Comments on: I Don’t Believe In Atheists

By: fundamental presbyterian

fundamental presbyterian — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:39:10 +0000

[...] theological concerns. In ???I Don??t Believe in Atheists,??? he accuses Hitchens and the others ofhttp://thedailycultist.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/i-dont-believe-in-atheists/Presbyterians, Their History and Beliefs – Google Books Resultby Walter Lee Lingle, John W. [...]

By: zhann

zhann — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:20:29 +0000

Ed, I am not sure I agree that believing in the Metaphysical contradicts Atheism. Atheism is simply ‘Knowing that there is no God’. There doesn’t necessarily need to be a God for there to be a Metaphsical Universe. I, for one, have never seen proof of a Metaphysical Universe, nor can I fathom what Science can say about this fact, but I am always open to new experiences. This doesn’t in any way change the fact that I am an Atheist. Spirituality, however, does bear resemblance to Religion if you tie the Spirit to a Diety of sorts. But, I guess that all depends on perspective.

By: lichanos

lichanos — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:54:51 +0000

I am an atheist – I have always been one. I don’t see how belief in God would anything to my life. I have studied the history of religion – I consider myself to be sensitive to the spiritual needs of our human natures – and I tend to be sympathetic to those who want it in their lives – I just don’t see how an educated mostly secular person in the 21st century can swing that, or would want to.

I read Hedge’s book on war as a force in human society, and I thought it was a powerful statement of his point of view, but not very illuminating otherwise. I must say, however, that this statement in the Salon interview:

>Do you think Hitchens really believes what he writes?

>I think he’s completely amoral. I think he doesn’t have >a moral core. I think he doesn’t believe anything. >What’s good for Christopher Hitchens is about as moral >as he gets.

is ABSOLUTELY wondeful! I TOTALLY agree, and I have felt this way for a long time about CH. Hearing the sound of his own voice is his supreme intellectual value. His political shifts are motivated by his deep seated emotional needs.

I find the New Atheists a bit disappointing because so many of them have the shrillness and narcissism of True Believers of other “cults” of the past, like Bolshevism. I don’t put Dawkins in this group, but he edges close because his tone is so clearly one of exasperation and frustration with the religious. He needs some historical perspective.

Thanks for pointing me to this interview!

By: edtajchman

edtajchman — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:04:10 +0000

I personally don’t see things so black and white. To me, spirituality is a science and can be studied with scientific method. Metaphysics, philosophy, the study of energy and the human body. These are all things that can be approached from a real level. Religious institutions cringe at this sort of things except for more liberal churches, and I don’t understand how atheists can ignore the science of energy and metaphysics. -Ed

By: patrickgavin

patrickgavin — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:43:01 +0000

owen59 says, “Belief is part of each human beings substance.”

On what do you base this claim? Personal experience? Well, yeah, if you’re a believer, your personal experience might very well tell you that belief in something for which we have no proof is part of our nature (human nature is something I also don’t tend to “believe in”).

I believe that my friends and family generally will do right by me, because, well, they have given me reason to. I believe that if I turn on FoxNews (or just about any news station these days), I’ll get frustrated within a few minutes, because, well, personal experience tells me that this will happen. But do I believe in some supernatural being that created the earth and the heavens? No. I tend to “believe” what science has proven to be true thus far, speculate on what that means for the future and the past, and wait to see how new scientific studies or evidence will change my belief and/or speculation about how the world works.