I would like to respond to an anonymous post by a reader to my article “Faith is a drug?”. The commenter had some good points that I feel need answering.
When people say “you believe in nothing” they are assuming that the average person understands that they are speaking of a deity. Of course no one in their right mind assumes that an atheist believes in nothing.
This is not entirely true. I do not speak for all non-theists nor do I speak for all religious persons, however it is a common misconception among religious that those who do not attach themselves to an organize religion are immoral and devoid of something.
However, an atheist is someone who denies the existence of a supernatural power, this is the nothing referred to in the previous statement.
Actually, that statement is the common misconception I was referring to. Atheism is more appropriately named non-theism. Atheists claim only doubt and uncertainty. No one has irrefutable evidence of a deity, therefore non-theists refuse to acknowledge that a deity DOES exist irrefutably.
Also, it sounds as though you may be trying to run as far and as fast as you possibly can from what you once believed and in doing so are not liberating yourself but entangling yourself in an existence which scorns at the intangible.
I like to think of it as making up for lost time. :) I would dispute that I ‘once believed in’ what I was indoctrinated with. It was all I ever knew, trapped in the circular reasoning of dogma. Learning how to think for myself, to explore the world and be free from indoctrinated fear was a difficult process, one that took years of thinking, searching and discovery. Religion is a difficult habit to break, especially for one brought up inside its walls.
Assuming that you feel love towards someone,do you not have “faith” in those you love. Do you not “believe” that that faith will be upheld.
This is a trite use of the words ‘faith’ and ‘believe’. In the context you speak of, these words carry a meaning of hope, a human emotion. In the context of my religious commentary, they are words that christians have used to describe the necessary steps the brain must take to surrender reason to fantasy. Nice try, you get points for that :)
And speaking of love, do you have scientific proof that love exists? No, you believe and have faith that the love you feel is just as real as any tangible object. So too, a theist believes and has faith that a God exists, though this God cannot be produced before his or her eyes.
Is there scientific evidence that love exists? Well, science is truth not proof, but lets explore. Animals show affection for each other and for humans. This is love as an emotion. Because love is an emotion, as a product of the human brain it can be shown and expressed. Love is a strong emotion that is often threaded to a god, but hate is an emotion that is just as strong.
The human emotions are products of the activity in our brains and how we interact with our environment. MRIs can even today track the “love” feelings of men and women during orgasm. Love has a chemical basis in the brain. Many hormones involved in love are fairly well known. Oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, estrogen, etc. all lead to various love-related feelings – pair bonding, lust, comfort, jealousy/protective behaviors, etc. You can predict if someone is in love (and often whether it is romantic or a child and parent relationship, etc.), by measuring levels of these chemicals. Scientists can force such behaviors (and presumably the emotion) on lesser mammals (moles, and mice) by giving them injections of certain hormones and/or electrically stimulating various centers of the brain. Give a male rat enough vasopressin and he will pair-bond with any female rat and become aggressive towards other males.
I hardly think a chemical response in our brain that triggers a physical expression (emotion) is comparable evidence to a deity of which there is no empirical evidence.
You are claiming to be a free thinker and yet are acting in such a manner that denies free thinking. Free thinking does not entail you to demean and degrade all those who do not think as you do. Free thinking allows you to think as you choose but at the same time to understand that your ideas are not the end all be all. Please try to be a little less narrow minded, it is very subjective and all together disturbing.
Thank you for your comments. As always, I simply present the truth (scientific evidence) and logic. My intent is not to put down anyone. My intent is to simply provide my experiences for the betterment of all. Recognizing that religion is often the cause of wars, terrorism, bickering, human hate and crusades is just a history lesson. It is my stance that religion encourages ‘blind faith’ and not a healthy curiosity about the world. I like that you say “your ideas are not the end all and be all.” I couldn’t agree more. That is the essence of doubt, it is what all religious folk should adopt. We simply do not know. To run about telling everyone that “my religion is better than yours and has all the answers” is arrogant. That sort of behavior is what fosters human hate. Being a non-theist embodies the humility of doubt. Holding organized religion to this flame of uncertainty is simply a way recognizing the lack of empirical evidence for a deity.
I will not apologize if my line of reasoning challenges readers. One cannot change or grow without first being challenged. Thank you for reading, for considering, for opening your mind. It is all a humanist can ask for :)
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