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It’s easy if you try
And no politcal parties too
A goal as unrealistic as it is desirable. The less-intelligent majority of humanity cannot be persuaded to abandon their primary reliance on – and unshakable faith in – their feelings over their reasoning. Humans experienced emotions long, long before they learned logic, and so, for the masses, emotions will dominate their decision=making for the foreseeable future.
As long as people remain stupid enough to insist that neurochemical activity in their brains is “experiencing God” and other such similar caveman mental masturbation, we’re stuck with the fairytales and the sheeple who cannot rise above them.
Even from a layman’s view, the sad news is that the “religion gene” – a useless leftover from the Stone Age portion of our evolution – leaves us with a predilection for foolish rationales, fantasies to assuage ignorance. What is that noise going “boomp” in the darkness outside the cave?
The good news is that if you step back and study a bit, you can understand, you can learn, you can leave behind such unproductive palliatives. I knew enough science by age 13 to sort that one out.
Many decades later, knowledge freely available from the world’s community of scientists continues to support the atheist conclusion and philosophical materialism as a framework for investigation.
Can I imagine such a world? Not in my lifetime. Sadly. But, yes, someday.
Political ideology has taken the place that religion once had.
It wasn’t that long ago that your faith was the manner of how you lived and the laws you abide by.
We are in the transition period from religion to political ideology.
Why is there the need for so many faiths?
Why is there the need for so many political ideologies?
Cheers
I am willing to compromise. I can deal with “No religion that imposes it’s laws on people outside of it’s faith” or “No religion that tries to jam society” If I am lucky I can dream about “NO religion in ANY matters of state”
Happy place happy place
I love showing this video about the myth of religion to my Christian friends.
T_H, you almost answered your own question there.
It’s a simple as can be. People of less-than-high intelligence put more credence in what their emotions tell them is correct. They simply are not smart enough to grasp that logic trumps conviction, no matter how deeply felt.
The tipping point, whereafter religion will wane, will come only when the majority of active participants in human society reach the threshold level of reasoning capability needed to willingly put beliefs aside when reality conflicts with them. That’s a long way away – and some would say it’s a receding goal.
The Myth of Democracy and Western far-leftist political ideology (anti-elitism) has validated the faulty thought processes of the masses. Result: people who are more clueless than ever nonetheless are patted on the back and told that what they think is just as valid and meaningful as what anyone else thinks, which couldn’t possibly be further from the truth.
#8 THC I would not go as far as to say “less than intelligent” people are subjects to their emotions. Its not an intelligence thing – its a security thing – snug in the bosom of their faith when all around is dark.
If everyone was more or less happy and content in life why the need for god?
#7 Tom – Christians today follow Paul (Saul) version of Jesus and it was Paul how inserted all the common points of ancient religions. What a goof, huh? Praise the lord, glory to him! HAR!
Cheers
Ahhh….
The final and clinching proof of the non-existence of God. “The argument goes something like this: ‘I refuse to prove that I exist,’ says God, ‘for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.’ “‘But,’ says Man, ‘The Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn’t it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don’t. QED.’ “‘Oh dear,’ says God, ‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ and promptly vanished in a puff of logic. “‘Oh, that was easy,’ says Man, and for an encore goes on to prove that black is white and gets himself killed on the next zebra crossing.
GOD ain’t nothin’ more than DOG spelled backwards!
Imagine a machine that can create it’s own energy! Imagine if 3 was equal to 4!
Humans are religious by nature.
Say what you will, but intelligence has nothing to do with belief in God. Many highly intelligent people do believe and many of you know that. That is not to say they are right, just saying.
I still believe people like those posting here really have no real desire to help those to their side. What you really resent is you can’t believe and keep striking out at those that do.
Religion has far too many charlatans and kooks but you people represent something far more pathetic. Nothing has changed in all these years nor will it in the future. Let it go.
“intelligence has nothing to do with belief in God.”
Yes it does. Because some – SOME – moderately intelligent people have SOME kind of beliefs doesn’t change a simple fact that you apparently have not thought through.
Intelligence, in part, is the ABILITY TO REASON CORRECTLY.
The MORE intelligent you are, the LESS likely you are to believe in IRRATIONAL THINGS.
The LESS intelligent you are, the MORE likely you are to believe in irrational things.
The more intelligent you are, generally the MORE knowledge you possess. The more knowledge you possess, the LESS likely you are to share the beliefs of ignorant people.
Intelligence correlates negatively with religious belief. Because it is contrary to logic, contrary to what is known and is symptomatic of the ignorant, irrational, superstitious, insecure masses.
Get it? Real intelligence – above the normal range of the majority of humankind – does not accept ridiculous, peer-pressure-and-fear-driven ancient ludicrous fairytales. That is not a coincidence, it is cause and effect. The more you know and the better you can figure things out accurately, the more obvious it becomes that religion is for the unintelligent majority of ignorant, emotional, immature humanity.
#13 dwright
For some people, every time they hear the words ‘right wing evangelical’, the words instantly translate inside their heads to ‘non-evolved moron’.
There are no ‘highly intelligent people’ who do believe. That would be a contradiction in terms.
This is pretty simple stuff and it has nothing to do with resentment or striking out.
It’s just an obvious fact.
Such spiteful rhetoric, so sad to see. It appears we got rid of hateful religion just to have it replaced with hate-filled atheism.
I guess it goes to show — people love to hate.
#13 “Nothing has changed in all these years…”
Well, obviously something has changed. There was never such a strong opposition to religion as in the last couple of years. Maybe people got a bit more smartass? They definitely became more courageous. Most importantly, religion empowered such atrocities as 9/11, which made people even more furious…
And there is nothing pathetic about having a civilized discussion on a controversial topic.
