AcrobatMan said:
rather the question should be ..what is that atheism hasnt given the atheists ?
the answer would be a long one...
- war
- terrorism
- prejudice
- irrationality
- fear
- set of rules
- head-ache ( thanks Melon!! )
- wasting time doing useless things
- stubborness
- delusion of mind
- belief in vague stories
- belief in unproven stuff
- false comfort
I'm agnostic, and I must say - this list is total bullshit.
War can be caused by religion, yes, but it can also be caused by a multitude of other things. One only needs to open up a history book to realize this.
Terrorism can be caused by people for reasons other than religion. Again - read a book.
Prejudice? Atheists live without prejudice? I'm not sure if you got the memo, but religion really isn't the root of prejudice. In fact, Christianity (and other religions, but I was once a Christian so I'm using this as a reference) promotes the equality of all peoples. The advent of religion did not signal the beginning of racism, for instance. You can say some have abused religion to damn people of other religions, but racism is something entirely of its own. We are all prejudiced - religious and non-religious alike.
Irrationality? All humans are capable of irrational thoughts. You'd have to be awfully conceited to think you'd never had an irrational idea.
Fear? Are you just writing words down now? Atheists are without fear? A practicing Christian can take comfort in their belief that they are safe from death. An atheist believes that death brings an end. I would think an atheist would fear death more than a practicing Christian. Death scares me shitless. There are many things besides death that scare me. Will I succeed in life? Will I ever really find my soul mate? Will I be a good father? Hell - will I be able to find a job when I move down to LA in a few months? Everyone has fears.
Wasting time doing useless things? You mean atheists are safe from posting ignorant rhetoric on the internet when they could be outside flying a kite or painting a picture? Thank goodness!
Atheists aren't stubborn? Stubborness is a personality trait, pal. I've met stubborn believers and non-believers alike. You don't eliminate stubbornness by eliminating religion. A person can be stubborn about a whole host of topics - religion, movies, food, clothing, politics. And stubbornness can sometimes be a good thing. What about when you're actually right? Isn't it a good thing to be stubborn in the face of adversity? Think about some of history's greatest leaders - Martin Luther King, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi. Stubbornness can be a pain in the ass, but it can also be a great quality, and its presence, or absence, is not dictated by religion.
Everyone is capable of 'delusion of mind.' I've met quite a few people with delusions of grandeur. There are all kinds of delusions and we have them all the time. I'm sure you're under the delusion that your post was intelligent and thoughtful.
Belief in vague stories? Have you even cracked the the Bible? Say what you want about the it - true, untrue, whatever, but many of its stories are quite detailed and well-written. I don't think you're entirely sure what the word 'vague' means. If someone wrote, 'a man rode a horse to a town,' that would be vague. The Bible often gives specific details and elaborate backstory to its characters and events. Disagree with the validity of the stories, and disagree with the theology, but calling the stories 'vague' shows an ignorance of the text. I've studied the Bible objectively in school from a strict literary standpoint and it is an impressive historical document. It's a good idea to at least read a book before you comment on its literary merits.
Belief in unproven stuff? I believe in evolution but I still recognize that it is called 'evolutionary theory' and not 'evolutionary fact.' Keep that in mind. There are many things humans believe in, religious or not, that are not always backed up by concrete, unrefutable evidence.
What exactly is false comfort? Christians believe they're right. Muslims believe they're right. Jews believe they're right. Atheists believe they're right as well. Atheists take comfort in the fact that there is no God and what they do here has no consequence in the afterlife. But surely atheists at least entertain the possibility that they may be just as wrong as the Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc. Just because one believes there is no God does not make it true. Those with a religion have looked at their literature and the world and decided that there is a God. Atheists have done the same and decided the opposite. We won't know who's right until we kick the bucket.
You do atheists and believers alike a disservice with these kinds of posts. If you're going to comment on this forum, please try and refrain from writing something so ignorant and offensive next time.
-Migdilio