Good will to all men? Not from the grumpy atheists! (Thank God not all atheists are grumpy but there sure seems to be a lot of them)
Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
Curious that the problem of defining atheism came down to the problem of defining theism.
ReplyDeleteWe're trying to come up with a definition on Out Shine the sun - (http://outshine-the-sun.blogspot.ca/2014/03/estranged-notions-how-should-we-define.html#comment-1301129923) the refuge for people either banned or quit Strange Notions over banning other atheists.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it more important to know why 'we' think 'we' should define 'Atheism?' Perhaps the newly developed preoccupation with Atheism is a prophetic inclination -an indication that there is an underlying urge and a sense of urgency for ’we’ to better understand ’we’ through what ’we’ see in ‘them.’ -
Larry Green March 25, 2014, 10:39 AM
I think it's important to define what atheism means as there still are some who equate atheism viewpoints like satanism. materialism, communism, etc. Atheism is just the lack of acceptance of the existence of God or Gods due to lack of evidence.
Delete
ReplyDeleteWhat ‘WE’ see in ‘THEM’ is the relevant aspect of my point, if your comment is in reference to mine Rationalist.
March 25, 2014, 1:55 PM Larry Green
I'm sorry but I don't follow. Is it what theists see in atheists (or vice versa)? With the question of definitions, it's important to define one's terms as objectively as possible, with the input of the other side.
DeleteTheism is a very vaguely defined term. The notion or the definition of a God is about as subjective as any notion about reality can be. Definitions and belief in and about God range from - God is a natural and higher power than I to God is a supernatural being who transcends human comprehension- and everything in between. There is absolutely and objectively no obvious way to construct any conceptual definition that would satisfy all Theists since many groups would hold that those other groups who do not believe in the ‘same God,’ do not believe in God at all. With all of this -and obviously the complexity just deepens- should it be any wonder how one could definitively claim to be an Atheist let alone a clearly defined conception of the term. In other words, the way in which we perceive reality is subject to and influenced by not only the external objects of perception but also/obviously by the conditioning of sensory apparatus through internal forces.
ReplyDeleteThe point that I am trying to make above stems from my personal belief in a God who from the innermost essence of our being can and does represent a source of inspiration and indeed a force that often guides the direction of our focus from one object instead of another and often for reasons that are not plain or obvious to eyes that see only outward.
March 25, 2014, 7:55 PM
Larry Green