Relapse of an Atheist

by rebel8 20 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Twitch

  Yea, I guess they don't call it the House of God for nothing, ;)

  Though I'd consider myself a lazy atheist leaning on the agnostic fence as it were, I too have had similar feelings in the cathedrals and churchs I've been in. It doesn't bother me to be in one. I've never actually attended a mass or service but it's safe to say I get the idea :) I have heard various choirs though and in the right "room", the effect is enhanced in a sense.

  It is a kind of magic though, the feelings inspired by a building when you let yourself believe in the idea and the sense of security it brings, for lack of a better term. Some buildings have more of an impact of course, but your mileage may vary,...

  I remember how it was when I had no doubt god existed. I just wish that he'd have more of a direct involvement with things down here where needed you know. He is a god of love after all, right? That was the message right? Seems there's a lot of injustice going on and such. In a way, I'd say thanks for getting the ball rolling and all but it sees to me we were screwed from the beginning and we all have to pay for it? Raw deal IMO. I guess he's got his reasons, his spat with satan and all. It does seem god isn't doing much for us that we aren't doing for ourselves anyways.

  But he does have a nice house ;)
• 

  jaguarbass

  He is a god of love after all, right?

  No. Adonis is the God of Love.

  Jehovah is the God of Israel.
• 

  parakeet

  Not long after I left the dubs, I attended a Catholic mass out of curiosity. Other than satisfying my curiosity, it did nothing for me.

  I've been in some of the great European cathedrals and have been in awe of the art and architecture, but had no religious or spiritual experience. I guess I'm a dyed-in-the-feather atheist/Buddhist/pagan.
• 

  PEC

  Religion is like hypnosis, it is mental masturbation. Subconsciously you know it is bullshit; but, you go with it; because, it feels good.

  Philip
• 

  WTWizard

  You can go to church and appreciate the building and the architecture. However, if you go to church for moral guidance, chances are you are going to be misguided. At least, if you do not like it, you can stop going and move on (or out), or go only on special occasions. (Which is more than can be said for the witlesses, which do not even have archtecture that is worth seeing).
• 

  Borgia

  I think that the appeal of the charade that is being put up in church is nice. Like going to a theatre and watching some play. Except, the theatre is more expensive.........

  Cheers

  Borgia
• 

  rebel8

  The comment re moral guidance is so true. I tend to do with the sermon what the church does with the Bible: Extract the parts I like and ignore the parts I don't like. (Sorry if that offends Catholics. I am not criticizing--I think it is right to disregard some of the bad things in the Bible, as long as you're not pretending to do the opposite like the dubs do.)

  Some buildings have more of an impact of course, but your mileage may vary,...

  It'd be interesting if the relapsing atheists here would go to those round theaters where they have the special effects (what are they called?), to see something that's fantasy.....say a trip to outer space.....then report back if the experience was similar to what we're describing in church.

  I'd guess the only difference would be the absence of familiar rituals and friends (which are both comforting IMO).
• 

  Satanus

  Pec

  What have you got against masturbation? Not that i'm admitting that it is that;)

  S
• 

  slimboyfat

  Good topic. I quite like visiting old churches even though I am not religious. Inside Stephansdom in Vienna was an interesting experience for me, listening to the very faint sounds and watching the genuflections of believers, interspersed with tourists taking pictures. I like the idea of singing with a crowd in a traditional church. But the thought of 'charismatic' services with over-the-top singing, healing, group praying and the like does not appeal to me.
• 

  Twitch

  It'd be interesting if the relapsing atheists here would go to those round theaters where they have the special effects (what are they called?), to see something that's fantasy.....say a trip to outer space.....then report back if the experience was similar to what we're describing in church.

  They're called planetariums and they're specially designed to simulate the earth's motion relative to the stars and other planets, their relative positions at any time in their ever increasing progression of movement away from each other. The projectors designed for this haven't changed since being invented, or something, lol. Interesting thing that astronomy; I was always fascinated by it and still am. Only recently understood how declination and right ascension works,....

  I have a lot of respect for men of old who studied such things, "mapped" out the motions and conjured reasons and math for the things they saw. It was a quest for knowledge and the beginning of science, I would say. And science has evolved thru it's infancy, it's own dark ages in a sense where understanding grew from ignorance and generally accepted principles were challenged and eventually overturned based on new evidence and thinking. Ptolemy anyone?

  The funny thing is, astronomy got mixed up with fantasy from early on, what with the meaning behind the constellations, the gods and stories they respresent and so on. Makes for an interesting Saturday afternoon matinee though :)

  As for if a planetarium inspires a religious or spiritual experience, well that might depend on how liberal you are ;) However, apples being apples, I'd say the effect was similar but in a different way, lol. In a cathedral, I would get more of a "communal", ritualistic sense of god, a tradition born of man's history, thought and insights, with inspirations originating from within. In a planetarium, the effect is more a glimpse of the objective real, ultimate and infinite, the beautifully syncronized dance of orbs and dust, order and chaos, precision and variance, filled with objects unreal and beautiful. Yea, I'd say it's inspiring but in a real kinda way. It is there and it is amazing.

  We've travelled to the moon and sent our eyes all around the solar system. It hasn't been that long since Robert Goddard. I think we'll figure out a way to travel to the stars one day, if we don't destroy ourselves before that asteroid hits us and the sun goes nova ;)

  But neither cathedral nor planetarium convinces me there's a god. I don't believe in the conventional sense of the word. Or maybe I haven't found the label for it yet. The ultimate question is really within anyways IMO

  Anyways, thanks for the thought and allowing me to digress.

  PS Only five more episodes of Battlestar Galactica,.....lmao