Tom CapuderThanks for the follow. I'm curious, though. Why would an "incurably religious" person follow an atheist?
cbontenbal@tomcapuder I rarely come across passionate atheists, I find that beautiful to see. And your arguments are usually against variants of religion that I myself have nothing to do with.
Thanks for replying. Actually, my main issue is *faith* more than specific beliefs or religions.
Which leads me to this question:
How did you come to the conclusion that a god exists?
@tomcapuder I was raised religious so the faith simply persisted because no one came up with a more convincing idea.
Is there a book, article, or video that you think I should read/watch?
Is there a book, article, or video that you think I should read/watch?
Well, if you like watching debates, you can try one of Matt Dillahunty's debates against apologists on YouTube.
The "Thinking Atheist" podcast features non-confrontational, reasonable takes on faith issues.
For books, the old standbys are Richard Dawkins's "The God Delusion", Christopher Hitchens's "God Is Not Great," Sam Harris's "Letter To a Christian Nation." There are other books related to faith by all three. If you're of a more philosophical bent, you can also explore Daniel Dennett's work.
There's alos a website, https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com, wherein you can explore the logical falliacies that theists engage in.
That's enough of a starter pack, I think. Good luck on your journey!
Thou shalt not commit logical fallacies
A logical fallacy is a flaw in reasoning. Logical fallacies are like tricks or illusions of thought, and they're often very sneakily used by politicians and the media to fool people. Don't be fooled! This website has been designed to help you identify and call out dodgy logic wherever it may raise its ugly, incoherent head.
Bhavani Shankar ðŸ’@tomcapuder @cbontenbal Interesting thread!
I think some beliefs can be purely pragmatic. It might keep you together with friends and family or keep you happy. That's sufficient.
It becomes a problem when when you harm others or force it upon others.
Even Matt Dillahunty isn't against it or using your direct experience as a justification for yourself.
#atheism #god #faith
I think some beliefs can be purely pragmatic. It might keep you together with friends and family or keep you happy. That's sufficient.
It becomes a problem when when you harm others or force it upon others.
Even Matt Dillahunty isn't against it or using your direct experience as a justification for yourself.
#atheism #god #faith
Matt Dillahunty also stresses the importance of believing in true things, and not believing claims that don't have convincing evidence.
But yeah, if you don't hurt others, as the saying goes, "No harm, no foul."
In addition to pragmatism, some hold onto belief because it comforts them. But I must ask: How valuable is false comfort?
@tomcapuder @cbontenbal That’s true. He even has a t-shirt that says that he wants to maximise true beliefs and minimise the false ones. 😄
I’m not a fan of holding onto a lie for comfort either.
I use pragmatism only for unfalsifiable claims. I have a small write up that explains more. Basically it comes down to the well being of yourself and those around you.
There's one insurmountable difference between your writeup and my stance: In Chi's world, Bob undeniably exists, and Chi's speculation is about the intention of an actual being. In the real world, no gods have been shown to exist, so any speculation about a god's intentions is empty and worthless, until that god is shown to be real. Unlike Chi, we're not interacting or being fed and cared for by any gods—unless you have convincing evidence for one, of course.
@tomcapuder @cbontenbal Thanks for reading the post :)
I did mention that the vast majority of us don't experience Bob; we see only forces of nature and a vast cosmos.
The post is about unfalsifiable claims that impact our lives and those around. For some, they include beliefs about the existence of a God and its intentions.
I did mention that the vast majority of us don't experience Bob; we see only forces of nature and a vast cosmos.
The post is about unfalsifiable claims that impact our lives and those around. For some, they include beliefs about the existence of a God and its intentions.