Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Religion
In reply to the discussion: Scientists discover that atheists might not exist, and that’s not a joke [View all]Jim__
(14,166 posts)28. Two thoughts. - ****** SPOILERS for The Road *******
I tend to agree with this:
Of course these findings do not prove that it is impossible to stop believing in God. What they do indicate, quite powerfully, is that we may be fooling ourselves if we think that we are making the key decisions about what we believe, and if we think we know how deeply our views pervade our consciousnesses. It further suggests that the difference between the atheist and the non-atheist viewpoint is much smaller than probably either side perceives. Both groups have consciousnesses which create for themselves realities which include very similar tangible and intangible elements. It may simply be that their awareness levels and interpretations of certain surface details differ.
I'm not quite sure about his opinion of The Road:
Furthermore, every time we read a book or watch a movie, we are reinforcing our default belief in the eventual triumph of karma. While there is certainly growth in the number of bleak narratives being produced, it is difficult to imagine them becoming the majority form of cultural entertainment. Most of us will skip Cormac McCarthys crushingly depressing The Road in favor of the newest Pixar movie.
At the end of the book, the man dies. Against any possibility that has been indicated in the book, the boy goes on to meet a couple. The couple has a young daughter. Nothing is made of it in the book, but the implications are clear. The story is depressing, but throughout, the man gives some hope for the future to the boy. I'm not sure that it is a bleak narrative.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
103 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
![](du4img/smicon-reply-new.gif)
That premise is not obvious in the short excerpt above. Which mostly suggests hard-wired values.
Brettongarcia
Jul 2014
#19
At best he's illustrating that there can be a spectrum of belief as well as non-belief
AtheistCrusader
Jul 2014
#21
What does the existence of a soul have to do with religion or belief in a god?
Starboard Tack
Jul 2014
#47
My sister used to say that anything I did that was good, that was because her god put
djean111
Jul 2014
#30
Another religious bigot proudly displaying his scientific illiteracy and intolerance.
beam me up scottie
Jul 2014
#54
Exactly. But why let facts get in the way of perfectly acceptable religious intolerance?
beam me up scottie
Jul 2014
#59
He is promulgating a bigoted belief, as if true. He's begging the question on an assumption.
AtheistCrusader
Jul 2014
#71
He's saying that atheists behave worse. That is categorically untrue as a society.
AtheistCrusader
Jul 2014
#78
Don't bother. This is acceptable intolerance in this forum because it comes from a believer.
beam me up scottie
Jul 2014
#81
The 'no atheists in foxholes' meme is generally considered offensive and bigoted.
AtheistCrusader
Jul 2014
#64
I don't see that assumption at all, particularly given his thesis that humans are so predisposed.
rug
Jul 2014
#65
Um, he's deliberately bending over backwards to accomodate people of faith in that eulogy.
AtheistCrusader
Jul 2014
#76