For a person, of modern times, to believe something that would bring ancient men and women to the trough. Even with all the death and killings, and everything that goes into the history of religions. It is a silly pastime!
Seven words is enough. The idea that there’s a supernatural creature with unlimited magical powers hiding somewhere in the universe is ridiculous and it’s a waste of time to talk about it. Writing an entire book about why god fairies are not real (like Mr. Dawkins did) is equivalent to writing a book about why tooth fairies are not real.
If something is supposedly easy and people have trouble doing it then it’s clearly not easy.
The big difference is that society does not reinforce Tooth fairies as real. It in fact rewards you for figuring out they aren’t.
It’s frankly dishonest and annoying to constantly see atheists paint the issue this way. It’s dehumanizing or belittling to theists.
Margaretsays
But how did you come to that conclusion, Dave? Did you painfully escape from religious indoctrination, did you have those rare wonderful parents who taught you to think for yourself, were you one of those precocious brats who thought for themselves at an early age, …?
The silliness is why I, too, am an atheist, but the interesting WIAAA stories are the actual stories of how an individual came to that realization. I haven’t submitted an entry since I have only that same trivial conclusion without any personal story of how I slowly came to that realization.
Sorry to dish it out on you Dave, but after so many micro WIAAA they loose their novelty.
peterhsays
How easily, then, are theists belittled. Or is it that they cling to dehumanizing precepts (which are falsely prettied up with empty word salads) and thereby belittle themselves? It’s OK (but fruitless) to shoot the messenger, Ing; you wouldn’t be the first to do so. In case you hadn’t noticed, shooting the messenger does not negate the message.
When you have all these WIAAA which are stories of people overcoming indoctrination or suffering from leaving religion or facing obstacles and all that…and then some that just say “LULZ Cause only an idiot would be!” It’s both erroneous and annoying.
“Because I’m not an idiot” is not an actual answer.
I don’t really agree with you on this one, Ing. There can never be too many of these short and right to the point reasons for why some people are atheists, tiresome as they may have become. Sorry that you’re getting burned out over them.
And I think your characterization of the short and snarky ones as dehumanizing (#8) is going too far. That’s like saying that it is dehumanizing to tell people (well, children) that Santa isn’t real and is a silly belief. It’s not polite, sure, but in no way is it dehumanizing.
Theists may not think that their belief in the existence of a god is silly, but those of us atheists who can look back on a past belief in gods can see that they were in fact silly. In my opinion, it sure would have been nice to have always been able to look at theism that way, as Dave got to, and to have seen it for what it was at its most benign, which is silliness.
It is dehumanizing because it’s basically otherizing. Theists aren’t people who are mistaken, they are fools and idiots.
It’s irritating and that sentiment will cut off growth of the movement.
Margaretsays
The theists dehumanize us continually. Our pointing out that they are being idiotic is nowhere near as otherizing as their continual claims that we are evil and deserve to be tortured for eternity. I’m an idiot a lot of the time and one of the reasons I like to read Pharyngula is for an occasional kick in the pants that gets me to look at my misconceptions, prejudices, and privileges. I don’t consider that to be dehumanizing me but rather to be making me more aware and more human.
Yes and how does this raise awareness on anything? that’s my point. There is literally no content. It’s just a circle jerk of Atheism Supremacist
davidhill4000says
—-I’ve been informed that my submission to Pharyngula’s “Why I am an atheist has been accepted for publication. Thank you Mr. Warhol.
—-Sorry to disappoint Ing, who seems unsatisfied, but my experience of religion is as stated. I’ve never believed. I’ve never seen compelling evidence sufficient to change that condition. And I’ve never felt compelled to recruit others to my position. It was never considered that important in my family.
—-Maybe this anecdote will clarify. My father was the smartest man I’ve ever met. John Hill co-invented with Sidney Rubens and Arnold Cohen, digital computer magnetic memory, the hard drive (1947, Engineering Research Associates.) He married my mother (who was raised as a theist, dunno what kind) in 1948. The family legend has it that as part of the negotiations Dad offered to “Attend any denomination my mother chose, as long as he wasn’t asked to believe it.”
—-They went Unitarian and spent the rest of their lives as slightly pink do-gooders. Einstein and Oppenheimer weren’t the only pacifists during the red scare. The pragmatic problem was that the lunatics were in charge (on both sides) backed by the mob. Sound familiar? Dad helped fund such organizations as Klanwatch, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. They also valued education and contributed substantially to educational institutions including (with 4 others) creating an endowed chair in the history of technology at the University of Minnesota.
—-Dad died quietly August 30, 2009 without benefit of clergy. All of us kids were there to make sure his wishes were followed. I’ve attended two births (my sons) and many deaths and never felt anything mystical.
—-I think my siblings have stayed with the UU, probably for the social advantages. Again, we just don’t think much about it.
—-Sorry to take so long to respond, but I had to be pointed at the original post. If I’m lucky, this’ll get buried in the threads and never be read.
Yup.
For a person, of modern times, to believe something that would bring ancient men and women to the trough. Even with all the death and killings, and everything that goes into the history of religions. It is a silly pastime!
Oh! Thank You David!!
I know a Dave Hill, but I’m pretty sure you’re not the same Dave Hill, unless you have a brother named Greg.
