Comments | the_methotaku: Why atheism is wrong

the_methotaku

Why atheism is wrong

Jan 04, 2007 12:42

St. Anselm made a very intricate argument for the impossibility of true disbelief in God in his Prosologion. Here's the link to the wikipedia entry on him. Essentially, he argued that the reality of God was inherent in the concept of 'God', because God is greater then everything, and a real God is greater then a made-up God. Only it's longer and ( Read more... )

Comments 11

dogmatix_san January 4 2007, 18:19:19 UTC

Atheism is logic. Why believe in something you have not personally experienced? Something that cannot be proven and may not exist? If the Christian god is as the sources(i.e. Bible and clergy) portray, then why did He not stop the Crusades? Or the Inquisition? Or any of a hundred other things? Why does He not correct those 'misguided' souls who do not believe in Him or follow Him, or follow the 'wrong' factions of Christianity?

If He is not as the sources portray, then what should one use as a basis to determine either His existence or temprament? Why is it more logical to believe in the Christain god than than it is to believe in Buddah, or Shintoism? Why does the concept of god(s) need to be Christian - what gives Christianity the perogative of getting it any more right(or any more wrong) than any other religion? Wouldn't belief in Zeus or Odin or Hathor or kami be equally valid? Or equally invalid? Why is it wrong to ask for proof before belief? Why is belief the be-all and end-all of religion ( ... )

apeiron_gaia January 4 2007, 20:11:41 UTC

I agree with most of this, sans the bravery part. It takes a lot of guts to form one's life around an eschatological hope and divine ideal. For me, who has been both a believer and an atheist, belief is far more scary and difficult.

Most days I do think atheism is wrong. But I have no proof for it and it isn't illogical to be one.

And I have never been able to get the worth of Anselm's argument. I think it is pretty silly.

the_methotaku January 5 2007, 04:46:54 UTC

So what caused the Big Bang?

An atheist cannot answer this question. A Christian, Jew, Moslem, or deist can all say God caused it.

the_methotaku January 5 2007, 04:49:15 UTC

Oh, and that's Aquinas's argument, not Anslem's.

Thread 6

perpetual_lent January 4 2007, 20:02:08 UTC

Good point about being angry at the church vs. disbelief in God.

threetails January 5 2007, 04:32:29 UTC

I would believe to some extent that some atheists I've met are definitely angry... Possibly with the church, or Man's understanding of God, to such an extent that actually BELIEVING in God, for them, proves more painful. Many are extremely vocal and spend a lot of time explaining themselves ( ... )

amaebi January 5 2007, 22:47:14 UTC

I find Anselm completely unconvincing. But then, I'm also a nominalist, not a Platonist.

Can you give me some more flavour of why you find it so pwoerful?

the_methotaku January 5 2007, 23:13:43 UTC

I was never able to stop believing in God (or Jesus), even when I was very mad at the Church. I just couldn't. Anslem told me why!

And I'd classify myself as an Aristotelian, not a Platonist.

amaebi January 6 2007, 02:32:33 UTC

I'm probably going to sound thick to you, but could you help me to get further toward a feel for how Anselm helped you to understand your stubborn belief? I do understand and feel the stubborn belief part. I know Anselm pretty well. I'm having trouble connecting them-- and the more so since you're not a Platonist!

Just to clarify: I'm not at all trying to say you're wrong. I'm saying that I would love to get a whiff of where you're coming from. :) In fact, getting at least a little feel for positions that aren't mine is practically a mania with me.