@Downloaded said:
@RPGee: I am continually disappointed by atheists and so-called "intellectuals" who seem to believe that having faith in a higher power or life after death implies that people are stupid or can't think logically. Just as there is no proof for God or life after death, there is no proof against it, and it's not something we can test. Just as you are entitled to say you don't believe, they are entitled to say that they do and still be seen as completely sane. Intense atheists are almost as bad and certainly as zealous as highly religious people and I would say that agnostics are the only people out there that don't truly have a religion. Belief without question is the only real form of ignorance because it closes off all sorts of paths to intellectual curiosity and practical learning, and dismissing people who believe so strongly doesn't do them any favors because it just cements their beliefs further. You're not helping anyone by thinking your better than them for not believing.
I think you misunderstand me. I wasn't commenting on what other people think, I was purely commenting on the rationale behind my motives for not believing. To do otherwise would be to imply, as you said, that my opinion is valid whereas all others are not, while in reality all comments apply to those who made them and not necessarily much else unless in agreement. Like you said, there's no proof either way, so we can only go with what knowledge/opinions we have.
I don't believe in an afterlife or reincarnation or anything as such because of my personal atheism. I don't believe in a higher power, and part of that is not believing in the existence of a soul. Following that in a practical (you might even say scientific) matter, to me that means that this life is the one and only chance you get, and that after that is, in all likelihood to me, nothing. I'm accepting of that, and I make the most of my days while I can. Alongside that, though, I can't think about it much because that could potentially cause an existential crisis. I don't want to think that a void awaits at the end of my time, that's hazardous to mental health.
And you're right, atheist zealotry is awful. I've only met a few in my time, by they always come off as aggressive towards religion in a completely unreasonable way. Personally, I'm against religion for myself only, because that would be going against my own personality.
I hope that clears it up somewhat. I can see how you read ignorance into my initial comment, but believe me, I've thought this through plenty of times.
TL;DR: #YOLO
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