Comments on: My Incredulity http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/ philosophy, politics, science, atheism, religion, ethics, life, objectivism Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:16:58 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: cragar http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-417 cragar Tue, 24 Jul 2007 20:31:21 +0000 http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-417 <i>As for your post, I agree with you, although in the case of JWs it’s probably a lot higher percentage live their lives “properly” than what you estimate</i> Yeah, I should have made an exception for the JW's. Their percentage is definitely higher than most of the others, but part of that is the threat of actually getting disfellowshipped. As for your post, I agree with you, although in the case of JWs it’s probably a lot higher percentage live their lives “properly” than what you estimate

Yeah, I should have made an exception for the JW’s. Their percentage is definitely higher than most of the others, but part of that is the threat of actually getting disfellowshipped.

]]> By: evanescent http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-415 evanescent Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:08:07 +0000 http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-415 @ Spanish Inquisitor: cheers for the comment again my friend. Agree with everything you said. @ Spanish Inquisitor:

cheers for the comment again my friend. Agree with everything you said.

]]> By: evanescent http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-414 evanescent Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:07:09 +0000 http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-414 Cragar said: <blockquote>And as a side not only you and others that have attended a JW memorial: How tempted have you been to drink the wine when they pass it around? I couldn’t do it but I must admit I have been tempted just to see what would happen.</blockquote> I have been tempted many times cragar! It might just be the smell of the alcohol! As for your post, I agree with you, although in the case of JWs it's probably a lot higher percentage live their lives "properly" than what you estimate. What I'd say though is something my dad and I came to the conclusion of: if they REALLY believed what they professed, the entire congregation would be full time pioneers! Cragar said:

And as a side not only you and others that have attended a JW memorial: How tempted have you been to drink the wine when they pass it around? I couldn’t do it but I must admit I have been tempted just to see what would happen.

I have been tempted many times cragar! It might just be the smell of the alcohol!

As for your post, I agree with you, although in the case of JWs it’s probably a lot higher percentage live their lives “properly” than what you estimate.

What I’d say though is something my dad and I came to the conclusion of: if they REALLY believed what they professed, the entire congregation would be full time pioneers!

]]> By: Spanish Inquisitor http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-410 Spanish Inquisitor Tue, 24 Jul 2007 03:51:31 +0000 http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-410 <blockquote>doubt is the eternal splinter </blockquote> Love that metaphor. Very well written post, E. And I'd go a step farther, and say what they fear from atheism is not just doubt about their god(s), but fear of rational thinking generally. The beauty of logic is that it is unbeatable. You can deny the obvious, until someone maneuvers you into a logical corner, after which you have to admit they are right. They know that a truly rational outlook would knock down their beliefs, so they dodge and weave, and generally avoid full confrontation. Their beliefs may be comforting, and worth retaining (to their minds) but deep, deep down, they know they are not true. That is why they so vociferously fight rationalism. To do otherwise would be to lose the comfort of their beliefs.

doubt is the eternal splinter

Love that metaphor. Very well written post, E.

And I’d go a step farther, and say what they fear from atheism is not just doubt about their god(s), but fear of rational thinking generally. The beauty of logic is that it is unbeatable. You can deny the obvious, until someone maneuvers you into a logical corner, after which you have to admit they are right.

They know that a truly rational outlook would knock down their beliefs, so they dodge and weave, and generally avoid full confrontation. Their beliefs may be comforting, and worth retaining (to their minds) but deep, deep down, they know they are not true. That is why they so vociferously fight rationalism. To do otherwise would be to lose the comfort of their beliefs.

]]> By: cragar http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-408 cragar Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:36:13 +0000 http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-408 This topic is always interesting to me. How many of the 85-95% of the world that are supposed theists really are? I know many people that probably fall in that group but are really just holiday worshippers, or whatever you want to call them. They supposedly believe in God but in no means do they live their life in accordance to any scripture I have ever read. I have went to a few of the JW memorials, and I wonder of the hundreds of people at the event (and the hundreds more at the 9-10 other congregations in town), how many of them really believe this? I mean really believe everything, and are living their lives the way they are "supposed" to according to the Bible? That number has to be less than 25% of the people attending, IMO, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was less than 10%. And as a side not only you and others that have attended a JW memorial: How tempted have you been to drink the wine when they pass it around? I couldn't do it but I must admit I have been tempted just to see what would happen. This topic is always interesting to me. How many of the 85-95% of the world that are supposed theists really are? I know many people that probably fall in that group but are really just holiday worshippers, or whatever you want to call them. They supposedly believe in God but in no means do they live their life in accordance to any scripture I have ever read.

I have went to a few of the JW memorials, and I wonder of the hundreds of people at the event (and the hundreds more at the 9-10 other congregations in town), how many of them really believe this? I mean really believe everything, and are living their lives the way they are “supposed” to according to the Bible? That number has to be less than 25% of the people attending, IMO, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was less than 10%.

And as a side not only you and others that have attended a JW memorial: How tempted have you been to drink the wine when they pass it around? I couldn’t do it but I must admit I have been tempted just to see what would happen.

]]> By: tobe38 http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-392 tobe38 Sat, 21 Jul 2007 13:50:37 +0000 http://ellis14.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/my-incredulity-sat-21st-jul-07/#comment-392 A very perceptive post. <blockquote>But the religious cannot stand disbelief in any form, especially atheism, because atheism is the embodiment of their greatest fear: losing the comforting mental blanket they can pull out of a mental compartment and wrap themselves up in.</blockquote> I always find it interesting that an atheist is <i>always</i> more of a threat than someone who just believes in a different god. Other religions have got the right idea, they think, they've just ended up with the wrong god. The idea of atheism, as you say, scares them because the idea of not having any god at all is unthinkable. A very perceptive post.

But the religious cannot stand disbelief in any form, especially atheism, because atheism is the embodiment of their greatest fear: losing the comforting mental blanket they can pull out of a mental compartment and wrap themselves up in.

I always find it interesting that an atheist is always more of a threat than someone who just believes in a different god. Other religions have got the right idea, they think, they’ve just ended up with the wrong god. The idea of atheism, as you say, scares them because the idea of not having any god at all is unthinkable.

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