Can you see how you're taking your individual experience and applying it to everyone?
Yes, I can see that. Thank you. I do not believe it is a logical way of viewing the world. I am rereading what I've written and gaining insight into the assumptions that often blind my reasoning.
I will continue to say things I regret, to reveal my biases unchecked, not because I want to, no. I do not want to sound foolish. Had I tried to have this discussion before I'd come so far into atheism, we would not have made it this far without devolving into hysterics... I would not be alone in that, and the evidence outside of my own belief, is witnessed in a few posts back by another who abstained from the discussion long enough to see how it goes. I think it takes some measure of security in one's belief in order to be open to hearing other people's beliefs, and to hear criticism of one's path toward logic... out of ritual, mysticism, and the supernatural.
If I waited until I could perfectly explain my argument without divulging my biases and shortcomings, I might wonder why I would even attempt the conversation at all. I believe there are many atheists who feel this way. What's the point? People will choose to believe what they want to believe. The point is that, even at my most faithful, I heard the skeptics and their logic registered. I knew I was choosing to have faith and I nobly believed that I was courageously making that choice and that having doubts only made my choice that much more worthy, special, in God's eyes. When I faced that life changing event that caused me to question the merits of blind faith and the motivation others may have to encourage it, I quickly knew quite a good many reasons to refute the fear mongering prophecies of my demise for rejecting god. I needed that support of the testimony of others who have rejected a personal god. Much like one is taken into a religion with testament and encouragement by others, it takes that to intervene in one's delusion and break the spell.
And, the point is that many people think that Atheists are few and far between, but I believe we are many... we just don't attend church together. We don't commune together. We have little in common but the negative belief in someone else's belief... why would we spend much time talking about that? Except, when we're beginning to see that the wool has been pulled over our eyes since childhood... or when we recognize that believing in something because everyone else does is actually harmful to others.
I am not an authority on Atheism. I was recently asked on Twitter, "Are you sure you're an atheist?" I would never claim to represent all atheists... but then again, all we have in common is our non-belief in any god. And, how does a non-belief band people together? I mean, other than having a common disagreement with the believers around us, we are not necessarily alike. I have been atheist in regard to all gods but one, my whole life. I have just recently decided that that one doesn't likely exist either. I wonder if there is a god, at all, I cannot completely rule it out, though I believe it is not likely.
I believe that we need to speak out publicly against the mistaken belief that because many people believe something is true, that it is true. Perception is easily manipulated. Some people add to the numbers of those who believe, but they don't actually believe it. A group of people can believe they've seen something that didn't happen, because of "group thinking" where those who didn't see it don't speak up... they wait to see what others say... and then, others describe bits of what they saw, and then everyone begins to remember that they saw it too.
Do the masses need a God in order to change their behavior? Do most people want to follow like sheep? Are most people disinterested in how we got here and if we're meant to achieve something while we're alive? Are most people too overwhelmed with the business of life to question religion? Do most people just get in a routine and leave the decisions about religion to others? I suppose the same could be asked of politics. What would make people stop going along to get along and start thinking about what is underlying the Sunday School lesson?
Should our government support religion in order to control those less fortunate about us? To give them reason to be grateful? To give them reason to rejoice? To appease their sense of fairness, with the promise of going to heaven and their persecutors and greedy bosses going to hell?
I knew I should have mentioned the Jehovah's Witness. I'm sorry it offended you
@intothelight . I too have been visited by them at an inopportune time, when I was in the midst of an upsetting flashback. Here was one exploiting my thread as if it were an opportunity from god. Perhaps god gave me the power to create this discussion. And, here we are, back to wondering why I would even start it to begin with when people who want to believe in god will believe it despite my assertion that my mind is my own.
Incidentally, I will ask again. Why is it comforting to you to believe that god has manipulated me to create this discussion? Why would you prefer to think that the world is so ordered and under the control of some supernatural being? Why do you cling to that idea?
