Sunday, October 21, 2012

"Why Religious People Are So Atheistic" my critique

Blogger "Rosa Rubicondior's" blog "Why Religious People Are So Atheistic" is another example of how ignorant so-called atheists are in regards to prayer.   "Rubicondior" implies in the blog that Christians are similar to atheists in everyday life.  Using examples such as: crossing a road and a sinking ship, "Rubicondoir" attempts to make a connection that Christians do not pray at every instant in which danger may arise.

"Rubicondior" writes:
"Take, for instance, crossing a road. You will never see a religious person standing at the roadside praying for the road to be clear, then just stepping out into the traffic secure in the knowledge that their god has stopped the traffic and made it safe for them to cross. Instead, they behave exactly like an Atheist would. They check first and wait for a safe gap, or wait for the lights to change."

This is a claim that "Rubicondior" does not provide evidence for.  When has "Rubicondior" observed every Christian on Earth crossing a road?  Moreover, it is not necessary to pray before crossing a road.  Prayer is not a direct line for personal security when it involves being in dangerous situations.  Some have the misunderstanding that prayer is some sort of wishing technique.

Prayer to them is like someone making a wish that will be granted by a genie.  This is not what prayer is.  Every Christian who follows a spiritual life will always pray for safety during the day.  One prayer is all that is needed.  We do not need to pray every second asking for God's protection.  This would be vain and repetitious prayer that would show doubt as in the case with Moses striking the rock twice. (Numbers 20:9-13)  Christians believe God will protect them to the point of even assigning a Guardian Angel to accompany them in their journey in life.  (Psalm 91:10-13)

Therefore, there is no need to pray for safety every time we cross a road especially if we already prayed prior to leaving our home.

"Rubicondior writes:"

"They even behave like Atheists and bet their life on the absence of evidence being evidence of absence just as Atheists do with cars and gods - which is why Pascal's Wager fails to work on people who aren't already afraid of a god."

This makes no sense at all.  What absence of evidence being evidence of absence is "Rubicondior" referring to?  Pascal's Wager has nothing to do with fear of God.  Pascal's Wager deals with the suggestion that there is nothing to lose with belief in God.  If there is no hell, heaven or God, then the believer lost nothing, whereas, if the non-believer lived life and died and there is indeed an God, heaven and hell, then that non-believer lost big time for doubting.


"Rubicondior" continues with more nonsense:

"What would we think of religious fundamentalist parents who taught their children just to pray then walk across the road, instead of doing what normal people like Atheists would do and teach their children about road safety?"

First, religious parents do teach their children to pray always.  However, as stated before there is no need to pray at every instant if one already prayed for safety prior to any traveling.  For example, when I leave any place I ask God to get me to my destination safely.   It would be silly to pray for safety every time we make a slight movement.

Second, "Rubicondior" implies that Atheists are the sole "normal" people in society, says who?  Psychologically speaking, those who are abnormal are a minority in society.  Atheists are a minority.  They suffer high rates of mental illness and suicide.

American Journal of Psychiatry:
"Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Unaffiliated subjects were younger, less often married, less often had children, and had less contact with family members. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide. In terms of clinical characteristics, religiously unaffiliated subjects had more lifetime impulsivity, aggression, and past substance use disorder. No differences in the level of subjective and objective depression, hopelessness, or stressful life events were found."  

As you can see, the "normal" is questionable when regarding Atheists.


"Rubicondior" continues with more sophistry:

"Take the example of people on a sinking ship. Religious people might take a moment to say a prayer then get into a lifeboat. Atheists of course will already be getting into the lifeboat. It might be that a few honest religious people who haven't thought things through properly will refuse to get into a lifeboat but will just rely on prayers, thinking their god is going to miraculously lift them off the boat and put them on dry land. There is no record of this ever happening so they will drown unless they abandon their touching but futile faith in time and realise the Atheists are right after all."

Religious people will pray in this situation and will most likely help others.  Again, prayer is not a "force" like in Star Wars.  It is meant to direct our attention to God and remind us that we are always in need of Him. There have been cases of miraculous rescues after prayer was involved.  To my knowledge, not to the point of someone being "lifted onto dry land" - nevertheless, the event is described as miraculous due to the odds against the survivor and the circumstance.


Even more silly nonsense:

"The other day I was in Tescos buying the weekly shopping and a woman in a burkha paid for her shopping with money from her purse, just like I did. I expect the woman with the large and conspicuous cross on a chain round her neck did the same thing. It's a good bet that their money came from earnings, just like mine did. None of it came from prayer and Tescos won't accept prayers in lieu of money. These two religious women had had to behave like me, just as though they were Atheists too. In fact, just like any Atheist, they actually went shopping and didn't just pray to a god to have food appear in their cupboards. Obviously, like Atheists, they know that wouldn't work."