A billboard company contracted to run the “Imagine no Religion” signs in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, put up the first of the signs, scheduled to rotate between three locations, and then followed that run with a sign of their own with a disclaimer – “In God We Trust: Kegerreis Outdoor Advertising LLC..” Underneath are the words: “The previous sign posted at this location does not reflect the values or morals of our company. Thank you.”
LOL. Spineless pricks!
I don’t think it’s possible and in all honesty, what is the difference between people who bow down to religion over those who bow down to Apple, Google, or Microsoft, or Britney, other Celebrities, and so on.
And who is intelligent? Is somebody considered smart cause they worship the Iphone and Apple? Is someboody considered that smart cause they worship Google? Is somebody dumbt cause they worship Microsoft? Is somebody intelligent cause they believe in one scientist yet other scientists have different opinions? Is somebody dumb cause they believe in god?
I’m not a big fan of religion, but the reality is, how is somebody who goes to church any different than people who worship the internet and spend all their time in WOW or Second Life or wherever and pretend to be something their not? How is it people swarm to Steve Jobs and Apple like he’s some sort of god. How is it people bow down whenever Google does something?
Seems to me a lot of people replaced one deity with another.
All “religion” is MADE UP and has ABSOLUTELY NO NATURAL BASIS !!! And the more “Organized” they become, the MORE FASCISTIC THEY BECOME, AND TEND TO “PROVE” THEIR “TRUTH” BY ***MURDERING NON-BELIEVERS*** !!! They are all CULTS !!! It is best to say away, keep your children away, and for God’s Sake, don’t give them any money !!!
Where’s all this “hatred”, kemo sabe? Pointing out facts is not “hatred.” But religion – and many if not most of it’s practicioners – come in for a lot of negative reactions from the victims of their beliefs. Some hatred is bound to be generated by the all-too-often vicious, violent, arrogant, despicable behavior of certain religious “leaders” and their blindly loyal sheep.
Through history it has always been the “righteous” who have gotten their permission from “God” to inflict their will on others. And save that “Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot” crap for the kiddies. They killed no one because they were atheists, they suppressed organized religion because of the grave threat to COMMUNIST POLITICAL POWER they presented.
Atheists, completely unlike believers in irrational nonsense, don’t make a habit of doing irrational things for irrational reasons. That is, however, the very definition of what religionists do.
Hatred? HATRED? The recipients of hatred, and discrimination, and violence, are those who won’t cave in to the mobs’ childish superstitions.
Somebody point to specific rhetoric that matches in spitefulness such notions as “Worship me or spend eternity in hell.”
That is kinda like raising 2 to the googooplex power a googooplex number of times?–ie–an infinity of spitefulness.
Saying “You have not evidence for the illogical position you take” seems more like a 7 or 8?
Eskimo: “If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?
” Priest: “No, not if you did not know.”
Eskimo: “Then why did you tell me?”
“Insert usual uncle Dave anti-religion post comment here”
How about, “imagine if everyone let religion be an individual choice and no one called us stupid or unintelligent on dvorak.org/blog?”
Needed a laugh, LoTechNo. Thanks.
#3 – Catberos,
You know I agree with you about the desirability of getting rid of religion. But, how do you explain that 7% of the members of the National Academy of Sciences, the top science brains in our nation, believe in some religion?
#13, 14,
“intelligence has nothing to do with belief in God.”
Yes it does. Because some – SOME – moderately intelligent people have SOME kind of beliefs doesn’t change a simple fact that you apparently have not thought through.
Actually, intelligence and/or education has something to do with it, but like most things regarding humans, it’s more complicated than that.
As you look at people of increasing education you get increased levels of atheism. As you look at advanced degrees, those in certain science fields increase the percentage of atheism still further.
However, even when you get to the NAS, you do not hit 100% atheism. The NAS tops out at 93% atheist. How does anyone explain the other 7%? I sure as hell can’t. I can’t figure out how a truly great scientist in any field can still believe this crap. But, I will readily admit that said scientist, despite his/her belief in god is still far smarter than I am.
So, how do we get rid of the vile despicable thing that is religion? If we do, will we just use something else as a reason for xenophobic genocide?
The best way, scientific research has determined, to avoid being called stupid or unintelligent, is to refrain from making utterances that may be reasonably regarded as being indicative of stupidity or lack of intelligence.
Give it a try, let us know how it works out.
🙂
How about if religion leaves the rest of the populace alone? If all religions were like the Amish, I’d feel so much better. Mormoms and their missionary trips, stop that crap. Leave normal people alone! Couldn’t watch much of the documentary on them the other night as the bile kept rising in my throat and I felt I had to go throw up.
Just leave us alone and don’t try to jam your misguided, cultish, low IQ view of the world on the rest of us.
Simple.
This issue has nothing to do with intelligence or stupidity. The central problem/question here is that of the innate need to believe. What is this need to believe, where does it reside & where did it come from?
There is another dynamic at play & that is that believers need for you to believe WITH them. Thus a billboard on a highway that motorists can see as they drive along is perceived as offensive to the general welfare, even though it has little real value or impact one way or the other.
#26
Exactly. Like GLOBAL WARMING. How many “logical” scientists have been duped into thinking global warming is a man made problem requiring all of our money and resources to solve?
I find it interesting natural history tells us we are still retreating from the last ICE AGE, and yet, so many “intelligent” “scientists” forget this. Deciding instead, to follow their emotions and run heart-first into the save the planet movement.