I have been looking to find a quick reply to the guy who levels the fierce scowl at me and demand the answer, "Are you an atheist!" I have a problem with answering yes to him because he will then assume that my soul purpose in life is to smite his divinity. Perhaps my better reply would be to tell them I am an empiricist. A seeker of empirical reality has a warm fussy feel to it. Of coarse if he asks I will tell him that his religion is not part empirical reality. A great fantasy though.
@b991228 I love "soul" purpose. Was it a Freudian slip or were you being witty? (Or are you just a poor speller?) Ah, I've just read "coarse" and "fussy" and answered my own question. Pity - I'd hoped you were being witty.
@tenseman08 I beg to differ. These people were not atheist. These where people who had better things to do throughout their lives than go to church. A person who has stated throughout is life that he is an atheist will no more turn to god than he will turn to Santa Clause or the tooth fairy. It is not the job of friends and relatives to take a person who at death is trying to maintain grip on reality and attempt a conversion. Honor his wishes.
@JBrazosCole Religion in one form or another has been tested for over 10000 years, as yet not a shred of evidence to suggest it is anything more than fairy tales...
There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding--empiricism isn't simply "testing things." Empiricism is the philosophical stance that all knowledge comes from the senses; there hasn't been a word of it since Hume himself closed the chapter and Kant moved on away from it. I'm rather surprised Fry would make such a mistake.
@JaneEva Thats very arrogant of you. To just assume that people who chose to disbelieve did so lightly and that you are the open minded one. Atheists don't come to that conclusion lightly. No true Atheist disbelieves without a great deal of study and it is not at all instantaneous, it is long, drawn out, and sometimes even painful. Obviously you are the one who has not studied the Bible with an open mind. If you were truly open minded, you would understand an unbeliever's perspective.
@JaneEva What makes you think people don't study religion prior to coming to the conclusion that atheism is correct? Is it because religious people never test or study the idea that God may exist, but accept it without question? I majored in comparative religion at university, having a deep interest in the subject, and while I always had a leaning to atheism, was open minded enough to test my beliefs... not something many religious people do.
I love Stephen Fry, and I certainly agree with most of his philosophy here, but I would have to say that while most older people may not have a strong reversal of beliefs, I've often read that people become more religious with age. So I think an adult that may have casually believed all their life may grow into a more fundamentalist belief.
@BelovedBitterSea I've noticed that too; old people don't tend to reverse beliefs but they do become more religious with age. It's rare to see an old person who is an Atheist, it's mostly young people (who the assumption is made that all young people think they are going to live forever) who call themselves Atheist or Agnostic.
The fear of death is a powerful motivator, not to be underestimated.
I have been looking to find a quick reply to the guy who levels the fierce scowl at me and demand the answer, "Are you an atheist!" I have a problem with answering yes to him because he will then assume that my soul purpose in life is to smite his divinity. Perhaps my better reply would be to tell them I am an empiricist. A seeker of empirical reality has a warm fussy feel to it. Of coarse if he asks I will tell him that his religion is not part empirical reality. A great fantasy though.
b991228 3 months ago
Comment removed
mikelheron20 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@b991228 I love "soul" purpose. Was it a Freudian slip or were you being witty? (Or are you just a poor speller?) Ah, I've just read "coarse" and "fussy" and answered my own question. Pity - I'd hoped you were being witty.
mikelheron20 1 month ago
Yep..people do tend to become more religious the closer to death..their is a bit in the novel brave new world that catches it so brilliantly..
tenseman08 4 months ago
@tenseman08 I beg to differ. These people were not atheist. These where people who had better things to do throughout their lives than go to church. A person who has stated throughout is life that he is an atheist will no more turn to god than he will turn to Santa Clause or the tooth fairy. It is not the job of friends and relatives to take a person who at death is trying to maintain grip on reality and attempt a conversion. Honor his wishes.
b991228 3 months ago
I wonder how well tested his opinion of religion is?
JBrazosCole 5 months ago
@JBrazosCole Religion in one form or another has been tested for over 10000 years, as yet not a shred of evidence to suggest it is anything more than fairy tales...
Digdigs2 2 months ago
Hmmmmm....................
PDana2009 7 months ago
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violetshadez 8 months ago
There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding--empiricism isn't simply "testing things." Empiricism is the philosophical stance that all knowledge comes from the senses; there hasn't been a word of it since Hume himself closed the chapter and Kant moved on away from it. I'm rather surprised Fry would make such a mistake.
noahfurlani 8 months ago
@noahfurlani He is talking about scientific empiricism.
b991228 3 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
If you need to question and test things then why aren't you seriously studying bible and G-d's existence before claiming you don't believe in it?
JaneEva 1 year ago
@JaneEva Because, this has been done for millenia and there is still not a shred of empirical evidence.
Martinrude 1 year ago 9
@JaneEva I did just that. As I did with most other religions. and I other quite a few other atheists who did as well
EmmaB3545 1 year ago 2
@JaneEva I know what is in the Bible and I can see that it's nonsense.
JohnnyKubark 8 months ago
@JaneEva Thats very arrogant of you. To just assume that people who chose to disbelieve did so lightly and that you are the open minded one. Atheists don't come to that conclusion lightly. No true Atheist disbelieves without a great deal of study and it is not at all instantaneous, it is long, drawn out, and sometimes even painful. Obviously you are the one who has not studied the Bible with an open mind. If you were truly open minded, you would understand an unbeliever's perspective.
TheManMostMysterious 7 months ago
@JaneEva What makes you think people don't study religion prior to coming to the conclusion that atheism is correct? Is it because religious people never test or study the idea that God may exist, but accept it without question? I majored in comparative religion at university, having a deep interest in the subject, and while I always had a leaning to atheism, was open minded enough to test my beliefs... not something many religious people do.
Digdigs2 2 months ago
I love Stephen Fry, and I certainly agree with most of his philosophy here, but I would have to say that while most older people may not have a strong reversal of beliefs, I've often read that people become more religious with age. So I think an adult that may have casually believed all their life may grow into a more fundamentalist belief.
BelovedBitterSea 1 year ago 8
@BelovedBitterSea I've noticed that too; old people don't tend to reverse beliefs but they do become more religious with age. It's rare to see an old person who is an Atheist, it's mostly young people (who the assumption is made that all young people think they are going to live forever) who call themselves Atheist or Agnostic.
The fear of death is a powerful motivator, not to be underestimated.
eatthatmeatball 8 months ago
@BelovedBitterSea Nah he's too awesome.
retrogamerist 5 months ago