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Rallying for Post-theism
It seems to me we may be on the edge of a post-theistic society; an upsurge in atheism, anti-religious writings, even websites like this one appear to indicate a move in the right (left?) direction. My question is, how do we hasten the arrival of the next Age of Reason?
I think humanity is slowly maturing past the need for Big Daddy in the Sky to look after it. As we learn more about the universe and its origins, it will soon be impossible for a thinking being to believe the myths and fairy tales of organized religion. Just as children grow past their belief in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, unicorns and other mythical beings, so will humanity eventually outgrow its unreasonable 'faith' in a supernatural, anthropomorphic GoodOldDad and hopefully will instead begin to have faith in that which can be proven.
So, I would like your suggestions as to how we might expedite the enlightenment of the masses. Sites like this help, of course, but we're just talking among ourselves...preaching to the choir, verbally masturbating. What do you think is the best way to spread the word and proselytize for post-theism? I know there have been a few public displays like billboards, bus signs and ads, but the few measures that have been taken were attacked by the xtian right and didn't get enough publicity to make a discernible dent in the main stream of consciousness. I am, therefore, herewith putting out a call to arms. Let's put our collective heads together and conceive some ideas to speed up the extinction of organized religion. And let's think BIG!!
I think humanity is slowly maturing past the need for Big Daddy in the Sky to look after it. As we learn more about the universe and its origins, it will soon be impossible for a thinking being to believe the myths and fairy tales of organized religion. Just as children grow past their belief in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, unicorns and other mythical beings, so will humanity eventually outgrow its unreasonable 'faith' in a supernatural, anthropomorphic GoodOldDad and hopefully will instead begin to have faith in that which can be proven.
So, I would like your suggestions as to how we might expedite the enlightenment of the masses. Sites like this help, of course, but we're just talking among ourselves...preaching to the choir, verbally masturbating. What do you think is the best way to spread the word and proselytize for post-theism? I know there have been a few public displays like billboards, bus signs and ads, but the few measures that have been taken were attacked by the xtian right and didn't get enough publicity to make a discernible dent in the main stream of consciousness. I am, therefore, herewith putting out a call to arms. Let's put our collective heads together and conceive some ideas to speed up the extinction of organized religion. And let's think BIG!!
Tags: enlightenment, posttheism, reason
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Reality Activist on -
Oh boy! This is my favorite soap box.
1- Create a Constitutional Amendment that requires education for our children and the parameters of that education.
2-Modify our language. Our language since the beginning has it's bases in belief systems.
3-Make sure that one concept above all is understood. That is that the perception of reality is not the same as actual reality. We must always be diligent by using our critical thinking skills to determine what perception is, indeed, accurate. We are all fallible.
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Permalink Reply by Reality Activist on
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That should be "determine the validity of what we perceive. We are all fallible."
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Permalink Reply by Nancy Spivey on -
While I agree with your desire to move beyond the silliness of blaming or thanking "god" for everything that happens, and the desire to put religion in its place, I disagree that we are close.
I think the Bush administration et al, and its pandering to the extreme far right, has set our case back by years. The neo-cons have gained a foothold through "faith-based" organizations and the confusion of the "right" to religion with the right to squash anyone who disagrees with them. The efforts to ban books and to push creationism as fact have sent us back by almost a century!
Barack Obama has a whole load on his plate, and of course the war and the economy must come first, but it is my hope that somewhere along the line we will see a revival of the Constitution and the separation of church and state. We will see the government funding science (i.e., stem-cell research, evolutionary research, a serious look at global warming, etc.), and an end to the funding of right-wing agendas.
But there is so much mess to clean up after eight years of insanity and corruption that it may be a while before we see a return to common sense.
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Permalink Reply by Ruth Dickson on
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You're absolutely right, Nancy, at least insofar as the US is concerned. Globally, however, I believe strides are being made. The Scandinavian countries, in particular, are moving further and further away from religion and are going more deeply into humanism and social consciousness. My hope is that this kind of outlook will spread to the rest of the so-called "civilized" world. My question is how we can expedite its arrival.
