Theological Parodies (Creator, tradition, Revelation, prophet, atheist)

[Rolling_Stone]

Originally Posted by gnomon

Those are not earmarks of atheism.

Man....that was easy!

edit: I think I have the gist of how this works. Distort the meaning of a term, when someone contradicts your meanings you stake a claim to being superior in mystical experience, discount all traditional concepts and dismiss others as not being enlightened. Next thing you know...you'll be on Oprah!

Here's a suggestion: read the book Godless or read posts written by atheists in RF.

[gnomon]

Originally Posted by Rolling_Stone

Here's a suggestion: read the book Godless or read posts written by atheists in RF.

You mean like my own. Gee thanks.

Once again you provide nothing at all. What a meaningful and insightful statement you provided.

Go read an Ann Coulter book. No thanks. I'm too busy reading some excellent books by some theologians, anthropologists and historians. If I find some time to read a book by some hack, two bit political commentator ... I might let you know.

edit: have some frubals because I don't have any cookies.

[Rolling_Stone]

Originally Posted by gnomon

You mean like my own. Gee thanks.

Once again you provide nothing at all. What a meaningful and insightful statement you provided.

Go read an Ann Coulter book. No thanks. I'm too busy reading some excellent books by some theologians, anthropologists and historians. If I find some time to read a book by some hack, two bit political commentator ... I might let you know.

edit: have some frubals because I don't have any cookies.

I found time to read Dawkins.

[gnomon]

Originally Posted by Rolling_Stone

I found time to read Dawkins.

No way!

[Rolling_Stone]

The book is actually about liberalism as a religion, but to a large extent it also applies to atheism. Dennett is akin to a high priest, the movement to squash any debate about evolution is akin to religious dogma, etc.

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by Rolling_Stone

Atheists want theists to understand them...

Unless the theist has expressed an interest, I have never felt a drive to be understood.

The rest of your post was quite interesting.

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by Random

Evangelism ("religion is irrational and stupid, join the winning side now!"),

Fanaticism ("theists suffer with delusions and are mentally ill, they need to be locked up away from rational, sane people...like us")

Uncritical acceptance of external authority (eg. Science, Secularism, Democracy, Materialism)

Those are just to name a few...

I don't know what things are like in Ireland, but in Colorado Springs, home to such organizations as James Dobson's Focus on the Family, your characterization of atheists as Evangelical Fanatics with an uncritical acceptance of external authority sounds more like what any local fundamentalist preacher might mindlessly spout for a Sunday sermon than it sounds like an accurate characterization of the majority of atheists.

[Random]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

I don't know what things are like in Ireland, but in Colorado Springs, home to such organizations as James Dobson's Focus on the Family, your characterization of atheists as Evangelical Fanatics with an uncritical acceptance of external authority sounds more like what any local fundamentalist preacher might mindlessly spout for a Sunday sermon than it sounds like an accurate characterization of the majority of atheists.

Yes, I understand that, but Ireland is not America in that regard. The fundie Protestants are all up North, and thankfully don't impact the culture down South much @ all. Ian Paisley is the closest thing to James Dobson we have, and though he thunders, he never explicitly mentions Atheism or bothers with the Creationist/Evol debate.

I was once an Atheist too and a strong one @ that, and although certain events changed that, I never considered it an ideology or dogmatic adjunct of something else (like Sciene or Evol) and I never thought it was mandatory to overturn, discredit and destroy theism to achieve some sort of torpid victory for "Reason".

New Atheism, as a movement, is militant; you cannot deny this. Yet when theists recognize this and respond in kind, no criticism or characterization of Atheism is accepted by Atheists, even on the grounds of reason. If they can't agree on what they're supposed to believe and are trying to promote, why is everyone taking them so seriously (not least, themselves...)? Despite this, they most often act like what they accuse religionists, as I illustrated from my POV in the previous post you quoted. This forum is awash with religion bashers, God-haters, professional cynics, and quasi-intellectuals who attack anything they percieve as deviant from the new emergent norms of "Science and Reason", whilst failing mostly to understand those things in depth and believing in them simply as alternatives to the challenges of spirituality. which are too abstract (it seems).

I don't know where all of this is going, I really don't. If atheists won't accept any criticism of their position, then what? Believers who do the same will be criticized, and are! It's just absurd.

For a long time now, I have been saying this forum provides a Box with a ever churning merry-go-round in it.

What is being promoted is -

"Science vs Religion" (When the two are not mutually exclusive by any means).

"Evolution vs Creationism" (When there is no longer any debate in scientific circles about the issue @ all...why then in RF?)

And of course, constant "Theist vs Atheist" pseudo-battles that get nowhere, only lead to hurt feelings and misunderstandings; a playground of pomposity, where the most vicious and uncaring poster can confidently post senseless drivel and have everyone frubal him or her and post support simply because he has "Atheist" in his religion profile, and that's the coolest thing ever. Apparently.

It just goes on and on. I despair of it, maybe it's just me - I don't understand it.

Anyway, peace, I'm outta here to cool off...

Conor

[Scuba Pete]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

I don't know what things are like in Ireland, but in Colorado Springs, home to such organizations as James Dobson's Focus on the Family, your characterization of atheists as Evangelical Fanatics with an uncritical acceptance of external authority sounds more like what any local fundamentalist preacher might mindlessly spout for a Sunday sermon than it sounds like an accurate characterization of the majority of atheists.

Sort of like how many atheists portray Christians. Imagine that!

It's always easy to see how you, or your side has been wronged. It's far harder to see that the "other side" ain't that much different in their general outlook. We are all subject to our human frailties and that includes demonizing those who don't agree with you unfortunately. It takes a real effort to see that these gross generalizations are just that: gross, but in a different way.