Atheist Life vs Religious Life

[_Some Schmo]

I liked this video because it’s a concise and straightforward look at how an atheistic outlook is more psychologically responsible and mature than one involving a deity, something I’ve been thinking and writing about for a few years now.

[_Scottie]

That was pretty good, although I didn't agree with everything.

[_Tarski]

Some of that was good but I want to object to the idea that this guy knows what an atheist can and can't do.
Atheism isn't a unified belief system. For example, I don't agree that anything natural is automatical good or OK, or that what is good is necessarily natural (OK he didn't quite say that anything natural is OK but he hinted at it in the context of sex).

Atheist don't have some agreed upon theory of ethics. We are arguing it out with ourselves, each other and with people in general. that's how it should be I think so as to avoid rigidity. Lots of ideas about morality exist and total agreement is unlikely. I think for example, that adultery is natural since it has been a competative (unconscious) strategy for passing on one's genes. But adultery is morally questionable especially if the couple has implcitly or explicitly agreed on a "no sex with others" rule.
Fortunately, humans agree on the main outlines of ethics and morality--at least within the context of modern society.

[_dartagnan]

I couldn't get past the first minute. Especially after he mentioned that silly worn out "Jews hiding from the Nazis" argument, and his ridiculous misrepresentation of "religious life" based on a straw man. Yea, religious people really are so robotic and obedient to scripture, that they never lie under any circumstances whatsoever!!

Since when?

The same scripture says don't kill!

But theists have spent centuries trying to interpret the proper meaning of the Bible. Not everyone follows it to the letter in the most "on its face" interpretation. That is absurd because we are 21st century theists reading an ancient text. That is what the science of hermeneutics is for. It is necessary in a book filled with metaphor and parable. For any atheist to apply this argument is simply absurd.

[_Some Schmo]

Some of that was good but I want to object to the idea that this guy knows what an atheist can and can't do.
Atheism isn't a unified belief system. For example, I don't agree that anything natural is automatical good or OK, or that what is good is necessarily natural (OK he didn't quite say that anything natural is OK but he hinted at it in the context of sex).

Atheist don't have some agreed upon theory of ethics. We are arguing it out with ourselves, each other and with people in general. that's how it should be I think so as to avoid rigidity. Lots of ideas about morality exist and total agreement is unlikely. I think for example, that adultery is natural since it has been a competative (unconscious) strategy for passing on one's genes. But adultery is morally questionable especially if the couple has implcitly or explicitly agreed on a "no sex with others" rule.
Fortunately, humans agree on the main outlines of ethics and morality--at least within the context of modern society.

It's true that atheism isn't a unified belief system, but I don't think that was the point. It wasn't about what atheists believe as much as what they're free to believe unfettered by a belief in the supernatural. It's not saying, "Atheists believe this" as much as "Atheists could believe, are free to believe or view things a certain way without self-imposed psychological restraint."

The main value that video had for me was demonstrating how atheism requires a greater level of personal responsibility.

[_Chap]

I couldn't get past the first minute

Guess what? I haven't even looked at it for one second!

For me to express any opinion at all about it would thus be, to borrow one of dartagnan's more frequently used words "absurd". I suppose it might be just a little bit less absurd if I watched the first minute before favoring board members with my opinion of the video - but not much.

[_Some Schmo]

I couldn't get past the first minute

Guess what? I haven't even looked at it for one second!

For me to express any opinion at all about it would thus be, to borrow one of dartagnan's more frequently used words "absurd". I suppose it might be just a little bit less absurd if I watched the first minute before favoring board members with my opinion of the video - but not much.

Meh... I've gotten used to this sort of thing from him. Best to just laugh off his nonsense.

[_dartagnan]

Guess what? I haven't even looked at it for one second!

For me to express any opinion at all about it would thus be, to borrow one of dartagnan's more frequently used words "absurd". I suppose it might be just a little bit less absurd if I watched the first minute before favoring board members with my opinion of the video - but not much.

Oh blow it out your ear chap. What's the matter anyway, you can't stand a single criticism of any criticism towards religion? Well, get over it. Or don't. I couldn't get past the first minute because it started off with an absurd straw man that made absolutely no sense. I never said anything about the rest of the film because I didn't see it. I expressed my opinion about what I saw. Yes, I felt it wasn't worth my time watching the rest of it for the same reason I didn't want to sit through an hour of Zeitgeist after it made so many stupid claims in the opening chapter. You can't judge a book by its cover, but you can usually judge it by its first chapter.

And it is funny how you say you can't express an opinion of it because you haven't watch a single second of it, yet you feel some need to defend it indirectly by attacking me for making a valid criticism. Would you be making your comments if I had said the same thing about anything else unrelated to evolution? What if I had criticized a porn flick without seeing it?

[_Some Schmo]

Chap, I guess we should never criticize a man's right to stay ignorant. If darte wants it, let him have at it. He's going to do it anyway. Why fight it?

[_dartagnan]

How am I ignorant for noting a straw man?

Oh, you weren't serious.