I think it relates a great deal with AK-Jeff's recent thread:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/189136/1/Is-Believing-in-God-Immoral
BTS
Atheism as a psychological phenomenon.
by BurnTheShips 105 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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villabolo
Beksbks: "I just wondered what made you think of it all of a sudden."
Perhaps it's because AK-Jeff's thread got under his skin?
villabolo
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TD
He lost me here....
Before beginning, however, I wish to make two points bearing on the underlying assumption of my remarks. First, I assume that the major barriers to belief in God are not rational but-in a general sense- can be called psychological..
Many of us would be thrilled to have some small shred of confirmation of, in the words of James Russell Lowell, the "Good All-Father who cares for us here below."
The reality appears to be closer to what Woody Allen quiped; "About the nicest thing you can say about Him is He's an underachiever."
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hamilcarr
Freudian wet dream for theists. I thought we were getting past Freud in the 21st century.
This approach should be especially inoffensive to many atheists/materialists since in their worldview, all phenomena are reducible to natural causes.
Freud is offensive to anyone who has never been dreaming of having sex with his mother or killing his father.
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BurnTheShips
I'm sorry Freud offends you, Hamilcarr. You didn't seem very offended when I first posted this topic.
I like Jung myself. Recently read Man and His Symbols.
BTS
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VoidEater
Freud is offensive to anyone who has never been dreaming of having sex with his mother or killing his father.
Ah, I hear Jim Morrison...
newayz...it's an interesting notion, but presupposes atheism = "strong atheism", or a positive assertion in the non-existence of God (it seems to not take aim at what I think of as agnosticism, or "weak atheism" - "I don't know if God exists" - perhaps that is intentional). And, to that limited constellation, it's a practical response.
Belief - any belief - is an artifact that has a reason for existing; any belief, from a psychological standpoint, is open to examination, often serves a developmental purpose, and should be discarded when its purpose has run its course and it starts to inhibit growth.
Another difficulty is that the author doesn't seem to define his "God", though of course it isn't hard to see where he's coming from - it just limits his argument to the asserted nonexistence of a particular view of God.
I wonder if these limitations reflect a controlling personality or a superficial one? That's a joke, son...
However, the lack of a belief (i.e., weak atheism) shouldn't demand a rationale. Sometimes I don't have to have an opinion.
In closing, one might take the next step (from a psychological point of view): which beliefs are holding back the individual from growth and satisfaction? Because, frankly, any belief is fine if it isn't causing intrapersonal difficulties.