PRIDE AND PRAISE OF ATHEISM by Sarastro
Our friend of Mozart's name makes us the honor of working on this blog (I will urge that is not the only time) no more and no less than intended dealt a thrashing. You enjoy the controversy.
Sanz Agustín Andreu, or what comes to be the same, the concrete particular of this particular Agora, we spent recent dates makes an interesting and no less wrong, post already threatened to challenge. And as one tries to be had for serious person and word, here I am.
For more teaching and better understanding, I will pick out a couple of points, which seem to me most striking and close to the absurdity of our beloved Augustine.
[...] be an atheist means only, not to accept the hypothesis of the existence of gods. Nothing more. Is a property of the person who does not add to it any other feature that is completely independent of its other features. You can be atheist and left and right or atheist, atheist and literate and illiterate or atheist, an atheist and a skeptic or atheist and believer in pseudoscience and / or the paranormal ... And none of those other features makes less atheist atheist.
But god man! Religion, the sense of transcendence, life and death, over the centuries, perhaps since before my dear Cantabria be devoted to painting the walls and caves of Altamira screw us, is something that marks the way of thinking, feeling, relating, to build individual and collective ...
think beyond the scope of this post to analyze or, better yet, re-testing of Lords listísimos which explain why throughout history the belief or lack of them have made the societies, economies, political systems, cultural standards and so on. have been and still are related precisely to religion.
neologism "Do we remember the acronym PIIGS? Does or does not refer to the countries of Catholic tradition? (Greece, obviously not Catholic but I understand it dispensable explain why comparable). And they have already fallen from around two! Greece itself largely Catholic island and evangelized by St. Patrick.
This may seem like a story but it is not. Having regard to the general level of "civilization" (I hope this term also we agree) from Catholic countries, Catholic societies compared with Protestants, surely we can reasonably take for a Lutheran Protestant (verbi gratia ) be proud of their status against a Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox. Being an atheist or Protestant Lutheran or brother of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Roman Catholic or Maronite or is more, infinitely more! to be members or not of these faiths. If so, the fact or belief religion is nothing more than an anecdote as it is to be Real Madrid or Atletico, though fans of these teams, rightly claim that it's much more than that.
The story of denying the existence of god would, if true the tenets of Augustine, most important, "you are Zoroastrian, I Druze, this atheist and go to reeds." Well, okay, I cane I can go with a Zoroastrian, a Druze badly but, excuse, or as we like or we reason or feel the same ...
The difference between atheists and everyone else is extremely important and something that goes beyond religious nominalism: we accept or not accept in our daily life the fact magical, irrational, inexplicable? Do we, for good things for nothing?
, no!
And take this opportunity to, in the same way that affirmed my sense of rational superiority over believers (YES! I feel intellectually superior to those who refuse to live with magical thinking, this is the kind that is), two apparent confession inconsistencies with the above so far: I think in San Fermin and the Magi. But it also would be long to explain.
I do not presume an atheist, that's true, but my condition of being rational and looking for a life modestly in keeping with the reason compels me to repeat the excessive repetition of "excuse me, is I am an atheist and I tend to think that things just do not understand because they are lying, please explain yourself, and if you have no fucking idea what you're telling me, tell me, that nothing happens, do not be shy But do not ask me to believe things uncritically or just because. " Doctors, lawyers, psychologists, pharmacists, even telemarketers Vodafone officials or I am forced to ask that I often explain things or at least be assumed ignorance.
And I'll tell you another personal issue. I'm male, single father, come on, it is now called "householder." I have a seven year old daughter who just turned to reason and educated in atheism. Also in the knowledge and respect (and demand of respect for one) of religions past and present. But there is one aspect of education that she can not intervene because it is aware and will still take some years to be. The pillar that supports their education atheist, rational, far from magical thinking, is a family compact home to scrupulously respect her and I, sometimes with difficulty "in this house does not say no because it does not because not because it I say. " She, unlike me, is loving, sweet, sociable, no pride ... and believe me that all too often because of their age and from their ratio is more sensitive than intellectual Descojonado of laughter when she sees as the attitudes held by individuals prone to some form of magical thinking. I will not feel superior!
But we'll see! Is not it logical that I consider 'higher' (inverted commas here on purpose for you to understand me) from my love of music by Mahler who only listen to the Forty ... (I cut myself to write something politically incorrect.) Enough of substrate complexes cristianoide! Damn! (Pardon me). If there are people in all aspects, better than me, how not going to be worse?
[...] Finally, not a few atheists should understand that it is justified to criticize a believer merely for being. Religious belief is purely emotional and, as such, is not subject to the will of the subject: the believer is never because decide to be. And, on reflection, not the atheist it is usually (ever, rather?) As a result of a conscious and voluntary decision. Is there then any reason to feel proud of it?
a believer be accused claiming to believe incredible things, the believer can take it on face value may not have the intellectual ballast to shed the fear induced from most heinous and check it in the face to do / think / say things that are not objectively make head or tail.
We should not criticize a fool by the fact of being. No one has chosen to be silly, as it has not chosen to be high, short or walleye. Why criticize a whisper as to strive to seem high and it can be inferred from it? (I know of cases). Why naturally assume that a perfect fool not assume as a perfect idiot?
In this line, if a citizen is guilty of stupidity, what can we do? But if it is known or suspected not to be, how we will not repeat that parrot blame lies masked object in the absurdity of religion?
On the other hand, that of religious belief is not subject to the will of the citizen ... because like so many other things. I suspect that most atheists we claim we were educated practicing Catholics. It is not uncommon to find atheists who are soups with deep meapilas priests and several theological issues, Theosophy, Bible or Church history. And this is normal. Religion is something of paramount importance, both when you think of it as when you stop.
A friend of mine, something crafty, said he saw the light of atheism as a matter of cognitive dissonance. As readers of this blog are read and write, clearly explain what this mental phenomenon. The fact is that this young man coming into puberty, start to feel itchy crotch drag him to touch without really knowing why. Discussed the phenomenon in the playground and after consulting some manual reaches several conclusions, in particular two: it has begun to straws and this is the sin of the fat. Obviously, from his position as a believer finds that maintaining those practices associated with self-fulfilling lustful thoughts toward her classmates provokes a sense of guilt of a father and Sir. And only had two tracks, or let to believe in God or kept jacking. They won the straw.
However, the gradual and volition, do not forget, neglect of Magical Thinking is hard, accurate intelligence, reflection and, above all, grace. It is something that, as Augustine seems to say, happen unintentionally. In most cases, you come here because they want and this release is to be proud, yes!
Editor's Note: in a sample survey of four people, 75% Sarastro agreed to consider a "nonsense" the article criticized and completely accurate and timely the above criticism, which are not surprised by anything because they know too well the jerk condition of its author, which sometimes moves them to laughter and in others the desire to murder. While 25% felt that, as he sees it, his statements and those of Sarastro not necessarily contradict that in any case, at some little nuance, so that the alleged objections are not really such in substance and that, please let him alone for a time, which is trying to figure out the dreadful subtitling the last chapter of "House" has been dropped of Cinetube.