The Trouble with Militant Atheist

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Clearly you have no idea what a scientific theory is. There are very few things we can be more sure of in this world than scientific theories. Secondly, the ancient people had some clever ideas. Like how they took viruses, removed the dangerous parts and vaccinated people with their outer shells so people's immune systems would recognize the virus. Brilliant. And how they made flying machines using forward velocity and wing shape to generate lift, rather than attempting to model them after birds as had been previously done. And how they could take someone's heart out, and replace it with another person's heart, and have the recipient live. And how they perfected production so that most goods became dirt-cheap (or could be produced and sold dirt-cheap under the right market conditions at least). And how they put a man on the moon, brought infant mortality to a screeching halt, and extended the human lifespan by nearly double. Oh wait, that's right, they did precisely NONE of that. That's all modern science. The ancients actually did have a lot of clever ideas, but that's about it - just clever ideas. They didn't have the tools and knowledge we do, and could only speculate and make wild guesses at things that we now fully understand. So we now have the benefit of 2000 years of new evidence, yet religious people are arguing the same case. And just to set things straight, scientists do not come up with new theories every day. If a scientist has a hypothesis today, and collects overwhelming evidence, and publishes it, it might become a "theory" after decades of testing and review. And to your last question, the answer we were looking for was "man". Man created science. Can't give you any points on that one.

@ Artrat: sounds like you're where I was a few years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism

I still belive in a creator. It is hard for me to understand how other people can not. You said man created science. Then who created man? Are you goning to tell me science or the universe because that would make absolutly no sense.
If the ancient man would not have invented fire there would be no modern science because every would be dead. In a way the ancient people are way more important than modern science.

I defend everyone's right to believe in whatever imaginary god/s make them feel better about their life. That said, making fun of other's beliefs never seems to improve the state of the world. Where I really draw the line, is when people try to force their beliefs on me and insist on trying to "save me," as if I need to be saved….

My biggest problems with militant atheists is how often they distort the Bible and religious doctrines, and how they have an ideological zeal to blame religion for things that can more realistically be blamed on politics or sheer stupidity.

I am an atheist and an amoralist, but I am a practicing member of the Unification Church. I appreciate the values of self-regulation, seeking a theoretical third self to judge the overall quality of my decisions, the wonderful Reverend Moon and the surprising ease at which I can find people with Aspie-like interest in world religions and theology.

I love religion, especially strongly centered religions like Unificationism, Mormonism, Old Faith Orthodoxy and Sufism. I chose Unificationism because I believe 1) its doctrines are better, cleverer by half, and more modern; 2) the openness to alternative marriage and social organization, and the opportunities this presents for the flock; 3) Moon's staunch and theological anti-Communism.

you forget that the most basic of inventions were made by many men all over the place, even the telephone had concurrent emergence.

the only thing you can be sure of is that people of old would have known less and be abble to do less, and through the average 3% intelligence increase per generation they would indeed be less intelligent by a significant amount.

That presumes the "Flyn Effect" is correct. the Flyn Effect is a statistical artifact and has not been established on the basis of genetics. Homo Sapiens of 10,000 years ago (when agriculture and civilization began) were probably just as intelligent as modern folks (on average). They just did not know as much.

ruveyn

true,

the flynn effect is also never expected to extend all the way to antiquity, most anticipate the full effect to be an effect of industrialization and systemized learning.

(the numbers i believe are real enough, only the course can be discussed, not to mention the whole debate of what inteeligence is)

still i think there is an actual difference in intelligence, it might not be in the extremes(never said it was) but it will be there at some evel or another.

See - that's why religions are bashed as they are. How can you think like this if you have never laid your hands on real science? I am sorry but that is very ignorant of you to say. It is true that religions contain an amazing knowledge of our ancestors but it is only a social study - it says nothing about how the world (apart from people) actually is. And I admit I don't care much about people especially if they are so <...> to go against science. Any religion who does so is evil.

And no, we are just as stupid as ever as a spiecies.

Sure, modern scientists have only given us the technologic progress that allows us to browse the web and not actually live in our own poop. Whilst ancient people have wasted their years building giantic buildings that at best attract tourism.

Militant atheists are just as bad as fundamentalist christians. I hate Richard Dawkins with a burning passion. He's an a**hole.

-Also, I'm an atheist, and proud of it. But that doesn't mean I'm going to be an a**hole about it like militant atheists are.

you are a lame atheist if you think RD is an a**hole just for telling the truth.

Is it okay to think he's an a**hole because he's an a**hole?

Yep, arguing on the internet and making public criticisms is just as bad as trying to deny people their basic rights and simultaneously attempt to halt Human progress often through violence...

When I was 18 and realized I was an atheist, atheism became one of my special interests, and I was incredibly obnoxious about it. Super judgmental of anyone religious, even annoyed at agnostics, constantly trying to convince people that atheism was right. So I can definitely see what you (OP) mean. Since then, I've calmed down and don't judge people at all for being religious, etc, thankfully.

Edited down, but I also have a problem with atheists when they do this. Blaming religion for things that people do, as though guns kill without being utilised by a person.

Some people are going to do bad things regardless of whether they believe in God or not.



So I see it. Atheist/religious becomes just another divider between different tribes of people.