I'm not sure that I agree with your thesis...clearly, your experience is valid, but there are scientists who are people of faith. There are atheists who are cruel and vindictive.
Perhaps unquestioning faith or blind obedience gives rise to cognitive dissonance, but I don't think faith itself should be demonized.
Blind faith should be demonized. Unchanging "isms" should too. However, people of faith are not inherently one thing or another. My adoptive father was a man of faith. He also tried his whole life to be a good man. I think he mostly succeeded. My breaking point with him was when he broke down sobbing because I was going to burn in a "lake of fire." And while I loved him, I didn't buy that narrative.
When I was 9 I was exposed to born again Christianism via my Godmother. She told me a lot os things. But as she hung a crucifix over my bed and told me this man Jesus died for my sins, I was appalled and confused. When I asked what Sin was and she told me it was all the bad things I have done, I thought she had become a nut. Firstly, I am 9 years old and have never done anything that a man I do not know would be crucified for . My older bro down the hall is another story.. when my Gidmother left, I went to my mother and told her this whole thing was so disturbing and I was having none of it. I wanted the man with the bloody nails in his hands and feet and thorny crown taken off my wall . My mother completely respected my wishes and took him down and told my Godmother that her new religion was not for me. I am nit sure what else they talked about, but we never saw her again. Funny that a religion that follows a man who is supposedly completely forgiving and living gets caught up in some very scary and controlling stories.
Whilst the personification of love and forgiveness is wonderful, the idea that we are born as sinners and a man was tortured and killed for us is just too appalling and for words. I could not handle the cognitive dissonance this created in terms of knowing myself. I had also read Anne Frank about that time and was questioning my first learning about a cult figure called Hitler who committed atrocities. I could not understand how so many people could fall under his spell and become gigantic sinners against people of a different faith...who was also born a Jew.
This was in 1964 and the Peace Revolution was strong and Love, the Beatles and “Question Authority” signs were everywhere. That impressed this particular young one greatly. And maybe solidified not being capable of having wool pulled over my eyes when I feel a cognitive dissonance being presented. My mother believing in my Sense of Self was probably the greatest gift she ever gave to me.
Thank you for your comment. I had and have many of the same concerns you have shared about Christian mythology. It simply does not add up to anything meaningful. Many beautiful things have been created in the name of Christ, but all the ugliness that has been done in that name far outweighs the good.
I would also like to add something: my worldview is shaped by my trauma as a child, so I can sometimes be overzealous about my feelings towards the Abrahamic faithful. It's hard to hate the sin and not the sinner, especially when I have read the holy texts with a critical eye, and when I have come to the conclusion that religion does far more harm than it does good. How can we live well in this life if this life is just a cruel board game whose purpose is to see if we can follow a set of contradictory and frankly insane guidelines to get a chance at a better life?
It can be good to be spiritual and seek a higher purpose. Unfortunately, our species has a tendency to create and enforce dogma, which I will have none of.
I understand your perspective, though I would note that faith has helped people through unimaginable tragedies.
Irrespective of my beliefs, I am grateful that people have a religious or spiritual practice to turn towards in times of grief or suffering.
It's the ancient battle between religion as a shield or a weapon. Until incentives are removed for the latter, the cycle will continue. All that we have can do is to make our own choices.
As a survival tool, after many years of wondering why people believe in a magic man in the sky and all things being created in a week and the denial of endless serious efforts by scientists...I have on occasion simply turned to an analogy to make the point and have some good times along the way.
According to Pastafarians, the world we know was created in a drunken moment by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Nobody ever died in his name. But they have had some great meals and the beer never stops flowing. We are allowed to mock the elements and beliefs of other religions. But we have to be nice to everyone. Our only dogma is that there can be no dogma.
He boiled for our sins!
Where is the FSM now? Once he sobered up, he realized the whole project was riddled with mistakes. And he flew away - never to be seen again. Although some claim there have been "sightings". I think he is just off having a saucy good time.
I'm not sure that I agree with your thesis...clearly, your experience is valid, but there are scientists who are people of faith. There are atheists who are cruel and vindictive.
