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Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids? (Read 18737 times)
mozzaok
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #90 - Apr 21st, 2010 at 12:26pm
 
Soren wrote on Apr 21st, 2010 at 11:55am:
muso wrote on Apr 21st, 2010 at 9:29am:
Everybody is different.  



Er... I'm not....



touche, lol.

Well you guys are all so different, but you share a common desire to make the world a better place, and a great sense of humour.

Soren, your humour is so dry at times, I absolutely love it, well done ol' chap.

Now in regard to the commonality we share, in wishing to see the world become a better place, I think we also share the idea that we know best, how to achieve that, well at least I do, now I just need to get you guys to agree with me. Wink
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Soren
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #91 - Jun 24th, 2010 at 10:25pm
 
The excellent Theodore Dalrymple wrote in 2007:

There seem to me three main points to discuss. First, the existence of God; second, the actual historical record of organized religion; third, the metaphysical difficulties of human existence without God.

The arguments for and against the existence of God are by now pretty well rehearsed, and I do not think that any of the new atheists (I call them that because their books came out at about the same time) add anything much to them. They are not entirely to blame for this: it would take a very great philosopher to do so. I certainly have nothing new to say on the matter.

Second, the historiography of religion employed by most of these authors, though admittedly not by Daniel Dennett, is one of bringing up only damning evidence. This does not seem to me to be an honest appraisal of religion’s role in human history, but one that is emotionally parti pris and fundamentally intolerant. It would be possible to write a history of medicine using only the stupidity and ignorance of doctors, and the harm that they had done, as material; but that would not be the history of medicine in its entirety.

Third, the metaphysical difficulties of human existence are considerable, and I do not think the abandonment of religion would make things any easier. Many people would find the reverse to be true.

http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_4_oh_to_be.html?sr=show


Ah, clarity of thought - ain't it wonderful!





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muso
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #92 - Jun 25th, 2010 at 10:05am
 
Soren wrote on Jun 24th, 2010 at 10:25pm:
The excellent Theodore Dalrymple wrote in 2007:

There seem to me three main points to discuss. First, the existence of God; second, the actual historical record of organized religion; third, the metaphysical difficulties of human existence without God.

The arguments for and against the existence of God are by now pretty well rehearsed, and I do not think that any of the new atheists (I call them that because their books came out at about the same time) add anything much to them. They are not entirely to blame for this: it would take a very great philosopher to do so. I certainly have nothing new to say on the matter.

Second, the historiography of religion employed by most of these authors, though admittedly not by Daniel Dennett, is one of bringing up only damning evidence. This does not seem to me to be an honest appraisal of religion’s role in human history, but one that is emotionally parti pris and fundamentally intolerant. It would be possible to write a history of medicine using only the stupidity and ignorance of doctors, and the harm that they had done, as material; but that would not be the history of medicine in its entirety.

Third, the metaphysical difficulties of human existence are considerable, and I do not think the abandonment of religion would make things any easier. Many people would find the reverse to be true.

http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_4_oh_to_be.html?sr=show


Ah, clarity of thought - ain't it wonderful!



What is comes down to, is that on matters of existence and metaphysics, we are probably all wrong. All that we can say for certain on existence is that we exist. Everything else is conjecture based on observation, or at best, theory that works within certain boundaries.  

Philosophers invariably justify their own deep-seated beliefs. What can be said about the metaphysical difficulty of human existence without a monotheist creator can equally be said for  a pothytheist creationist scenario (eg the Sumerian pantheon) or the Deist worldview for that matter. Such a position doesn't uniquely justify Judaism or Islam, Christianity or Jainism for example in favour of the rest.  

There is also a huge leap of faith between 'first cause' and 'deity'. Even the requirement for a first cause, however valid that may be,  doesn't preclude a purely atheist position.
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aikmann4
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #93 - Jun 25th, 2010 at 3:42pm
 
It's interesting how conservative Atheists like Theodore Dalrymple and myself tend to take sympathetic or indifferent attitudes towards religion and usually find evangelical atheists irritating, while leftist Atheists always (see Richard Dawkins' forums) ascribe the cause of everything bad in the world to religion.
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gizmo_2655
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #94 - Jun 26th, 2010 at 4:10pm
 
aikmann4 wrote on Jun 25th, 2010 at 3:42pm:
It's interesting how conservative Atheists like Theodore Dalrymple and myself tend to take sympathetic or indifferent attitudes towards religion and usually find evangelical atheists irritating, while leftist Atheists always (see Richard Dawkins' forums) ascribe the cause of everything bad in the world to religion.



