Off Topic — HabitableZone

Off Topic » in reply to For REB, life after death

Religion and psychology
Tom Brosz — (archived)

It's interesting that while many atheists are rational in much of the rest of their lives as well, a large number of non-believers in conventional religions have no problem believing fifty other impossible things before breakfast.

If you compare conventional religion (Judeo-Christian, Muslim) with the myriad of non-Western and "New Age" beliefs, something becomes clear.

Conventional religion involves someone or something that is outside of you, independent of you, and has its own ideas about how things ought to be done.

The other ones are pretty much non-personal. There aren't any real authorities here and now telling you what to do. A really good New Age religion is like a toaster--it works when you want and sits there quietly when you're not using it. It isn't tapping you on the shoulder and saying "I'm the Creator, and I have something to say about how you live your life."

I think more than a few atheists (not pointing any fingers here) have "daddy" issues.

Unfortunately, far too many cultures that abandon religion start worshiping either themselves, a political idea, or local fuerhers. Ayn Rand's rationalistic atheism shows up for the most part, unfortunately, in her books.

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