Comments on: Weak Atheism http://shatternicely.com/2010/04/weak-atheism/ Thoughts on religion, atheism, and life from a former evangelical Christian Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:01:00 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Eric Lazarus http://shatternicely.com/2010/04/weak-atheism/#comment-262 Eric Lazarus Thu, 06 May 2010 14:16:08 +0000 http://shatternicely.com/?p=585#comment-262 Charity, I tend to think of atheism as a belief, similar to other religious beliefs. The empirical facts seem to be that we (our physicists and cosmologists) have no idea about the ultimate nature of reality, or the "cause" or "purpose" of what we think of as existence. There is an alternative to acceptance of religious explanations of the world and atheism, and that is just not knowing. - Eric Charity,
I tend to think of atheism as a belief, similar to other religious beliefs. The empirical facts seem to be that we (our physicists and cosmologists) have no idea about the ultimate nature of reality, or the “cause” or “purpose” of what we think of as existence. There is an alternative to acceptance of religious explanations of the world and atheism, and that is just not knowing. – Eric

]]> By: Peter Buknatski http://shatternicely.com/2010/04/weak-atheism/#comment-259 Peter Buknatski Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:58:49 +0000 http://shatternicely.com/?p=585#comment-259 Well, when I came out of the closet as an x-Goldwater conservative, I heard all kinds of shit. If you are locked into something just because your friends, peers, and everybody else is, you're bound to catch hell if you leave that something, or deviate from it in any way. Like you're rejecting people, or threatening people's comfort, or, sometimes they even feel it as an attack. Listen, critical thought is what matters. The Almighty Spirit gave us all brains. As Norman Mailer wrote in "The Naked And The Dead"--"If there is a God, he sure must be a character." Well, when I came out of the closet as an x-Goldwater conservative, I heard all kinds of shit. If you are locked into something just because your friends, peers, and everybody else is, you’re bound to catch hell if you leave that something, or deviate from it in any way. Like you’re rejecting people, or threatening people’s comfort, or, sometimes they even feel it as an attack.

Listen, critical thought is what matters. The Almighty Spirit gave us all brains. As Norman Mailer wrote in “The Naked And The Dead”–”If there is a God, he sure must be a character.”

]]> By: Bill Gnade http://shatternicely.com/2010/04/weak-atheism/#comment-256 Bill Gnade Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:25:40 +0000 http://shatternicely.com/?p=585#comment-256 Dear Charity, It is precisely this kind of commentary -- what you've posted here -- that keeps me coming back. For different reasons, perhaps, I have felt exactly what you are feeling. It is hard to be honest about oneself in front of others. Egads, we all want to "belong", at least to a degree, and being different, or divergent, just gets tiring much of the time. There's a sentence written by Phil Yancey I particularly like: "I am too conservative for my liberal friends and too liberal for my conservative friends" (or something like that). I especially liked this candid remark of yours: <i>It was so hurtful to be rejected by people who were close to me, just because I stopped believing in god.</i> I get that. Odd, though, that I was rejected by people who were close to me because I <i>started</i> believing in God. But rejection is rejection, and it hurts. I would just urge you to be careful, as those who were once close to you might feel rejected by you because you've rejected their God, their religion, and thus their companionship. Seriously, I don't know how you can be candid about your new convictions without seemingly hurting others, or making them feel dumb or irrational or less-than-best. It's a tough spot for anyone. I don't envy your position. Honesty is hard, that's for sure. And, by the way, you might be a weak atheist, but I am a weak theist. Very weak. (Isn't there an old Christian truth hidden in there, that strength is perfected in weakness?) Peace to you. BG Dear Charity,

It is precisely this kind of commentary — what you’ve posted here — that keeps me coming back.

For different reasons, perhaps, I have felt exactly what you are feeling. It is hard to be honest about oneself in front of others. Egads, we all want to “belong”, at least to a degree, and being different, or divergent, just gets tiring much of the time. There’s a sentence written by Phil Yancey I particularly like: “I am too conservative for my liberal friends and too liberal for my conservative friends” (or something like that).

I especially liked this candid remark of yours:

It was so hurtful to be rejected by people who were close to me, just because I stopped believing in god.

I get that. Odd, though, that I was rejected by people who were close to me because I started believing in God. But rejection is rejection, and it hurts. I would just urge you to be careful, as those who were once close to you might feel rejected by you because you’ve rejected their God, their religion, and thus their companionship. Seriously, I don’t know how you can be candid about your new convictions without seemingly hurting others, or making them feel dumb or irrational or less-than-best. It’s a tough spot for anyone. I don’t envy your position. Honesty is hard, that’s for sure.

And, by the way, you might be a weak atheist, but I am a weak theist. Very weak. (Isn’t there an old Christian truth hidden in there, that strength is perfected in weakness?)

Peace to you.

BG

]]> By: Mike aka MonolithTMA http://shatternicely.com/2010/04/weak-atheism/#comment-254 Mike aka MonolithTMA Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:20:50 +0000 http://shatternicely.com/?p=585#comment-254 I can relate, so often the reaction can be negative. I find that while I have strong feelings about religion and atheist issues, I do not like being defined by my lack of faith. I can relate, so often the reaction can be negative. I find that while I have strong feelings about religion and atheist issues, I do not like being defined by my lack of faith.

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