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PaperclipPerfector  13d ago (text post)   29609 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of March 17, 2025

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Speaking as a current atheist, "Progressives are anti-Christian?" is a profoundly implausible statement. The difference between left- and right-wing atheists is that the latter also dislike everything else.

Though I've never been attracted to performative crucifix dunking or global-warming paint throwing. If that's the best you can do, you aren't capable of building any world I want you to live in.

I'm still an atheist! It would pretty much take an 'act of God' to make me a believer. I can't grok the metaphysics any religion, and I'm too set in my mental pathways to larp it without feeling fraudulent.

But I do wonder how many good heuristics I disregarded because of my aversion to faith. I don't mean to imply that Christians had it all right and I had it all wrong. Just that there was some wisdom in those practices (whether they were truly understood or merely passed on and reflexively followed by the faithful) I had probably overlooked because flipping the bird at the bible like Marilyn Manson seemed so obviously the right thing to do in our Era of Enlightenment.

Somebody like Sam Harris (who I was a big fan of!) would argue that we need to find secular pathways to reach the same 'good stuff' religion offers without the superstitions. I think I still agree with this in theory. But that movement has come up rather empty. I'm not even sure it's possible. If faith is the second best and only real option, I have to consider if my trashing of it was shortsighted. Even if I can't partake in it, it may be best if most people do.

Aesthetic but not factual agreement. Pity about the synthesis.

(I think a lot of wiser heads got scared off by career-incompatible drama way back when. Organization is certainly a better way to deal with the suicidally incompetent.)

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