[extropy-chat] Atheism in Decline

[Diego Caleiro]

THe fact that you define God changes a lot about many things, and may mean you 
are an atheist.   


See


http://www.torrida.org/dcaleironews/Texto010eng%20Qual%20o%20significado%20da%20palavra%20Deus.html

Diego Caleiro (Log At)





Em Sábado 05 Março 2005 15:05, Dirk Bruere escreveu:
> Olga Bourlin wrote:
> > From: "Mike Lorrey" <mlorrey at yahoo.com>
> >
> >> Quite so. Does Joseph claim that calling Genesis a metaphor is an
> >> atheistic doctrine?
> >
> > ... oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, there are so many creation myths (some
> > much more interesting than Genesis), and so little time.
> >
> > 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).
> >
> > Practically speaking, it's not just christians -- but *all religious
> > people are atheists* (because - like it or not - they are "without
> > god(s))". Atheism is not an option.  Believing in a god does not make
> > it so.
>
> Theological ignorance on your part.
>
> >> Those believing in the literal word of the bible also tend to buy the
> >> Charlton Heston character in the clouds infantile image of god.
> >
> > Unfortunately, many, many people do.  And in a book I read in the
> > 1980s called "Dumbth" (by Steve Allen ... yes, that Steve Allen), it
> > starts out by relating how some of those many adult people used to
> > send Morris the Cat (yes, that Morris the Cat) fan letters. Etcetera.
> > Scary stuff.
> >
> >> 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)
> >
> > If I only knew what you meant by "stunted theology" and "lack of
> > sophisticated spiritual education," I would comment.  But I'm not
> > certain what you mean by those terms.
>
> He's referring to your ignorance of theology which leads to to believe
> that 'God' has only one definition or meaning, conditioned by the
> Judeo/Xian/Islamic POV.
>
> I have experience of Gods as interactive archetypes - not 'belief'.
> The fact that I define 'Gods' in a manner that is far less restrictive
> than you does not make me an atheist.
>
> You are setting up a straw man by your apparently ignorant assumptions as
> to what a 'proper' God should be.
>
> --
> Dirk
>
> The Consensus:-
> The political party for the new millenium
> http://www.theconsensus.org