If you wouldn't mind....could you define "evangelical atheists"??????
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"I just get sick of people who place a label on someone else with their own definition.

It's similar to a strawman fallacy"
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NorthOfNorth
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #95 - Jun 26th, 2010 at 5:57pm
 
aikmann4 wrote on Jun 25th, 2010 at 3:42pm:
It's interesting how conservative Atheists like Theodore Dalrymple and myself tend to take sympathetic or indifferent attitudes towards religion and usually find evangelical atheists irritating, while leftist Atheists always (see Richard Dawkins' forums) ascribe the cause of everything bad in the world to religion.

I think you'll find that even the likes of Hitchens concedes that most wars have not started over religious issues.

"Our prefrontal lobes are too small while our adrenal glands are too big".

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muso
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #96 - Jun 26th, 2010 at 9:30pm
 
gizmo_2655 wrote on Jun 26th, 2010 at 4:10pm:
aikmann4 wrote on Jun 25th, 2010 at 3:42pm:
It's interesting how conservative Atheists like Theodore Dalrymple and myself tend to take sympathetic or indifferent attitudes towards religion and usually find evangelical atheists irritating, while leftist Atheists always (see Richard Dawkins' forums) ascribe the cause of everything bad in the world to religion.



If you wouldn't mind....could you define "evangelical atheists"??????



LOL. In my view, the most irritating atheists from experience are the ex-evangelical Christians and ex-mormons. Ex-Muslims are a close third.

They seem to have this compulsive need to proselytize. For example, they love to post in forums about the negative side of religion, how we need to protect children from brainwashing etc.

Most atheists don't give a damn about trying to 'deconvert' people or change society in some way.  Evangelicals do.
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NorthOfNorth
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #97 - Jun 26th, 2010 at 9:45pm
 
muso wrote on Jun 26th, 2010 at 9:30pm:
Most atheists don't give a damn about trying to 'deconvert' people or change society in some way.  Evangelicals do.

Militant anti-theists would be a more accurate definition than evangelical.
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mozzaok
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #98 - Jun 27th, 2010 at 11:28am
 
muso wrote on Jun 26th, 2010 at 9:30pm:
gizmo_2655 wrote on Jun 26th, 2010 at 4:10pm:
aikmann4 wrote on Jun 25th, 2010 at 3:42pm:
It's interesting how conservative Atheists like Theodore Dalrymple and myself tend to take sympathetic or indifferent attitudes towards religion and usually find evangelical atheists irritating, while leftist Atheists always (see Richard Dawkins' forums) ascribe the cause of everything bad in the world to religion.



If you wouldn't mind....could you define "evangelical atheists"??????



LOL. In my view, the most irritating atheists from experience are the ex-evangelical Christians and ex-mormons. Ex-Muslims are a close third.

They seem to have this compulsive need to proselytize. For example, they love to post in forums about the negative side of religion, how we need to protect children from brainwashing etc.

Most atheists don't give a damn about trying to 'deconvert' people or change society in some way.  Evangelicals do.



Well thanks for that condescendingly arrogant definition muso, it is a pity that some of your tolerance for religious idiocy cannot find it's way toward respecting the valid concerns of those who object to seeing children indoctrinated with ridiculous, religious prejudices from their earliest childhoods.
The simple , and I would contend unarguable, fact, is that religions impose their views upon society, and use the delusional belief that it is their supernaturally ordained right, and duty to do so.

These radical anti-theists merely wish to see these deluded nutjobs stop it. Keep your
religion to yourself, and especially do not seek to have it imposed upon society.

Go out in the wild and wave your willys at the sun for all I care, but do not seek to impose your beliefs upon society, because your beliefs are delusional, often harmful, and have no merit based upon your claims of being told so by an imaginary friend.

Morals can be determined by societal needs, and standards, and do not require a preacher, parson or pope, to validate them.

So when theists beliefs coincide with those of their society we have no problem, but when they clash, we do, and that is why we need to remind them that society rejects their claims of divine right to declare their own standards on anything other than their own very personal, and private morality.

