Challenge to Athiests - is Religion a Pox on Mankind? (page 5)

jgnat

If you care to read Haidt's article, snare, you may understand why I am deliberately excluding the truthfulness argument. I, too, am tired of the same old arguments and rejoinders between bible-believers and athiests. It's just reinforcing positions without adding any new thoughts. I am throwing my intellectual weight in to the argument, taking a bit of a risk, because I do think I have established a reputation as taking care with my thoughts and opinions.

It is also a looooong stretch from benign delusion to dangerous.

LisaRose

There is an interesting statistic by the National Geogphic on what percentage of people believe in evolution, by country. The US is pretty far down in the number of people who believe in evolution. Only 14% absolutely believe evolution is true, one country had over 80% who believe. Meanwhile, the fundies want us to teach intelligent design so we will be even more backwards than we are now. I think the schools need to do a better job teaching it, and the church needs to stop pretending that we are descendants of Adam and Eve.

I can no longer post or link on my Kindle, but if you do a search "National Geographic belief in evolution by country" You should be able to find it.

talesin

I give up.

Ruby456

jgnat

i'm glad that you are sticking to your guns because if we are discussing religion using a psychology perspective then obviously we not talking about belief and the limits of knowledge but about how we live in the world.

this discussion that you've started is interesting and shows up the contradictions that we evolutionists have when on the one hand human appreciation of virtue and beauty is considered as positive adaptation whilst religion is seen as maladaptive and naive especially as the inference is that we are talking about the same impersonal evolutionary force. Obviously both religion and human appreciation fo beauty and virtue stem from a great deal of subjective input so there is something else going on and it can be argued religion is part of that something else and of course cannot then be universally condemened as a pox on mankind.

jgnat

LisaRose, that indeed is an excellent example where religious delusion can be dangerous. It should not be taught or imposed on others.

KateWild

is Religion a Pox on Mankind?-jgnat

I am not an antheist as many know. But I have allowed you to get input from them for three pages. I know you are not looking for confirmation bias, but I want to confirm your bias and agree with you anyway.

Religion is a bad idea for the vulnerable. I have been out metally for a few months and still at meetings for the next few weeks I think. I am still vulnerable, so I am not going to join a church or religious website. I do read jwstruggle and Tammy's websites, but I am not an active participator.

If going to church makes individuals happy and content, and they know they are doing no harm to their family, then it's fine with me. It's the emotional, vulnerable, uneducated churchgoers (to use Dawkin's phrase) that concern me.

Kate xx

jgnat

There are definitely abusive groups out there that take full advantage of their coercive powers to suppress the individual. Westboro comes to mind.

Finkelstein

There are definitely abusive groups out there that take full advantage of their coercive powers to suppress the individual. Westboro comes to mind.

And the JW organization does not fall into that category ?

jgnat

Sure it does, fink. I've dedicated a few years to losing them members.

jgnat

I am just getting warmed up. Consider subjective experience. I have immersed myself to a state I will call reverence: listening to bird call, watching cloud and mountain, searching the depths of the stars, catching Norhern Lights chasing each other across the sky, the grooves of long life in an elder's face, and immersing myself in mindful eating of a chocolate covered strawberry (do it very slowly).

Challenge to Athiests - is Religion a Pox on Mankind?

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