Toy Soldiers And Atom Bombs
I ran across a comment on a blog that I follow… Deep Thoughts
I don’t even have to give you any context as to what this comment is in reply to. It stands all on its own, like a statue in the park, or a historical marker somewhere down town in the old city. The idea it conveys is timeless in my opinion. It could have been said in 1770s or 2107.
In the recent past there have been plenty of comments regarding surveys and general thinking about why people believe and which segment of the religious spectrum is more informed than the others. Some of it was nice, some of it was not. Some of it was startlingly thought provoking. I did not think that I would see words written eloquently about the situation. I’m quite happy to say that I have.
It is a sad reality that religion and fundamentalism of all stripes wage mock wars to garner power in the public square. It is sadder still that whole armies go in want of a defence in their strategies and arsenals. Going to war with no more logistical support than a dusty old book and no more defence than the feeling that they should win because they think they deserve to win and believing they have a magic invisible superman on their side. It doesn’t much matter to them that the other side often enough thinks they have the very same magic superman on their side as well.
These belief armies, much more sinister than tilting at windmills, are gathering to attack our educational institutions and cut off supplies to science research teams. Like little toy soldiers playing with atom bombs.
Enjoy …..
I can’t speak for atheists, but as a non-atheist secular humanist, I’d have to say that we should always want to know more and understand more about the world around us, our society, our history, our culture. One of the attractions of fundamentalism is that you can be intellectually lazy – someone else has already answered all the questions for you. You don’t need to read the Bible if you’re a Muslim, or the Koran if you’re a Christian – someone has already figured out that the other guy’s book is just a bunch of lies. Now you can busy yourself in the accumulation of material wealth, without having to think about life’s bigger questions.
Those who are reflective want to know where ideas come from – it’s a shame that Christians don’t examine the source of their own beliefs as closely as they should. But it’s also a shame that there’s a lack of intellectual curiosity in general in most of the church-going group.
I don’t think that anything else needs to be said, though I would appreciate further insight, if you have any, as to why this state of affairs should exist.
myatheistlife 
I think it’s very simple. Religion is all about faith. What you are taught is what you should believe. Everything else is rubbish (i.e., heresy, lies, false prophets, temptations of Satan, etc.). Why would you cloud your mind with other information (knowledge) when you already know the absolute, universal truth?
Exactly. Like little toy soldiers loaded with propaganda about how god is on their side but not the other side, playing with big bombs because god will protect them. Fools.
Ignorance is bliss, so those studies that say the faithful are more happy than atheists might be on to something 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Don
Because those who *become* well-versed in the Old Testament of the Bible *become* atheists.
I’ll agree with that!
Thanks for stopping by Robin
Another argument that you get from fundamentalists is about how other worldviews aren’t as “good” as theirs – as though desirability has anything to do with truth.
“Science changes its mind! Governments change! What we believe can NEVER change! It’s better!”
“Every other religion requires you to do something to earn salvation. Ours is a gift! It’s better!”
“No other Messiah claims to be the ONLY way to God! Only Jesus does that! He’s better!”
Agreed! LOL!
Intellectual lazyness… a scurge upon this Earth. If people actually did read holy writ of other religions, or other kinds of treatises on the subject, they would be able to bette runderstand where the others are coming from and they’d see just how little difference there sometimes is
I agree with some of the points made, especially the point that the Bible is an intellectual endeavor that actually encourages intelligent thought–rather than being mind-numbing nonsense as some atheists claim. Thanks for following.
synapticcohesion, Where did you get that the bible encourages intellectual endeavor? Did I miss something? Who are you thanking?
From all of you that believe that learning the Bible is a worthwhile intellectual endeavor. (See previous comments for details.)
You mos-characterize the original post. It does not single out any one text or ideology. Your mis-characterisation is foul. Stop that. What you’ve done here makes you malicious and unkind, and it completely undermines any argument that you might have which is factual. Don’t be a troll.
“One of the attractions of fundamentalism is that you can be intellectually lazy – someone else has already answered all the questions for you.”
“Intellectually” lazy (rather than curious about the “absurdities,” “superstitions,” and “fairy tales” in the Bible). I appreciate comments likes these that do not belittle or demean Christianity and the Bible, but rather focuses on the flaws of individuals. There are other comments that also point out that learning the Bible is a worthwhile intellectual endeavor because many noted writers reference it–another appreciated observation made by an atheist.
In as much as it does not directly address the bible, you may be right. However, it directly addresses fundamentalism and blind faith in a broader sense. I can see that you might be happy that it is not focused on the flaws of the individual, but most of the rest of us find that intellectual laziness is a personality flaw or shortcoming that does not necessarily have anything to do with religion, though as this is pointing out, it comes with the territory of having blind faith.
This is not saying the Bible is a worthwhile intellectual endeavor, it is a disparaging comment about fundamentalists and fundamentalism.
Dearest Mal,
Well for one, no one wants to know the truth. If they did wouldn’t there be more people like You? I really just cannot sit back in my rocker and think, “Oh, these poor people do not know how to find the truth”. Please we are so intellectual, I mean we have this miraculous organ (blob of goop) that can accomplish things we still cannot comprehend. I do not think society is incapable of finding the truth…the outside world…I just think they’d rather not.
Who wants to eat their vegetables anyways?
~bri
Well said bri. The truth is too raw, too plain, too simple for most people. Even those that do get it don’t fully get it without some help it seems.