Perhaps unquestioning faith or blind obedience gives rise to cognitive dissonance, but I don't think faith itself should be demonized.
Blind faith should be demonized. Unchanging "isms" should too. However, people of faith are not inherently one thing or another. My adoptive father was a man of faith. He also tried his whole life to be a good man. I think he mostly succeeded. My breaking point with him was when he broke down sobbing because I was going to burn in a "lake of fire." And while I loved him, I didn't buy that narrative.
Faith is hope, and faith can also be poison.
When I was 9 I was exposed to born again Christianism via my Godmother. She told me a lot os things. But as she hung a crucifix over my bed and told me this man Jesus died for my sins, I was appalled and confused. When I asked what Sin was and she told me it was all the bad things I have done, I thought she had become a nut. Firstly, I am 9 years old and have never done anything that a man I do not know would be crucified for . My older bro down the hall is another story.. when my Gidmother left, I went to my mother and told her this whole thing was so disturbing and I was having none of it. I wanted the man with the bloody nails in his hands and feet and thorny crown taken off my wall . My mother completely respected my wishes and took him down and told my Godmother that her new religion was not for me. I am nit sure what else they talked about, but we never saw her again. Funny that a religion that follows a man who is supposedly completely forgiving and living gets caught up in some very scary and controlling stories.
Whilst the personification of love and forgiveness is wonderful, the idea that we are born as sinners and a man was tortured and killed for us is just too appalling and for words. I could not handle the cognitive dissonance this created in terms of knowing myself. I had also read Anne Frank about that time and was questioning my first learning about a cult figure called Hitler who committed atrocities. I could not understand how so many people could fall under his spell and become gigantic sinners against people of a different faith...who was also born a Jew.
This was in 1964 and the Peace Revolution was strong and Love, the Beatles and “Question Authority” signs were everywhere. That impressed this particular young one greatly. And maybe solidified not being capable of having wool pulled over my eyes when I feel a cognitive dissonance being presented. My mother believing in my Sense of Self was probably the greatest gift she ever gave to me.
Thank you for your comment. I had and have many of the same concerns you have shared about Christian mythology. It simply does not add up to anything meaningful. Many beautiful things have been created in the name of Christ, but all the ugliness that has been done in that name far outweighs the good.
If you have two hours, this might be interesting to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAm2W99Qm0o
Thank you...I'll add to my list! 😊
I would also like to add something: my worldview is shaped by my trauma as a child, so I can sometimes be overzealous about my feelings towards the Abrahamic faithful. It's hard to hate the sin and not the sinner, especially when I have read the holy texts with a critical eye, and when I have come to the conclusion that religion does far more harm than it does good. How can we live well in this life if this life is just a cruel board game whose purpose is to see if we can follow a set of contradictory and frankly insane guidelines to get a chance at a better life?
It can be good to be spiritual and seek a higher purpose. Unfortunately, our species has a tendency to create and enforce dogma, which I will have none of.
I understand your perspective, though I would note that faith has helped people through unimaginable tragedies.
Irrespective of my beliefs, I am grateful that people have a religious or spiritual practice to turn towards in times of grief or suffering.
It's the ancient battle between religion as a shield or a weapon. Until incentives are removed for the latter, the cycle will continue. All that we have can do is to make our own choices.
As a survival tool, after many years of wondering why people believe in a magic man in the sky and all things being created in a week and the denial of endless serious efforts by scientists...I have on occasion simply turned to an analogy to make the point and have some good times along the way.
According to Pastafarians, the world we know was created in a drunken moment by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Nobody ever died in his name. But they have had some great meals and the beer never stops flowing. We are allowed to mock the elements and beliefs of other religions. But we have to be nice to everyone. Our only dogma is that there can be no dogma.
He boiled for our sins!
Where is the FSM now? Once he sobered up, he realized the whole project was riddled with mistakes. And he flew away - never to be seen again. Although some claim there have been "sightings". I think he is just off having a saucy good time.