The last part of my post where I referred to a specific type of atheist. I don't think you read the post.
"Most of the ones I met".... But of course if I said "Most Christians I met are uneducated bigots" you would be fine with that language and believe my outlandish anecdote also.
It doesn't seem outlandish to me. The PhD's and post docs I know only talk shop. It wouldn't be shocking to me at all that you root around with uneducated bigots to be honest.
I can understand why people would find those atheists who try to "evangelize" their atheism to be annoying. Public criticism of some forms of religiosity is warranted, particularly when it collides with other things of importance like education, health, public safety. But when one makes blanket statements against all people who have a religious faith it turns into condescension.
That would be rather difficult since I live in Amherst, Massachusetts and attend school there. Poor attempt at an ad hominem though. BTW I used that as an example. I've met a wide variety of Christians with different temprements and am incapable of actually making a generalization along the lines of "most of the ones I met..."
Haha, thanks for the rep. I hate to say it but every guy I have met that matches the "tips fedora" description is an obnoxious atheist.
Really? Did I skim that post? Does he really believe that? What does he base such an idea on? Like you, I suspect, I know Phd's that are atheists, that are agnostic, and that believe is one religion or another. It surprises me that someone of texxx's intellect would make such a sweeping statement. I learned a long time ago that someone can have a high level of education, a high level of knowledge, and still be clueless when it comes to it's interpretation, in my humble opinion. It depends on the individual. While I need to go back and read texxx's post, based on what you said, he would appear to be locked into his own subset of beliefs that puts on display a prejudice towards higher education, a prejudice that astonishes me. Texxx has always come across as a deep thinker, someone widely read, someone who takes every opportunity to discuss and dissect at length any subject that draws his attention. A veritable fountain of opinion, and a man not content to make the throw away comment, the cheap shot, the fellow who "shoots" and then walks away, disinterested in the consequences of his actions. No, that's not the texxx I have come to know. What has happened to bigtexxx?
Actually the saddest part of this thread is you jumping to this conclusion, because I didn't post what you think I posted. You just see what you want to see in my posts. I'd suggest you learn to read more critically.
I don't think you know about Amherst... If you live in Amherst you are either a professor, grad student, or undergrad or somehow affiliated with one of the several schools in the area. Just for your general knowledge...http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2009/12/05/smartest-college-towns.html#slide8
I didn't intend it to be my rhetoric, it was just an explanation of religion's defensiveness. For their 'system' to work, they must maintain an adherence to an absolute truth. Their is no room for compromise or doubt when stating omnipotence or infallibility. That's why even closely related sects among religions are so contentious, i.e protestants/catholics, or shia/sunni. To even discuss the possibility of a world without an outside omnipotence is to invalidate their dearly held beliefs. Science, reason fact and necessity will eventually prevail but it might be another 1000 years. I would be a raging christian follower of Jesus if I could, all pacifist, selfless and communal, unafraid of death assured of my eternal reward. That would be great, but I can't make myself believe something. I would be a raging Christian following the teachings of Jesus if I could, all pacifist, selfless, communal and unafraid of death certain of my eternal future. That would be great, but I can't make myself believe something. I personally believe life can be so outrageous and horrific, so overwhelming in it's scale, so unknown in it's significance while so certain in it's mortality that without the buffer of hope provided by religion, sanity and order would be difficult. It helps most people and we will have to find the same solace somewhere for humanism to get wider acceptance.
By definition, atheist have no meaning to be on this earth. For that, whatever they say is meaningless.
Definition of atheism: No credible evidence for the existence of a supernatural being. How do you jump to that conclusion? Atheists have EVERYTHING to live for as we know we only live once. Why not make the best of it?
You are a separate consciousness. All meaning to you is how you define inside your own brain... by definition.
