheist.

Having been there and done that, this stuff always makes me shake my head in dismay. What are these people thinking -- this could be convincing to an atheist? It's not even convincing to *me* and I've been a theist now for many a year. sheesh

[standing_alone]

Originally Posted by Booko

That's exactly when I started getting suspicious about possible axes to grind.

Once the article put forth the "misconception" (more correctly put, "blatant lie") about communism and religion, I knew the article had little merit.

[Booko]

Originally Posted by CaptainXeroid

Since 90% of people surveyed claim to believe that God exists, it would appear a lot of other people would concur as well.

Mebbe, but people used to think the earth was flat too.

(I just *love* this smiley!)

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by Article

he bleak outlook for atheism is not due to the rational power of theistic arguments, but to the innate and irrepressible knowledge that there is purpose and meaning in existence—“a kind of care” and intentionality from beyond.

This is slight basis for theism. The human tendency to perceive purpose and meaning in things does not rest in the nature of the cosmos, but in our own brains, which are almost as much geared to perceive purpose and meaning in things, as they are geared to perceive certain wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation as light. Purpose and meaning are lenses, our own lenses, through which we look out at the world.

For that reason, atheism might never be a dominant position in any society, for people look for purpose and meaning, and because they look for it, they find it. A self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts. Yet, there will always be some atheists in every large society.