Anselan Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Dennett and Harris could probably also tear apart art or poetry, too. And yet they don't. Neither does Richard Dawkins. These guys all get the bad rap of being these cold hard rationalists, but they are not like that. They can speak very poetically and even spiritually. For example, here are Dennett and Dawkins discussing death, etc. And I find a lot of what they're saying infinitely more marvellous than the metaphysical nonsense that comes from religion - including New Age religion: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xtech Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Dennett and Harris could probably also tear apart art or poetry, too. And yet they don't. Neither does Richard Dawkins. These guys all get the bad rap of being these cold hard rationalists, but they are not like that. They can speak very poetically and even spiritually. For example, here are Dennett and Dawkins discussing death, etc. And I find a lot of what they're saying infinitely more marvellous than the metaphysical nonsense that comes from religion - including New Age religion: Oh excellent thank you for posting that. Hah! An atheist worship ceremony; look at its components; wonder, contemplation, awe, gratitude. I totally agree, BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeasabird Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 To me the only thing that makes less sense than a religion which places belief higher than works, is the people who celebrate their religion for that very reason. It's these types of people who scare me and make me want to run very far away from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT761138 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 It teaches that the downtrodden and miserable will receive their reward in some futuristic version of heaven and does not teach them how to better their circumstances now. It encourages acceptance of the bad things of life and even makes the bad things that happen to us out to be something to be charished because when they happen to you, you are "blessed." It encourages one to be a willing victim and submit to the control of the authorities, no matter how harsh the authorities are, because the victim's reward is not in this life but in the next and when these bad things happen, it is the victim's guarantee of a happy after-life. One could even take this so far as to say any dictator who wants to inflict suffering on the people should encourage the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount because what the dictator inflicts guarantees the recipients of his harshness a place in heaven (this last statement may lean toward being a little over the top, but it is at least arguable). So, no, there is nothing there that would lead me back to some form of secular Christianity. Is that really what Jesus taught or what religion has to say about what Jesus taught? it seems to me you are looking at medieval Catholicism and concluding the Sermon on the Mount teaches that. I believe it doesn't. The reason I'm not a Christian- other religious traditions have richer spiritual resources. It's not a question of objective truth for me, its a question of where I fit. But I believe Jesus Christ lived and he was a good person that didn't advocate social oppression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realist Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I am, likemany of you, a former Christian. So youknow where I am coming from, I am agnostic and teach Psychology of Religion inSouth America. Recently, I have beenstudying Progressive Christianity to explore a specific topic that I would liketo discuss with you. One of thethings that convinced me to leave Christianity was the belief-centered focus ofthe church to which I belonged. Thischurch believed that beliefs were much more important than actions or behavior. If you believed certain things, you weresaved. If you didn’t…… But some churches having the ProgressiveChristianity perspective think that beliefs are not important at all andactions and behavior are very important. In other words, following the behavior of Jesus is critical, not in believingthat he was the son of God. So myquestion to you is simple: Is thereenough behavioral and action guidance in the Christian Bible such as the “Sermonon the Mount” to give you a reason to convert back to Christianity even thoughyou do not have any of the traditional Christian beliefs? For me, the answer is no, but I am much moreinterested in your views. ... would christianity have gained and retained such a hold without the hell doctrine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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