Firstly, I regret I need to include below, the full text of my original post
re Atheism. This is because on the basis of this post, Mario concluded and
stated on Goanet that I am an atheist. Readers of my post would see that any
intelligent extrapolation from my text could not possibly yield Mario' daft
assertion about me being an atheist.
Secondly, a little while ago, on Goanet, I had a fulsome and civilized
discussion with the Catholic scholar, Fr Ivo, why as a humanist, I disagreed
with some aspects of his religious beliefs. I also explored with him if he
had had any doubts about aspects of Catholicism. In other words, we had a
perfectly sensible discussion and expressed respect for each other's
philosophical positions.
In the light of the above two points, I now ask, why on earth Mario
desperately tries to be clever when he is clearly not? Does the answer lie
in his utterly blinkered fundamentalist religious bigotry?
Cornel
----- Original Message -----
From: "cornel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 5:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Goanet] Re: Atheism
I find Mario's question below, to be pretty daft, loaded, and incredibly
uninformed about the mind-sets of atheists even if there were such a
collectivity called atheists with a definitive version of atheism, apart
from a shared generalised view of it.
In human concepts and the process of conceptualisation, there are infinite
shades of meanings and understandings invested in them by
individuals/people. Indeed, this is true for all religions too. If this
were not true, there would not be so many periodic schisms in all
religions such as Christianity and Islam.
Further, selectivity in belief aspects of any religion is normal even
among those who claim adherence to a given faith.
Many atheists have pondered long and hard over the former religious
affiliation acquired at an early age and before they could choose for
themselves. After much thought, atheists arrive at a view about life and
existence which is different from that of religious people and all that is
entailed in organised religion.
To suggest that there is some kind of laziness in the atheist (and even
imply inadequacy), is to display incredible ignorance. Firstly, it is easy
to accept the status quo but harder and more daunting to question received
wisdom implicit in all religions. Secondly, human/social morality has
preceded organised religion. In other words, religions are human
inventions which draw on prior human morality already in existence. Humans
do not need to be religious to be socially moral as atheists invariably
point out. Unfortunately, this is something that Mario seems unable to
understand .
I want to suggest to Mario that, far from being lazy, atheists tend to be
actively engaged in considerable and prolonged mental thought and that, it
is easier to be lazy and accept religion instilled in early socialisation,
than to question it. Indeed, I want to suggest that, Mario has been
'captured' by his religion and is perhaps too afraid to question it--and
that, more than anything else, this could be envisioned as a mark of
laziness if one wants to pursue a thread posited by his own question.
I entirely respect religious people particularly if they have largely
overcome personal doubts about aspects of their faith and have been
sincerely persuaded by it. By the same token I am more than happy to
respect any sincere atheists and I wish Mario would do too.
Thirdly, I should suggest that Mario reads substantially about atheism
before raising vacuous questions. I am increasingly persuaded that he is
rather prone to do this. However, I may not go as far as Carmo's very
recent vivid (BB) Konkani depiction of Mario on Goanet!
Cornel
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