[ExI] "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoyyour life."

[Gary Miller]

>Stathis Papaioannou said is response to giovanni santost

>That's my point, believers are hypocrites. While it's annoying that
>people still profess to believe nonsense, it is somewhat reassuring
>that they probably don't really believe it.

> 2008/11/2 giovanni santost <santostasigio at yahoo.com>:
>
>> Because, believers (and there is a degree of belief in some of us, for
>> something or the other) are irrational and hypocritical in their belief 
>> and
>> behavior. A believer would chant the glory of Heaven, but it would kill
>> rather than been killed, would support a candidate for president that is 
>> for
>> banning stem cell research and then sell their house to support such
>> research if their child is paralyzed in accident, they would believe in 
>> God
>> when scared or alone and act in an ungodly and selfish way when 
>> everything
>> is good and ok.
>

It is as ridiculous to stereotype believers just as it is ridiculous to 
stereotype
ethnic groups.   The people who strap bombs to themselves and blow 
themselves
up in the name of their beliefs are certainly not hypocrites, misguided by 
our
standards of course but they are sacrificing themselves for their beliefs.

And yes in any group of people there are some who will alter their beliefs 
or rationalize
their behavior to fit their given circumstances making them hypocrites but 
to label
everyone in that group hypocrites is to ignore the fact that many others 
within the group
are willing to die or risk death for their beliefs through military service 
or missionary or
relief work in dangerous countries.

It is hard to pick up a paper without reading about missionaries being 
killed or raped in foreign lands
for devoting their live for sharing their beliefs and still they go.

How many Extropians and or Atheists have given their lives for their 
beliefs?

Labeling believers beliefs irrational can only be done by assuming that they 
have had access to the same facts
and information you have had.  Many believers grow up isolated and highly 
indoctrinated into their
belief systems and have been taught to demonize or to disbelieve other other 
belief systems.  So without the information
necessary to judge their beliefs as irrational their beliefs are rational to 
them.

Many people leave their belief systems when exposed to alternate belief 
systems which either seem more correct of
offer them something at an emotional level that is more comforting to 
believe in.

But from my point of view , stereotyping believers is irrational and 
offensive to potential Extropians who do not
share the atheist belief system.   No one was ever converted from one belief 
to another by mockery and derision.