Principia Discordia > Aneristic Illusions

Reading I Don't Believe In Athiests right now.

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Kai:
Chris Hedges is also the author of American Fascists: Christian Right and the War on America. In this book, he is arguing something that I have thought for a while now, that the new athiests are religions fundamentalists in many ways. I'm reminded of Dawkins' "Brights". In the introduction he asks the reader to reject the 'utopian' visions that fundamentalists of all types share, and face the coming reality.

I find myself deeply interested in the works of a person who can argue against both Christian and atheist fundamentalism. It shows deeper intelligence than most people display, and mirrors many of my own beliefs.

Elder Iptuous:
I'd buy that.
but they're not likely to martyr themselves, so it's not too bad.  :lol:

Jenne:
Don't be too sure bout that, Ippy.  You should check out some of these less-fluffy atheists.  Their splinter movements in politics are rather insteresting.  I saw a documentary on that woman who spearheaded the movement here in the US in the 70's and 80's vis a vis suing the government, etc....yeah, that shit was wild.  O'Hair her name was.

Kai, great selection of reading.  Reminds me to get less fluffy myself in materials I peruse these days.

Cain:
Hedges is a believer, IIRC, though of a generally benign and somewhat metaphorical bent.  That was how he found it so easy to get inside the headspace of the would be American Phalangists, and why they frighten him so much.

I'm with Iptuous, the new atheists are annoying, self-important and abrasive jerks with all the sophistication in thinking of your average pre-schooler, for the most part.  Unfortunately, they are mostly correct in their beliefs and as annoying and counterproductive as they sometimes are, they mostly do little harm.

However I would be interested to hear more about the book and his thoughts on the matter.

Kai:
One of his early points is that humans cannot become morally perfect."Human individuals make moral advances, as do human societies, but they also make moral reverses. Our personal collective is not linear." He also points out that moral arguements based on science are as scary as those based on religious fundamentalism.

Some stuff I am agreeing with, other stuff I am not. He focuses on the word "sin", though I think by sin hes just using a cultural epithet for the flaws in human nature.

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