Tis true! It's an obsession with people who kinda, sorta, suspect that there
may be more to existence then what we currently are able or willing to
measure. People who are threatened by the more innocuous folk who hold
spiritual longings, seem to merely be pissed off at authority figures. As a
non-Christian on the list, I always find it amazing how even the most ardent
atheist seems intellectually hemmed-in by European Christian cultural
attitudes. We are all recipients of cultural brainwashing and what we do as
adults with that 'brainwashing' is what determines whom we are. Read Freeman
Dyson for an example of someone who has religious leanings yet is not
oppressive about these -personal matters-which is all they really are.
In a message dated 6/19/00 7:16:57 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
Replicant00@aol.com writes:
<< Generalizations are not usually accurate.
You describe an atheist as laughing at religion. That may be your stance,
but
it is certainly not mine, or many others who are not believers. Not all
people who believe in god/gods/goddess/whatever are being "duped". Many are
searching for manageable tenets on which to base their actions.
Many spiritual people have things they can teach me.
These teachings can be extremely helpful, especially buddists and some of
the
fringe neo-eastern groups, or the rogue fellows which the secular humanists
call "Uncertain Deists" ie they believe there's some sort of creative force,
but they don't call it anything in particular.
Yes, I am an atheist, and I don't tolerate quoters of idiotic psalms and
fundy claptrap, or allow people to try to "convert" me. I stop them quickly
by telling them Christianity is evil.
But I am not the nasty sort who makes fun of people's deep seated hopes and
fears.
I do feel that most organized religions are destructive. However, I find
tolerance and love to be a far more effective tool when dealing with
*intelligent* people of differing beliefs from mine.
Then we move on to another topic. Life is too precious to spend it feeling
superior and smug. >>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 27 2000 - 14:13:52 MDT