“Re: Right and Wrong in Atheism - Godless Morality?”

Foolish to you, but not to everyone. I'm often struck by how ferverently people that call themselves non-believers have never read into or researched that which they so thoroughly deride.

This failure to understand others perspectives is rampant in many things. Culture, religion, politics, etc. More often than not a study of that which is claimed to be so despised often reveals quite a bit in common. But hostility borne out of ignorance is just so much easier for most people. So they get out their broadbrush of generalizations and champion their misunderstandings.

As Brian notes, recorded history shows quite a bit more in favor of faith-oriented cultures than not. Sure, sure, history is written by the victorious and all, but archeological records are telling.

But even as someone that considers himself to believe, I continue to find the statement "God, save me from your followers" to be appropriate. Just as those ignorant of any knowlege are problematic, those with their own twisted form of understanding are perhaps even worse.

In short, study up on faith, you might find it's rich range of paradoxes are wrapped around a pleasant set of quite sensible beliefs. It's this packaging that has made them palatable to the masses. Do not underestimate the value of how faith has helped 'channel' the otherwise problematic tendencies of people. Think of how a sine wave winds it's way back and forth across the baseline. There are highs and lows, wide swings, and yet the line of human culture continues to advance. Faith, for better or worse, has helped provide that momentum in a great many situations.

Likewise, those that claim to 'interpret' the Word to such ridiculous extremes should probably get a grip.

As for 'written by God' get a clue. This is just as ridiculous as how one friend calling himself a Unitarian gets all twisted up into knots about Christianity and the 'body and blood' symbolism as being some form of cannibalism. Take out the claims of authorship in most faiths and, surprisingly, the doctrine continues to have value.

I'm sure people more erudite than I can expound upon the larger issues of value behind faith and belief. I'm just going on the idea that the masses seem to find considerable sense of purpose and greatly value participanting in something largely identified as faith. Which one is of considerably less importance to me than that they follow something that gives them a sense of dignity, purpose and decent behavior. If it needs to be called 'religion' then fine.

-Bill Kearney

"STEVEN LOUIS ROSS" <sross@su.edu> wrote in message news:Conversant-70296@truerwords.net... > I am what you called an "aetheist by default" i have never believed and i never will. Religion is something that is programed into your head as soon as your born and is as foolish as santa claus. Its more or less a custom of the american way than there is truth behind it. If everyone would open their eyes and see that they are following a book that sure as hell was not written by "god", then there would be more people like me. I dont think its fair for you to say that my decision is due to a lack of thought. My favorite quote goes against that idea very stongly........"Knowledge is the enemy of faith."