[extropy-chat] Atheism in Decline

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Dirk Bruere <dirk at neopax.com> wrote:
> Joseph Bloch wrote:
> 
> > You're an atheist by most definitions, even if you eschew the
> > label. You don't believe in the objective existence of god(s).
> > From what you've said before, they're archetypes; mental
> > constructs. They have no existence outside your mind. 

> Just because we recognise that our religious texts are metaphor does
> not mean we cannot claim to be a religion.
> And Gods recognised as archetypes makes them no less powerful in
> Human affairs than if they were 'really real'.
> It means that the Gods are an emergent phenomenon at the next level
> up from Human.

Quite so. Does Joseph claim that calling Genesis a metaphor is an
atheistic doctrine? Such would be calling most of christianity
atheists. Most christian sects state that you can only know god through
metaphor and analogy, because to look it in the face would kill you
(whether this means automatic uploading is an open question). Those
believing in the literal word of the bible also tend to buy the
Charlton Heston character in the clouds infantile image of god.

Josephs statements here imply to me another confirmation of what I see
so commonly: most atheists suffer from stunted theology and a lack of
sophisticated spiritual education, at least under whatever organized
religion they were raised in (or lack thereof)

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com

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