[extropy-chat] Atheism in Decline

[Jeff Medina]

Mike Lorrey said:
"The debate over monism vs dualism has a long and storied history in
religious circles, which you'd know if you had a sophisticated
theological grounding."

Man, it's hilarious when people get the tiniest hint of specialized
knowledge (such as this "monism vs dualism, and by the way 2+2 is 4"
inanity) and think they're sophisticated, holding their little gem of
information as a skeleton key that unlocks all controversies in the
field.

I've read the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, the Upanishads, the
Bhagavad Gita, Druidic texts, Norse, Hermetic, Thelemic, Satanic,
Zoroastrian, Gnostic, and so forth. I know my Spinoza, Descartes,
Aquinas, Augustine, Plantinga, Wolterstorff, Alston, et al. I know the
various theodicies and theologies, I know the contentions of Jesus
historians, and of anthropologists of religion and neuroscientists of
religion and the "intelligent design" creationists and the fine-tuning
cosmologists.

I've called the corners, prayed to God and to the gods and to the
Goddess, shed blood on my own personal athame, made honeyed mead for
Odin, and took holy communion. I've had numerous experiences many
people would assert as "mystical", "spiritual", "religious", and
"psychic."

It is *because* of my thorough and long-standing study of religion and
spirituality in its many forms that I am confidently atheist.

It's painful to see you speak, over and over again, as if you had some
expert knowledge on religion and spirituality. Don't speak of
theological education, Mike. You don't have the first fuckin' clue.