tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231068770575127994.post5335848608168152603..comments2023-05-13T11:26:20.678-04:00Comments on SkeptiKyle: Beliefs of a NonbelieverKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08731818234198573872noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231068770575127994.post-8725082952787816962012-08-04T12:57:11.726-04:002012-08-04T12:57:11.726-04:00Glad I could introduce you to humanism! It's a...Glad I could introduce you to humanism! It's a good way to say "I'm not religious, but I'm still a good person." It also provides a good landing spot for people who were brought up as Christians, realized that religion is ridiculous, and still want to hold on to the idea of being a good person.Kylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08731818234198573872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231068770575127994.post-65220002803468037312012-08-04T12:49:59.754-04:002012-08-04T12:49:59.754-04:00Thanks for the comment, Andy. Unfortunately, neith...Thanks for the comment, Andy. Unfortunately, neither the Golden nor Platinum rule is perfect, but they give good guidelines, and both require some rationale for breaking them. Another friend of mine made the argument that since I'm a fan of truth and knowledge, even at the expense of my initial point of view, I didn't really break the Golden Rule. I definitely broke the Platinum Rule in some cases, but it's impossible to please everybody all the time.<br /><br />I really liked the last line of your comment. I've never heard it phrased that succinctly before, but it's pretty obvious that there are both good and bad people, completely independent of religion.Kylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08731818234198573872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231068770575127994.post-13047142163662625322012-07-28T00:45:02.734-04:002012-07-28T00:45:02.734-04:00Humanist. I like it. A term that I was unfamiliar ...Humanist. I like it. A term that I was unfamiliar with before reading this post, but that after some research seems to be a great descriptor for myself.<br /><br />In all of the discussions we've had on this topic, I've never heard you mention that word. But I know I've tried to explain to you why I was reluctant to call myself an atheist. And I could never manage to say it as eloquently as you have here. I applaud you, and am so happy to have read this. You've given me a peace of mind I had been searching for for quite some time.<br /><br />In closing, a quote about religion that I absolutely love and which has resonated with me from the day I first heard it: "Religion is to do right. It is to love, it is to serve, it is to think, it is to be humble." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.<br /><br />That is how I seek to live my life.Karihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10478436395600070027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231068770575127994.post-50408758500503474042012-07-27T00:01:51.249-04:002012-07-27T00:01:51.249-04:00Kyle, this is by a considerable margin your best p...Kyle, this is by a considerable margin your best post yet.<br /><br />I would like to add to your discussion about the supposed horrible things atheists would do if freed from the moral constraint of religion. 1) We do not do these things. For some reason, in many religious minds, the hypothetical about what atheists WOULD or SHOULD do when freed of the constraints of faith outweighs the FACT that we do not behave in any way worse than believers. Quite to the contrary. 2) Might we say that expressing a view of what atheists must be doing without religion actually says more about the religionist's view than the atheist's. Aren't they really saying that THEY would do such things if freed from the chains of their belief system?<br /><br />Much of what you describe here is known as the "argument from personal experience." As you note, it remains one of the least compelling arguments in favor of irrational faiths.<br /><br />"Freethinker" hasn't taken on the negative connotations of "atheist" because it is vague enough that even believers in ancient books of myths can talk themselves into claiming that mantle.<br /><br />Humanism is indeed a strong way to express that in which we believe rather than what we don't.<br /><br />I'd offer that the Platinum Rule is a better guideline than the Golden Rule. Your criticisms of organized faith violate either, but hey, fuck 'em.<br /><br />Everyone who is good, is good without god.Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13047104184007592041noreply@blogger.com