Exactly, Dave. Theism is the silliest thing in the world.
Hey, Dave, I’m happy for ya and gonna let you finish, but can we get more WIAAA that are more than just a quip?
Seven words is enough. The idea that there’s a supernatural creature with unlimited magical powers hiding somewhere in the universe is ridiculous and it’s a waste of time to talk about it. Writing an entire book about why god fairies are not real (like Mr. Dawkins did) is equivalent to writing a book about why tooth fairies are not real.
@Humanape
As usual you’re profoundly moronic.
If something is supposedly easy and people have trouble doing it then it’s clearly not easy.
The big difference is that society does not reinforce Tooth fairies as real. It in fact rewards you for figuring out they aren’t.
It’s frankly dishonest and annoying to constantly see atheists paint the issue this way. It’s dehumanizing or belittling to theists.
But how did you come to that conclusion, Dave? Did you painfully escape from religious indoctrination, did you have those rare wonderful parents who taught you to think for yourself, were you one of those precocious brats who thought for themselves at an early age, …?
The silliness is why I, too, am an atheist, but the interesting WIAAA stories are the actual stories of how an individual came to that realization. I haven’t submitted an entry since I have only that same trivial conclusion without any personal story of how I slowly came to that realization.
Sorry to dish it out on you Dave, but after so many micro WIAAA they loose their novelty.
How easily, then, are theists belittled. Or is it that they cling to dehumanizing precepts (which are falsely prettied up with empty word salads) and thereby belittle themselves? It’s OK (but fruitless) to shoot the messenger, Ing; you wouldn’t be the first to do so. In case you hadn’t noticed, shooting the messenger does not negate the message.
@pererh
Do you have an actual point?
The message is wrong, dumb ass.
When you have all these WIAAA which are stories of people overcoming indoctrination or suffering from leaving religion or facing obstacles and all that…and then some that just say “LULZ Cause only an idiot would be!” It’s both erroneous and annoying.
“Because I’m not an idiot” is not an actual answer.
Why don’t I like this WIAAA? Because I’m not an idiot.
I don’t really agree with you on this one, Ing. There can never be too many of these short and right to the point reasons for why some people are atheists, tiresome as they may have become. Sorry that you’re getting burned out over them.
And I think your characterization of the short and snarky ones as dehumanizing (#8) is going too far. That’s like saying that it is dehumanizing to tell people (well, children) that Santa isn’t real and is a silly belief. It’s not polite, sure, but in no way is it dehumanizing.
Theists may not think that their belief in the existence of a god is silly, but those of us atheists who can look back on a past belief in gods can see that they were in fact silly. In my opinion, it sure would have been nice to have always been able to look at theism that way, as Dave got to, and to have seen it for what it was at its most benign, which is silliness.
(BTW, I see what you did there in #13.)
It is dehumanizing because it’s basically otherizing. Theists aren’t people who are mistaken, they are fools and idiots.
It’s irritating and that sentiment will cut off growth of the movement.
The theists dehumanize us continually. Our pointing out that they are being idiotic is nowhere near as otherizing as their continual claims that we are evil and deserve to be tortured for eternity. I’m an idiot a lot of the time and one of the reasons I like to read Pharyngula is for an occasional kick in the pants that gets me to look at my misconceptions, prejudices, and privileges. I don’t consider that to be dehumanizing me but rather to be making me more aware and more human.
Yes and how does this raise awareness on anything? that’s my point. There is literally no content. It’s just a circle jerk of Atheism Supremacist
—-I’ve been informed that my submission to Pharyngula’s “Why I am an atheist has been accepted for publication. Thank you Mr. Warhol.
—-Sorry to disappoint Ing, who seems unsatisfied, but my experience of religion is as stated. I’ve never believed. I’ve never seen compelling evidence sufficient to change that condition. And I’ve never felt compelled to recruit others to my position. It was never considered that important in my family.
—-Maybe this anecdote will clarify. My father was the smartest man I’ve ever met. John Hill co-invented with Sidney Rubens and Arnold Cohen, digital computer magnetic memory, the hard drive (1947, Engineering Research Associates.) He married my mother (who was raised as a theist, dunno what kind) in 1948. The family legend has it that as part of the negotiations Dad offered to “Attend any denomination my mother chose, as long as he wasn’t asked to believe it.”
—-They went Unitarian and spent the rest of their lives as slightly pink do-gooders. Einstein and Oppenheimer weren’t the only pacifists during the red scare. The pragmatic problem was that the lunatics were in charge (on both sides) backed by the mob. Sound familiar? Dad helped fund such organizations as Klanwatch, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. They also valued education and contributed substantially to educational institutions including (with 4 others) creating an endowed chair in the history of technology at the University of Minnesota.
—-Dad died quietly August 30, 2009 without benefit of clergy. All of us kids were there to make sure his wishes were followed. I’ve attended two births (my sons) and many deaths and never felt anything mystical.
—-I think my siblings have stayed with the UU, probably for the social advantages. Again, we just don’t think much about it.
—-Sorry to take so long to respond, but I had to be pointed at the original post. If I’m lucky, this’ll get buried in the threads and never be read.
Warmest Regards
David Hill
Sorry, Dave, not this time. ;) And the stuff you added was very interesting.
Doh! Curse you digital memory and social exposure!!