At 11:38 AM 1/16/2008, you wrote:
> Hi Marsha,
>
> >A couple of years ago, I went to the Emergency Room at the local
> >hospital. It was my first time at this particular hospital so they
> >asked me a bunch of questions. One question was my religion. I was
> >struck dumb by the question for at least a minute, and then mentally
> >scrambled for a correct answer. Witch? Pagan? Atheist? Because
> >there are so many religious nuts running about these days, and being
> >a coward, I said agnostic.
>
>Steve:
>I know how you feel. Sometimes people ask me if I believe in God and
>I always bristle at having to answer. I've never felt like I want to
>label myself atheist because I associate philosophical materialism
>with it and agnostic justs sounds wishy-washy to me.
Greetings Steve,
>Sam Harris says that we shouldn't use this label for two reasons.
>
>1) strategically it allows people to dismiss our arguments without
>answering them because every believer thinks she has a knockdown
>argument against atheism.
Sam is a nice man, but I don't care what he or 'people' think. I do
not accept the concept of God. I dislike the gender bias associated
with word, and the teachings and history. I sometimes call myself an
atheist, because I want to proclaim that I find the concept of God
offensive. I am anti-theistic.
>2) philosohically we shouldn't need such a term any more than we
>need a term for a non-racist.
Philosophically we should not need a term like God. Might as well
have a philosophical discussion on the existence of Tinkerbell.
>I once read someone say that if atheism is a religion, then bald is
>a hair color.
>
>It seems to me that having to say that you are an atheist when
>asked your religion is like a bald person asked about his hair color
>having to answer "transparent" or "invisible."
Atheism is not a religion, it's a point-of-view. I'm anti-religion.
>Sam Harris recommends talking about "evidence" and "reason" rather
>than atheism. Wouldn't really help in the emergency room...How about
>"not religious?"
I would prefer not being asked. There is a presumption in the question.
Marsha
*************
DEFINITION of Marsha, I, me, self, & etc.: Ever-changing
collection of overlapping, interrelated, inorganic, biological,
social and intellectual, static patterns of value.
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