I feel that atheism forums online, such as this one, can often revolve a lot around all the negative ways that religion manifests itself, in our society and in people. And that’s to be expected, but today I wanted to add something a bit different.
As quite a hard atheist myself, I find John’s religious point of view extremely refreshing. I wish all religious people had this kind of understanding about their own faith.
John is not convinced that his faith is correct - in fact, he seems to recognise that whether his faith is “real” or not is irrelevant. His faith is not about being correct, because that is not inherently something that faith deals with.
I find the end of the video especially moving. John can easily agree and work with his atheist brother, because ultimately they reach the same conclusions, albeit from (only slightly) different paths. I wish we spent more time thinking about all the ways that we (atheists and religious people) actually agree on how the world should move forward, and less time antagonising one another.
Perhaps you find John’s point of view interesting too? :)
I find it really creepy when someone professes something they don’t believe is true. It’s dishonest, and ultimately props up all the negative religious people.
All christians support the bad ones, by giving it legitimacy.
This “who cares if it’s actually true or not” perspective is completely at odds with the religion itself, and does not deal honestly with it.
Nothing refreshing here, just a budding atheist who hasn’t fully realized it yet, I was where he is at one point as well and grew out of it.
“They actually believe what I believe, they’re just in denial.” You’re behaving no different than the shitty theists that think atheists just hate [insert god here].
Perhaps, but I don’t think so. I actually think the problem with christian theism is not the supposition that everyone already believes what they do but rather “if you don’t believe the way I do you are evil and are doomed”
And atheists are generally viewed as evil by christian religionists because they believe the atheist has been led astray by some deity, not that they are simply in denial about the beliefs they’re proffering.
Also mine is a comment, not a lifestyle, nor is it an attempt to actually change their mind, but merely commentary on the fact that I’ve been there and it was a transition for me.
Perhaps my wording is too strong, implying the fundamental truth of their future beliefs, but I don’t think so.
Not sure if you’ve followed the Green brothers, but I very much doubt this is something that he will grow out of. But I could be wrong of course.
