Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
Step by step.
Via Sully, a very interesting piece titled "Studying Islam has made me an atheist" in the Spectator. I would urge you to read the whole thing, but this one passage pretty much says it all:
Gradually, scepticism of the claims made by one religion was joined by scepticism of all such claims. Incredulity that anybody thought an archangel dictated a book to Mohammed produced a strange contradiction. I found myself still clinging to belief in Christianity. I was trying to believe — though rarely arguing — ‘Well, your guy didn’t hear voices: but I know a man who did.’ This last, shortest and sharpest, phase pulled down the whole thing. In the end Mohammed made me an atheist.
It's an insightful look at the process of losing faith. Certainly, that journey is individual and unique for each person who makes it, but there are still some common paths and landmarks on the way that most of us will recognize: Curiosity leading to investigation; investigation leading to questioning; questioning leading to doubt; doubt (often) leading to an attempt to rationalize; doubt/rationalization leading to the re-examination of the basic tenets of a religion; re-examination leading to an understanding that religion isn't necessary for morality; understanding that religion isn't necessary for morality leading to complete abandonment of religion.
As I think most of us would agree, you can pretty much relate each one of those 'steps' to one or another type of religious belief. Some people settle on one step and are happy or feel safe there, others move along to another. Most of the atheists I know went through some variety of that process, and ended up on the final 'step'. You can also see how the various apologists for religion choose to frame their arguments against atheism in these terms, how they attempt to short-circuit the transition from one step to the next. You can also see how some people will move from one step to another, find themselves frightened by the experience, and then step back.
Thoughts?
Jim Downey
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Metatruth
I once knew a Methodist minister who said; "About any piece of scripture, I ask; not is is true, but what is true in it?" A purely postmodern approach, way back in the dark '70's. That approach stuck with me, and blew up in my face in my first pastoral internship, in a completely fundamentalist church.
How did I ever believe in God? Was it even me? There is a strange disconnect of the current and past selves.
I think . . .
. . . that pretty much all of us could say this, DOF:
Jim Downey
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Steps
Curiosity leading to investigation; investigation leading to questioning; questioning leading to doubt; doubt (often) leading to an attempt to rationalize; doubt/rationalization leading to the re-examination of the basic tenets of a religion; re-examination leading to an understanding that religion isn't necessary for morality; understanding that religion isn't necessary for morality leading to complete abandonment of religion.
Ive been through all those steps as a theist. I did abandon religion. But one thing I can't abandon is belief in God (particularly the God of the Christians). A friend who's been through the same thing said it's because it's hard-wired in us, but I dont believe in 'hard-wiring'. It's the reality of the existence of God that I feel but can't explain that keeps me from doing away with God-belief although I feel mainstream religion has misunderstood God in some fundamental way. But even with that, I still feel the urge to step back and join a church again, even though I may disagree with their teachings.
But even with that, I still
But even with that, I still feel the urge to step back and join a church again, even though I may disagree with their teachings.
You could always try the Unitarians. They encourage a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning." They provide most of the social functions of a church with very little of the dogma.
Unitarians
Thanks, Cat. Im in the Philippines, which for all intents and purposes is a colony of the Vatican. :-D There are a lot of Protestant and evangelical congregations but Unitarians are rare, if they exist.
Silliness
The whole point of the article was to point out the basic wrongness of the Bible and Koran. To say that you can't let go of the Christian God attaches you to the silliness of the Bible.
I can almost understand not wanting to let go of your God...but to believe that what's written in your Holy books is mind boggling.
'Silliness'
To say that you can't let go of the Christian God attaches you to the silliness of the Bible.
That it does. I happen to believe in the Bible's -- what's the word? -- metatruth? -- if not it's literal truth. I have no problems with it, is what Im saying; I dont think it's silly. And the God of the Jews and the Muslims probably is the same guy they created in their image, just as the Christians created their own image of him.