Evangelical Atheism

[zombyshakespear]

As many of you know, I left Christianity in 2002/3 over a period of a few months. I went from born-again, die for Christ, Bible literally true style protestant to agnostic. After a few more months I gathered the courage to acknowledge that I was truly an atheist

Comments

[zodac]

well, the reason that i sometimes think religion is okay, is because it helps people get by. i love my family and friends, and it is very sad to think that someday, they will be or are rotting in the ground, becoming worm food. for many people, you have to pretend that there is something more.
also, faith, when used right, can lead to good results. the christian children's fund, for example. at times religion can offer a morality that can lead to a better world.
that said, i think that the converse is more often true. a lot of people use religion as a crutch to be meen and nasty, which is sad, because it negates the only good things about religion.

[nolimitsoldier]

Faith isn't the problem, as so many philosophical teenagers will tell you, religion is. I am a Catholic, but I do not think that the organization of Catholicism as a religion has much benefit.

However I believe, for whatever reason, in things like the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, in the virtue of both faith and works leading to redemption, in the transaction of salvation that was Christ on the cross, and in the Transfiguration and Ascension.

These beliefs don't override my reason. It is reasonable and logical to do the least harm in order to maximize benefit to yourself. Christianity codifies that into a larger scheme of morality that largely eschews reason, but is ultimately rooted in that moral imperative.

Long story short: I do think that religion has a reasonable purpose.

[heralady]

I mostly put organized religion in the same category with sororities and fraternities. As organizations, they can do a lot of good, but they can also do a lot of harm to the people in them, and the people who they exclude from them. Being a part of one gives you a feeling of acceptance and togetherness, a sense of the collective power that you can tap into, simply by being a part of it.

Being a part of a larger religion helps to quell the nagging questions about the existence of God and his/her nature, to put aside the doubt that would otherwise leave open the possibility of crippling loneliness, and pointlessness. Because 20 million believers can't be wrong, right?

So yes, religion has a purpose. It allows us to be complacent with our own existence, and to not fall into an abyss of existentialism. Is it all a big lie? Maybe. But I think most people would rather be happy than right.

[dark_rogue]

religion and faith are two different things, you can have faith without religion but you cannot have religion without faith. i am a very faith filled person but i do not have religion, a standard set of values followed by people. people can live without religion but you have to believe in something

Faith vs. Morality

[zombyshakespear]

Nice to hear from you!

So, do you define faith as morality?

I am talking about 'Faith' definition 2b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof.
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/faith

I think everyone needs a set of moral principles to guide their actions. I think these principles actually have proof behind them because most values people hold (don't steal, don't kill) have proven themselves beneficial to societies throughout history.

[breeerose]

I disagree that faith is necessarily "the rejection of reason, wisdom, and understanding in favor of just believing what you are told

[zombyshakespear]

People do cling to other things with fervor, but I think religion will always have the greatest hold on people. Even someone who firmly believes in capitalism with all their heart is unlikely to become a suicide bomber