I’ve heard it argued that religion could simply be a given cultures way of trying to understand life however crude that understanding might be. Could books like the bible be more like Aesop’s fables than intended to be taken literally? Seen through that lens parts of the bible make sense. The fact that it contradicts it’s self would even make sense, merely a way to make the reader think about both sides of something. The problem would be people taking it literally.
The three Abrahamic religions were established thousands of years ago by ignorant tribesmen. Their world view was constructed on incomplete information. They did not even understand that the earth was a globe in space. But our understanding of everything has grown massively while religions have remained static.
So religion still spouts their primitive barbaric nonsense while science has offered a rational explanation based on evidence and critical thinking. Religion is not a metaphor, it is just clinging to pure bullshit that is thousands of years behind what we truly know these days.
2 Likes
We know more about the physical world around us. Whether we are more knowledge about other things remains to be seen. We seem to be capable of being as foolish now as we were thousands of years ago. We are after all, insisting that somehow a man should be referred to as a woman if he thinks he is rather than having his head examined which he definitely should. Our brilliant doctors choose to mutilate his lower regions instead. It’s as if we do not know that society is for the sane who can contribute to it and keep it going as opposed to the insane who can not and will bring it down upon us all.
That is how you approach a dissenting opinion? Question their sanity instead of just respecting what they say and think? I have a few gay friends, and yes, what they say and think makes me shake my head at times. But they do have that right.
3 Likes
What other things?
If we are able to observe something and gain knowledge about it, would it not be part of the physical, material world?
The things about which we don’t yet have knowledge all remain to be seen.
1 Like
Not everything is physical. Other topics exist that must be dealt with such as philosophy, morality and so on. These old books reference these subjects as well.
I trust you are able to discern how the statement “other things” is strongly ambiguous.
“Subjects about which we may or may not yet have as much research evidence as that for physical phenomena,” or something of that nature, may have been more on point.
In this forum, the suggestion of “other things” can mean the supernatural, or “higher planes” or similar nonsense, IME.
It’s broad, whether it’s ambiguous is subject to interpretation.
Equivocation now?
I could be wrong but this forum may be a bit of a bumpy ride for you.
1 Like
They sincerely believed it as true. Religion still perpetuates those obsolete ideas and facts, and since many are now exposed as pure BS, attempt to shift it into “oh, it’s just a parable”.
I’ve suspended @JimmyRussel
Obvious hate-mongering bigot disguised 🥸 as an “atheist” to peddle Putin propaganda and troll
3 Likes
He said in another thread “do you look like an atheist” that we are same by design. So I’m guessing he is pushing for intelligent design with some room for spiritual nonsense.
When the bible was assembled and for many hundreds of years the bible was accepted as hard fact by it’s practitioners. But inquiring minds began to dispel some of the weird tales, often receiving harsh punishment. The most obvious example was Galileo Galilei who suggested that the Earth was not the center of everything, that it was a ball orbiting the sun.
Over the years many foolish concepts were demolished by science. So the apologists began introducing the concept that the bible contained facts and parables and metaphors. That was and is their method in avoiding the awkward questions, to still defend the concept that the bible was perfect and true.
3 Likes
But what if religious metaphors are actually metaphors for non-religious metaphors that are used to convey non-religious concepts in a metaphorically religious manner?
1 Like
“Why must we dream in metaphors?
Try to hold on to something
We couldn’t understand…”
Seal
I love his music.
I look like everyone else which is by design. What goes on in my head is what makes the difference.
Any time I’ve heard anyone say the word “design”, it’s always been a Christian. Combine that with his homophobic remarks and that’s how I started getting ideas that he was a Christian trolling an Atheist forum.
2 Likes
If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
1 Like
I get nearly triggered when someone uses word “design” in reference to any living organism.
1 Like
Of course, we’ve seen a lot of that on here. Christians use words like “design” and “finely tuned” as a start up debate for their Watchmaker Analogies and Creationist Theory Arguments.
2 Likes
Rarely have I talked with an atheist who gives a fuck what consenting adults do in the bedroom. AND tend to be more concerned with factual information and critical thinking skills being taught in schools than “morals/sex education” 
1 Like