I think most atheists are people who simply don't have faith in super-natural entities. I know this is a general description, but I just want to point out that being an atheist is a very broad term. It's not a religion or a belief system. Of course there are atheists, or non-believers, if you will, who go out of their way to offend people with outlandish statement or personal attacks against believers. There are plenty of people who lose perspective and offend people without thought or concern. There are certainly many people who call themselves Christians, the Westboro Baptist Church comes to mind, who go out of their way to offend people as well. Every religious belief or ideology has offensive people. This should tell us something about the power of the belief or the lack there of.
Based on recent national poles, most people in the U.S., about 84%, believe in a supernatural entity. I am not one of those. I don't believe in any supernatural people or things. I used to believe in the paranormal, the Christian god and the devil. I don't anymore. By definition I am an atheist, but not someone in opposition to you as a person.
I know atheists who are spiritual people. I know people who just can't be sure that anyone's claim of a god is correct and since we can't measure a god in the natural world, they choose not to believe in any one god. A person's claim that a god, or God exists is impossible to prove and any evidence they use is usually tied up in historical claims, dogmatic assertions and/or personal experiences.
A person can claim anything and say they have evidence to support their claim, but the key to accuracy is reliable object evidence. Another way we test beliefs is through measurement. Can the belief or claim be evaluated, demonstrated, repeated? In other words, the claim has to pass the test. In most cases we don't even bother testing claims if they seem outlandish. Take for instance the idea of Santa Claus, no one accepts this story as true, but why? People dismiss the story for any number of reasons, and I'm sure most people understand it to be an impossible proposition that some guy knows everyone and travels the entire world one night a year giving away gifts. But why are some stories readily dismissed where as others are not. Santa Claus was made to be a story, but more importantly it doesn't offer security or hope, so it's not a belief system as much as it is a story with the moral implication that niceness is rewarded. Religions, on the other hand, are all about hope and security and these two things are essential psychological needs. Of course, which religion a person selects is often rooted in the culture of origin. Being born in white Christian America I was extremely likely to adopt a white Christian belief system, which I did. What are the chances of a white American, living in a segregated white community, suddenly converting to Islam? I propose that any belief or conspiracy that proposes to give people an edge in life is potentially believable no matter how outlandish it may seem to some. People crave control and control equates with security even if the belief tells them to give everything away and preach the "truth".
I like to look at people not for what they believe or what they don't believe, but who they are as a person. Good people have flaws and biases, but good people often put aside these things to show compassion rather than follow a creed or set of rigid beliefs. They see the person, not the belief system. They evaluate a person's merits by their actions not their beliefs or creeds. Good people are reflective and capable of intellectual empathy. They are concerned with evaluating the results of theirs and the other person's beliefs. Good people don't marry their ego to their belief because they understand that unknown claims or untestable belief are uncertain. They are able to work with doubt and uncertainty.
Because certainty is the key to ultimate security and the fulfillment of hope, people who espouse certainty are, or have become incapable of intellectual empathy. Doubt is converted into a lack of faith and doubt can not be allowed because uncertainty is intolerable.
On a more practical note, the biggest problem for me are people who judge others for things they themselves don't live up to. If one espouses a value laden system such as religion then it appears to me that one ought to live accordingly. This seems to me one reason why people develop fundamentalist leanings and literalistic interpretations of religious writings. They follow their line of thinking to it's logical conclusion. If the Apostle Paul condemned homosexuals to hell then it is logical to assume that nothing has changed no matter what else is said or quoted. Paul never recanted his belief and he is the alleged author of most of the New Testament. Why is homosexuality still questioned in a societies which possess the power of reason and understanding? If homosexual sex is practiced in nature, and does not interfere with the development of society then why do people still fight against it? The easy answer is because majority religions believe authors like Paul who claim divine inspiration and because the institutions of those religions confirm Paul's divine inspiration.
Moderate religious institutions that, for what ever reason, change their views about written inerrancy of their holy book/s will inevitably change their religious values and beliefs. It appears that when they do, those changes mirror societal values. We see this when slavery was once accepted practice by the majority religion, but know eschewed by all. Who changed this fundamental societal norm in early America? It was not the church as a whole, but modern societal
Good people develop helpful values not values that are exclusive. In general, people are people, meaning they do all the things people do no matter what they believe.
It's my opinion that any system of ideas, values or beliefs can be beneficial even if the main belief is itself fallacious. The saddest thing about much of Christianity, in this country and abroad, is the belief that the kindest person can be destroyed by their god simply for not believing.
2nd part...
My second comment is about the true Christian. Does anyone really know who is a true Christian? The short answer is no. As soon as someone does a bad thing, the others back away and claim he or she wasn't a true Christian. I've seen the restoration of fallen ministers and priests. I dare say I don't think a person in the position of trust, who violates that trust, should be returned to their former position, but that's just my opinion.
We all hold certain ideals about the true friend, the true professional, the true pet, the true spouse, but are they realistic or simply what we feel helps us feel good? Personally, I used to think a true Christian was someone who believed the basic tenets of the faith and modeled certain behaviors I held in personal esteem.
One glitch I see in the Christian religion, is the part where anyone can do evil or bad things, ask for forgiveness, repent and be accepted by their god into paradise forever. If on his death bed, Hitler said the sinners prayer, according to Christians, he would live with them in heaven. Is this a good thing? Do you really want a Christian Hitler waltzing around with you for eternity while the unbelieving Jews are in hell or snuffed out by their god?
I used to think forgiving was supreme, but I don't anymore. I don't mean I am a bitter unforgiving person. I just mean I don't see the need to forgive a child molester, a dictator, a dirty politician, a dirty cop or a violent criminal, or someone who steals an elderly person's life savings, etc.
A person getting on with life doesn't require forgiving these kinds of people. I don't agree with Christian doctrine regarding forgiveness. I wouldn't let Hitler into heaven if he asked forgiveness. That is just an example, but I'm sure we could think up a ton more bad, evil people to make my point.
A true Christian is impossible to peg since their theology or doctrine could be impeccable, but they don't live up to my, or your personal ideals, unless it's all about believing the right thoughts in your head about Christ? No one really can say what a true Christian is because as soon as you start to describe one you will get all manner of disagreements and arguments from other Christians and non-Christians.
Honestly, I think we should focus on good deeds, watch our biases, be kind, apologize when we wrong someone, obey the law, and love our friends and families and simply be reasonable not dogmatic. As a matter of fact, I would like to believe in a god. I truly would. I don't like the Christian God or a literal interpretation of the Bible anymore. I would like to see god, any god, do something normal just for once in my life, like sit down with a reporter on TV and share it's divinity with the rest of us.
I tend to believe that people assume who is, and who isn't the true Christian or atheist. If I may be so bold as to suggest, I think we judge other people based on some type of internal narcissism rather than honest thoughtfulness. We are quick to find ways to separate us from them.
The Christian can't be determined by what Bible they read, how many times they go to church or how often they pray. Christians are incognito just like the rest of us non-believers, as well as people of other faiths. We can only judge or evaluate a person by who they are not what they believe in. As soon as one of us falls short of our beliefs, ideals or values there will be plenty of others willing to point out the fact that he or she wasn't a true, whatever they are supposed to be, and then, with all humility, suggest that they are the real deal.
Sincerely,
Bill Jeffreys
No comments:
Post a Comment