Quote:
Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear
Another way to look at this moral issue between believers and atheists was articulated in the book Escape from Freedom by Eric Fromm.
Essentially, it is easier for a person to let someone else fill in the answers to life's tough questions than to grapple with them yourself. This is a big reason for the rise of the Nazi's, the strength of the Catholic Church etc (as examples of AUTHORITARIAN regimes...which isn't necessarily the same as religious groups although many religous groups have authoritarian tendencies).
So yes, when you look at a religious person you may think you know their playbook...however, how much of their worldview have they tested themselves and how much have they just accepted because someone told them that was the case. |
You don't think there are atheists who have never grappled with the big questions? You don't think there are atheists who embraced that position to thumb there nose at the religion of their family? Are there no atheists who claim that title because it is the most convenient to their life style?
The fact is every belief system has tag-alongs who stumble through life never examining there given beliefs. Every belief system also has people who came as seekers or were already there but, took the risk at some point to examine what they know to be true. Converts from another belief system usually have the most zeal. Christianity has converts from atheism and atheists have converts from christianity. Did one group suddenly chose to stop asking the big questions?
Has a man that says there is no God while having imperfect knowledge of all the possibilities that exist opened his mind or closed it? I say closed.