Religion can do whatever it wants, as long as it does not place itself above the society it is contained in, but I do not know of any religion that does not place itself above all societies, because of their ridiculous claims of supernatural guidance, which is utterly disdainful of secular laws and standards, and only acquiesces to those standards at, or for, it's own convenience.
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Soren
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #99 - Jun 27th, 2010 at 12:21pm
 
mozzaok wrote on Jun 27th, 2010 at 11:28am:
These radical anti-theists merely wish to see these deluded nutjobs stop it. Keep your religion to yourself, and especially do not seek to have it imposed upon society.


To which one can just as easily reply: keep your atheism to yourself and do not try to impose it on society.  The point is that there is no better foundation for atheism than for theism: they both justify themselves from within their own logic

Quote:
Morals can be determined by societal needs, and standards, and do not require a preacher, parson or pope, to validate them.



Isn't this an attempt to publicly persuade people to accept your convictions (viz. preaching). Society is a conversation, an argument, not a chemical reaction. Which point of view, which philosophical conviction is the 'natural' guarian of those 'societal needs'?

Everybody all together now: 'Mine!"

So we have a conversatation.



Quote:
So when theists beliefs coincide with those of their society we have no problem, but when they clash, we do, and that is why we need to remind them that society rejects their claims of divine right to declare their own standards on anything other than their own very personal, and private morality.

Religion can do whatever it wants, as long as it does not place itself above the society it is contained in, but I do not know of any religion that does not place itself above all societies, because of their ridiculous claims of supernatural guidance, which is utterly disdainful of secular laws and standards, and only acquiesces to those standards at, or for, it's own convenience.




You are treating the nation state (a fairly recent invention) as if it was the law of nature, discovered at last, and so part of the natural order while 'humanity' was a mere artificial invention of superstitious priests at the dawn of history.






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Equitist
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #100 - Jun 27th, 2010 at 12:39pm
 

Actually, I would suggest that: the concept of 'nation state' is fast becoming embedded in corporativist fables - since most of the largest entities in this world know no national borders, have no national allegiences and care little about the needs and rights of citizens and the sustainability of their life-giving environment...

It is time to challenge and resoundingly reject corporativist agendas!
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Lamenting the shift in the Australian psyche, away from the egalitarian ideal of the fair-go - and the rise of short-sighted pollies, who worship the 'Growth Fairy' and seek to divide and conquer!
 
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #101 - Jun 27th, 2010 at 2:24pm
 
Religion will eventually destroy the whole world.
I am convinced of that.
It's evil & must be assigned to the dust bin of history.
We already have a war on terror based on religion.
It has gone on longer than WW2.
If terrorists ever get hold of nuclear weapons
that will be the end.

(That is not to say that there are many genuine people
involved in religion who are of great service to mankind.)
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muso
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #102 - Jun 27th, 2010 at 2:28pm
 
Equitist wrote on Jun 27th, 2010 at 12:39pm:
Actually, I would suggest that: the concept of 'nation state' is fast becoming embedded in corporativist fables - since most of the largest entities in this world know no national borders, have no national allegiences and care little about the needs and rights of citizens and the sustainability of their life-giving environment...

It is time to challenge and resoundingly reject corporativist agendas!


Why? At least their leaders are appointed on the basis of merit, and corporations are a lot more efficient than democratically elected governments. Democratically elected leaders can also be totally dismal. Can't you see it now? - New World Inc.

(Don't take that point too seriously, but I like to knock down paradigms  Grin )
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muso
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #103 - Jun 27th, 2010 at 2:31pm
 
Soren wrote on Jun 27th, 2010 at 12:21pm:
To which one can just as easily reply: keep your atheism to yourself and do not try to impose it on society.  The point is that there is no better foundation for atheism than for theism: they both justify themselves from within their own logic



That's as close as I'm going to get to my own views on the subject from anybody else on this forum.

Scary.
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Re: Why do ALL religions brainwash little kids?
Reply #104 - Jun 27th, 2010 at 2:36pm
 
muso wrote on Jun 27th, 2010 at 2:28pm:
Why? At least their leaders are appointed on the basis of merit,

Merit? And blood, like monarchies.

muso wrote on Jun 27th, 2010 at 2:28pm:
and corporations are a lot more efficient than democratically elected governments.

Yes, full accountability is messy and inefficient.
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