At 3:03 PM -0400 4/27/02, Jim Guinee wrote: >> There is a leap here that went over my head. How does rejection of the idea >> of a loving God translate into a lack of optimism for the universe? >>Optimism, >> morality, wonder, etc., can exist without a belief in God. > >But I'm willing to bet it's a much tougher enterprise... >
Why? A belief in an omnipotent supernatural deity leads to an expectation of a perfect world, and much resultant cognitive dissonance. The atheistic optimist has no reason to expect perfection. One can hope for a preponderance of good while expecting some evil in an imperfect world (with no belief in a Superbeing capable of cleaning up the mess if s/he so disposes). * PAUL K. BRANDON [EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Psychology Dept Minnesota State University, Mankato * * 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001 ph 507-389-6217 * * http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html * --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
