Why can we not discuss our beliefs? Or better stated, why can't we discuss our different beliefs? It seems to me that open discussion, questions, explanations, evidence would be the first thing true believers would want to engage in; share their reasoning with anyone interested. I've not found that to be the case though. I think most who do not understand something would want to engage in discussion to better understand. It's natural curiosity (I think).
So, why is it getting harder to talk about god? I don't agree with this writer's statement that we are a majority Christian nation, nor his outlook that we need more god talk ("when people stop speaking God because they don’t like what these words have come to mean and the way they’ve been used, those who are causing the problem get to hog the microphone") but I do agree we do need more real communication in order to grow understanding among ourselves. Christians may be the majority cohesive group in America, but I doubt Christians are the majority population in America. That is probably the case with most of the western world.
Why are Americans still uncomfortable with atheism ? I believe it's because of the limitations of our language itself. When is the last time you attended a gay party? Hahaha, I heard you gasp at that suggestion -- you know the word 'gay' has been embraced by homosexuals in an attempt at garnering the equality and respect they deserve. The word 'gay' really meant happy and bright -- they didn't call it "the gay nineties" because of rampant homosexuality -- it was apparently just a fun time to be alive; a period of prosperous comfort (for some anyway). The same verbiage distortion applies to the word 'atheist'. It's been corrupted and weaponized by those same evangelicals hogging the microphone, made to sound threatening, dirty. A theist believes in an active personal god or deity. An atheist does not. There may be anti-theists, too (I don't know of any, but there may be). There are Christians who say they *know god exists* because they see it in nature everyday, or any other reason. The atheist (or naturalist, or humanist, or free-thinker, or ...) says *no one can know*; there simply is no evidence for such a being. Nature is naturally explained.
As I have written before, 'atheism is not a dirty word'. Atheists, pagans, non-believers of all sorts have been distrusted, mocked, discriminated against, and persecuted since the organized religions claimed more and more power. A free-thinker is the biggest, scariest threat to any strictly managed doctrinal organization. Questions cannot be tolerated. If powerful enough, "the church" may have enough sway with government officials to have blasphemy laws passed. This happened early in our country's history in several states, and Ireland and Canada only in late 2018 repealed their national blasphemy laws. Blasphemy laws are the ultimate sledge hammer wielded to keep the populous in line with 'proper thinking'. Blasphemy laws are quite popular in many Muslim countries now, and are often used to silence government critics as well as church critics.
I think questioning and demanding logical answers is mandatory. You can't just accept what you are told "on faith". You must confirm for yourself what's been said from the pulpit. You must question authority.
The rise in anti-semitism and other hate groups world wide is also deeply troubling. That Einstein warned of increasing anti-semitism in a 1922 letter to his sister still rings alarm bells today, or it should at least. Hateful speech or conduct is not in the best interests of anyone.
There is some optimistic news beginning to percolate into the news. The public is becoming slightly more tolerant of non-believers in the political arena. Notice how the wording of the questions changed responses in the poll -- the word 'atheist' itself still carries some stigma, as compared to "not religious" or "agnostic"
How about we rekindle talking with our neighbors, asking questions, sharing ideas? Wouldn't it be advantageous for everyone if the Christian and the Muslim would share, question, and discuss their ideas, scriptures and their prophets' teachings? Wouldn't it be great if the Christian and the Pagan could discuss, question, share the love and respect for each other and mother earth and all her creations? Or have a discussion between the non-believer and the Muslim or the Jew and the Christian without rancor; just enjoy the shared love of humanity and the magnificence of the cosmos and world we live in. Questioning is not an attack. Questioning is an attempt to understand; a quest for knowledge.
We are all human, nothing more, nothing less. “According to the Buddha's teaching, the beginning of the life-stream of living beings is unthinkable. The believer in the creation of life by God may be astonished at this reply. But if you were to ask him 'What is the beginning of God?' he would answer without hesitation 'God has no beginning', and he is not astonished at his own reply.” -- Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught
Why are Americans still uncomfortable with atheism ? I believe it's because of the limitations of our language itself. When is the last time you attended a gay party? Hahaha, I heard you gasp at that suggestion -- you know the word 'gay' has been embraced by homosexuals in an attempt at garnering the equality and respect they deserve. The word 'gay' really meant happy and bright -- they didn't call it "the gay nineties" because of rampant homosexuality -- it was apparently just a fun time to be alive; a period of prosperous comfort (for some anyway). The same verbiage distortion applies to the word 'atheist'. It's been corrupted and weaponized by those same evangelicals hogging the microphone, made to sound threatening, dirty. A theist believes in an active personal god or deity. An atheist does not. There may be anti-theists, too (I don't know of any, but there may be). There are Christians who say they *know god exists* because they see it in nature everyday, or any other reason. The atheist (or naturalist, or humanist, or free-thinker, or ...) says *no one can know*; there simply is no evidence for such a being. Nature is naturally explained.
As I have written before, 'atheism is not a dirty word'. Atheists, pagans, non-believers of all sorts have been distrusted, mocked, discriminated against, and persecuted since the organized religions claimed more and more power. A free-thinker is the biggest, scariest threat to any strictly managed doctrinal organization. Questions cannot be tolerated. If powerful enough, "the church" may have enough sway with government officials to have blasphemy laws passed. This happened early in our country's history in several states, and Ireland and Canada only in late 2018 repealed their national blasphemy laws. Blasphemy laws are the ultimate sledge hammer wielded to keep the populous in line with 'proper thinking'. Blasphemy laws are quite popular in many Muslim countries now, and are often used to silence government critics as well as church critics.
I think questioning and demanding logical answers is mandatory. You can't just accept what you are told "on faith". You must confirm for yourself what's been said from the pulpit. You must question authority.
The rise in anti-semitism and other hate groups world wide is also deeply troubling. That Einstein warned of increasing anti-semitism in a 1922 letter to his sister still rings alarm bells today, or it should at least. Hateful speech or conduct is not in the best interests of anyone.
There is some optimistic news beginning to percolate into the news. The public is becoming slightly more tolerant of non-believers in the political arena. Notice how the wording of the questions changed responses in the poll -- the word 'atheist' itself still carries some stigma, as compared to "not religious" or "agnostic"
How about we rekindle talking with our neighbors, asking questions, sharing ideas? Wouldn't it be advantageous for everyone if the Christian and the Muslim would share, question, and discuss their ideas, scriptures and their prophets' teachings? Wouldn't it be great if the Christian and the Pagan could discuss, question, share the love and respect for each other and mother earth and all her creations? Or have a discussion between the non-believer and the Muslim or the Jew and the Christian without rancor; just enjoy the shared love of humanity and the magnificence of the cosmos and world we live in. Questioning is not an attack. Questioning is an attempt to understand; a quest for knowledge.
We are all human, nothing more, nothing less. “According to the Buddha's teaching, the beginning of the life-stream of living beings is unthinkable. The believer in the creation of life by God may be astonished at this reply. But if you were to ask him 'What is the beginning of God?' he would answer without hesitation 'God has no beginning', and he is not astonished at his own reply.” -- Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught
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