This is one of the most fallacious things I have read on a blog so far.  Being a religious person does not mean one must stop being a citizen of a particular society.  Even in Biblical times currency was used in the exchange of goods and services.  This is all tied to free will.  God created man to be a free creature.  What good is life if God does everything for man?  This would be like a parent spoiling his/her child and never emancipating the child.  God will provide in His way.  This can be done directly as in the case of the manna from heaven, or indirectly as in the case of setting up the stage for something to happen without interfering with free will.  Moreover, we must work to survive.  This is what God ordained after the fall of Adam and Eve.


"Rubicondior:"

"I suppose it's possible that a religious person, especially one like a Christian who believes they just need to say sorry to their god and all wrongs are forgiven, could have tried stealing the shopping and confessing in church on Sunday, so there isthat. Fortunately for civilised societies, not that many Christians seem to believe that part of their faith so it isn't a major, major problem."

No Christian would steal if they are indeed Christian.  We do have common ownership of the goods of the Earth and in need can take.  This would not be stealing because humanity has common ownership of the planet and its contents.

The Cathechism states:

The seventh commandment forbids theft, that is, usurping another's property against the reasonable will of the owner. There is no theft if consent can be presumed or if refusal is contrary to reason and the universal destination of goods. This is the case in obvious and urgent necessity when the only way to provide for immediate, essential needs (food, shelter, clothing . ..) is to put at one's disposal and use the property of others.191 para. 2408

 "Rubicondior writes"
 
"It could explain the disproportionately high numbers of religious fundamentalist and the disproportionately low number of Atheists in prisons, and the fact that atheistic societies like Sweden are the most law-abiding whilst the most religious tend to be the most criminal. To be fair to most religious people though, this probably isn't a significant advantage to them."
More hyperbolic rhetoric.  Religious people outnumber Atheists in many instances.  Therefore, the ratio of prisoners will of course be higher among the majority as opposed to the minority group in a society.  This is an appeal to popularity.  


"Rubicondior" against shows us the ignorance atheists have regarding prayer:


"You're probably thinking now about that old chestnut that religious people always spout when the prayers they believe will work don't - "God helps those who help themselves" (which is a really useful slogan if you have an indifferent or an absent god). But, if you think about it, that's just like saying God helps those who behave like Atheists. Strange then that all preachers and holy books tell their followers to behave exactly not like Atheists and no religious person would ever admit to doing so, even though we can see them doing so nearly all of the time in order to lead a normal, independent life, free from constant adult supervision."


The saying "God helps those who help themselves" is not of Christian origin.  Some believe this to be of ancient Greece.  Here "Rubicondior" makes a bare assertion based on ignorance of Scripture and Christian theology.

"Rubicondior" simply does not get what prayer is.





This is what the Catechism says on it:


WHAT IS PRAYER?
For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.1 2558


3 comments:

  1. Marisela Dominguez, MDApril 9, 2013 at 3:24 AM

    Atheist thought is very concrete and child like. An atheist mind can not conceive abstract thinking because it can not be seen or touched. They suffer from spiritual autism & lack connection with our spiritual world. They grow and think some like plants others as animals but can not reflect on the self...They say they are curious but lack the scientific curiosity to search for answers about God and come face to face with him. They prefer to hide in their self created aura of "intelligence" by mocking that which they don't understand. In their inflated egos, they fail to see what is obvious to many and think of themselves as unique.

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  2. The difference between atheists and believers is believers know that God gave us freedom to live our lives and to accept Him Or reject Him freely. We, believers know we have a life to live on the practical level and God has given us the ability to think for ourselves and part of living our lives is to earn a living and in a nutshell do our best for ourselves and our fellow man. We know life should not be about selfishness but we don't all or always rein in our passions of anger, greed, lust, etc. resulting in hurt and pain to others. This is what humanity is about. We know God will not impose His Will but is always there if we call on Him. We also know we are on this Earth for a short while and it is the next life that is important and because of this we cannot expect Heaven here because of the nature of humanity. Most atheists I know can't seem to grasp the whole idea of spirituality and very often are immature when it comes to emotional IQ.

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  3. On the contrary, when the context is one of fighting for social justice or religious freedom for secular-minded people, calls for moderation are heard as obstacles rather than assets to the cause. guarantor

    ReplyDelete

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