For the Christians who treat atheists as baby-eating satanists, here's a video for you. An America without atheists would be a dreary place indeed, as the comparisons with other countries with virtually no atheists illustrates.
And no, no one would consider the information in this video as solid science suggesting we'd be better off with an atheist-only nation. If evolution teaches us anything, it is that homogeneity is a dangerous survival technique for a species. Best to have a variety of traits and viewpoints, for no one knows for sure what the future holds.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
The video is amusing, but wouldn't you be slamming it if it expressed the opposite viewpoint? The logic is awful.
I was immediately skeptical of the list of celebrities. What is the source? I think they included anyone even mildly agnostic. I don't buy that most college professors are atheist, or Nobel Laureates. I doubt anyone has reliable statistics about these things.
According to the first list that came up in google, the USA has a very low proportion of atheists, yet it is not such a bad country. Maybe some percentage of atheism is healthy, but with diminishing returns as the percentage increases.
I'm having trouble with definitions. Let's reverse it - say the rapture occurred and that Christians disappeared. Who would that be? The definition of Christianity has always been subject to dispute. Who would that be? Anyone who had participated in a Eucharist? Anyone who had made a profession of faith? Protestants? People who actually believe in the rapture? Members of the Westboro Baptist Church? So, somewhere between a few dozen who wouldn't be missed and a couple hundred million who certainly would.
I don't find the definition of atheism any clearer. It seems to span agnosticism to non-belief to anti-belief. I am not atheist, but I don't have much use for many typical applications of Theism. When reality conflicts with theology, it is not reality that is faulty. If a small number of atheists left the USA because they couldn't stand to be around believers, well I'd miss them and be sorry they felt that way. If most atheists left because they felt persecuted, that would be big trouble, and not just for lack of the atheists. If everyone that refused to profess belief were forced to leave, I would go with them. (I am Spartacus!) The people doing the forcing wouldn't put up with me for very long anyway.
Luke,
I think the main point to be made with such videos is to put real faces to atheism, especially those who are famous and loved for various reasons by a lot of people who may not have known about the atheism. Too many Americans have an evil baby-eater in their minds when they think of atheists.
Your point about definitions is well taken, though I don't see it as much of a difficulty as you do. However, in such cases the lack of solid definitions supports a position of less judgement, rather than more, which also melds well with the overall message of the video.
Post a Comment