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Permalink Reply by funk Q on -
Are we in the Pre-post-theism Age? It seems more like the Age of Unreason if you examine world events.
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Permalink Reply by Reverend Slim / Michael Ham on -
I agree with Jim Ashby...."All the common sense and education in the world can't get rid of religion."
As long as our society endorses delusional thinking (wishful thinking) then the cause is lost. It's not WHAT the believers believe that is so dangerous...it's the method of their thought process that is the danger. It's the mindset of believing what we want to believe rather than accepting the truth.
When we go looking for what we WANT to find...we will usually find it. The instruction to the believers should be one of the encouragement of honesty with one's self.
I think many of the believers believe because they want the comfort of not having to maintain personal responsibilities...there is always a way out. It's cheating on one's self and then believing the cheating is justified.
I can see a small light in the distant horizon of rationality. Some of the believers are "go along with the crowd" believers. They say they believe because they are expected to believe...after all...the majority is huge and the pressure of family, business, social concerns... are a great incentive to not rock the boat. But as the emergence of more and more freethinkers who are willing to take a stand...to "come out" as atheists..increases...so does the likelihood that the "go alongers" will begin to speak up and admit they have been subservient to the politically correct doctrine of kneeling to the will of the majority...the most vocal.
Our best method as messengers of rationality is to be open and unafraid of the social stigma as the evil minority. If we speak our minds rather than allow the believers to do all the talking..unopposed, then we will gradually gain in our number.
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Permalink Reply by Nate on -
Unfortunately, I see more of a mass polarization than a mass enlightenment. Progress is being made, to be sure. But for every quiet deconversion, there are many more stories of violence and intolerance born from ignorance and superstition. In short, those that think will keep on thinking. Those that blindly cling to inherited dogma will find a way to continue ignoring the lack of evidence for their most treasured beliefs.
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Permalink Reply by Reality Activist on
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I agree that we should start with education, but, currently, realistic education is not protected under the U.S. Constitution. Until it is, religion will continue to teach our children fallacies.
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Permalink Reply by Iniquitous Philistine on -
I think the key is to enlighten atheists.
It had never occurred to me that I should see being an atheist as an activity or as a sense of who I am. I've always gone along with that whole live and let live ideal, therefore never feeling the need to impose my views on others.
The first people we need to group together is ourselves, united we will have a voice in politics and education.
Atheists need to be aware of the need to take positive action against religion rather than simply not join in.
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Permalink Reply by Reverend Slim / Michael Ham on
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You are right Stef....both religion and non-religion SHOULD be private affairs. But unfortunately, the zeal with which some of those who feel a compulsion or a duty to proselytize their beliefs has encroached upon the freedom of others to maintain that individual definition of spirituality.
The protection of the RIGHT to worship and the METHOD of worship or to NOT worship is being attacked by those claim a divine authority to decide how the rest of us must behave and how we must conform to a particular religious doctrine.
Our SILENCE would amount to a TACIT AGREEMENT with the efforts of the evangelical and their self anointed authority. Our freedom is dependent upon our willingness to fight to maintain our rights and privileges....which actually benefits the religious rights and privileges of those who wish to destroy free will and free thought. Religious freedom protects us all....a concept that the self anointed, self righteous just can't seem to grasp.
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Permalink Reply by mthoreau on -
I think that the biggest deficiency of atheism is that it defines its self in opposition to a belief system, but does not present any alternative. Usually atheists will simply tell a religious person "Think for yourself!". The problem isn't that our platform isn't believable, it just isn't emotionally satisfying. Humanism and other secular philosophies have made some headway, but atheism offers no quick fixes to life's vexing questions.
That's the problem. People want quick fixes.
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Permalink Reply by Reverend Slim / Michael Ham on
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mthoreau..."The problem isn't that our platform(atheism) isn't believable, it just isn't emotionally satisfying."
It is for me...but I agree with your generalization. And people do want quick fixes...but the PROBLEM is that they don't give a pile of crap about the truth.
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