Really great read. I'm not an atheist, but I'm not much of a theist either. If there is a God, I'm not all too convinced he's concerned with the welfare of humanity, or a chosen subset of worshippers within humanity. A divine presence in the universe is probably far beyond what we can comprehend with our comparatively tiny brains, certainly nothing that can be properly expressed by a 2,000-year-old book, but that's just me.
Religion is really interesting, and it's a pleasure observing and learning about it from a distance. Beyond that, however, I'm simply not convinced of the story it tells.
I've always been fairly defensive of the the bible and Christianity, in particular, especially from unwarranted attacks by the undergraduate crowd that recycles the same bullet intended to kill it. But while I retain the likelihood that God might exist, given some of the arguments and evidence that are out there, I'm not claiming he does not exist; but assuming that he does, it is impractical to treat him as though he did. I believe he's rendered himself irrelevant. But it is curious to think that either he doesn't exist at all, or, as the theists would have it, if he did, they really need to explain why he's abandoned so many...but a satisfying response beyond "faith" I have never received.
This is a good point. I'm inclined to agree here and concede the point, but it does result in a one-sided relationship, where the only consolation is to simply have faith—which I've called the "circularity of faith": no matter what our feelings on the topic are, the theist will always come out to signify error in our belief and justify God's absence by legitimating tribulation.
I would criticize myself for falling back on the typical fundamental "human suffering" argument as self-centered; but I can levy the same charge at the other side.
Really great read. I'm not an atheist, but I'm not much of a theist either. If there is a God, I'm not all too convinced he's concerned with the welfare of humanity, or a chosen subset of worshippers within humanity. A divine presence in the universe is probably far beyond what we can comprehend with our comparatively tiny brains, certainly nothing that can be properly expressed by a 2,000-year-old book, but that's just me.
Religion is really interesting, and it's a pleasure observing and learning about it from a distance. Beyond that, however, I'm simply not convinced of the story it tells.
I've always been fairly defensive of the the bible and Christianity, in particular, especially from unwarranted attacks by the undergraduate crowd that recycles the same bullet intended to kill it. But while I retain the likelihood that God might exist, given some of the arguments and evidence that are out there, I'm not claiming he does not exist; but assuming that he does, it is impractical to treat him as though he did. I believe he's rendered himself irrelevant. But it is curious to think that either he doesn't exist at all, or, as the theists would have it, if he did, they really need to explain why he's abandoned so many...but a satisfying response beyond "faith" I have never received.
This is a good point. I'm inclined to agree here and concede the point, but it does result in a one-sided relationship, where the only consolation is to simply have faith—which I've called the "circularity of faith": no matter what our feelings on the topic are, the theist will always come out to signify error in our belief and justify God's absence by legitimating tribulation.
I would criticize myself for falling back on the typical fundamental "human suffering" argument as self-centered; but I can levy the same charge at the other side.